Category: Submarines

Today’s offering is the only 45 ever released by The Submarines, courtesy of it being part of the C87 boxset, a 3 x CD compilation issued by Cherry Red in 2016.

mp3: The Submarines – Grey Skies Blue

From the accompanying booklet:-

This obscure Scottish band comprised Paul McNeil (guitar/vocals), Brian Kane (guitar), Craig Keaney (drums) and Scott Blain (bass).  The Submarines’ sole release was the wistful, Weather Prophets-ish ‘Grey Skies Blue’ (backed by the equally wonderful ‘I Saw The Children’) on Jeff Barrett‘s Head label in 1987. Sadly, it didn’t launch a glorious career and the band was no more by 1989. However, Jim Kavanagh‘s Egg label did an excellent excavation job, raiding the vaults for Telegraph Signals : Recorded Artefacts 1986-89.

The Egg label release was a CD with all ten songs ever recorded by The Submarines.  As such, I’ve been able to get a hold of the b-side of the single:-

mp3: The Submarines – I Saw The Children

Also worth mentioning that one of the tracks from the Egg compilation, found its way onto the Big Gold Dreams boxset that I’ve referred to many times throughout this series.

mp3: The Submarines – Take Me Away

Just to mention that this series is taking a short break……it certainly deserves it after 333 weeks!  I’m needing the next few Saturdays to ensure a number of scheduled and guest posts can be incorporated, but I guarantee #334 will appear early in the new year.

JC

Returning again to the series looking at some of the bands on C87, a 3xCD box set issued last year by Cherry Red Records, as a 74-track compilation of material that was released across different indie labels in 1987.  The only rule for featuring is that the act in question has to be making a debut on the blog.

It was the ever-knowledgable Brian from Linear Track Lives who mentioned Egg Records in a recent comment, and that labels pops up within the booklet comments that accompany Track 23 on CD1:-

“This obscure Scottish band comprised Paul McNeil (guitar/vocals), Brian Kane (guitar), Craig Keaney (bass) and Scott Blain (drums). The Submarines’ sole release was the wistful, Weather Prophets-ish “Grey Skies Blue” (backed by the equally wonderful “I Saw The Children”) on Jeff Barrett’s Head label. Sadly, it disn’t launch a glorious career and the band was no more by 1989. However, Jim Kavanagh’s Egg label did an excellent excavation job, raiding the vaults for “Telegraph Signals : Recorded Artefacts 1986-89”

It is indeed a great lost 45 of the era:-

mp3 : The Submarines – Grey Skies Blue

I’ve managed to track down the b-side and it too is well worth a listen:-

mp3 : The Submarines – I Saw The Children

This got me interested in seeking out that Egg Records compilation; turns out it was issued on CD in 2004. There’s only one second-hand copy kicking around on Discogs and the asking price is £30 plus postage from the Phillipines. I think I’ll pass for now…..

JC