Continuing the look back to 1978 – 1990, a 2 x LP compilation from The Go-Betweens released just after they had initially broken up. Sides 1 and 2 were more or a ‘Greatest Near Hits’ comprising flop singles and some of the best-loved album tracks (and can be found in postings over the past two days)
Sides 3 and 4 however, are a bit different consisting of some rarities, radio sessions and previously unreleased tracks and is what made the purchase of the record so essential back in the day. Side 3 was curated entirely by Robert Forster and he supplies the liner notes.
Side 3
1. 8 Pictures
Christmas 1978. The family are all around the tree and gifts are being given out. My brother has bought me the fourth Velvet Underground album “Loaded”. I’m walking around the house with the ugliest guitar in the world – a black Ibanez Les Paul that I wrote far too many good songs on, one of them being 8 Pictures.
(Recorded in July 1981 in Melbourne. Originally released on the LP Send Me A Lullaby in February 1982 on Missing Link Records)
2. I Need Two Heads
Grant and I leave Brisbane in late 1979 for London, then Paris, then London , then Glasgow where we record this song for Postcard. I wrote one song on the first six months of 1980. This.
(Recorded in April 1980 in Castle Sound Studios in Pencaitland, Scotland. Originally released as a single in June 1980 on Postcard Records – and for nearly 20 years was the only version of the song I had until I found a mint copy of the 45 going very cheap on e-bay – changed days now that vinyl is back in fashion)
3. When People Are Dead
I wish I’d written this two months earlier so it could have been included on “Tallulah”. The words are by Marion Stout, an Irish poet I met in London. The band sounds absolutely great.
(Recorded in January 1987 in London. Originally released in February 1987 as the b-side on the 7″ and 12″ release of Right Here)
4. The Sound of Rain
We were living in this house by the Brisbane river that had a very thin roof (or the rain was harder that year). This is a very pretty, soft tune about crossing that river and killing a girl in the West End.
(Recorded in November 1978 in Brisbane. Raindrop guitar by Peter Milton Walsh and drums by Tim Mustafa. Previously unreleased)
5. People Say
A classic 24 carat. An old school friend of mine is on piano and hammond organ. We were going for that ‘wild mercury sound’. Sometimes I think that this is the best song I’ve ever written.
(Organ and piano by Mal Kelly. Recorded in May 1979 in Brisbane. and originally released as a single the same month on The Able Label)
6. World Weary
Recorded in Sydney 1981 as a b-side to “Your Turn, My Turn”. Our first session with Melbourne engineering genius Tony Cohen. I have no idea what the song is about.
(Recorded in April 1981 in Sydney. Originally released a b-side in July 1981 on Missing Link Records. It’s just over 90 seconds long…..)
7. Rock and Roll Friend
Self-pity is a beautiful well to repeatedly dip in and find more reasons not to live, more reasons not to cheer. And the well is an illusion until the well runs dry and then you’re ready for another song.
(Recorded in August 1988 in London. Originally released in October 1988 as the b-side to on the 7″ and 12″ release of Was There Anything I Could Do? Robert would later re-record the song for inclusion on his solo LP Warm Nights, released in 1996.)
Just click on the song titles to get the mp3s.
Enjoy – Part 4 will wrap up the series tomorrow
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 