TURNTABLE REVOLUTION TOP 20 feb 5

1 Hardy Boys : Let The World Smother You
2 Cold Comfort : S.A.W.S
3 Cavalcade : Meet You In The Rain
4 Hardy Boys : Plink Plonk Fizz
5 Cavalcade : Rooftops And Chaotic Streets
6 Hardy Boys : Send Me A Sign
7 Form : Start Again
8 Kick Inside : Oh,Vanity!
9 Cold Comfort : Don't Want To Know
10 Codeine Velvet Club : Hollywood
11 That Strange Desire : By My Side
12 Parallelograms : Dream On Daisy
13 Form : Watch Out
14 Cavalcade : Voices
15 M J Hibbett : Fucking Hippy
16 Nightingales : Devil In The Detail
17 Allo, Darlin' : The Polaroid Song
18 Cold Comfort : Really Really Don't Mind
19 Baby Jane Holzer : Nowhere
20 Next Time Passions : Not Here Anymore

Green numbers indicate new entries.

EYE ON EBAY-------The price of a licence fee

Bee Bee Cee's straightforward punk product You Gotta Know Girl twists a formidable £127.55 out of some punter.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270522567731&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

EYE ON EBAY-----Lost battle

Gingerly bidding just under half the sale price, as I did, for this indie offering from Guernica released in 1987 on Idol records was a recipe for failure. I think they were Irish which might lend some significance to the title of the A side, Orange And Red. Sold for £92.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360230245197&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

TURNTABLE REVOLUTION TOP 20 jan 29

1 Hardy Boys : Let The World Smother You
2 Cold Comfort : Don't Want To Know
3 Hardy Boys : Send Me A Sign
4 Hardy Boys : Plink Plonk Fizz
5 Cavalcade : Meet You In The Rain
6 Codeine Velvet Club : Hollywood
7 Form : Watch Out
8 Cavalcade : Rooftops And Chaotic Streets
9 Cold Comfort : S.A.W.S
10 Form : Start Again
11 Nightingales : Devil In The Detail
12 That Strange Desire : By My Side
13 Cavalcade : Voices
14 M J Hibbett : Fucking Hippy
15 Cold Comfort : Really Really Don't Mind
16 Next Time Passions : Not Here Anymore
17 Baby Jane Holzer : Nowhere
18 M J Hibbett : Clubbing In The Week
19 Up And Running : Johnny And Marie
20 Playhouse : Yesterday's Girl

Green numbers indicate new entries.

TOP OF THE CLASS

Found in a secondhand record shop in London for £25. A xmas present from the girlfriend as she saw me tugging a few raddled notes from my pocket and took charitable pity on me.

Daktari Swets on lead vocal, Pete Watt on vocals and guitar, Nick Calloway on lead guitar, Andy Hill on bass and Big G on drums made up The Form. Watch Out, a perky piece of punky pop, was released on Elephant records and has the catalogue number Tun 2 which is a teasing hint that there exists a Tun 1. One suspects they were fresh out of school, expelled or otherwise, in 1980 when this blast of juvenilia was released. Two other songs, London Underground and Start Again, lurk with potent intent on the B side. All worthy of a gold star.

The Form - Watch Out

Free website - Wix.com

TURNTABLE REVOLUTION TOP 20 jan 22

1 Hardy Boys : Plink Plonk Fizz
2 Hardy Boys : Let The World Smother You
3 Form : Watch Out
4 Hardy Boys : Send Me A Sign
5 Codeine Velvet Club : Hollywood
6 Nightingales : Devil In The Detail
7 Cold Comfort : Don't Want To Know
8 Next Time Passions : Not Here Anymore
9 Cavalcade : Meet You In The Rain
10 Cavalcade : Voices
11 Cold Comfort : Really Really Don't Mind
12 M J Hibbett : Fucking Hippy
13 M J Hibbett : Clubbing In The Week
14 Baby Jane Holzer : Nowhere
15 High And Dry : Rising Waves
16 Cavalcade : Rooftops And Chaotic Streets
17 Aces And Eights : Hard Luck Stories
18 Cold Comfort : S.A.W.S
19 Sex Clark Five : You Left The Light On In Your Eyes
20 Up And Running : Johnny And Marie

Green numbers indicate new entries.

EYE ON EBAY------Mod spends wad

From the Mike Read collection comes Stevie Sharp And The Clean Cuts. Mod revival on Happy Face which might not be so happy once you've chucked £142 at it. We Are The Mods was a rallying cry the buying public soundly ignored back in 1980.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120516239846&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

EYE ON EBAY-----Used Needles are expensive

Anything on Ellie Jay seems to whip up a froth of interest. The Needles are a mystery to me but someone parted with £43.79 to acquire Jayneski/Gotta Know You. Did they do anything else?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370317170835&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

EYE ON EBAY--------Clive alive!

