Most of the singles appearing as part of the CD Lucky Dip are from the mid-90s, with many of them being picked up long after the time of their release via bargain bins or as cheap second-hand offerings. My copy of the debut single from Fountains Of Wayne has a 99p sticker on the front, but not from any easily identifiable shop or store, which means it was likely one of those found in Missing Records, a vast second-hand emporium in Glasgow whose location has shifted around a few times over the decades. It’s a shop I used to love browsing in, but in recent years it has annoyed me more often than not thanks to its practice of charging silly money for a large part of its second-hand vinyl, taking advantage of the hipsters and younger consumers eager to get their hands on original copies of singles and albums.
But back in the late 90s, it was very much a shop stacked with CDs, a medium that has had far fewer examples of vastly inflated prices being attached to the stock, and it was good fun rifling through the shelves looking for things.
I remember seeing the video for Radiation Vibe on television one day, back when it had just been released in 1997. I’m sure it was on one of the early editions of Top of The Pops 2, which went out on BBC2 and featured a mix of old performances from days gone by along with some promo videos from new singers and bands who were tipped to have some upcoming commercial success. I remember quite liking the song, but not enough to rush out and buy it immediately for whatever silly price CD singles were going for in early 1997. Handing over 99p a few months later was quite sufficient.
mp3; Fountains of Wayne – Radiation Vibe
There were three other songs on the CD. I can say in all honesty that airing them in preparation for this post would be the first time they have been played in the best of 30 years and I had no idea what they would sound like:-
mp3 : Fountains of Wayne – Karpet King
mp3 : Fountains of Wayne – Janice’s Party
mp3 : Fountains of Wayne – Imperia
The first of them reminded me a bit of the mellow side of Teenage Fanclub in places. The others merely annoyed me.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
I never get tired of Radiation Vibe.
Really liked that first LP which Radiation Vibe leads off.
Reminds me I bought their fourth album Traffic and Weather in 2007 and it became very popular with the kids in the car who were 9 and 11 at the time. They’re nearing thirty now but still recall all the words…
Good to get a Fountains of Wayne dunt. That first LP is great, as is the next one, Utopia Parkway. Nice post, JC.
If you’re interested in a Fountains of Wayne ICA, let me know! I’ve been toying with the idea of volunteering to do that for a while.