MUSIC FOR PLEASURE

South African "Is It A Dream"

2006-09-05T20:05:00.000-04:00

Not a lot to say about this one. You either have it or it's on your wants list. Most people I know need it. Thank you Abe Fumiaki for the scans!

Damned Bootlegs

2006-06-04T05:33:00.001-04:00

The Damned are one of those bands with an extensive bootleg discography. Shall we call them "fan club" records? One thing is for sure, there are a LOT of different records and different versions of these records. I doubt that anyone I know can say they have all of them.

Since the release of Grave Disorder (2001) there has been a renewed interest in the band. It was around that time when bootleg vinyl started appearing again on a regular basis. Consider that there's an 11 year gap between the releases of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde / History of the World 7" (1991) and Damned Damned Damned counterfeit LP (2002).

The boot DDD is a badly done repro of a red labels German (Stiff, 6.23316 AO, 1977) pressing. Why bad? The cover for instance. Terrible printing job. It's been said "so bad it's good" and I agree. How could you not be amused by the very out of focus pictures? The labels also look shitty compared to an original. Whoever made these then had a second batch of covers printed and these look fine. They've also included a lyric sheet with some copies, which is a nice touch. To my knowledge all of these have the shitty looking labels, a tell tale sign that it was NOT made in Germany in 1977!

In August of 2006 a limited red vinyl version appeared on eBay.

Neat Neat Neat / Fan Club / I Fall / Born To Kill / Stab Yor Back / Feel The Pain // New Rose / Fish / See Her Tonite / 1 Of The 2 / So Messed Up / I Feel Alright

110 on red vinyl

Next up was the Noise Is For Heroes LP (Nasty Nasty, 006, 2003). This was a limited edition of 300 numbered copies. The theme here is that the tracks (from 77-82) are taken from TV broadcasts and reproduced in glorious mono. One exclusive track I want to mention is "Something Else" which is the Eddie Cochran song and was recorded live on the show (naturally) Something Else.

Neat Neat Neat / Problem Child / Fan Club / Smash It Up / I Just Can't Be Happy Today / Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde / Something Else // Wait for the Blackout / Lively Arts / I Just Can't Be Happy Today / Hit Or Miss / Disco Man / Dozen Girls / Bad Time For Bonzo / Love Song

A very short time later (a month maybe?) two more unauthorized reproductions appeared: New Rose / Help 7" (No Label, ROSE, 2003) & Stretcher Case Baby / Sick Of Being Sick 7" (No Label, BUY IT, 2003). These singles were limited to around 300 each and pressed on yellow vinyl, but little did collectors suspect, that was just the tip of the iceberg.

You see different colours were added to the mix and also (in the case of New Rose) different picture sleeves. NR was issued in a French Skydog sleeve but also in very limited numbered editions of 50 each with a German and a Dutch repro ps. If that wasn't bad enough there is also a limited edition of 100 numbered copies in a sleeve featuring the artwork from the infamous Japanese Neat Neat Neat 7" and these were available in either yellow or green wax. I say "also" a lot, eh? As for the French sleeve, here's where it gets tricky. This was issued on... almost see-through yellow, opaque yellow, yellow with dark streaks, light green, darker green, really dark green and good old black vinyl. So basically the press started yellow, added green and then black. Or is it the other way around?

Stretcher Case Baby had a similar fate. The initial press is yellow and there are also yellow copies with streaks of black vinyl. Not content with this, it was then repressed one year later and the colours are as follows: clear, transparent pink, transparent red, opaque red, brown, brown and black marbled and finally black. Are you keeping track?

Shades of New Rose

If you blinked you might have missed The Doomed RCA 1978 LP (Vinyl Japan, AE-50547 / AE-50548, 2003). This Damned, or rather, this Doomed boot was pressed in limited numbers (200-300?), rarely turns up for sale and was pretty expensive at the time of release.

Teenage Dream / Second Time Around / Problem Child / Burglar / Ballroom Blitz / Looking At You / Help // Stab Yor Back / Anti-Pope / New Rose / Jet Boy Jet Girl / Stretcher Case / Neat Neat Neat

The elusive Doomed RCA LP

About a year later in June, another Japanese bootleg! This time a CD. (boo!) The Captain's Messed Up (Back To Zero BTZCD-008, 2004) featured two live shows recorded in Feb. and March 1977. These are limited to 250 numbered copies, but mine is not numbered. Who knows! This was apparently sourced from mp3's, a first for the Damned's bootleggers? Let's hope they don't make a habit of this in the future!

