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We lost a lot of good people this year - let’s hope we lose some shit ones next year instead.

Happy new year!

We lost a lot of good people this year - let’s hope we lose some shit ones next year instead.

Happy new year!

After whining about the ‘lost art of the gig ticket’ earlier this year in issue 1 of the zine, I thought I’d look back at my 2025 in gig tickets…

Starting and ending the year with gigs from Young Knives with 43 inbetween I am left with:
- 7 physical tickets (3 ‘souvenir tickets’)
- one comically oversized golden souvenir ticket for Neil Young
- 18 e-tickets
- and… 19 in-app tickets requiring 8 different shitty apps that I don’t want on my phone

Bring back paper for 2026!

More in Secret Sauces Issue 3D, coming soon…

After whining about the ‘lost art of the gig ticket’ earlier this year in issue 1 of the zine, I thought I’d look back at my 2025 in gig tickets…

Starting and ending the year with gigs from Young Knives with 43 inbetween I am left with:
- 7 physical tickets (3 ‘souvenir tickets’)
- one comically oversized golden souvenir ticket for Neil Young
- 18 e-tickets
- and… 19 in-app tickets requiring 8 different shitty apps that I don’t want on my phone

Bring back paper for 2026!

More in Secret Sauces Issue 3D, coming soon…

Merry Christmas!

Enjoy a fun filled holidays spectacular available on Mixcloud now.

Secret Sauces: Issue 3-D coming soon!

Merry Christmas!

Enjoy a fun filled holidays spectacular available on Mixcloud now.

Secret Sauces: Issue 3-D coming soon!

Is the unreleased album by Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong the ‘Smile’ or ‘Human Highway’ of the era uncharitably known as ‘indie landfill’?

When flicking through stacks of my old NMEs before tossing them, I rediscovered the mystery and tracked down the potential holy grail of 2008.

Available to read now on the Secret Sauces website and Substack - links in story/highlights/bio.

This ‘outtake’ article can be found in print in the 2 month anniversary super deluxe edition of Secret Sauces Issue 2 - all variants now sold out.

Is the unreleased album by Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong the ‘Smile’ or ‘Human Highway’ of the era uncharitably known as ‘indie landfill’?

When flicking through stacks of my old NMEs before tossing them, I rediscovered the mystery and tracked down the potential holy grail of 2008.

Available to read now on the Secret Sauces website and Substack - links in story/highlights/bio.

This ‘outtake’ article can be found in print in the 2 month anniversary super deluxe edition of Secret Sauces Issue 2 - all variants now sold out.

Looking at the prolific collaboration between Brian Wilson and Andy Paley, who recorded a lot of great music in the mid 90s which would be repeatedly shelved in favour of terrible records.

This was written a long time ago and shelved repeatedly in favour of better articles. Four of the main players have died since this was written!

It’s interesting stuff - an all too familiar story for Beach Boys fans who know about the masses of scrapped records and outtakes that are often better than what saw the light of day. The Paley sessions will likely be released in their entirety soon, but in the mean time there’s some information about how to track it all down in the article.

Link in story/highlights/bio. Cheers!

Looking at the prolific collaboration between Brian Wilson and Andy Paley, who recorded a lot of great music in the mid 90s which would be repeatedly shelved in favour of terrible records.

This was written a long time ago and shelved repeatedly in favour of better articles. Four of the main players have died since this was written!

It’s interesting stuff - an all too familiar story for Beach Boys fans who know about the masses of scrapped records and outtakes that are often better than what saw the light of day. The Paley sessions will likely be released in their entirety soon, but in the mean time there’s some information about how to track it all down in the article.

Link in story/highlights/bio. Cheers!

Five whole months on from Issue One, the second issue of SECRET SAUCES music fanzine... SECRET SAUCES: SECOND COMING is back from the printers and on sale now for £3.72 (plus £1.50 domestic postage)!

“...like The Stone Roses’ 1994 second album of the same name, the making of this fanzine was held up by court cases, legal injunctions, the deterioration of relationships within the Secret Sauces staff, a £2 million advance, (rumoured) heavy drug use and creative inertia...”

28 pages in stunning black and white.

Issue Two Includes:
- Interview with Ryan and Brant from the ‘You Don’t Know Mojack’ Podcast (@mojackpod)
- The Very Best of Gareth Evans
- How To Be A Successful Music Journalist In 2025
- Dewdooman label showcase & discography
- News
- Olds
- Quotes, quizzes, trivia and much more!

Also available: digital P.I.Y. (print-it-yourself!) .pdf edition. Ideal for non-UK readers and home-printing enthusiasts… for a very special discounted low price! Get it for £3.71!

DUE TO PRECEDENTED UNDEMAND... There are still copies of Issue One knocking about. A bundle is available with both Issue One & Two for a very special discounted low price! Get it for £7.38!

Follow links in stories/highlights or bio

Five whole months on from Issue One, the second issue of SECRET SAUCES music fanzine... SECRET SAUCES: SECOND COMING is back from the printers and on sale now for £3.72 (plus £1.50 domestic postage)!

“...like The Stone Roses’ 1994 second album of the same name, the making of this fanzine was held up by court cases, legal injunctions, the deterioration of relationships within the Secret Sauces staff, a £2 million advance, (rumoured) heavy drug use and creative inertia...”

28 pages in stunning black and white.

Issue Two Includes:
- Interview with Ryan and Brant from the ‘You Don’t Know Mojack’ Podcast (@mojackpod)
- The Very Best of Gareth Evans
- How To Be A Successful Music Journalist In 2025
- Dewdooman label showcase & discography
- News
- Olds
- Quotes, quizzes, trivia and much more!

Also available: digital P.I.Y. (print-it-yourself!) .pdf edition. Ideal for non-UK readers and home-printing enthusiasts… for a very special discounted low price! Get it for £3.71!

DUE TO PRECEDENTED UNDEMAND... There are still copies of Issue One knocking about. A bundle is available with both Issue One & Two for a very special discounted low price! Get it for £7.38!

Follow links in stories/highlights or bio

I’m very excited to say that the great RRPL magazine has used my Secret Sauces fanzine article about their March exhibition at the Farsight Gallery as an Exhibition Report in their second issue, ‘London Electric’. You’ll find it alongside great pictures by Jeff Pitcher, brilliant pieces by Viv Albertine, Jon Savage, Tom Vague, Gram Hilleard, Grace Pilkington plus articles about The Delinquents and Better Badges… all interspersed with vintage ads and pictures of various artefacts from the Rock & Roll Public Library!

If you’re able to, definitely make the trip to The Art Pavilion in Mile End to see the new exhibition and get a copy of the mag (available in 3 different covers)... you can even buy the RRPL confectionery this time!

It opened today and is on until the 18th September - you can see even more stuff from Mick Jones’ incredible archives, beautifully curated by those at the RRPL. You’ll be able to get the mag on their website (rocknrollpl.com) and various stockists afterwards.

