Category: Records as in Vinyl

  • my loveliest vinyl, part 12

    my loveliest vinyl, part 12

    Razors - Tommies gang (Konnekschen KON S4, 1981)
    Razors – Tommies gang (Konnekschen KON S4, 1981)

    Now this is history and this is sad. This has always been my favorite punk single from Hamburg, period. “Tommies gang” (or “Tommy’s Gang” as on the vinyl lable) has been one of the greatest “sing along the gangs all here” anthems by far. And it means a lot to me as an “oldpunk” from Hamburg. Also it means a lot since i had the luck to see them and spend time with them in the 70ties, in the 80ties, in the 90ties and yes in last 10 years. Sad that this has all been overshadowed by the tragic death of Schwabe, their guitar player and punk mastermind in Hamburg, in 2010. One of the most demanding things in my life was to attend his funeral – heart breaking.

    1977 – 110%, punk in Hamburg back then was firmly fixed on UK1977!
    published by a cool lable – Konnekschen run by Robert Nitz. Any questions, punk?
    found in a cool shop – ticked, Konnekschen (prior to become “Unterm Durchschnitt”)
    catching sound – stunning guitar/drum intro and utmost catchy chorus! fists in the air!
    not too bad words – ok, now that is a trick question. What do you think you get with a bid of school englisch (and you actualy did not pay much attention in school). Nevermind, Danker mumbles the words anyway and the only item that matters is the chorus, eh?

    The words of the song are long lost, this is what some people think it is:

    he is in a gang he lives sick of the rats
    his mother is a known prostitute
    his father lives a dirty day
    and hey tommy zero is alone
    
    then he heard a voice in his brain
    tommy it's your gang, tommy it's your gang
    your're the leader, you're the leader
    tommy it's your gang, tommy it's your gang
    
    they are best friends and live the same life
    these people are tommies gang
    they are his life, his home and his future
    they try to life tough, they are tommies kids
    
    then he heard a voice in his brain
    tommy it's your gang, tommy it's your gang
    your're the leader, you're the leader
    tommy it's your gang, tommy it's your gang
    
    now he walks alone through a dead end street
    and he hears the same voice again
    with his eye on the street tommy zero goes
    and his bid for the leader is gonna come
    
    then he heard a voice in his brain
    tommy it's your gang, tommy it's your gang
    your're the leader, you're the leader
    tommy it's your gang, tommy it's your gang
    
    now he walks alone through a dead end street
    and he hears the same voice again
    with his eye on the street tommy zero goes
    and his bid for the leader is gonna come
    
    then he heard a voice in his brain
    tommy it's your gang, tommy it's your gang
    your're the leader, you're the leader
    tommy it's your gang, tommy it's your gang
    
    tommy it's your gang,
    tommy it's your gang,
    tommy it's your gang, your gang
    tommy it's your gang,
    tommy it's your gang,
    tommy it's your gang, your gang
    
    then he heard a voice in his brain
    tommy it's your gang, tommy it's your gang
    your're the leader, you're the leader
    tommy it's your gang, tommy it's your gang
    
    (c) Razors 1981

    There is not a lot of videos out there but at least you get this:

  • my loveliest vinyl, part 11

    my loveliest vinyl, part 11

    Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet - Savy Show Stoppers (Glass Records GLALP 31, 1988)
    Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet – Savy Show Stoppers (Glass Records GLALP 31, 1988)

    Now this is a fun one – one of the view times TV made me explore a band. Back in 1993 my soon the be wife already had pay-tv (“Premiere”, now Sky) and they had some strange stuff there including a canadian commedy called “Kids in the Hall”. Highly entertaining and with a distinct “twang” on the musical side. With a bit of pre-internet searching i found that the theme-song was from “Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet”, from Canada, and they released through Cargo – got it!

    1977 – mhh, this is instrumental. few bands in 1977 burned their finger on that one!
    published by a cool lable – Glass Records in the UK did the 1988 Vinyl, Cargo re-released it in 1990 when “Kids in the Hall” went big.
    found in a cool shop – ticked, again Martin Stehr’s Drugstore
    catching sound – reverb and instrumental. surf. dig it! next thing cool to punk rock!
    not too bad words – hahaha, having a laugh and having a say is one in one!

    They dispanded 1996 and left behind quite a legacy and where instrumental (sic!) in driving other bands. Sadly bass player Reid Diamond died in 2001 of cancer. Damn.

    This is the famous theme song:

    And this is my loveliest thing from “Kids in the Hall”:

    Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet served as the background band and sometimes even played in the foreground. You can listen to all sound snipits from all episodes here!

  • my loveliest vinyl, part 10

    my loveliest vinyl, part 10

    Chixdiggit - Chixdiggit! (Sub Pop SP355, 1996) - Chixdiggit II (Bad Taste Records 2007)
    Chixdiggit – Chixdiggit! (Sub Pop SP355, 1996) – Chixdiggit II (Bad Taste Records 2007)

     

    Punkrock and Hockey where my thing in the early 80ties. I even went to shows with  clothes that had an “HSV Eishockey” patch on it (at that time soccer (and HSV) where no-go for punk – something that has sure big time relaxed since then). Chixdiggit appeared on the radar with their “Best Hung Carrot” EP on Lance Rock in 1995, esp. as it had an Heino (sic! Hanson Brothers – Can’t hide the Heino) cover. Their debut for Sub Pop came in the hey-day of “Pop-punk” and in a unique fashion they re-recorded it in 2007. And re-did the cover, giving them an “grown up” state…

    1977 – yup, a clear line of sight back to the mighty Ramones.
    published by a cool label – Sub Pop, not sure if really “cool” with me but yes – back then ok!
    found in a cool shop – ticked, again Martin Stehr’s Drugstore
    catching sound – Seldom a better entry into an album like the combination of the instrumental “Dolphins Love Kids” followed in-kick by “Great Legs” and all within under 02:00 minutes! Only other contender is the first Travoltas album (“Modern World”).
    not too bad words – the one who sings about love bringing in a hockey goalie can’t be a bad thing:

    saw a picture yesterday
    of a guy who used to play
    for the boston bruins
    and in school i always drew him
    
    he had the longest undefeated streak
    for every shot that hit his cheek
    he drew on a stitch mark
    and i think he played with brad park
    
    i feel like gerry cheevers
    i feel like gerry cheevers
    i got stitch marks on my heart
    just like gerry cheevers
    
    saw a picture yesterday
    of a guy who used to play
    for the boston bruins
    and in school i always drew him
    he wore a mask just like my heart
    he had stitch marks on every part
    and he wore number 30
    thats how old you were when you met me
    
    i feel like gerry cheevers
    i feel like gerry cheevers
    i got stitch marks on my heart
    just like gerry cheevers
    i feel like gerry cheevers
    (i got stitch marks on my heart)
    
    (c) Chixdiggit 1996

    and now listen and watch:

    And in case you need more as in “do they still make it today?” – go figure out