Birmingham, Rebeccas, 17/02/77 - I Feel Alright / Born To Kill / Fan Club / Neat Neat Neat / I Fall / Sick Of Being Sick / Stretcher Case / Help / New Rose / Stab Yor Back / So Messed Up / New Rose / Birmingham, Odeon, 17/03/77 - I Feel Alright / Born To Kill / Fan Club / Neat Neat Neat / Sick Of Being Sick / Stretcher Case / Help / New Rose / Stab Yor Back / So Messed Up / Fish

A month later we were treated to yet another installment in the saga (!) with the release of Damned From The Start LP (No Label & No Number, 2004). This one has the distinction of NOT being limited to 300 but rather 293. Side one is comprised of some demo recordings most Damned fans are probably familiar with while side two is live, Finsbury Park, London 27 July 1986.

Don't Trouble Trouble / Liar / Melody Lee / Plan 9 Channel 7 / Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde / Sick Of This And That // Smash It Up (Part 1) / Smash It Up (Part 2) / Love Song / Looking At You / New Rose / We Love You

Before 2004 is over we welcome Birmingham 1977 LP (No Label, D77). As the title suggests this was recorded in Birmingham at Rebecca's on 17 February 1977. Once everyone had their black vinyl copies the colours appeared: white (ltd. 300), green (supposed mispressing of 20), clear (15 only) and an easy to overlook see-through black (limited to "a few," if I knew you would too).

I Feel Alright / Born To Kill / Fan Club / Neat Neat Neat / I Fall / Sick Of Being Sick // Stretcher Case / Help / New Rose / Stab Yor Back / So Messed Up / New Rose

1 of the 20

So Messed Up In 77 (No Label, NEAT 001) was the first LP of dubious origins released in 2005. Continuing the live 77 theme this record is recorded at the Sundown Discotheque 18 August of that great year and features our mate Lu on rhythm guitar. Not to be outdone (or adding insult to injury, take yer pick) there are 30 numbered green vinyl copies.

You Take My Money / Neat Neat Neat / Problem Child / Fan Club / Politics / Sick Of Being Sick / Don't Trouble Trouble // Stretcher Case / Help / Stab Yor Back / So Messed Up / New Rose / Born To Kill / Fish

Green with envy

A month later in March we learned that some strange fool got it in his head to make an LP of our heroes' John Peel Sessions. The resulting album Sick Of Being Sick LP (Strange Fool Music, SOBS 05, 2005) has the first four of their awesome sessions, 1976-1979, missing only one song ("Liar" which of course was Captain's favourite number from this period). This album was born on either black or white vinyl, but we are told of the 1,000 made a mere 100 are white.

1976 - Stab Yor Back / Neat Neat Neat / New Rose / So Messed Up / I Fall / 1977 - Sick Of Being Sick / Stretcher Case / Fan Club / Feel The Pain // 1978 - Melody Lee / I'm A Burglar / Love Song / Looking At You / 1979 - I Just Can't Be Happy Today / Smash It Up (Parts 2 & 3) / I'm Bored

Let's return to Japan for a minute because it's still March and we've got another gem in the Lost Radio Broadcast Tapes 1977 10" (Hot Shot Records HSRTDB61 SFM, 2005). This is another boot of the BBC live "In Concert" series recorded 21 May 1977 at the Paris Cinema. A great performance it is too, and on a nifty 10" record. I can't complain! No idea how many were issued so let's say 300, because everyone seems to like that number. I wouldn't doubt if there's less, you just don't see this one often.

I Feel Alright / Born To Kill / Sick Of Being Sick / Neat Neat Neat / Fan Club // Stretcher Case / Help / Stab Yor Back / So Messed Up / New Rose

No April Fool's joke, a month later (they work fast) there's yet another addition to the discography, namely Doom The Damned LP (No Label, DOOM 1, 2005). This one, in my opinion, is like a no-brainer. Everyone has this stuff. Side one is the Not The Captain's Birthday Party CD and side two is the School Bullies CD. That is all. Still, it's great material and nice to have the School Bullies live at the Moonlight Club in 1979 on vinyl. Plus Jon Moss plays on side one. Gotta love Jon.
You Take My Money / Creep (You Can't Fool Me) / Problem Child / I Fall / So Messed Up / New Rose / I Feel Alright / Born To Kill // Teenage Dream / Stretcher Case Baby / Ballroom Blitz / Problem Child / Melody Lee / Born To Kill / Suicide / Looking At You

Our Japanese friends at Back To Zero had a special treat in store for us, released in August, this double bootleg CD featured a live recording from Club Quattro, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, which was recorded - GET THIS - 3 July 2005! Finally , a recent recording for a change. Nice job editing Patricia out of the cover photo (not!). Japan Tour 2005 2xCD (Back To Zero, BTZCD-020-1/2, 2005) is limited to (you see it coming?) 300 numbered copies.

Introduction / Love Song / Second Time Around / I Just Can't Be Happy Today / Democracy? / Alone Again Or / Wait For The Blackout / Street Of Dreams / I Fall / Would You Be So Hot (If You Weren't Dead) / New Rose / History of the World / Born To Kill // Absinthe / Ignite / Plan 9 Channel 7 / Neat Neat Neat/ Jet Boy Jet Girl / Eloise / Smash It Up (Parts 1 & 2)

I do not have one of these, this one is a mystery to me... supposed to be from Japan, I'd imagine "a handful" made, I give you the Lost CBGB's '77 Tapes CD-R (Top Of The Hill Records TOTH0062, 2005). Can we really count CD-R's? If I wanted to I could make a limited edition of 3 boot CD right now. Would that count? Would it be a "collectable" or a coaster?? Nonetheless, this has 20 songs (two sets) live 7 April 1977 .

I Feel Alright / Born To Kill / Fan Club / Anarchy In The UK / Neat Neat Neat / Stretcher Case / Help / New Rose / Stab Yor Back / So Messed Up / I Feel Alright / Sick Of Being Sick / See Her Tonite / Fan Club / I Fall / Feel The Pain / Neat Neat Neat / Help / New Rose / So Messed Up

Four months into the new year we've got the Star Spangled Punks LP (Trade Mark Of Quality SSP001, 2006), a vinyl bootleg of the old Target video. Somehow I doubt listening to it is as satisfying as watching it, but this live recording from Club Waldorf, San Francisco on 6 July 1979 captures the boys at their chaotic best. Only complaint is... where's "No Fun"?! By July a limited edition appeared, 30 copies pressed on blue vinyl.

Jet Boy Jet Girl / Teenage Dream / Stretcher Case / Ballroom Blitz / Born To Kill // Looking At You / New Rose / Noise, Noise, Noise / Problem Child / Love Song / Pretty Vacant

Bootleg blues!

During the last few weeks of May we've got another new release. I Had Too Much To Drink Last Night is a double album , 300 orange vinyl copies pressed on Transylvanian Records. The first three sides feature a live recording from Newcastle Bear Pit 31/12/83, side four contains Feel The Pain (same venue 29/12/83) and then four songs from Newcastle Mayfair 14/10/82 which weren't included on the Live At Newcastle album!

There Ain't No Sanity Clause / Disco Man / Ignite / Stranger on the Town / Wait for the Blackout / Do The Blitz // Melody Lee / Love Song / Born To Kill / Neat Neat Neat / Looking At You / New Rose / Smash It Up / Noise Noise Noise // The Hippy Hippy Shake / Burglar / Red Is The Colour Of My True Love's Hair / Happy Talk / Sensible's a Wanker / Scabies' a Wanker / I Just Can't Be Happy Today / We Love You / I Feel Alright // Feel The Pain / I Just Can't Be Happy Today / The Limit Club / Melody Lee / Curtain Call

It's June and what do you know! Just when you think you've seen everything, there's now a "limited reissue" of the German New Rose. The first two copies surfaced on ebay and sold for almost £50 each. According to the seller's description, this is "very limited." I guess that beats having to pay mega-bucks for an original, but did the record have to be an almost exact copy? Will anyone be fooled into paying $500.00 thinking this is the real deal?

The original German picture sleeve is very thin. The "reissue" is thicker and the printing is not as clear, especially on the back where it says "Liscensed by Island Records Ltd." The record itself has NEW ROSE written in the dead wax area, no mistaking that for an original press!

Reference: www.idiotbox.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/

Damned Disciples Song Book

2006-05-19T04:44:00.000-04:00

12 or 13 minutes

2006-05-19T03:15:00.000-04:00

Australia & New Zealand Lovely Money 7". These two have got the special stamped sleeves. (The majority have generic Festival Records sleeves.) So which is right? 12 or 13 minutes? Add it up yourself! And don't forget there's two Aussie 7" with both an edited version (3:45) and a full length version (5:20).

Thanks to Tom Kearney for the scans!

Grim reality

2006-05-18T22:59:00.000-04:00

When The Damned signed to MCA in 1985 they soon found themselves in the pop charts again. Some of their biggest hits were from this period, including Eloise, Shadow Of Love and the record I'm going to talk about, Grimly Fiendish. To say there are many different versions is an understatement, I'll tell you why. You may be aware that there are standard picture sleeves and gatefold picture sleeves. A limited number are individually signed (both regular & gatefold sleeves) plus some gatefolds are fully signed. Are there fully signed non-gatefold sleeves? Not sure but for the sake of argument lets say there are. Consider that though most have been signed in silver pen there are some with gold signatures. Is that getting too crazy? Well then how about this one: there are different B-side labels. Enlarge the picture below.

In case that you didn't see it, one says "Produced by The Damned" while the other reads "Produced by Bob Sargeant and The Damned." If you want to get really crazy, look at the matrix numbers! We'll save that for another time though.

