MuhMur Radio Broadcast 13 October 2022.

This is the second in a brace of broadcasts where I play the sounds that arrived at MuhMur Radio HQ over the three month sabbatical taken earlier this year, I kind of "I Know What You were Listening To Last Summer". 

One of the first 'punk' records I bought was XTC's "3DEP" 12"EP. It would have been some time in 1977 and I was on a school trip to London to visit some art galleries, museums etc. With my good friend at the time (Daryl) we slipped away from the madding crowd and headed off to SoHo. It was an education. I managed to buy a copy of the XTC 12"EP and a copy of the Split Enz album "Dizrythmia". I think I'd seen Split Enz on TV, most likely 'The Old Grey Whistle Test'. The first 'punk' band I saw live was XTC in February 1978 at Nottingham Polytechnic (the internet tells me it was February 10th). Technically the first 'punk' band I saw live was The Secret as they were supporting. They were great. But now I can't remember  if I saw Bethnal before this gig. Bethnal supported The Steve Gibbons Band at Lincoln Theatre Royal around this time. Of this gig, the internet tells me nothing. Ah well. "Complicated Game" is from the third XTC album "Drums & Wires". It's there first LP not to feature the keyboard player Barry Andrews and the sound of XTC changed. I gave XTC a couple more single releases and never bought an XTC record again. The cannon from 1977 to 1979 is essential though ... 

One of the first 'punk' records I bought was Wire's "Mannequin" single. It would have been sometime in 1977 whilst on a record buying session at Sanctuary Records in Lincoln. Over the summer break I found myself listening to Wire a lot. Firstly came their album "Not About To Die (Studio Demos 1977-1978)", a great collection of songs that ended up on the "Chairs Missing" and "154" albums. Some of them quite unrecognisable from the versions that appeared on the final vinyl. I don't really bother with 'Record Store Day' releases. I appeared on one myself back in 2011. Dieter Müh were included in the 6xC30 cassette release "You're Playing Like A Fucking Pub Band" on the 'The 7.17 From West Wittering Is Late Again' label. I also bought the Nurse With Wound CD "Paranoia In Hi-Fi: Earworms 1978-2008" when it came out. I think this was a record store day release in 2009. (Pay no more than 99p). But these are the only times I have supported the cause...until September when I chanced upon a record shop in Newton Abbot (Devon) that had a container with old "Record Store Day" releases that nobody had bought. "Nine Sevens" from 2018 and "PF456 Deluxe" from 2021. "Nine Sevens" is a collection of Wire's first six 7" singles on Harvest Records, the EP that came with the "154" LP, the Rough Trade Records 7" "Our Swimmer" and the unreleased single "2nd Length (Our Swimmer)". It was supposed to be put out on Charisma Records but they turned it down. The first thirteen Wire songs on this broadcast are from "Nine Sevens". "Twelve Times Y" is a reworking of "12XU" from the "PF456 Deluxe" release, a book that contains two ten inch albums and a seven inch single. August saw the reissue of the Duet Emmo album "Or So It Seems", I play the single off the album. The seven inch version that Vogue Records released, I found a cheap copy floating around on Discogs so snapped it up. I write about Duet Emmo here : https://remuhmuration.blogspot.com/2022/09/duet-emmo.html

Skeppet are the Malmö based duo Henrik Wallin and Andreas Malm. Andreas Malm being one half of AmPh who between 2011 and 2018 released some absolute gems including one of the first MuhMur Radio 'sessions' back in January 2013. (A piece recorded for the session, "Terry" was included on the AmPh 12" "Terry/Framtid" in 2014). Andreas and Henrik are also in the projects Fria Konstellationen and Frihet. The piece here is from their latest album "Kosmisk Våg", on the Ny Kosmisk Våg label. Details found at : https://skeppet.bandcamp.com/album/kosmisk-v-g.

Units have had their first album reissued by Futurismo. "Digital Stimulation" was first released in 1980 on the 415 Records label. Originally from San Francisco they formed in 1978 playing gigs across America they settled in New York and ceased activities in 1984. The album contains "High Pressure Days", my favourite Units song. Futurismo have also reissued the Units 1981 album "Animals They Dream About" which was produced by Bill Nelson. Copies at : https://www.futurismoinc.com. 

