Circular In 1983 a 21 year old me was frantically trying to come up with a cool name for a record label so I could put out a first double A side album release of my Friends Bands Desperate Measures and Unauthorised studio recordings that were going to just sit on the shelf. Ive never been that good with names of things, as my bands Perk-u-laters (cringe) Champion Beat, Dolphin, Throw, Springloader, Astro64, and (Eskimo) Kimo may attest. I prefer to say it with music but a musical note wasnt going to cut it for label name. I was scrambling for ideas, nothing clicked for me, so it was to the record collection I went trawling through names of songs for inspiration. Alms for Children (now theres a post punk band name) fell into my grasp and I found the track Failsafe tucked in there, and grabbed it. Its been my label name for 32 years now, and I like it. I went to a free career consultation where a corporate big wig was paid to give me advice on how to do my label better (and I freely admit I could do with some decent business strategy, but, a bit late for that now). This was in 2003, 20 years into the label. The first thing this chrome domed be-suited money expert told me was change the name. The word Fail has negative connotations and you dont want any of those. I tried to argue with him that Failsafe has some great connotations and that it was a post punk audience I was servicing and they liked dark subject matter etc etc etc. He said I was wrong. I might be wrong but Im also a bit lazy, so the name has stayed and will stay. So 32 years later and Im working on a collection for Alms for Children who later changed their name to This Sporting Life. It will compile material from both phases of the band. Im restoring the songs from vinyl copies as the masters have long since past into cant remember where they are territory. Todays job is hand drawing the small clicks out of the song Failsafe. Its a dub from my personal copy of the record and is the best version we have between the band and myself. Its in pretty good condition for a 34 year old. I look after my records. Weve been working on this project for almost a year now and youll have to wait a little longer to hear the results, but were almost there. Liner notes pictures artwork and history lessons. Some times life is quite circular. Heres the other side of the record in the meantime. This isnt our remastered version or anything, just some random dudes youtube upload youtu.be/O8Kuju74bbo
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 04:22:18 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015