I wouldn’t be doing anything that I do or be who I am if it wasn’t for getting into The Clash as a 4 year old (still my absolute favourite band), so I’m very proud to be a part of this magazine, as well as just getting my hands on a copy and digging in! Thank you to Mick and all at @rocknrollpl … go and check it out!

I’m very excited to say that the great RRPL magazine has used my Secret Sauces fanzine article about their March exhibition at the Farsight Gallery as an Exhibition Report in their second issue, ‘London Electric’. You’ll find it alongside great pictures by Jeff Pitcher, brilliant pieces by Viv Albertine, Jon Savage, Tom Vague, Gram Hilleard, Grace Pilkington plus articles about The Delinquents and Better Badges… all interspersed with vintage ads and pictures of various artefacts from the Rock & Roll Public Library!

If you’re able to, definitely make the trip to The Art Pavilion in Mile End to see the new exhibition and get a copy of the mag (available in 3 different covers)... you can even buy the RRPL confectionery this time!

It opened today and is on until the 18th September - you can see even more stuff from Mick Jones’ incredible archives, beautifully curated by those at the RRPL. You’ll be able to get the mag on their website (rocknrollpl.com) and various stockists afterwards.

I wouldn’t be doing anything that I do or be who I am if it wasn’t for getting into The Clash as a 4 year old (still my absolute favourite band), so I’m very proud to be a part of this magazine, as well as just getting my hands on a copy and digging in! Thank you to Mick and all at @rocknrollpl … go and check it out!

Issue 2 finally off to the printers. Better late than never, eh?!

SECRET SAUCES: SECOND COMING available soon.

Issue 2 finally off to the printers. Better late than never, eh?!

SECRET SAUCES: SECOND COMING available soon.

Up now on Mixcloud - links in story/highlights.

See you next Tuesday!

Up now on Mixcloud - links in story/highlights.

See you next Tuesday!

‘Blowoff’ is the only record released by Bob Mould and Rich Morel under the Blowoff name. Released in 2006 on CD on Full Frequency Music (the label’s only release), the record was the culmination of the pair’s collaborations, beginning in 2002-2003 with the Blowoff club night in Washington, D.C. where they DJ’d, playing everything from house music to indie rock. The Blowoff events were popular within the Bear LGBTQ+ subculture, and staged events in many U.S. cities such as Chicago, New York City and San Diego until 2014.

Morel had also become a frequent collaborator on Bob Mould’s solo work, remixing tracks from his ‘Body Of Song’ LP in 2005, plus being part of Mould’s live band around this time on keyboards and backing vocals - you can hear and see Rich on the ‘Circle Of Friends’ live DVD & LP.

The name ‘Blowoff’ comes from Mould’s love of wrestling (he also became a script writer for WCW in 1999 for a brief period) - a ‘blow off’ is the deciding fight in a pro-wrestling match). The wrestling theme carried through in the flyers of the Blowoff nights and album artwork itself.

The Blowoff album, like the fusion of music played at the club night, is a hybrid of the alternative rock and electronic productions that Mould and Morel were respectively known for. For those familiar with Bob’s preceding records from 2002-2005 (Modulate, Long Playing Grooves, Body Of Song), Blowoff is in a similar sonic territory, but with a definite club-emphasis. You can read more on the creation and development of Blowoff, and its impact on the Bear culture in Bob’s excellent 2011 memoir, ‘See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody’.

The Blowoff album arrived in 2006 on CD only, and despite its popularity within underground circles, it was not promoted as a ‘Bob Mould and Rich Morel’ album - you had to be in the know to find it. In 2020, Mould released the 24 CD career-spanning boxset ‘Distortion: 1989 - 2019’ which included Blowoff, and the following year, Blowoff received its only vinyl release within the 9 LP box set ‘Distortion: 1996 - 2007’, with new artwork.

‘Blowoff’ is the only record released by Bob Mould and Rich Morel under the Blowoff name. Released in 2006 on CD on Full Frequency Music (the label’s only release), the record was the culmination of the pair’s collaborations, beginning in 2002-2003 with the Blowoff club night in Washington, D.C. where they DJ’d, playing everything from house music to indie rock. The Blowoff events were popular within the Bear LGBTQ+ subculture, and staged events in many U.S. cities such as Chicago, New York City and San Diego until 2014.

Morel had also become a frequent collaborator on Bob Mould’s solo work, remixing tracks from his ‘Body Of Song’ LP in 2005, plus being part of Mould’s live band around this time on keyboards and backing vocals - you can hear and see Rich on the ‘Circle Of Friends’ live DVD & LP.

The name ‘Blowoff’ comes from Mould’s love of wrestling (he also became a script writer for WCW in 1999 for a brief period) - a ‘blow off’ is the deciding fight in a pro-wrestling match). The wrestling theme carried through in the flyers of the Blowoff nights and album artwork itself.

The Blowoff album, like the fusion of music played at the club night, is a hybrid of the alternative rock and electronic productions that Mould and Morel were respectively known for. For those familiar with Bob’s preceding records from 2002-2005 (Modulate, Long Playing Grooves, Body Of Song), Blowoff is in a similar sonic territory, but with a definite club-emphasis. You can read more on the creation and development of Blowoff, and its impact on the Bear culture in Bob’s excellent 2011 memoir, ‘See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody’.

The Blowoff album arrived in 2006 on CD only, and despite its popularity within underground circles, it was not promoted as a ‘Bob Mould and Rich Morel’ album - you had to be in the know to find it. In 2020, Mould released the 24 CD career-spanning boxset ‘Distortion: 1989 - 2019’ which included Blowoff, and the following year, Blowoff received its only vinyl release within the 9 LP box set ‘Distortion: 1996 - 2007’, with new artwork.

Back to regular programming after last week’s bout of lazyitis/seeing Redd Kross and Melvins.

Here’s a ‘demos special’ - one hour of demos mainly found on reissues, deluxe editions, box sets and compilations. Many of these didn’t progress past the demo stage, and the ones that did get re-recorded were often changed drastically.

Links in story/highlights as always.

See you next Tuesday!

Back to regular programming after last week’s bout of lazyitis/seeing Redd Kross and Melvins.

Here’s a ‘demos special’ - one hour of demos mainly found on reissues, deluxe editions, box sets and compilations. Many of these didn’t progress past the demo stage, and the ones that did get re-recorded were often changed drastically.

Links in story/highlights as always.

See you next Tuesday!

Bono calling Chris Martin a ‘wanker’ and a ‘cretin’ live on Radio 1 is still the best thing him and U2 have done for 30 years, so I will forget that he also said Chris Martin is up there with Ray Davies and Paul McCartney. Very odd.