Over the summer months I was fortunate to get a copy of "Savage Impressions", an extensive monograph on Bruce Licher's Independent Projects Records and Press artwork and releases. The reading of the book had me delving through the release cannon of Independent Project Records and prompted me to fill some gaps in my collection. Project 197 was the first vinyl outing on IPR. Project 197 was created by Bruce and included Mark Erskine (later of Savage Republic) on bass guitar and drums, Kevin Barrett (of The Urinals) on drums. Bruce is the guitarist and tape operator. "I Smell A Rat" is from this 7" EP. The second release was by Bridge, a Licher solo project. The EP was recorded live in the tunnels and utility pipes of UCLA, the third release was a 7" EP by Them Rhythm Ants, a group (again) created by Licher and included Phil Drucker (AKA Jackson Del Rey) who later also joined Savage Republic, Hilda Daniel and Caroline Collins. "Swing Line" is from their EP "Them Rhythm Quails". 

Human Hands release on Independent Project Records is a 2xLP+7" package simply called Human Hands.  Human Hands were stalwarts of the L.A.F.M.S. with Dennis Duck, Rick Potts and Juan Gomez as founding members. Wall Of Voodoo bass player Bill Noland also played in an early formation. The eponymous release has evaded me (if anyone wants to pass over their copy then please let me know) but I did find a copy of their first single "Trains Vs Planes" on the Faulty Products label. Human hands split in the 1980's but reformed with Dennis Duck and Juan Gomez in 1999, they're still playing live and recording : http://www.humanhands.com

I really can recommend the "Savage Impressions" book. There's extracts from the book here : https://www.independentprojectrecords.com/story.

2018 and I find myself sipping wine at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-On-Sea with L.A.F.M.S. legend Danny Gromfin. The chat turned to Los Angeles punk bands from the 1970's and I mentioned that I had seen The Dickies live in Leicester in 1978 when they supported The Jam on their "All Mod Cons : Apocalypse" tour. (Patrik Fitzgerald was bottom of the bill). Danny mentioned that he had a spare mint copy of The Dickies "Paranoid" 10"EP (white vinyl) and when he returned back to the U.S. he would dig it out and mail me. Fast forward to September 2022 and the 10" lands and has hardly left the turntable since. Thank You Danny, hopefully see you soon. 

The Pisse tracks are from the &"EP "Lambada" released in June this year. All information Pisse can be found here : https://pisse.bandcamp.com. "Da Jorne Steht Ne Ampel" was Der Plan's second single (in 1980). Formed in Germany in 1978 original members include Chrislo Haas and Robert Görl who went on to join Deutsche-Amerikanische Freundschaft. Psyclones were formed in 1980, California by Brian Ladd and Julie Frith. Brian also recorded under the name of Blackhouse. "Electric Tone" was their first 7" single  released on their own Clone Tone Records. Psyclones are (I think) still active, more information can be found here : https://psyclones.bandcamp.com. I am not a Temple Records / Psychic TV / Genesis P-Orridge completist. There's too much 'hit & miss' stuff out there .. but .. when I saw a 7" version of "R.U. Xperienced" by Caresse I knew I had to have it. Released on the Italian Five label the song was used as signature music for the TV programme "Be Bop A Lula". The music is by Turning Shrines and the record was produced by Fred Giannelli. 

