Back on 8 October 2011, I started a series called ‘Saturday’s Scottish Single’. The aim was to feature one 45 or CD single by a Scottish singer or band with the proviso that the 45 or CD single was in the collection. I had got to Part 60-something and as far as Kid Canaveral when the rug was pulled out from under TVV.
I’ll catch up soon enough by featuring 5 at a time from the archives..
(6) Altered Images : I Could Be Happy b/w Insects : Epic 7″ (1981)
Read more about Altered Images here
(7) The Apple Scruffs – Danielle b/w Car Thief b/w Lit The Candle At Both Ends : Vaults Recordings CD Single (2006)
The Apple Scruffs were four best friends from Glasgow that got together and began writing songs about their everyday lives and surroundings. After four months of hard work and practice the Scruffs played their first gig in Nice N Sleazy supporting the Ronelles at the end of May 2005.
From then on the band built up an amazing reputation in Glasgow supporting well known bands such as Dogs and The Ludes. They then landed a single deal with Hijacked Records. the scruffs released their debut single Danielle on Vaults Recordings on November 2006.
The scruffs were tireless on the Glasgow gig scene and played almost all of Glasgow’s famous venues. Giving a final shot at breaking through the blinkered music industry they tailored a new single to a more commercial sound in Big Hearts launching this in the Apple store in Glasgow however it wasn’t to be and Johnny and the boys broke up to go seperate ways in 2010.
(8) April Showers – Abandon Ship b/w Abandon Ship (instrumental) b/w Every Time We Say Goodbye : Chrysalis Records 12″ (1984)
April Showers were a short-lived Glaswegian pop duo comprised of Jonathan Bernstein and Beatrice Colin.
Releasing their only known single “Abandon Ship” on Big Star, a subsidiary of Chrysalis, in 1984 it quickly gained a cult following due to it’s sparkling production from Anne Dudley (Art of Noise) and string-heavy arrangements. This quality was echoed on B-side “Everytime We Say Goodbye” with the 12-inch featuring an instrumental of Abandon Ship “Abandon Ship Sing-A-Long-A-Wonder Mix”. Both records are now highly collectible. (£50 and upwards nowadays for the 12″!!!)
Plans to release a second single on the label Operation Twilight, and the inclusion of Abandon Ship on the compilation album “10 Years Of Marina Records” seems to be a footnote to the woefully brief story of April Showers, the perfect example of a band that has disappeared into, and whose status grows with, history.
Now here’s where I cheat. I don’t own this single…..it’s one that’s near the top of those I dearly would love to get my hands on but won’t pay the money demanded by the sellers…… I’ve the compilation LP mentioned above, and thanks to modern technology (and the generosity of folk who make the recordings available), I’ve picked up the other two tracks It really is one of the great lost pop-songs of the 80s
(9) Arab Strap : Cherubs b/w Motown Answer b/w An Eventful Day b/w Pulled: Go Beat CD Single (1999)
Read more about Arab Strap here
(10) The Armoury Show – We Can Be Brave Again b/w A Feeling : Parlophone 7″ (1984)
Read more about The Armoury Show here
Again, I’ve tried not to go for the obvious ones from the back catalogues of the better-known acts and indeed in the case of Arab Strap have gone for a release from the short time they were on a label other than Chemikal Underground. Oh and check out the Altered Images b-side if you don’t already know it….much darker sounding than you’d come t expect from them….real Banshees/Magazine influence on the track.
Enjoy!!
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 