The Prefects - "Peel sessions 1978-79" (a Die or DIY? compilation)

The Nightingales were ,of course, once, non-stereotypical 'punk' Group, The Prefects. They even got a birth on The Clash's 'White Riot Tour',with the Slits,and The Subway Sect.The tour that more than anything else spread the seeds of Indie music to fester. Mainly thanks to the Prefects and Subway sect rather than the Clash.

As punk groups from Birmingham went, we had The Killjoys, who sang in a cockney accent(?), and The Prefects, who sang in that classic slovenly brummy drawl, complete with rounded consonants.Its a rule that local Punk groups should sound like where they come from.Its Fook Off rather than Fak Off.

They never released a record in their lifetime, except a posthumous single on Rough Trade that was culled from these Peel sessions.

They obviously were too intelligent to carry on in the limiting 'Punk' groove, and went on to greater, and less popular things in the magnificent Nightingales. 

Tracklist:
01 Things In General (11-08-78) 3:09

02 Escort Girls (11-08-78) 1:37

03 Bristol Road Leads To Dachau (11-08-78) 10:08

04 Agony Column (11-08-78) 2:59

05 Going Through The Motions (08-01-79) 5:02
06 Faults (08-01-79) 1:35

07 Total Luck (08-01-79) 4:21

08 Barbarellas (08-01-79) 1:34

09 625 Lines (Live 1978 Bonus) 1:30
10 VD (Live 1978 Bonus) 0:13

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The Nightingales ‎– "Hysterics" (Ink Records ‎– INK 1) 1983

The Nightingales second album betrays a definite Beefheartian leaning, with dueling slide guitars , like a post-punk Zoot Horn Rollo and Antennae Jimmy Semens, but from Birmingham(UK),the birth place of Heavy Metal!? Although one doubts that Robert Lloyd would have made the band wear dresses, feed them only on beans and lock them in a house; as the late Captain did to his group.
This album was without doubt a huge influence on the future Ron Johnson Records stable. 

Tracklist:

1 Big Print 3:50
2 This 3:55
3 The Happy Medium 1:50
4 Nothing But Trouble 3:45
5 The Bending End 4:35
6 Lower Than Ever 2:45
7 Insurance 6:15
8 Whys Of Acknowledgement 2:40
9 Bachelor Land 2:50
10 Crafty Fag 3:35
11 Ponces All 3:50

Bonus tracks:
12 How To Age(Crafty Fag B-side) 6:24
13 The Crunch - Version 2(The Crunch 12") 4:48
14 All Talk(The Crunch 12") 1:51

15 Look Satisfied(The Crunch 12") 3:20

16 Not Man Enough(The Crunch 12") 4:13

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The Nightingales ‎– "Pigs On Purpose" +all the classic early Singles (Cherry Red ‎– BRED 39) 1982

Wow! How good is this classic debut album from The Nightingales. Its got the lot; cheap sounding weedy guitars played with amphetamine fueled  strumming, repetitive bass-lines, busy speedy drumming, intelligent and funny lyrics delivered amateurishly by that weird 'bloke next door' himself Robert Lloyd.
I remember "The Crunch(12" version)" being played in my local Goth club circa '83, and the dance floor was full of black clad whirling dervishes; I wish one had a smart phone back in those days!?....then it was back to The Sisters of Mercy and Alien Sex Fiend, and things calmed down(Yawn!).

The Nightingales also released a string of singles to rival The Buzzcocks on Cherry Red/Rough Trade/ and their own Vindaloo records.
Starting with.....:

"Idiot Strength" - (Rough Trade ‎– RT075, Vindaloo Records ‎– UGH4.)1981

"Paraffin Brain / Elvis, The Last Ten Days" (Cherry Red ‎– CHERRY 38) 1982

"Use Your Loaf" (Cherry Red ‎– CHERRY 34) 1982

"Urban Ospreys C/W Cakehole" (Cherry Red ‎– CHERRY 56) 1983

All these frankly Brilliant singles are,of course included in the file ,with just one flick of the trigger finger.