Eyeless In Gaza had an album out in 1980 called 'Photographs As Memories", well, Bill Nelson's album "Altar Pieces" is for me 'Cassette As Memories'. In 1990 I had just moved from Manchester to live and work in York and whilst strolling past the York Arts Centre I saw a small flyer for an evening with Bill Nelson & Harold Budd. (Bill Nelson lived not far from York at the time). A small venue and a low-key gig. On the evening there were (perhaps) only a couple of dozen or so people in the main hall. It was set out with small candlelit tables and chairs, a salon like event ... something I had experienced before when Gavin Friday played in a small theatre inside Manchester's Royal Northern College Of Music. Sophisticated. Bill Nelson played a set with his brother Ian on saxophone and Harold played a solo set at the piano. They may have duetted, I can't quite remember that part of the evening. Afterwards Bill was sat at a table selling the cassette "Altar Pieces" so I bought a copy for my friend (Dave) who was a big Bill Nelson fanboy. I played the tape at home and realised I should have bought a copy for myself (it was limited to 100 copies only), so I dubbed a copy and gave Dave the cassette. One lasting memory from the evening was visiting the Gents and finding myself standing next to Ian Nelson. To break the ice or should I say urinal cake I asked Ian if he knew what Ada Wilson was doing and he told me Ada was still active and playing the pubs and clubs of Wakefield in a Gary Glitter tribute band. 

Over the summer I was happy to find a reasonably priced copy of "Altar Pieces" for sale, so I snapped it up. "Opus Hermeticum (The Work Of Hermes)" is from this album. Visitors is the project of Dutch artist Bertin Van Vliet. I became aware of the project after being sent the promo video for "No Flash Photography" which features Frans de Waard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMP8D0ZItwk. I think the project has ceased. 

Please take a listen to the broadcast here:

https://www.mixcloud.com/tamsin-jane-cammack/muhmur-radio-broadcast-13-october-2022/

Playlist :

01: XTC : "Complicated Game" Virgin Records) 2020.

02: Wire : "Mannequin" (Pink Fag) 2018.

03: Wire : "I Am The Fly" (Pink Flag) 2018.

04: Wire : "Dot Dash" (Pink Flag) 2018.

05: Wire : "Outdoor Miner" (Pink Flag) 2018.

06: Wire : "A Question Of Degree" (Pink Flag) 2018.

07: Wire : "Map Ref 41º N 93º W" (Pink Flag) 2018.

08: Wire : "Let's Panic Later" (Pink Flag) 2018.

09: Wire : "Go Ahead" (Pink Flag) 2018.

10: Wire : "Former Airline" (Pink Flag) 2018.

11: Wire : "Practice Makes Perfect" (Pink Flag) 2018.

12: Wire : "Options R" (Pink Flag) 2018.

13: Wire : "Ex Lion Tamer" (Pink Flag) 2018.

14: Wire : "Feeling Called Love" (Pink Flag) 2018.

15: Wire : "12XU" (Pink Flag) 2018.

16: Wire : "Twelve Times Y" (Pink Flag) 2021.

17: Duet Emmo : "Or So It Seems (Part Two)" (Vogue/Mute Records) 1982. 

18: Skeppet : "En Förgyld Evighet" (Ny Kosmisk Väg) 2022.

19: Units : "High Pressure Days" (Futurismo) 2022.

20: Project 197 : "I Smell A Rat" (Independent Project Records) 1980.

21: Them Rhythm Ants : "Swing Line" (Independent Project Records) 1981.

22: Human Hands : "Trains Vs Planes" (Faulty Products) 1980.

23: The Dickies : "Paranoid" (A&M Records) 1978.

24: Pisse : "Liebe" (Phantom Records) 2022.

25: Pisse : "Regelstudienzeit" (Phantom Records) 2022.

26: Pisse : "Favorit" (Phantom Records) 2022.

27: Der Plan : "Da Jorne Steht Ne Ampel" (Warning Records) 1980.

28: Psyclones : "Electric Tone" (Clone Tone Records) 1981.

29: Caresse : "R.U. Xperienced?" (Five) 1989.

30: Bill Nelson : "Opus Hermeticum (The Work Of Hermes)" (The Orpheus Organisation) 1990.

31: Visitors : "No Flash Photography" (Visitors) 2012.

32: Visitors : "The Virus" (Visitors) 2012.

Back later in the month on the 27th October. 21:00 hours GMT on SoundArt Radio 102.5FM if you're kerb crawling in the Berry Pomeroy / Rattery area or listen to the live stream on : https://www.soundartradio.org.uk