Jazzateers - Don't Let Your Son Grow Up to be a Cowboy (Unreleased Recordings 1981-1982)

  by Tony Gaughan

published: 1 / 10 / 2014

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This is a compilation of early demos from Glasgow band Jazzateers, compiled by the owner of Creeping Bent Records and current member Douglas MacIntyre. These early tracks were supposed to be released on the iconic Postcard Recorda, which had agreed to sign them but which expired in late 1981 shortly after they had finished working with Orange Juice and Edwyn Collins . 'Don't Let Your Son Grow Up To Be A Cowboy' opens with 'Natural Progression', which features the original line up of Alison Gourlay on fragile but very beautiful vocals, Ian Burgoyne on guitars, Keith Band on bass, and original drummer Colin Auld. The sound is unmistakably Postcard and vocally most definitely jazzy in nature. The band signed to Rough Trade in 1983 under the watchful eye of Postcard owner Alan Horne who managed them after the demise of his label. The demos are fairly primitive,but have a real honesty about them.'Wasted', their ill-fated first single produced by almost label mate Edwin Collins, is a cover of Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bollette's no 1 hit for disco queen Donna Summer and is a stand out. With the single original artwork being used to package this album, the record would not have been out of place on the Sound of Young Scotland alongside Orange Juice and Josef. There is a drum machine evident on a lot of the tracks, and certainly on 'Run Away' which is another highlight of this collection. Jazzateers went on to have Bourgie Bourgie's Paul Quinn front them and today Hipsway's Graeme Skinner has taken over that mantle, but this is back to the C86 era and the title track is another stand out. 'Hey Mister', a Sandy Posey cover, is my pick of the bunch, and is sung by This Mortal Coil's Louise Rutkowski. The album concludes as it began with 'Natural Progression (Part 2)'. This is worth owning for the fans of twee pop, and an insight to the amazing Postcard label.

Track Listing:-

1 Natural Progression (Part I)
2 Don't Worry About a Thing
3 Say Goodbye
4 I'm No Tarzan
5 When the Novelty Wears Off
6 Can It Be (Hellfire Club Demo)
7 Moon over Hawaii (Part I)
8 Wasted
9 Stop Me from Being Alone
10 Love Is Around
11 Run Away
12 Don't Let Your Son Grow up to Be a
13 Hey Mister
14 Different Feeling
15 Lee
16 Can It Be
17 Moon over Hawaii (Part II)
18 Natural Progression (Part II)

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/Jazzateers
http://www.jazzateers.com/INDEX.HTM

Label Links:-

http://www.cherryred.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/CherryRedRecords
https://twitter.com/cherryredgroup
https://www.youtube.com/CherryRedRecords

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