Category: Chesterfields

The title if the posting is taken from a line written by Howard Devoto, for the Magazine song, Model Worker.  You might well be asking yourself what it has to do with the fact that the record sleeve is clearly by 80s indie band, The Chesterfields.  I’ll do my best to explain…..

A couple of weeks ago, we enjoyed the long overdue return of KT to the pages of T(n)VV, thanks to her contributing a piece about one of the CDs in a box which had belonged to our dear, late friend, Tim Badger.   We were warned that it was likely to be a one-off, but everyone who left behind a comment wanted otherwise.

I haven’t heard anything further from KT, and so I’m using today to dedicate a song to her, and her daughter, in the hope that she will think kindly of us and make some time to give us some more words and tunes to enjoy.  The song is a b-side from a 1988 single, released on the band’s own Household Records label:-

mp3: The Chesterfields – Last Train To Yeovil

C’mon KT…..you regaled us all with tales of nice and not-so-nice train drivers steering the 1225 service from Axminster. I know for a fact that some of the trains from Axminster  make their way in the direction of Yeovil, and while I would imagine that the 1225 service won’t be the last one of the day, there’s every chance that Driver A (the nice man) will be responsible for the subject matter of today’s song….I’ve dug deep into the vinyl collection to fish this one out for you and the little ‘un, and reckon it’s a better effort to try and get you aboard (pun intended) than sensing flowers and chocolates.

Last Train To Yeovil was one of four tracks on what was a 12″ only release, with the a-side being a particularly jaunty affair, complete with trumpets and trombones!!:-

mp3: The Chesterfields – Goodbye Goodbye
mp3: The Chesterfields – Better Smile
mp3: The Chesterfields – Hopes For Lauren or Joseph

I have to say, however, that while I like most of what I have by The Chesterfields, they never managed to surpass the majesty of their single for The Subway Organisation in 1987:-

mp3: The Chesterfields – Ask Johnny Dee

Just give me any excuse or opportunity to get that track posted, and I’ll use it.

JC

Yesterday’s posting on Spritualized was originally going to be followed today by the OK Computer bonus album meaning that two successive days would have been a bit of a grind if your preference is for the lighter and more upbeat sort of music that will instantly lift your spirits and brighten up your day.

This shorter posting and little gem of a song, which clocks in at not much more than two minutes, was going to be the attempted redress of the situation and I’ve now brought it forward by 24 hours to brighten up your middle of the week:-

mp3 : The Chesterfields – Completely and Utterly

Completely and Utterly was the the band’s third release for The Subway Organisation following on from a flexidisc with The Shop Assistants and an EP called  A Guitar In Your Bath. It came with a rather twee but thoroughly enjoyable b-side:-

mp3 : The Chesterfields – Girl On A Boat

Enjoy.

This is of course a blog that is heavily dependant on vinyl and I feel I have to use today’s posting to ease my slightly guilty conscience.

For all that I love Ask Johnny Dee/Pop Anarchy! released in in November 1989 on Subway Organisation, I don’t own a physical copy.  The a-side was taken from a compilation CD while the b-side was purchased specially via i-tunes just so that it could feature.

What I do own however, is a 12″ single by The Chesterfields released in August 1988 on Household  Records.  It is not as immediate and catchy as yesterday’s song but it is still a cracking 45 with the addition of brass helping things move along at a brisk pace a la The June Brides:-

mp3 : The Chesterfields – Blame

Here’s yer two ok but not great b-sides:-

mp3 : The Chesterfields – Male Bimbo
mp3 : The Chesterfields – I’ve Got To Hand It To You

Enjoy

I wrote about today’s song from CD86 some fourteen months ago.  I wrote at the time that a  lot of the stuff from the C86 movement hadn’t aged well with it being down , in many cases, to poor production which nowadays grates on the ear while all too often the off-key singing which in its day seemed to be part of the charm now sounds annoying. Last week’s songs by Razorcuts being a prime example.

But there are others that turned out to be absolute classics.

mp3 : The Chesterfields – Ask Johnny Dee

The Chesterfields formed in 1984 and folded in 1989 during which time there were two studio LPs and eight singles/EPs.  They toured extensively (I saw them once as support act to Edwyn Collins on one of his earliest solo tours) and like so many bands picked up a decent sized hardcore following. many of whom (according to wiki) referred to them as “The Chesterf!elds”, with an exclamation mark replacing the “i”, following the example of the band’s logo.

Tragically, lead singer and main songwriter Dave Goldsworthy died in November 2003, at the age of 40, from head injuries sustained in a hit & run incident in Oxford.

The b-side to the single featured on CD86 is another belter of a tune.  Totally different from the a-side, it is very reminiscent of The Monochrome Set which is never a bad thing in my book:-

mp3 : The Chesterfields – Pop Anarchy!

Enjoy