Bono calling Chris Martin a ‘wanker’ and a ‘cretin’ live on Radio 1 is still the best thing him and U2 have done for 30 years, so I will forget that he also said Chris Martin is up there with Ray Davies and Paul McCartney. Very odd.

Up now on Mixcloud - links in story/highlights as usual.

See you next Tuesday!

Up now on Mixcloud - links in story/highlights as usual.

See you next Tuesday!

The Orb formed in 1988 with Alex Paterson partnering with Jimmy Cauty of The KLF/The JAMs. Their first track ‘Tripping On Sunshine’ was released in April ‘89 on the compilation album ‘Eternity Project One’, compiled by Youth (former Killing Joke bassist, childhood friend/flatmate of Alex & bandmate of Cauty in ‘Brilliant’). Two months later, The Orb released the Kiss EP, a four track release on Alex & Youth’s WAU! Mr. Modo label.

Abandoning their beat-driven music in favour of new (and longer) ambient flavoured tracks, Cauty and Paterson built up their new material at a residency at Heaven in London, DJing the ‘chill out’ room. This led to the release of ‘A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules from the Centre of the Ultraworld’ in Oct. ‘89 on W!MM, a 19-min epic featuring prominent re-recorded vocals of Minnie Riperton’s ‘Lovin’ You’. After recording a Peel Session in Dec., the pair began recording the debut Orb LP at Cauty’s Trancentral studios, alongside The KLF’s album ‘Chill Out’ (where it is alleged Paterson contributed, uncredited).

With The Orb becoming increasingly popular in the wake of the new single and Peel Session, record label offers for the in-progress double LP were coming in - Paterson favoured signing with Big Life but Cauty wanted to release through his and Bill Drummond’s ‘KLF Communications’ label. Tensions between the pair flared, as Paterson maintained he did not want The Orb to be seen as a KLF side project. As a result, the pair split - Paterson would sign to Big Life as The Orb and eventually release ‘Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld’ in 1991, working with a variety of collaborators including Steve Hillage, Kris Weston and Andy Falconer.

Meanwhile, Cauty removed Paterson’s contributions from the recordings and released the single LP ‘Space’ on KLF Communications (on CD & LP) in July ‘90, with its 8 tracks named after the planets in the solar system. The album was soon deleted in early ‘92 along with the rest of the KLF Communications catalogue, and has been heavily bootlegged since. The unreleased Paterson/Cauty version was played on one of Paterson’s online radio shows and can be found online.

The Orb formed in 1988 with Alex Paterson partnering with Jimmy Cauty of The KLF/The JAMs. Their first track ‘Tripping On Sunshine’ was released in April ‘89 on the compilation album ‘Eternity Project One’, compiled by Youth (former Killing Joke bassist, childhood friend/flatmate of Alex & bandmate of Cauty in ‘Brilliant’). Two months later, The Orb released the Kiss EP, a four track release on Alex & Youth’s WAU! Mr. Modo label.

Abandoning their beat-driven music in favour of new (and longer) ambient flavoured tracks, Cauty and Paterson built up their new material at a residency at Heaven in London, DJing the ‘chill out’ room. This led to the release of ‘A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules from the Centre of the Ultraworld’ in Oct. ‘89 on W!MM, a 19-min epic featuring prominent re-recorded vocals of Minnie Riperton’s ‘Lovin’ You’. After recording a Peel Session in Dec., the pair began recording the debut Orb LP at Cauty’s Trancentral studios, alongside The KLF’s album ‘Chill Out’ (where it is alleged Paterson contributed, uncredited).

With The Orb becoming increasingly popular in the wake of the new single and Peel Session, record label offers for the in-progress double LP were coming in - Paterson favoured signing with Big Life but Cauty wanted to release through his and Bill Drummond’s ‘KLF Communications’ label. Tensions between the pair flared, as Paterson maintained he did not want The Orb to be seen as a KLF side project. As a result, the pair split - Paterson would sign to Big Life as The Orb and eventually release ‘Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld’ in 1991, working with a variety of collaborators including Steve Hillage, Kris Weston and Andy Falconer.

Meanwhile, Cauty removed Paterson’s contributions from the recordings and released the single LP ‘Space’ on KLF Communications (on CD & LP) in July ‘90, with its 8 tracks named after the planets in the solar system. The album was soon deleted in early ‘92 along with the rest of the KLF Communications catalogue, and has been heavily bootlegged since. The unreleased Paterson/Cauty version was played on one of Paterson’s online radio shows and can be found online.

One hour of outtakes! Some good tracks that sat in boxes on the shelf for years until a compilation, reissue or box set came along to set them free…

Available to listen to now on Mixcloud. Links in story/highlights.

See you next Tuesday!

One hour of outtakes! Some good tracks that sat in boxes on the shelf for years until a compilation, reissue or box set came along to set them free…

Available to listen to now on Mixcloud. Links in story/highlights.

See you next Tuesday!

With streaming now dominating listening habits, musicians aren’t getting record royalties like they used to. Merch is as important as it’s ever been in the music industry - many smaller musicians rely on merch sales for income due to the pittance that streaming services provide. These days, it’s no longer your classic band t-shirt that’s being sold on merch tables and web stores.

Here’s some I found earlier…

With streaming now dominating listening habits, musicians aren’t getting record royalties like they used to. Merch is as important as it’s ever been in the music industry - many smaller musicians rely on merch sales for income due to the pittance that streaming services provide. These days, it’s no longer your classic band t-shirt that’s being sold on merch tables and web stores.

Here’s some I found earlier…

Numba 18 up now on Mixcloud. Link in story/highlights etc.

See you next Tuesday!

Numba 18 up now on Mixcloud. Link in story/highlights etc.

See you next Tuesday!

Ooh, the Dew Doo Man!

The story of Prince Paul’s short-lived Rush Associated Label ‘Dew Doo Man Records’ and its artists Resident Alien and Mic Teluxe.

A preview from issue 2, read now on the Secret Sauces website or Substack. Links in story/highlights etc.

Ooh, the Dew Doo Man!

The story of Prince Paul’s short-lived Rush Associated Label ‘Dew Doo Man Records’ and its artists Resident Alien and Mic Teluxe.

A preview from issue 2, read now on the Secret Sauces website or Substack. Links in story/highlights etc.

A swarm of bees! 60 mins of some good b-sides, up on Mixcloud now. Link in story/highlights etc.

See you next Tuesday!

A swarm of bees! 60 mins of some good b-sides, up on Mixcloud now. Link in story/highlights etc.

See you next Tuesday!

An ongoing process to gently encourage people to spend some time off the hideous corporate tech-billionaire data-mining ad-and-shite filled Web 2.0 platforms, onto the good old home-made internet…

On the website (www.secretsaucesrecords.com) you can find a directory of links to a load of music fansites, forums, wikis and discographies. There’s also a bunch of official sites of artists and labels, some comedy stuff and other useful resources.

