Pooh Sticks - 7 Inch Box Set
by Tommy Gunnarsson
published: 27 / 11 / 2019
Label:
Optic Nerve Recordings
Format: 7" Box
intro
Fabulous vinyl box set which compiles together the first five singles of legendary indiepop band, the Pooh Sticks
Nineteen years ago, German indiepop label Firestation Tower joined forces with Bilberry Records and tweepop website TweeNet to release the first in the ‘Sound of Leamington Spa’ compilation series, and it sure did open my eyes to a lot of great bands! Among the featured acts were the brilliant the Man From Delmonte (I actually interviewed band leader Mike West for this very website back in the early 00s), the Siddeleys, the Desert Wolves, Hey Paulette, the Wishing Stones and, of course, the Pooh Sticks. Their contribution, ‘Indiepop Ain’t Noise Pollution’, would feature on more or less all my mix tapes during the next couple of years, and I dearly wished that I could get my hands on one of those Holy Grail singles they released in the late 80s, but I have never been (and probably never will be) a millionaire, so I had to settle for a 12” re-release instead. But! The very good people at Optic Nerve have once again come to the indiepop rescue, and they’re now putting out a new 7” box set (the first one came out in July 1988), containing those first five singles re-issued on coloured vinyl (of course, it’s 2019, after all), now with b-sides! Yes, the original singles were released as one-sided discs (the flip side was etched), but have now been coupled with unreleased or rare tracks from the same period, like ‘Hard on Love’, originally available on a flexidisc that came with the ‘Woosh’ fanzine in 1989. And as if that’s not enough, there’s also a brand new booklet, “written by” the fictional band member Trudi Tangerine (the band really consisted of Hue Williams and Steve Gregory, who also ran the Fierce label, who released those original singles). Sure, those early recordings are lo-fi, to say the least, which might sound scary to some of the more audiophile pop fans, but it’s impossible not to be charmed by songs like ‘I Know Someone Who Knows Someone Who Knows Alan McGee Quite Well’ and the 1910 Fruitgum Company cover ‘1-2-3 Red Light’. And those of you interested in indiepop history…well, you better check out this “band”. Hue continued to make records well into the 90s, even for major labels like BMG and Atlantic, but I wouldn’t recommend those to anyone, really. Apparently, this box set was sold out even before the release date, but if you’re lucky you might be able to find a spare copy in a record store somewhere. If you do - buy it!
Track Listing:-
1 1-2-3 Red Light2 Double Shot
3 Heroes And Villains
4 Life’s A Gas
5 Heartbreak
6 Sex Head
7 I Know Someone Who Knows Someone Who Knows Alan McGee Quite Well
8 Hard On Love
9 Indiepop Ain’t Noise Pollution
10 Knock Three Times
Band Links:-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pooh_SticksHave a Listen:-
features |
Biography (2002) |
Formed when Steve Gregory, head honcho of the infamous Fierce label of Swansea, decided it was a good idea to release the World's Worst Indiepop record by the World's Worst Indiepop group. Quite why h |
soundcloud
reviews |
Straight Up; Noise Pollution C88-90 (2023) |
Fantastic compilation of the early singles of iconic 80s Welsh indiepopsters Pooh Sticks |
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
most viewed reviews
current edition
Serious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning DewMarika Hackman - Big Sigh
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart