i'm ever so glad that the siddeleys are finally held in the high regard they deserve. perhaps the end of the eighties just wasn't their time. still it's a shame they never got chance to make the records they could've and i shall feel forever guilty that i couldn't do more with the dumb little label i ran extremely shoddily to blast them into all the hearts that needed them most. they were after all in glorious flight a timely reminder that pop music can be instant, effortless and intensely exciting and still possess depths which leave you dizzy...
they still manage to leave their mark on the streets of west london. i don't know why the streets were closed in their name. a parade maybe, or new stock of the lp in rough trade...
a million years ago in some godforsaken camden back room i was given a tape by a gang with the best haircuts in the place and am stunned that it hasn't fallen apart after a gazillion plays. almost all the stuff the siddeleys ever recorded is on slum clearance but a couple of the oldest gems got lost. this was one of my favourites.
the siddeleys - things will be different (original demo)
thankyou uncle john peel. i know it's on the sombrero doodah but i'm very proud of the dear thing, so here's
the siddeleys - sunshine thuggery
to give you an idea of the bizarre madness and crappiness of the music industry at bug level in 1987 peter powell or some other stuntkiting daytime radio one dj apparently whispered that he would play sunshine thuggery on his show if we could get him a seven inch copy. imagine that - daytime radio only played sevens but the independent manufacturers and distributors would only stump up the cash for us to release twelve inch eps and by the time i'd begged and scraped the loot to do it ourselves together they insisted the moment had passed and a huge opportunity went the way of all things. bugger.
at least they're cult heroes now...
competition time
you can win your very own siddeleys flexi disc also featuring those butch and bona omis reserve by simply answering the following worthy of richard and judy brain buster...
gang leader johnny johnson was keen on scrawling the names of her heroes on the back of her hand. who would you most likely find printed large on her clenched fist?
a - alf quiet
b - joe meek
c - ted shy
get it right and a bunch of you will wondering how the hell you're supposed to play the bloody thing.
just leave your answer in the comments bit below and check back soon to see if you've won.
easy.
there are properly written siddeleys celebrations and more tunes to be had here...
the roaring machine whoa whoa, love grows
indie mp3 track of the week
sweeping the nation more songs to learn and sing
medium cool jukebox
photo courtesy of acb
22 comments:
Oooh! Oooh! Joe Meek - do I win? Is this my lucky day??
P.S. Hippies need not apply.
now everyone's going to get it right!
i haven't thought this through very well have i?
but yes congratulations! we have our first winner!
i'll be in touch to get an address.
x
Beautiful post, thanks.
Johnny & I went to the BBC to meet Gary Davis' producer once. He liked the record too, but didn't make any offer to play it. The office was full of photos of Gary posing with B-List celebs. It was hard to keep a straight face.
that was me , the deleted one , being so rubbish at spelling it's not true.
i was trying to say - it's a pleasure allan my dear.
x
I took the photo of the Siddeleys bollard in Notting Hill. The explanation is a bit more prosaic; there's a works company named Siddeleys.
Oops. Though in my defence, I did look first for an e-mail address, but you're an elusive one. So I assumed you wanted it posted in the comments...
Did I get it all wrapped round my head??
fil sweetie you're a winner and winners can do anything....
andrew - when the myth is more interesting believe the myth
x
I was also looking for an email address...so I ended up replying in MySpace! cheers!
Jessel
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http://www.myspace.com/jesselbaltazar
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Hello from Italy!
Would have loved to get the flexy but had no idea of the answer...
However, was lucky enough in the 80s to find in a little record shop in Florence maybe the only Sunshine 12" shipped to central Italy!
Take care
just guess, then guess again and again till you're right...
Here, I'll have a guess -- is it Tom Stoppard? No? How about Tom Courtenay? No? Tom Thumb? Not even close? Gad. I suck at games.
I remember and love The Siddeleys very much and thank you from the bottom of heart, actually a bit above the bottom, it's mucky down there at the actual bottom, for making that flexi happen.
For those of you who are having trouble playing the thing, just remember the three magic words: PLACE COIN HERE.
I'd love a copy of the Flexi but I'm all the way in Singapore.....Sombrero was such a great label. Every song by the Siddeleys, Bob and Reserve were a winner!
it doesn't matter where you are ducky, we're world bleedin' wide
x
and ta for the top tips and kind words fnarf my dear
Marvellous post, Ally, many thanks.
The Siddeleys for me are forever synonymous with Uncle John Peel (who introduced us late one night) - What Went Wrong This Time (since you ask) - and twilight student days (Manchester, funnily enough). Thank you for at least trying, back in those heady days.
Mart (more usually found sticking his nose in over on The Ghost Of Electricity).
Hi Ally,
The answer i believe is Joe Meek. Slum Clearance is such a fantastic album, just wondering if there has been discussion on Bob & Reserve retospectives also?
Cheers Richard
thank you very much Ally!!!!
Joe Meek? Do I sill get to win anything? :D
Joe Meek! (and I promise I didn't scroll down.)
Is it Joe Meek? Am I too late? I'd love a flexi disk!
The one Sha La La flexi that has eluded me all these years. Oh for a time machine back to when you had this little contest. Anyway, I just want to thank you for Sombrero. Like Postcard, here and gone in an instant but absolutely perfect. - Brian
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