Inspired by yesterday’s remarkable ICA from strangeways, I thought it was time, again, to offer up what I think is one of the loveliest tracks of all time.
I’ve written about Abandon Ship a couple of times before. It was the only single ever released by April Showers – and yes, the turning of the calendar into a new month got me thinking about things, too. A Glaswegian pop duo comprising Jonathan Bernstein and Beatrice Colin who had met and formed the group while at Glasgow University. Jonathan has subsequently forged a career for himself in recent years over in his native America as an author and screenwriter. Beatrice, sadly, passed away from cancer in 2019 at the age of 55, having led a full life in the creative arts, working in radio production and then journalism, before becoming an award-winning author and playwright, as well as a lecturer in creative writing at the University of Strathclyde.
It’s a single I regret not buying back in the day, relying instead on listening to it from the collection belonging to a flatmate. In due course, I was able to add the song to my own collection thanks to its inclusion on the compilation CD, 10 Years Of Marina Records, released in 2004.
Now, at long last, I have a copy on vinyl after Pete Paphides included it on the superlative Sensitive pop anthology recently released on his Needle Mythology label. It’s not only a beautifully and lovingly compiled collection, but it comes with extensive sleeve notes courtesy of Pete, which alone are worth the cost of the double album. Here’s some of what he has written about Abandon Sip:-
Prior to Beatrice’s arrival, Jonathan hadn’t been able to interest any labels in his demos. That changed when she sang ‘Abandon Ship’ and Chrysalis heard the result. Enter Anne Dudley. This being 1984 – the year in which she arranged strings for Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Lloyd Cole And The Commotions – it’s not as though Dudley could have sone with the extra work, but she clearly heard something here that left her powerless to refuse.
If you’re an arranger listening to a song for the first time, you’re also listening to the beginnings of your own arrangement for it. To hear those strings rush in to help launch that first chorus skywards is like experiencing an early version of augmented reality. And while none of this was possible without an achingly pretty song at the centre of it. Imagine ‘Abandon Ship’ without those strings and what’s left is a bittersweet song of resignation, from a protagonist who can no longer pretend that life hasn’t overwhelmed them. Those strings give Beatrice’s vocal an added shot of energy : ‘Why don’t you come on in?/The water’s lovely!
mp3 : April Showers – Abandon Ship
At long last, a vinyl rip.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
A real winner of an ep (12″). It evokes many good memories. This was one of a few rare records I decided to sell a while back. I couldn’t let go. The others I could replace with cd, or reissue vinyl. Not this. I actually regret some of the others sales, despite replacing them. This wee song means so much, for so many reasons, I doubt I’ll ever part with it.
Flimflamfan
I was very interested in this compilation (and it looks great), but I ended up having 26 of the 30 songs on vinyl already. I’ll never have the pleasure of owning Abandon Ship as a single, but I do have that Marina Records comp you mention on triple vinyl. – Brian
I knew Beatrice quite well back in the 90s (her wedding at Culzean Castle was a pretty fabulous party, I only partly recall), but if she ever mentioned her brief musical career, she was pretty self-deprecating about it. I had never heard this until now.
Re: Brian’s comment, I do find it disappointing that Paphides’ “debut” compilation is so unadventurous. It leans heavily on material that Cherry Red has already sold to the same audience: seven tracks in common with “C87” (including “Pristine Christine” which opens both), a further five shared with the well-regarded “Scared To Get Happy” and three with its sister compilation “Cut Me Deep” – that’s half this anthology already! I can forgive him *some* crossover, but he’s really making his own compilation a tad redundant. He needs to go off the beaten track a bit more.
Sensitive is a wonderful compilation and I was fortunate enough to go to the album launch gig in London last month.
Four of my friends were the “house band” for the evening playing the songs as many of the singers from the bands on the album came up to sing their songs to an enthralled audience of performers and punters alike. Highlights for me being The Waltones, The Soup Dragons, The Weather Prophets, Talulah Gosh and most surprisingly, Clare Grogan singing Crash by The Primitives.
Regarding the choice of Pete Paphides’ track listing for the album, well licensing of the songs is a major cost and this was an independent album release not backed by major label money.
The fact that the artists were so supportive of the album concept should indicate that there is broad artist support for this project.
Darren157
The Sensitive LP. I bought it. No idea why? The only song I didn’t have was Del Amitri and I’ve zero interest in listening to that song. Curating such things is generally a work of passion. I applaud and appreciate that. Sensitive adds very little to an already crowded dance floor The house band to launch the LP was a fantastic idea and I wish I could have attended that.
Flimflamfan
You said it, JC – absolutely lovely. And such an excellent band name.
Strangeways
I’ve been very busy doing nothing for the past few weeks (or, in short, I’m on vacation). Nevertheless, I skim along my favourite blogs daily and bookmark them. My plan is to read and listen to all of these posts (175 so far) with German thoroughness as soon as I get home. Speaking of plans: When I bought the compilation “Ave Marina” in 2004 – if I remember correctly, it was a special offer – I liked the songs by April Showers and Der Plan (also Der Plan 4.0) the best. “Hohe Kante” is from the album “Die Verschwörung”, which was also released in 2004. The Berlin label Troglodyt released in 2016 a Der Plan 7″ with “Hohe Kante” as the B-side. The A-side, “Deutschland Bleiche Mutter”, is another standout track of “Die Verschwörung”.
Why am I even writing this? Firstly, it’s a single I would have bought immediately in the past, and secondly, I like the comment on the Bandcamp page: “The lyrics illustrate what Germany’s society became since 1998 after the end of the “era Kohl” (and what nobody really expected): more “cold”, more corrupt & even more disgusting.”