Clive Culbertson's Time To Kill single never fails to make a pauper out of someone and that someone will be £153.12 poorer. This single seems to appear every few months or so but still attracts high bids.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370323846166&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

TURNTABLE REVOLUTION TOP 20 jan 15

1 Hardy Boys : Plink Plonk Fizz
2 Form : Watch Out
3 Hardy Boys : Let The World Smother You
4 Next Time Passions : Not Here Anymore
5 Cold Comfort : Really Really Don't Mind
6 M J Hibbett : Clubbing In The Week
7 Nightingales : Devil In The Detail
8 Cavalcade : Voices
9 Codeine Velvet Club : Hollywood
10 M J Hibbett : Fucking Hippy
11 High And Dry : Rising Waves
12 Aces And Eights : Hard Luck Stories
13 Baby Jane Holzer : Nowhere
14 Days : Jigsville
15 Sex Clark Five : You Left The Light On In Your Eyes
16 Shattered Dreams : Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained
17 Up And Running : Johnny And Marie
18 Dislocation Dance : Violette
19 New Walk : Shape Of Things To Come
20 Allo Darlin' : Henry Rollins Don't Dance

Green numbers indicate new entries.

EYE ON EBAY-------Put out more flags

Pleasant indiepop 12" by No Flags Etc. shifts for £30.30. They have a CD out where this single and more can be experienced.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180453320634&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

EYE ON EBAY--------An expensive addition to the wardrobe

It's the What To Wear EP. Now I can report this little accessory fell at £93.74. Draped on the record deck it'll take you to the hinterland of weird and you'll find very little to go with it. Four tracks make up the Casual But Smart 7" and I was smart enough to pick it up as a buy it now for about £7 a couple of years ago. What a saving I made!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120517633528&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

EYE ON EBAY------Expensive library book

A 7" record that Clive Culbertson engineered by the Faders stretched into three figures, selling at £103.50. Cheatin' c/w Library Book is apparently a raw rock belter. Is it? Mr.Culbertson has his Time To Kill on ebay right now with one day to go before the auction ends, currently selling at £85.27.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120519073391&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

TURNTABLE REVOLUTION TOP 20 jan 8

1 Cold Comfort : Really Really Don't Mind
2 Cavalcade : Voices
3 M J Hibbett : Clubbing In The Week
4 Form : Watch Out
5 High And Dry : Rising Waves
6 Next Time Passions : Not Here Anymore
7 M J Hibbett : Fucking Hippy
8 Baby Jane Holzer : Nowhere
9 Nightingales : Devil In The Detail
10 Sex Clark Five : You Left The Light On In Your Eyes
11 Days : Jigsville
12 New Walk : Shape Of Things To Come
13 Aces And Eights : Hard Luck Stories
14 Shattered Dreams : Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained
15 Up And Running : Johnny And Marie
16 Dislocation Dance : Violette
17 Codeine Velvet Club : Hollywood
18 Black And White Lovers : Best Years Of Our Lives
19 Allo Darlin' : Henry Rollins Don't Dance
20 Royston : Snake's Song

Green numbers indicate new entries.

The Hardy Boys - Plink Plonk Fizz

EYE ON EBAY----From the Mike Read collection.

Sympathy is extended to Mike Read who recently had to auction thousands of records to help stave of bankruptcy. Among the mainly sixties and seventies pop items was this effort from Wasteland, their second single, a follow up to their Want Not EP. £93 was the final total, no doubt devoured by Mike's bankruptcy black hole, which is a high price; perhaps its provenance helped it attain such a healthy return. I've seen it sell for under £60.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120515791021&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

TURNTABLE REVOLUTION TOP 20 jan 1 2010

1 Cold Comfort : Really Really Don't Mind
2 Cavalcade : Voices
3 M J Hibbett : Clubbing In The Week
4 Baby Jane Holzer : Nowhere
5 M J Hibbett : Fucking Hippy
6 High And Dry : Rising Waves
7 Sex Clark Five : You Left The Lights On In Your Eyes
8 New Walk : Shape Of Things To Come
9 Next Time Passions : Not Here Anymore
10 Up And Running : Johnny And Marie
11 Days : Jigsville
12 Nightingales : Devil In The Detail
13 Black And White Lovers : Best Years Of Our Lives
14 Dislocation Dance : Violette
15 Aces And Eights : Hard Luck Stories
16 Allo Darlin' : Henry Rollins Don't Dance
17 Different Eyes : Open The Box
18 Shattered Dreams : Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained
19 Read All Over : Outside To The Other World
20 Royston : Snake's Song

Green numbers indicate new entries.

