This was a charity shop purchase at some point during the 1990s. Thee Hypnotics weren’t (indeed, aren’t) a band I felt particularly desperate to hear, but at the time my thinking would have been influenced by two factors:
- This was a record released on Situation Two. That label also released the early output of The Charlatans (or The Charlatans UK if you’re reading in America). I liked the early output of The Charlatans a lot – enough to think that something released on the same label as them can’t be all bad…
- Thee Hypnotics were a band that I’d heard of, and I was under the impression that they had something of a whiff of outrageous rock’n’roll/drugged-out psychosis to them. In hindsight, they really aren’t that exciting or transcendental, but I distinctly remember that I used to mix them up with the whole Spacemen 3/Spiritualized/The Darkside axis of music.
There is other psychological stuff going on when I make a charity shop purchase. Consider, if you will, purchasing records in one of the following three situations:
- A specialist, hyper-cool independent record store that stocks only records that you want to buy.
- A high street (or Main Street if you’re reading in America) chain store that stocks some records that you want to buy.
- A charity shop that generally stocks very few at best records that you want to buy.
Each of the situations represents a slice of an overall, scientifically-sound, record-buying Venn diagram of choice and necessity:
- Choice: You’ve either got a lot to choose from, or you haven’t.
- Necessity: I came out to buy a record today, and nothing will stop this from happening.
Given those two factors, buying a record by a band I didn’t really want to hear, on the very sketchy basis of a label connection with a band I enjoyed hearing, makes complete sense, does it not? If I’d have been in situation number one above, but could only purchase one record, I’d have bought the one that I desperately craved over all others. As it was, in situation three – as in the case of this purchase – any record was better than no record.
That’s the end of today’s science. Please don’t get situation two above mixed up with Situation Two above.
Funny you should mention the Darkside. I was in a band with Nick Hayden who was the original singer for that band. He left during a tour after their first 12″ (High Rise Love)came out. We played quite a lot in Oxford and even played first support to Ride at the old Town and Country Club in 1992. We were called Flite 118 and had split by the end of the year.
That’s the one record by Thee Hypnotics I don’t own, I was a bit of a fan back in the day but due to being an impoverish 6th form student didn’t get around to buying that single although I remember it, the indie scene in the late 80’s/early 90’s was great, Loop, The Telescopes, Spacemen 3, Ride, Swervedriver, the aforementioned Charlatans.
This might seem incredibly cheeky (for which I apologise) but I don’t suppose you have the time, means or indeed inclination to convert said track to an mp3? I would happily pay for an mp3 of that track.
Charity Shops have always been potential goldmines for some fine records, I recently replaced a few of those old “Indie Top 20” albums that were popular in the late 80’s/early 90’s as my original cassettes were very worn, cue £2 cd versions and the chance to hear the sonic delights of The Field Mice, Pale Saints, Family Cat (and their mighty “Tom Verlaine” single), New FADS and other such delights.
Sure thing, drop me a line at simon@nineteenpoint.com and I’m sure something can be arranged!
Simon
That’s incredibly kind of you
I will drop you an email, thanks very much
Rich