There’s always more to be added, so if you visit any sites along these lines - or even run one yourself - get in touch and I will add it to the directory! Cheers!

An ongoing process to gently encourage people to spend some time off the hideous corporate tech-billionaire data-mining ad-and-shite filled Web 2.0 platforms, onto the good old home-made internet…

On the website (www.secretsaucesrecords.com) you can find a directory of links to a load of music fansites, forums, wikis and discographies. There’s also a bunch of official sites of artists and labels, some comedy stuff and other useful resources.

There’s always more to be added, so if you visit any sites along these lines - or even run one yourself - get in touch and I will add it to the directory! Cheers!

#016 - eighteen tunes w/ some snippets of Lars Ulrich getting angry.

Up now on Mixcloud… linx in story/highlights etc.

See you next Tuesday!

#016 - eighteen tunes w/ some snippets of Lars Ulrich getting angry.

Up now on Mixcloud… linx in story/highlights etc.

See you next Tuesday!

Issue 2 coming at the end of the month... contents revealed soon!

Issue 2 coming at the end of the month... contents revealed soon!

Now That’s What I Call Feel-Good Summer-Time Sing-Along Anthems!

This week’s mix is for anyone else who is dying in this disgusting UK heat. Mixcloud link in story blah blah blah etc.

See you next Tuesday!

Now That’s What I Call Feel-Good Summer-Time Sing-Along Anthems!

This week’s mix is for anyone else who is dying in this disgusting UK heat. Mixcloud link in story blah blah blah etc.

See you next Tuesday!

Clearing out the mouldy olds from Issue 1 before number 2 plops out soon.

A 44 year grudge or just not a fan? I’m not necessarily suggesting the two events are linked… but I can’t find any solid links between Paul and Bob in between (days).

For what it’s worth, I love em both.

Clearing out the mouldy olds from Issue 1 before number 2 plops out soon.

A 44 year grudge or just not a fan? I’m not necessarily suggesting the two events are linked… but I can’t find any solid links between Paul and Bob in between (days).

For what it’s worth, I love em both.

Secret Sauces Radio #014 is up now on Mixcloud. Tunes interspersed with clips of Pete Townshend getting angry onstage and in interviews. Link to listen in story/highlights as usual.

See you next Tuesday!

Secret Sauces Radio #014 is up now on Mixcloud. Tunes interspersed with clips of Pete Townshend getting angry onstage and in interviews. Link to listen in story/highlights as usual.

See you next Tuesday!

This ORWOTW is the only release by The Army, a duo of Jay Tiller (Die Kreuzen, Couch Flambeau, Sacred Order) and Steve Albini.

The four tracks on this 12” were recorded on the 14th December 1986 at Studiomedia in Evanston, IL, and were mixed nearly a year later on 18th November 1987 at Breezeway, Waukesha, WI. Despite the tracks being revisited a year later, it wasn’t until 2012 that ‘What Happened To Your Hand’ saw a release, a limited 12” given away to attendees of the 2012 PRF BBQ in Chicago.

The PRF started as an internet music forum in 2011, that stands for ‘Premiere Rock Forum’ (a “long standing in-joke”), and started doing events the same year. The PRF BBQ 2012 was the second of its kind. You can visit www.prfbbq.com to download mp3s of all of the live sets from the tons of bands that played there that year (and other years).

There is little information out there on the record and sessions itself that I can find (perhaps there will be some info in the upcoming oral history of Die Kreuzen by Sahan Jayasuriya?), but it is a mostly instrumental record, featuring Albini’s bass and Tiller’s drumming, with occasional vocals here and there. It’s a good listen, however, and I’d definitely recommend it to fans of both Die Kreuzen and Albini’s work with bands like Big Black and Shellac. Unsurprisingly, it’s a difficult one to track down, with used copies occasionally popping up for around £50, but it’s all online for you to check out if you so wish.

This ORWOTW is the only release by The Army, a duo of Jay Tiller (Die Kreuzen, Couch Flambeau, Sacred Order) and Steve Albini.

The four tracks on this 12” were recorded on the 14th December 1986 at Studiomedia in Evanston, IL, and were mixed nearly a year later on 18th November 1987 at Breezeway, Waukesha, WI. Despite the tracks being revisited a year later, it wasn’t until 2012 that ‘What Happened To Your Hand’ saw a release, a limited 12” given away to attendees of the 2012 PRF BBQ in Chicago.

The PRF started as an internet music forum in 2011, that stands for ‘Premiere Rock Forum’ (a “long standing in-joke”), and started doing events the same year. The PRF BBQ 2012 was the second of its kind. You can visit www.prfbbq.com to download mp3s of all of the live sets from the tons of bands that played there that year (and other years).

There is little information out there on the record and sessions itself that I can find (perhaps there will be some info in the upcoming oral history of Die Kreuzen by Sahan Jayasuriya?), but it is a mostly instrumental record, featuring Albini’s bass and Tiller’s drumming, with occasional vocals here and there. It’s a good listen, however, and I’d definitely recommend it to fans of both Die Kreuzen and Albini’s work with bands like Big Black and Shellac. Unsurprisingly, it’s a difficult one to track down, with used copies occasionally popping up for around £50, but it’s all online for you to check out if you so wish.

Live special for Secret Sauces Radio no. 13! A nice head-gig with 15 bands on the bill on a revolving stage like they had at Live Aid (that also time travels)… or a selection of live tracks taken from various records, with edits covered up by crowd noise taken from a rip of a Neil Young live DVD. Either way, enjoy!

Listen on Mixcloud - links in story/highlights etc.

See you next Tuesday!

Live special for Secret Sauces Radio no. 13! A nice head-gig with 15 bands on the bill on a revolving stage like they had at Live Aid (that also time travels)… or a selection of live tracks taken from various records, with edits covered up by crowd noise taken from a rip of a Neil Young live DVD. Either way, enjoy!

Listen on Mixcloud - links in story/highlights etc.

See you next Tuesday!

Thank you for all the incredible music.

Rest in peace Brian Wilson. ❤️

Thank you for all the incredible music.

Rest in peace Brian Wilson. ❤️

This week’s Secret Sauces Radio is available to listen to now on Mixcloud - link in story/highlights. The musical selections are interspersed with occasional batshit clips from 1970s episodes of BBC’s Nationwide. Enjoy!

See you next Tuesday…

This week’s Secret Sauces Radio is available to listen to now on Mixcloud - link in story/highlights. The musical selections are interspersed with occasional batshit clips from 1970s episodes of BBC’s Nationwide. Enjoy!

See you next Tuesday…

This is the only record released by ‘Poindexter Stewart’, an odd character played by Greg Ginn who appeared regularly on the now lost Screw Radio shows. A few CD comps of Screw Radio were put out, but I am yet to find a copy of any original shows (if you have any, please get in touch!).