EYE ON EBAY----Overcooked indie from East Anglia

One wonders if the sole bidder of this item knew the legendary Potting Sheds featured on this comp, pleasantly named Burn It To A Crisp, a practice witches suffered at the hands of suspicious yokels in East Anglia, oh, only several decades back. Subtitled A Taste Of The Norfolk and North Suffolk Indie Scene because hey, "we wouldn't want any of those talentless South Suffolk sorts spoiling our buzz with their inferior indie", it is liberally littered with inferior indie. At the time though, circa 1990, this probably had pre-grunge kids yelling insults and bragging about Insanglia (as opposed to Madchester) across the fens as the rest of England took a giant-sized E and floundered on the dancefloor like a broken Bez. Sold for £4.99, about what I paid for it.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130355464110&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

TURNTABLE REVOLUTION TOP 20 dec 25

1 Cavalcade : Voices
2 M J Hibbett : Fucking Hippy
3 Baby Jane Holzer : Nowhere
4 Sex Clark Five : You Left The Lights On In Your Eyes
5 Cold Comfort : Really Really Don't Mind
6 Black And White Lovers : Best Years Of Our Lives
7 Allo Darlin' : Henry Rollins Don't Dance
8 Up And Running : Johnny And Marie
9 Days : Jigsville
10 Dislocation Dance : Violette
11 M J Hibbett : Clubbing In The Week
12 Different Eyes : Open The Box
13 New Walk : Shape Of Things To Come
14 Royston : Snake's Song
15 Royston : Gerald's Eyes
16 Read All Over : Outside To The Other World
17 Corvettes : Love To Hate You
18 Different Eyes : Uncomfortable
19 Girls At Dawn : Every Night
20 35 Summers : I Didn't Try

Green numbers indicate new entries.

HOW DID THAT GET TO NO.1?

Recently I was asked how I composed my chart. There's little thought behind it. I don't call in votes from distant outposts of the world or listen interminably to the top 20 considering who should be leapfrogging whom. Those records featured are usually things I've purchased in the last month or two or occasionally records I've rediscovered or returned to with a new passion. The only criteria that has to be met is that the track had to be available as a single.



Meanwhile in the "other" chart, the one that used to matter so much to me when I was growing up in the seventies, all manner of dullness abounds. Peppered with urban nonsense, infantile pop and misogynistic rap there is little for a forty something, who once featured on TOTP when Glenn Medeiros was no.1, to get excited about. In other words music is no better or worse than it was twenty years ago; and when I say featured I mean I was in the crowd dancing in a way that suggests I had no other desire but to rupture my dignity. In recent years we've had an abysmal crop of no.1's from the utterly talentless Eric Prydz to the shrunken twig-in-a-leotard Madonna with bloodless versions of American Pie and some lazy rewrite of an Abba song. Ah but thirty years ago........compare the chart in the first week of the eighties to now and I assure you the quality gap will astound you. You'll be out scouring ebay for a functioning Tardis. Alas those days are long lost.



So giving nostalgia a firm nudge let's crawl cautiously into the present. Last year as we donned our sequinned dresses and manned our phones to vote for some Strictly Pole Dancer with the X Factor a mighty wind blew in from protest corner on Facebook. The monster Cowell and his charisma-vacuum X Factor winner had to be stopped from assuming poll position in the chart in xmas week. Oh how we manned the barricades and painted placards. The song picked to obviate the great crime of stealing the xmas no.1 was Killing In The Name Of by Rage Against The Machine. The timid little swizzle-stick Joe McElderberry or whatever his name was had no chance against a song with the refrain, "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me." Never mind that both songs were risible the fact that Rage encouraged rebellion was a crowd pleaser. One could picture all the meek little workers raising their voices to a murmur masquerading as a whisper as their bosses walked by, their hearts powered by that insurrectionist refrain as they hurriedly went about their mundane tasks. Oh liberty, we shall grasp thy nettle! Like fuck, they did!



And where was smiling Joe McNickberry? Cowering behind Cowell? No, patiently waiting to snap up the first no.1 of the new decade. Make a statement by all means but do it well. Pick Hitsville UK by the Clash, the irony would be lost on those outraged by a swear word or nine but those in the know would smile and those who weren't would like the nice tune. Better still desert the charts, don't save the xmas no.1, save instead the health service or the hippo. Be useful.



But let us not forget that all the money spent on propelling Rage to no.1 went to a charity. So it's hard to hate them, nearly as hard as it is to like Joe McBeriberi. I'm not sure which charity benefitted from Killing In The Name Of's triumph but I hope it's one that helps with sufferers from Tourettes.


So the cry of the self-righteous has been heard, if only temporarily. Let's go further I say. Let's ensure that every no.1 this year is in direct opposition to the banal bilge that spurts forth from the behemoth-like record companies; those giants that are manned by earless accountants. We can do it. A download costs about 79p. In a year that's little more than £40. All we have to do is pick a song. I nominate Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've). The Buzzcocks never had a top ten hit, this musical felony can now be rectified. Suggest some yourselves.



