Another artefact from the mire of early-to-mid-nineties indie-pop that I got myself so deeply into: I’ll never have enough seven inch singles in wraparound sleeves with photocopied inserts, even if the wraparound sleeve in this case sports a very unpleasant image that looks like it was printed out from an Atari ST with a low quality dot matrix printer. Which it very possibly was. More attention should be paid to the hand-done lettering on the record’s label, which is lovely. I’ve included a photograph of the label so that you can bask in its glory.
As I recollect, Razorblade Smile was the band of Pete Dale, who’d later run the often inspiring Slampt record label and who still performs to this day as Milky Wimpshake. If any of those facts are incorrect, I apologise. I think it’s him, though. There is some handwriting included on the photocopied insert design that looks very much like his – we used to write letters to eachother around the time of Slampt, and the handwriting style of him and a lot of other people is still deeply imprinted into my consciousness. (You don’t get that kind of visual memory from an e-mail, do you?)
For fun, I’ll type out the manifesto-esque prose from the insert, and leave it up to you to decide whether it’s cringeworthy or passionate:
In a way there’s two types of politics.
One is personal – your emotions, relationships, attitudes towards other people. For me, that’s the level that this record is on. But there’s another level – outside the pub door, outside the bedroom window, THEY make decisions that effect [sic] you, me and EVERYONE. If WE don’t pay attention to what’s going on then it’s no wonder that decisions get made that favour the powerful and make life even more difficult for everyone else.
Knowledge is POWER.
If we know what politicians are up to and why it helps us control them. It takes effort for the people to control the politicians in an imperfect “democracy” like ours, but if you’re not going to bother to try then how can you complain? So TRY.
Pete Dale it is. I should know as I was one half of the duo behind the Chocolate Narcotic record label. Chris Phillips was the other half and he wrote that piece. We released three singles on the label.
is there any way you could share the tracks?
I could take recordings and put them on here as streaming files maybe – you think it’d be a good addition to have the music on here as well as the posts?
I’ve got this single, also got the Vertical Orange single by the same band.God bless 7’s in wraparound sleeves
didn’t they also release an lp on Chocolate Narcotic?
Can’t find anything on the internet about an album on Choc Narc, and I can’t remember one, but it’d be brilliant to find out such a hidden gem exists…
There is a mini-LP on Sugarfrost. Worthwhile.
Ace – now I remember it. Sugarfrost was a cool label. Just found a copy of their Razorblade Smile 12″ on eBay too!
Pete was a good friend of mine at the time as I was drummer in my first band Tadpole with his girlfriend Rachel. Chris Lannigan on drums and the very fanciable Jim on lead guitar. Fabulous extended EP “fastest wide-eyed implement” with Special and Red Sleeping Beauty – I remember being blown away when they first recorded it and still am to this day….
Pete and Jim were both lead or rhythm guitar depending on the track. Dave in bass and Chris on drums. Interesting fact — the picture is Jim’s sister Julia. I’m still good friends with Jim and Julia. Pete and Rachel were both at University with Jim and Dave. Have good memories of a few gigs at Riverside in Newcastle and a working club in Sunderland. From what I remember Pete and Rachel were pretty straight edge and next-level identity politics, decades before what’s going on now.
OMG I was there…Pete was Mr Indie pop, the bowl haired towering drive of the band. I was at Sunderland art college with Jim (the guitarist). I was so jealous of their band (I wrote songs too) but seeing them headline at the riverside was great. Jim bought an old fender jaguar and I remember thinking…what a star. By 1992 (I think) Jim got me onto a sound engineering course he was on; funded by the dole.
Years leter I heard he became an art teacher. So did I. Now I’m back making music. Wow it all seems so long ago. Would love to hear their stuff again.
Cool, what music are you making now?
Hey Simon.
I’m doing a 3 piece with my girlfriend and her friend called Tiny Ghost (ep soon), which is influenced by pavement/early bowie/fugazi (yeah a real mixed pot) and I’m doing a psychedelic guitar noise thing (brianjonestownmassacre/beefheart/black angels) with Bill Carter (from The Screaming Blue Messiahs). Plus mixing an album by a new band The Fruit group http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fruit-Group/112849842136227
I would love to hear some old razorbladesmile tracks, any tracks online? Simon, can you do that? Mike.
Oh P.S. I’m fairly sure the cover of that single is a photo of Jim (Spall?).
I’m pretty sure they made an ep, but don’t know if it was pressed on vinyl. Also they were on some japanese compillation album…all in the days before CD!
Wonder what they’re doing now? I can see Pete is still active in music, he was always “Mr Indie pop” to everyone at art college.
Cool, Tiny Ghost sound like my kind of thing, anywhere I can have a listen? With the tracks off this Razorblade Smile single, I could digitise them and then stick them on here as mp3 – I *presume* that wouldn’t be a problem with the band at all. Might take a while to sort out hooking up a turntable to my computer, but shall I give it a go?
Hi Simon. If you have the time and inclination, it would be great to hear the single. Plus, it’ll prob be the only place on the web their music will exist…sure they won’t mind (I think you can email Pete via the Milky Wimpshake or Slampt; facebook or myspace, if you’re concerned).
I haven’t really put anything out yet (a few private demos to share amongst bands), but thanks for the interest…watch this space.
You make music?
OK, give me a little while to sort it out and I’ll record the tracks! I used to make music but haven’t for a while – this was my band http://sunnyvalenoisesubelement.co.uk/
Hi Simon.
Love your link/website…am downloading the music as I type. Sounds like your band would have been something i would have really liked. Anything new on the horizon? If you have anything recorded I’d love to do a re-mix or a collaborative piece via the internet.
Mike.
If you like the band enough to buy records or CDs there are still some available: http://www.field-records.com/shop/index.php?route=product/category&path=56 ! Nothing new for me right now as time is being taken up with other stuff. One of those things is my tiny, tiny record label fourier transform (http://fouriertransform.com/) so maybe that could be a good outlet for some kind of collaboration?