Some have regarded Screw Radio as a response to the beef with Negativland, and their legendary Over The Edge shows… but that’s a whole other can of worms. Either way, in 1993 this ‘College Rock’ EP was released by SST on CD and 10” purple vinyl, and it’s a bizarre listen to say the least. Every comment online about this release (there aren’t many, admittedly) is a mixture of bewilderment and negativity.

Ginn, sorry, Poindexter Stewart, uses the title track to parody a stereotypical ‘college rock’ band, singing in a grating voice, whilst interjecting ‘what the fuck is that?!’, ‘get a life!’ and ‘turn that crap off!’. It is excruciating to listen to, and ironically, many of the great ‘college rock’ bands were on SST once upon a time. There certainly is comic potential, but the execution is poor and it just sounds like the bitter rantings of a man who has lost his cultural standing. I do find it funny to listen to, but not as intended.

The remix of the title track, ‘College Jelly Brain’, sounds very similar to the early 90s Ginn solo releases on Cruz. The b-side, ‘Reality’ is half-way between the Poindexter parody style and Ginn’s early solo sound. That too has a remix, ‘Reality Groove’, which again, wouldn’t sound out of place on those first three Ginn solo records. Much of the music recorded by Ginn and Andy Batwinas out of Ginn’s own Casa Destroy studios sounds like this - it’s an acquired taste for sure, but those early records still have good moments.

I only have the CD myself, but looking on Discogs for a picture of the purple vinyl, I found it amusing that radio promos of the 10” were sent out with track suggestions for DJs to play - as if any of this would have ever been played on air.

If you’re a completist (or a masochist), you gotta check out College Rock.

This is the only record released by ‘Poindexter Stewart’, an odd character played by Greg Ginn who appeared regularly on the now lost Screw Radio shows. A few CD comps of Screw Radio were put out, but I am yet to find a copy of any original shows (if you have any, please get in touch!).

Some have regarded Screw Radio as a response to the beef with Negativland, and their legendary Over The Edge shows… but that’s a whole other can of worms. Either way, in 1993 this ‘College Rock’ EP was released by SST on CD and 10” purple vinyl, and it’s a bizarre listen to say the least. Every comment online about this release (there aren’t many, admittedly) is a mixture of bewilderment and negativity.

Ginn, sorry, Poindexter Stewart, uses the title track to parody a stereotypical ‘college rock’ band, singing in a grating voice, whilst interjecting ‘what the fuck is that?!’, ‘get a life!’ and ‘turn that crap off!’. It is excruciating to listen to, and ironically, many of the great ‘college rock’ bands were on SST once upon a time. There certainly is comic potential, but the execution is poor and it just sounds like the bitter rantings of a man who has lost his cultural standing. I do find it funny to listen to, but not as intended.

The remix of the title track, ‘College Jelly Brain’, sounds very similar to the early 90s Ginn solo releases on Cruz. The b-side, ‘Reality’ is half-way between the Poindexter parody style and Ginn’s early solo sound. That too has a remix, ‘Reality Groove’, which again, wouldn’t sound out of place on those first three Ginn solo records. Much of the music recorded by Ginn and Andy Batwinas out of Ginn’s own Casa Destroy studios sounds like this - it’s an acquired taste for sure, but those early records still have good moments.

I only have the CD myself, but looking on Discogs for a picture of the purple vinyl, I found it amusing that radio promos of the 10” were sent out with track suggestions for DJs to play - as if any of this would have ever been played on air.

If you’re a completist (or a masochist), you gotta check out College Rock.

Cover versions special! Secret Sauces Radio #011 available to listen now on Mixcloud, check it out at the links in story highlights and in bio.

See you next Tuesday!

Cover versions special! Secret Sauces Radio #011 available to listen now on Mixcloud, check it out at the links in story highlights and in bio.

See you next Tuesday!

You Don’t Know Mojack is one of the best music podcasts out there, which goes through the entire SST catalogue, in order, from start to finish. Often with interviews with the artists themselves, you can learn more about your favourite records, and be turned on to some great stuff you’ve not heard before. After a small break, the Mojack pod is back with new episodes!

I interviewed Ryan and Brant of @mojackpod to discuss SST, the podcast, the bands and the current stature of SST. Link in bio & story highlights, check it out!

You Don’t Know Mojack is one of the best music podcasts out there, which goes through the entire SST catalogue, in order, from start to finish. Often with interviews with the artists themselves, you can learn more about your favourite records, and be turned on to some great stuff you’ve not heard before. After a small break, the Mojack pod is back with new episodes!

I interviewed Ryan and Brant of @mojackpod to discuss SST, the podcast, the bands and the current stature of SST. Link in bio & story highlights, check it out!

SECRET SAUCES RADIO #010 is available to listen to now on Mixcloud. Follow link in stories or bio to listen.

Notes available on secretsaucesrecords.com/radio

New 60 minute mix of music every Tuesday at 7PM (BST).

See you next Tuesday!

SECRET SAUCES RADIO #010 is available to listen to now on Mixcloud. Follow link in stories or bio to listen.

Notes available on secretsaucesrecords.com/radio

New 60 minute mix of music every Tuesday at 7PM (BST).

See you next Tuesday!

Here’s some classic #olds from when Johnny Borrell went solo and it didn’t go too well.

I haven’t heard his solo album to comment on its quality but then again, who has?

Here’s some classic #olds from when Johnny Borrell went solo and it didn’t go too well.

I haven’t heard his solo album to comment on its quality but then again, who has?

SECRET SAUCES RADIO #009 is available to listen to now on Mixcloud. Follow link in stories or bio to listen.

Notes available on secretsaucesrecords.com/radio

New 60 minute mix of music every Tuesday at 7PM (BST).

See you next Tuesday!

SECRET SAUCES RADIO #009 is available to listen to now on Mixcloud. Follow link in stories or bio to listen.

Notes available on secretsaucesrecords.com/radio

New 60 minute mix of music every Tuesday at 7PM (BST).

See you next Tuesday!

This ORWOTW is a pseudonymous release by Dave Grohl and was only ever released on cassette, in 1992.

Written and recorded in 1990 and 1991 while Grohl was in Nirvana (but before they achieved mass popularity after Nevermind’s release), this 10-track album was performed entirely by Dave Grohl, much like the first Foo Fighters album.

Produced by Barrett Jones (who was also Grohl’s roommate), the cassette was released by Arlington, VA label Simple Machines as part of their mail-order Tool Cassette Series (there were 6 other releases in total). It was credited to ‘Late!’ (supposedly to set up a joke in which the ‘band’ could say ‘sorry, we’re Late!’ in live performances, that never happened) - though it may be due to the fact that it was released at the peak of Nirvana’s popularity and a low-key underground cassette release of these recordings was preferable to a wide release and inevitable ‘Nirvana drummer goes solo!’ reportage.