If there is a stand out single from this repertoire,then it has to be "Paraffin Brain" and, the fantastically titled, "Elvis, The Last Ten Days". I have restless nights worrying whether this work of genius actually made it to number one in at least one of the infinite number of universes that theoretically populate the wider cosmos. If there was actually a reason for the existence of the multi-verse (which of course there isn't!) then this single would be it......but then of course there would be a universe where 'One Direction' got to number one and have utter awfulness like The X-Factor,Rap Music and U2.....SHIT!...its this universe isn't it!!!!!????...FUCK IT!

Tracklist:

1 Blood For Dirt 2:59
2 Start From Scratch 2:24
3 One Mistake 2:40
4 Well Done Underdog 1:47
5 The Crunch 4:51
6 The Hedonist's Sigh 2:25
7 It Lives Again 3:01
8 Make Good 2:24
9 Don't Blink 4:03
10 Joking Apart 2:17
11 Yeah, It's OK 5:15
12 Use Your Loaf 2:07
13 Blisters 4:35
14 Idiot Strength 3:11
15 Seconds 2:50
16 Paraffin Brain 3:03
17 Elvis The Last Ten Days 2:56
18 Inside Out 3:01
19 Under The Lash 2:15

20 Urban Ospreys 4:26

21 Cakehole 3:20

DOWNLOAD all this classic anti-pop on purpose HERE!

The Nightingales - "The Complete Peel Sessions 1980-86" (a Die or DIY? compilation)

Two hours of birdsong anyone? Compiled from eight John Peel Sessions, here's every track the 'Gales recorded for the venerable BBC DJ from 1980 to 1986!
The Nightingales were where the 80's started, morphing out of non-aligned 'punk' band 'The Prefects', they set the template for all the non-butch indie groups that followed. Vocalist Robert Lloyd, had NHS glasses years before Morissey even had his singing lessons......one doubts very much that Robert Lloyd ever had a lesson in anything musical, ever;an undoubted advantage for originality in music?
They could also beat any hardcore punk band for speed, with one of the fastest guitarists this side of the Wedding Present,and/or even Napalm Death.
Definitely from The Fall's neck of the woods ethically,but The Fall sound like Heavy Metal compared to The Nightingales. They were like a band who had been locked in a cupboard since birth and then played their interpretation of rock'n'roll as described by their rescuers who hated Rock music......although that is so far from the truth, as these chaps were probably the most clued up and sophisticated exponents of anti-pop in the early eighties.

The Sartorially Elegant Robert Lloyd in about 1982

Track Listing:

01 Start from Scratch[01_10_1980]
02 Butter Bricks[01_10_1980]
03 Torn [01_10_1980]
04 12 Years[01_10_1980]
05 Return Journey[07_06_1981]
06 One Mistake[07_06_1981]
07 Bush Beat[07_06_1981]
08 Inside Out[07_06_1981]
09 Give 'em Time[03-03-1982]
10 Which Hi-Fi_[03-03-1982]
11 My Brilliant Career[03-03-1982]
12 Son Of Gods Mate[03-03-1982]
13 Blood For Dirt[30-06-1982]
14 Joking Apart[30-06-1982]
15 O.K. Chorale _ The Crunch[30-06-1982]
16 It Lives Again[30-06-1982]
17 Urban Ospreys [29_03_1983]
18 Yeah It's OK [29_03_1983]
19 The Bending End [29_03_1983]
20 The Why's Of Acknowledgement [29_03_1983]
21 Only My Opinion [29_03_1983]
22 Look Satisfied[12_05_1983]
23 All Talk[12_05_1983]
24 This[12_05_1983]
25 Not Man Enough[12_05_1983]
26 How to Age[03_03_1985]
27 Heroin[03_03_1985]
28 First My Job[03_03_1985]
29 Part-Time Moral England[03_03_1985]
30 Down In The Dumps[18_03_1986]
31 Coincidence[18_03_1986]
32 Rockin' With Rita[18_03_1986]
33 At The End Of The Day[18_03_1986]

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