Last time round in the CD single lucky dip, you had the opportunity to listen to an early release by Snow Patrol, one that had come out on Jeepster Records back in 1998.
The label was best known as being home to Belle and Sebastian – the band’s first five albums were issued by the label between 1996 and 2002 (albeit debut LP Tigermilk was via a re-release in 1999), along with four EPs and three singles.
I thought it would make come sense to hark back to that era, and to offer up a modified (shortened, yet enhanced!!) version of something from June 2016, when I was in the middle of using Sundays to look at the various Belle and Sebastian EPs and singles.
From wiki:-
“Legal Man” is a single released by Belle & Sebastian on Jeepster Records in 2000. The title track also features Jonny Quinn (on congas), Rozanne Suarez (on vocals) and The Maisonettes (on vocals). The cover features band members Stevie Jackson and Isobel Campbell along with Adrienne Payne and Rozanne Suarez. The track became their highest charting single up to that point, reaching #15 in the UK singles chart. They also made their debut on Top of the Pops to perform this song.
The two B-side tracks are notable for their historical significance; “Judy Is a Dick Slap” is the first instrumental released by the band, while “Winter Wooskie” is the third and final lead vocal from former bass player Stuart David, who left the band in 2000. Initially a demo, the track was completed by the other members after David’s departure as a farewell gesture.
mp3 : Belle and Sebastian – Legal Man
mp3 : Belle and Sebastian – Judy Is A Dick Slap
mp3 : Belle and Sebastian – Winter Wooskie
Legal Man was released in May 2000, and was the first new music following the band picking up best new act at the 1999 Brit Awards, a result that had left many establishment figures in the music industry speechless.
What had happened was the vote for this award was open fully to the public with the winners fully anticipated to be Steps who had enjoyed a run of hit singles and massive media exposure; however, it was the first real use of internet voting for an awards ceremony, and the B&S fanbase, many of them using both personal and student e-mail addresses, voted en masse and pulled off a result nobody anticipated. The reaction of the tabloid press in the UK was hilarious – how dare a band who nobody had ever heard of it take such a prestigious award?
The new single was a dramatic shift in sound for the band. It was aimed full-on at radio stations, and it did get daytime play and, as mentioned above, led to a TOTP appearance:
For many people, it was the first time they had bought a B&S record/CD. I’m sure many of them would, the following month, go out and buy the new LP Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant and be bamboozled by the fact that none of the songs sounded anything like Legal Man!
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 