What does it mean? Well, if you wanted to get a truly complete set of UK Grimly Fiendish singles, your wants list would look something like this:

regular ps, Damned labels
regular ps, Bob/Damned labels
regular ps, Vanian autograph, Damned labels
regular ps, Vanian autograph, Bob/Damned labels
regular ps, Rat autograph, Damned labels
regular ps, Rat autograph, Bob/Damned labels
regular ps, Roman autograph, Damned labels
regular ps, Roman autograph, Bob/Damned labels
regular ps, Bryn autograph, Damned labels
regular ps, Bryn autograph, Bob/Damned labels
regular ps, fully signed? Damned labels
regular ps, fully signed? Bob/Damned labels
gatefold ps, Damned labels
gf ps, Bob/Damned labels
gf ps, Vanian autograph, Damned labels
gf ps, Vanian autograph, Bob/Damned labels
gf ps, Rat autograph, Damned labels
gf ps, Rat autograph, Bob/Damned labels
gf ps, Roman autograph, Damned labels
gf ps, Roman autograph, Bob/Damned labels
gf ps, Bryn autograph, Damned labels
gf ps, Bryn autograph, Bob/Damned labels
gf ps, fully signed, Damned labels
gf ps, fully signed, Bob/Damned labels

Is that too much? There's the x-factor I talked about before, silver or gold signatures, and the fact that Roman signed either the front of or inside the gatefold. Don't you love it! Personally, I think it would be nuts to try to track down all of those. Most are content with a set of 4 individually signed or 8 if you want the regular and gatefold editions, but they're out there to be collected, if you choose to.

Solid centre Chiswick singles

2006-05-18T15:56:00.000-04:00

There are cases where the centre of Chiswick singles, which should be of the preforated "press out" type, are instead solid. It's not often you find one like that. They've been known to sell for big money, like the ones in these pictures did on eBay. Besides Love Song and Smash It Up, I've seen a solid Sanity Clause. It's possible all Chiswick suffered from this mishap. There are many other collectable versions of the Chiswick 7"s, some of these include: missing a label, missing both labels, two of the same label, wrong labels, extra labels stuck on top of eachother.

Scans borrowed from eBay.

205 475

2006-05-17T14:02:00.000-04:00

The numbers 205 475 mean something to a Damned collector... the hard to find French pressing has unique light green labels with an orange Stiff logo. These labels are similar to the mid eighties German import, so that leads us to believe this was issued around the same time.

The first thing you may notice is the different Stiff logo in the lower right corner.

It is the only press of DDD with this logo on the back.

So if it's made in France then why is it distributed by Ariola? Usually records of Dutch origin mention Ariola.

One of the mysteries of The Damned has to be the virtual non-existance of this version. I think there's been 4 or 5 of these listed for sale on eBay in the 5 years I've been a member! There have been more Japanese NNN's listed in that time! I'm sure you'll find one for a couple Euros at a store in France, but where are all of em??

Damned oddities

2006-05-17T11:23:00.000-04:00

When a group has been making records for 30 years, you are bound to have some really curious items in the discography. There's records that are rare and then there are records that really have you scratching your head, saying "Can't be more than a couple copies of these!" Take this mutant for instance:

Now when is the last time you've seen a purple Love Song 7"? Maybe this is the first time. I assume they didn't clean the machine properly! Maybe someone made it for a laugh, kind of like this one...

This Anything 10" was released on either blue vinyl or yellow vinyl, yet someone wanted to make a "special" version! One of a kind? Supposedly. Only its creator knows for sure...

This Belgian Don't Cry Wolf 7" (normal copies are yellow or the rarer orange wax) is one of the few made between the changing of the colours. How many could there be? The fact is that the only one I know of is in Oliver Breit's collection. Sure there has to be a few, I've seen similar looking Belgian Stiff singles, but since this is The Damned you can bet it will sell for a little more than a Wreckless Eric or Nick Lowe record.

All right, this one is NOT an album by The Damned but it sure looks like one! Only their pictures are on it, Henrik Poulsen owns it so we'll have to ask him what band it is. Home made or not, still looks nice.

Well there you have it, possibly a few to add to the wants list (or not!), never ends does it?

German colour vinyl nightmare

2006-05-17T09:20:00.000-04:00

Around 1986 Stiff Records in Germany decided to cash in on the new success the "cobweb" Damned. The band was in the spotlight again with hit singles like "Grimly Fiendish" and "Eloise." The result was that the 1977 LP's Damned Damned Damned and Music For Pleasure were reissued in black and colour vinyls.

Now probably the first question is "wot colours?" Well, see for yourself...

Tom Kearney:

Dan De Pasque:

Mike Merrall:

Are there more? I think the consensus is about 8 for each LP. Some colours like the red DDD seem pretty hard to find compared to the others. Why isn't there a red MFP? Well who the hell knows, there probably is!