Widely bootlegged (and often credited to Foo Fighters), this cassette has never been reissued or released on any other format - it’ll set you back over £200 for a legit copy on the second-hand market. However, a couple of its songs were released on various compilations around the same period, and many of its songs were later re-recorded. Most notable, perhaps, is ‘Color Pictures of a Marigold’ which was later recorded by Nirvana and released as the b-side to ‘Heart Shaped Box’ - the only Grohl-penned and sung Nirvana tune. Foo Fighters later re-recorded ‘Winnebago’ and ‘Friend Of A Friend’. A few of the tracks that didn’t see a wider release or a re-recording are worth checking out, particularly ‘Milk’.

This ORWOTW is a pseudonymous release by Dave Grohl and was only ever released on cassette, in 1992.

Written and recorded in 1990 and 1991 while Grohl was in Nirvana (but before they achieved mass popularity after Nevermind’s release), this 10-track album was performed entirely by Dave Grohl, much like the first Foo Fighters album.

Produced by Barrett Jones (who was also Grohl’s roommate), the cassette was released by Arlington, VA label Simple Machines as part of their mail-order Tool Cassette Series (there were 6 other releases in total). It was credited to ‘Late!’ (supposedly to set up a joke in which the ‘band’ could say ‘sorry, we’re Late!’ in live performances, that never happened) - though it may be due to the fact that it was released at the peak of Nirvana’s popularity and a low-key underground cassette release of these recordings was preferable to a wide release and inevitable ‘Nirvana drummer goes solo!’ reportage.

Widely bootlegged (and often credited to Foo Fighters), this cassette has never been reissued or released on any other format - it’ll set you back over £200 for a legit copy on the second-hand market. However, a couple of its songs were released on various compilations around the same period, and many of its songs were later re-recorded. Most notable, perhaps, is ‘Color Pictures of a Marigold’ which was later recorded by Nirvana and released as the b-side to ‘Heart Shaped Box’ - the only Grohl-penned and sung Nirvana tune. Foo Fighters later re-recorded ‘Winnebago’ and ‘Friend Of A Friend’. A few of the tracks that didn’t see a wider release or a re-recording are worth checking out, particularly ‘Milk’.

SECRET SAUCES RADIO #008 is available to listen to now on Mixcloud. Follow link in stories or bio to listen.

Notes available on secretsaucesrecords.com/radio

New 60 minute mix of music every Tuesday at 7PM (BST).

See you next Tuesday!

SECRET SAUCES RADIO #008 is available to listen to now on Mixcloud. Follow link in stories or bio to listen.

Notes available on secretsaucesrecords.com/radio

New 60 minute mix of music every Tuesday at 7PM (BST).

See you next Tuesday!

Hüsker Dü’s own DIY label Reflex Records was started as a ‘reflex’ against the rejection of their demo by local label Twin/Tone, to put out their first 7” single in 1981. For the next few years, Reflex released records from many local Twin Cities bands such as Man Sized Action, Rifle Sport, Ground Zero and Otto’s Chemical Lounge - as well as non-Twin Cities bands like Minutemen and Articles Of Faith.

Reflex ceased releasing new records by 1985 apart from the occasional revival of the name for new Hüsker Dü releases in recent years.

Most of the catalogue is long out-of-print but you can explore its releases with the Reflex discography on the Secret Sauces website and Substack - lots of great records worth tracking down!

Hüsker Dü’s own DIY label Reflex Records was started as a ‘reflex’ against the rejection of their demo by local label Twin/Tone, to put out their first 7” single in 1981. For the next few years, Reflex released records from many local Twin Cities bands such as Man Sized Action, Rifle Sport, Ground Zero and Otto’s Chemical Lounge - as well as non-Twin Cities bands like Minutemen and Articles Of Faith.

Reflex ceased releasing new records by 1985 apart from the occasional revival of the name for new Hüsker Dü releases in recent years.

Most of the catalogue is long out-of-print but you can explore its releases with the Reflex discography on the Secret Sauces website and Substack - lots of great records worth tracking down!

SECRET SAUCES RADIO #007 is available to listen to now on Mixcloud. Follow link in stories or bio to listen!

‘Show’ notes available on secretsaucesrecords.com/radio

New 60 minute mix of music every Tuesday at 7PM (BST)

See you next Tuesday!

SECRET SAUCES RADIO #007 is available to listen to now on Mixcloud. Follow link in stories or bio to listen!

‘Show’ notes available on secretsaucesrecords.com/radio

New 60 minute mix of music every Tuesday at 7PM (BST)

See you next Tuesday!

This 7” single from Chicago, IL band ‘Problem Dogs’ was their only release, on Disturbing Records in 1983. A-Side ‘You Are The Knife’ and b-side ‘City Hall’ are the only two songs that were released, though the A-side was re-recorded with a new lineup a couple of years later…

The lineup that recorded this single features Rik Radtke on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, John Connors on lead guitar, Larry Park on bass and Demetra Plakas on drums, though there were previous bassists before the recording of this single: Al Kizys (later of Swans and Of Cabbages And Kings) and Pat Kenny. The single was produced by ‘Men’ guitarist Reggie Mars McFadden and engineered by Scott Steinman, and recorded at Studiomedia in Evanston, IL, a studio where the first recordings of many Chicago bands such as Verböten and Urge Overkill took place and is still an active studio 42 years later!

In 1985, Problem Dogs moved to Los Angeles and with new bassist Mike Fierstein, played the LA club scene for a couple of years under the name ‘Pirate Radio’ - it is this line up that recorded a new version of ‘You Are The Knife’ for Thirsty Ear’s ‘SCREAM’ (Sampler Containing Really Exciting American Music) #03 LP in 1985 - executive produced by Ira Robbins and Peter Gordon.

Rik Radtke and John Connors went on to play with various bands after the dissolution of Pirate Radio, and drummer Demetra Plakas, better known as Dee Plakas, would join the band L7 in 1989 and has remained with them in every lineup since then.

Neither this single or the re-recorded a-side have ever been reissued or have had a release on CD. The Punk Database website (the best source for info about Problem Dogs I could find) lists 27 other songs by the band - I wonder if there are any tapes of these recordings knocking about, I’d love to hear them!

This 7” single from Chicago, IL band ‘Problem Dogs’ was their only release, on Disturbing Records in 1983. A-Side ‘You Are The Knife’ and b-side ‘City Hall’ are the only two songs that were released, though the A-side was re-recorded with a new lineup a couple of years later…

The lineup that recorded this single features Rik Radtke on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, John Connors on lead guitar, Larry Park on bass and Demetra Plakas on drums, though there were previous bassists before the recording of this single: Al Kizys (later of Swans and Of Cabbages And Kings) and Pat Kenny. The single was produced by ‘Men’ guitarist Reggie Mars McFadden and engineered by Scott Steinman, and recorded at Studiomedia in Evanston, IL, a studio where the first recordings of many Chicago bands such as Verböten and Urge Overkill took place and is still an active studio 42 years later!

In 1985, Problem Dogs moved to Los Angeles and with new bassist Mike Fierstein, played the LA club scene for a couple of years under the name ‘Pirate Radio’ - it is this line up that recorded a new version of ‘You Are The Knife’ for Thirsty Ear’s ‘SCREAM’ (Sampler Containing Really Exciting American Music) #03 LP in 1985 - executive produced by Ira Robbins and Peter Gordon.

Rik Radtke and John Connors went on to play with various bands after the dissolution of Pirate Radio, and drummer Demetra Plakas, better known as Dee Plakas, would join the band L7 in 1989 and has remained with them in every lineup since then.

Neither this single or the re-recorded a-side have ever been reissued or have had a release on CD. The Punk Database website (the best source for info about Problem Dogs I could find) lists 27 other songs by the band - I wonder if there are any tapes of these recordings knocking about, I’d love to hear them!

Bonus #olds - When I joined the queue to get into Hammersmith Apollo to see Devo in 2023, I heard an American guy directly behind me exaggeratedly go “oh my gooood, I can’t believe I’m seeing Devoooo! I love Devo!”. I turned round and it was Jerry Casale himself! I laughed and he left. Great gig!

Bonus #olds - When I joined the queue to get into Hammersmith Apollo to see Devo in 2023, I heard an American guy directly behind me exaggeratedly go “oh my gooood, I can’t believe I’m seeing Devoooo! I love Devo!”. I turned round and it was Jerry Casale himself! I laughed and he left. Great gig!

SECRET SAUCES #006 is available to listen to now on Mixcloud. Follow link in stories or bio to listen.

Show notes available on secretsaucesrecords.com/ radio

New 60 minute mix of music every Tuesday at 7PM
(GMT).

See you next Tuesday!

SECRET SAUCES #006 is available to listen to now on Mixcloud. Follow link in stories or bio to listen.

Show notes available on secretsaucesrecords.com/ radio

New 60 minute mix of music every Tuesday at 7PM
(GMT).

See you next Tuesday!

Looking forward to seeing The Flaming Lips tonight at Brixton!

To celebrate, here’s some legendary Lips #olds

#blobinthebath

Looking forward to seeing The Flaming Lips tonight at Brixton!

To celebrate, here’s some legendary Lips #olds

#blobinthebath

This ORWOTW is a unique collaboration between two bands, Minutemen & Black Flag = Minuteflag.

A one-time studio jam between the two bands took place at regular SST haunt Total Access Recording Studios at Redondo Beach, CA on 3rd March 1985. Black Flag were recording the ‘Loose Nut’ LP at Total Access at the time, and Minutemen had just finished recording the ‘Project: Mersh’ EP there the month before. Both bands had played hundreds of shows together, and were closely linked - Minutemen’s ‘Paranoid Time’ 7” was the second ever release on SST Records in 1980, which was initially set up to put out Black Flag’s ‘Nervous Breakdown’ EP in January 1979.

The session saw each member of the two bands take their usual instruments, other than Minutemen’s drummer George Hurley, who played bongo drums and a ‘bean can’ while Black Flag (and Descendents) drummer Bill Stevenson stuck to drums. Only the first track ‘Fetch The Water’ features vocals (lead from D. Boon, backing from Henry Rollins and Kira Roessler) while the rest of the EP is instrumental. While Black Flag had a history of instrumental releases, with half of 1984’s ‘Family Man’ LP and later release in September 1985 ‘The Process Of Weeding Out’ being fully instrumental (and countless Greg Ginn has instrumental releases since), the Minuteflag record leans much more toward Minutemen’s sound (perhaps another reason why it was called Minuteflag rather than Blackmen!), especially with Mike Watt’s bass dominating many of the tracks. You don’t hear too much of Greg Ginn’s signature guitar playing on the tracks.

After the recording, the members agreed that the material would not be released until at least one of the bands had disbanded. Tragically, on the 22nd December 1985 Minutemen’s D. Boon was killed in a van accident and Minutemen would disband, with Watt and Hurley later forming fIREHOSE with Ed Crawford. Black Flag disbanded in August 1986, and the Minuteflag EP was released on 12” and cassette.

It’s never been reissued but worth checking out if you’re a fan of both bands - it’s an interesting listen for sure.

This ORWOTW is a unique collaboration between two bands, Minutemen & Black Flag = Minuteflag.

A one-time studio jam between the two bands took place at regular SST haunt Total Access Recording Studios at Redondo Beach, CA on 3rd March 1985. Black Flag were recording the ‘Loose Nut’ LP at Total Access at the time, and Minutemen had just finished recording the ‘Project: Mersh’ EP there the month before. Both bands had played hundreds of shows together, and were closely linked - Minutemen’s ‘Paranoid Time’ 7” was the second ever release on SST Records in 1980, which was initially set up to put out Black Flag’s ‘Nervous Breakdown’ EP in January 1979.

The session saw each member of the two bands take their usual instruments, other than Minutemen’s drummer George Hurley, who played bongo drums and a ‘bean can’ while Black Flag (and Descendents) drummer Bill Stevenson stuck to drums. Only the first track ‘Fetch The Water’ features vocals (lead from D. Boon, backing from Henry Rollins and Kira Roessler) while the rest of the EP is instrumental. While Black Flag had a history of instrumental releases, with half of 1984’s ‘Family Man’ LP and later release in September 1985 ‘The Process Of Weeding Out’ being fully instrumental (and countless Greg Ginn has instrumental releases since), the Minuteflag record leans much more toward Minutemen’s sound (perhaps another reason why it was called Minuteflag rather than Blackmen!), especially with Mike Watt’s bass dominating many of the tracks. You don’t hear too much of Greg Ginn’s signature guitar playing on the tracks.

After the recording, the members agreed that the material would not be released until at least one of the bands had disbanded. Tragically, on the 22nd December 1985 Minutemen’s D. Boon was killed in a van accident and Minutemen would disband, with Watt and Hurley later forming fIREHOSE with Ed Crawford. Black Flag disbanded in August 1986, and the Minuteflag EP was released on 12” and cassette.

It’s never been reissued but worth checking out if you’re a fan of both bands - it’s an interesting listen for sure.

SECRET SAUCES #005 available to listen to now on Mixcloud. Follow link in stories or bio to listen.

Show notes available on secretsaucesrecords.com/radio

New 60 minute mix of music every Tuesday at 7PM
(GMT).

See you next Tuesday!

SECRET SAUCES #005 available to listen to now on Mixcloud. Follow link in stories or bio to listen.

Show notes available on secretsaucesrecords.com/radio

New 60 minute mix of music every Tuesday at 7PM
(GMT).

See you next Tuesday!

“Late news breaking, this just in…”

Catch up on the Olds with SECRET SAUCES…

Issue One available now

“Late news breaking, this just in…”

Catch up on the Olds with SECRET SAUCES…

Issue One available now

“Starting a website to accompany the SECRET SAUCES fanzine, I thought about other music websites and what sort of stuff they publish. I don’t particularly care for writing reviews, and I certainly don’t care for giving anything a rating out of 10. I noticed that most sites love to publish ranked lists of an artists’ discography - it’s an epidemic in music journalism alongside the creeping use of Chat GPT-written slop, and clickbait shite (see Alternative Nation).

Ranked lists get engagement on social media. It’s likely why these rankings have such ‘hot takes’ or blatantly shit opinions - outraged readers take to the comments to tell ‘Ultimate Dad Rock’ or whoever that their list is terrible, sparking further arguments in the comments. Before you know it, the post has hundreds of comments and is boosted on everyone’s feeds, generating more clicks to a hideously designed website with more adverts than writing.

I want a piece of that action, but I don’t want to rank my favourite Bowie albums because I simply can’t do it. I couldn’t say what my number one is, because it could be at least 10 of them. I want my ranking millions, though, so I will be a ranker and rank other rankings. Here we go...”

“Starting a website to accompany the SECRET SAUCES fanzine, I thought about other music websites and what sort of stuff they publish. I don’t particularly care for writing reviews, and I certainly don’t care for giving anything a rating out of 10. I noticed that most sites love to publish ranked lists of an artists’ discography - it’s an epidemic in music journalism alongside the creeping use of Chat GPT-written slop, and clickbait shite (see Alternative Nation).

Ranked lists get engagement on social media. It’s likely why these rankings have such ‘hot takes’ or blatantly shit opinions - outraged readers take to the comments to tell ‘Ultimate Dad Rock’ or whoever that their list is terrible, sparking further arguments in the comments. Before you know it, the post has hundreds of comments and is boosted on everyone’s feeds, generating more clicks to a hideously designed website with more adverts than writing.

I want a piece of that action, but I don’t want to rank my favourite Bowie albums because I simply can’t do it. I couldn’t say what my number one is, because it could be at least 10 of them. I want my ranking millions, though, so I will be a ranker and rank other rankings. Here we go...”

SECRET SAUCES #004 available to listen to now on Mixcloud. Follow link in stories or bio to listen.

Show notes available on secretsaucesrecords.com/ radio

New 60 minute mix of music every Tuesday at 7PM
(GMT).

See you next Tuesday!

SECRET SAUCES #004 available to listen to now on Mixcloud. Follow link in stories or bio to listen.

Show notes available on secretsaucesrecords.com/ radio

New 60 minute mix of music every Tuesday at 7PM
(GMT).

See you next Tuesday!

The next ORWOTW is by The Colonel. The 7” single ‘Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen’ b/w ‘I Need Protection’, released by Virgin Records on 24th October 1980, was The Colonel’s only release.

‘The Colonel’ was XTC bassist and songwriter Colin Moulding, XTC drummer Terry Chambers, keyboardist Steve King (Fingerprintz) guitarist Rob Hendry* (The Motors, Renaissance), and second guitarist... Colin Moulding’s dentist Bent Larson (erroneously credited as ‘Bert’ on the sleeve). XTC pal and key figure in the band’s history Steve Warren provided backing vocals.

Recorded at Vigin’s Townhouse studios in London and produced by Mick Glossop, the record was described by XTC bandmate Andy Partridge as “a mix between a joke and an actual poke at getting on the charts”.

It didn’t get on the charts. While ‘Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen’ is a bit of a novelty throwaway, the b-side ‘I Need Protection’ is recommended, and reminiscent of XTC’s ‘Black Sea’ album track ‘Travels In Nihilon’: a monotone Moulding vocal and Terry Chambers’ ominous drums consistently backing occasional bursts of guitar freakouts and discordant piano. Check it out!

The artwork was drawn by prolific comic book artist Hunt Emerson, also known for his sleeve art for The Beat, The Jazz Butcher and MC Paul Barman’s Y*O*U*N*G*M*A*N* LP. Curiously, this obscure 7” saw a Japanese reissue in 1989 on the short-lived 3” mini-CD format, as did ‘Thanks For Christmas’, a 1983 XTC single released under the name ‘The Three Wise Men’. Both sides of The Colonel single became widely available on the 1990 XTC b-sides and rarities compilation ‘Rag & Bone Buffet’, released on CD and cassette (long out of print).

*Bonus trivia: Rob Hendry played guitar on several solo tracks by former XTC (and later Shriekback) keyboardist Barry Andrews between 1978 and 1980. In 2018, Barry released the ‘Lost Pop Songs 78-80’ CD compilation including six of these tracks.

The next ORWOTW is by The Colonel. The 7” single ‘Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen’ b/w ‘I Need Protection’, released by Virgin Records on 24th October 1980, was The Colonel’s only release.

‘The Colonel’ was XTC bassist and songwriter Colin Moulding, XTC drummer Terry Chambers, keyboardist Steve King (Fingerprintz) guitarist Rob Hendry* (The Motors, Renaissance), and second guitarist... Colin Moulding’s dentist Bent Larson (erroneously credited as ‘Bert’ on the sleeve). XTC pal and key figure in the band’s history Steve Warren provided backing vocals.

Recorded at Vigin’s Townhouse studios in London and produced by Mick Glossop, the record was described by XTC bandmate Andy Partridge as “a mix between a joke and an actual poke at getting on the charts”.

It didn’t get on the charts. While ‘Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen’ is a bit of a novelty throwaway, the b-side ‘I Need Protection’ is recommended, and reminiscent of XTC’s ‘Black Sea’ album track ‘Travels In Nihilon’: a monotone Moulding vocal and Terry Chambers’ ominous drums consistently backing occasional bursts of guitar freakouts and discordant piano. Check it out!

The artwork was drawn by prolific comic book artist Hunt Emerson, also known for his sleeve art for The Beat, The Jazz Butcher and MC Paul Barman’s Y*O*U*N*G*M*A*N* LP. Curiously, this obscure 7” saw a Japanese reissue in 1989 on the short-lived 3” mini-CD format, as did ‘Thanks For Christmas’, a 1983 XTC single released under the name ‘The Three Wise Men’. Both sides of The Colonel single became widely available on the 1990 XTC b-sides and rarities compilation ‘Rag & Bone Buffet’, released on CD and cassette (long out of print).

*Bonus trivia: Rob Hendry played guitar on several solo tracks by former XTC (and later Shriekback) keyboardist Barry Andrews between 1978 and 1980. In 2018, Barry released the ‘Lost Pop Songs 78-80’ CD compilation including six of these tracks.

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