Anyway my xmas no.1 will be posted very soon. Those who wish to influence the chart positions be aware that I'm very susceptible to bribery. A Wee Cherubs single will ensure a single of your choice will vault up the chart at a supersonic rate. A Candy Ranch single will buy you a no.2. And Feline Groovy by Keen will see you reign upon the summit of the Turntable Revolution chart indefinitely, emperor of all you observe, dismissive of the petulant jostlings below.

TURNTABLE REVOLUTION TOP 20 dec 18

1 M J Hibbett : Fucking Hippy
2 Black And White Lovers : Best Years Of Our Lives
3 Up And Running : Johnny And Marie
4 Dislocation Dance : Violette
5 Sex Clark Five : You Left The Lights On In Your Eyes
6 Allo Darlin' : Henry Rollins Don't Dance
7 Royston : Snake's Song
8 Cavalcade : Voices
9 Royston : Gerald's Eyes
10 Baby Jane Holzer : Nowhere
11 Different Eyes : Open The Box
12 Read All Over : Outside To The Other World
13 35 Summers : I Didn't Try
14 Days : Jigsville
15 Corvettes : Love To Hate You
16 Different Eyes : Uncomfortable
17 Girls At Dawn : Every Night
18 New Walk : Pressure Point
19 Love Train : Rags To Riches To Rags
20 Beware The Dog : Nasty Things

Green numbers indicate new entries.

EYE ON EBAY----Coastal commotion

I have no information to impart about Brouhaha except that which the seller yields. Released in 1993 it was the first release on Sep records, were there others? A 12" called Pebble Beach it excited a couple of indiepop collectors and sold for £59.74.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200412962107&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

TURNTABLE REVOLUTION TOP 20 dec 11

1 Up And Running : Johnny And Marie
2 Royston : Snake's Song
3 Dislocation Dance : Violette
4 M J Hibbett : Fucking Hippy
5 Black And White Lovers : Best Years Of Our Lives
6 Different Eyes : Open The Box
7 Allo Darlin' : Henry Rollins Don't Dance
8 Royston : Gerald's Eyes
9 Read All Over : Outside To The Other World
10 Different Eyes : Uncomfortable
11 Sex Clark Five : You Left The Lights On In Your Eyes
12 35 Summers : I Didn't Try
13 Girls At Dawn : Every Night
14 Corvettes : Love To Hate You
15 New Walk : Pressure Point
16 Beware The Dog : Nasty Things
17 Love Train : Rags To Riches To Rags
18 Don't Ask : Destiny
19 Chosen : Sound Of The Dream
20 Life Support : About You

EYE ON EBAY

Up for re-release apparently in the new year this didn't prevent this single by Straightshooter on Strolling Bone fetching in a tidy £170 for the seller.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120498802902&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

TURNTABLE REVOLUTION TOP 20 dec 4

1 Royston : Snake's Song
2 Different Eyes : Open The Box
3 Up And Running : Johnny And Marie
4 Different Eyes : Uncomfortable
5 Dislocation Dance : Violette
6 Royston : Gerald's Eyes
7 Black And White Lovers : Best Years Of Our Lives
8 Girls At Dawn : Every Night
9 Allo Darlin' : Henry Rollins Don't Dance
10 Read All Over : Outside To The Other World
11 Corvettes : Love To Hate You
12 Love Train : Rags To Riches To Rags
13 Beware The Dog : Nasty Things
14 New Walk : Pressure Point
15 Chosen : Sound Of The Dream
16 Life Support : About You
17 35 Summers : I Didn't Try
18 M J Hibbett : Fucking Hippy
19 Don't Ask : Destiny
20 Sex Clark Five : You Left The Lights On In Your Eyes

Green numbers indicate new entries.

EYE ON EBAY-----Bunch of failed liars.

The seller kindly gave bidders a listen and I liked what I heard. This is Society and their single Can't Hide A Lie. A rousing roistering punky number released in 1980, apparently without a picture sleeve. Sold for its starting price of £30.82 and I'm regretting not chucking £40 at it.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230398407179&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

EYE ON EBAY-------If only they'd had texting back then

Mystery powerpoppers the Bodgers cut this single Stutter/I Hate Phoning Girls back in 1982 on their imaginatively named label Bodgers Records. Did this originally come in a sleeve? If so it might have sold for more than £26.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360208073186&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

TURNTABLE REVOLUTION TOP 20 nov 27

1 Different Eyes : Uncomfortable
2 Girls At Dawn : Every Night
3 Different Eyes : Open The Box
4 Love Train : Rags To Riches To Rags
5 Beware The Dog : Nasty Things
6 Royston : Snake's Song
7 Royston : Gerald's Eyes
8 Dislocation Dance : Violette
9 Up And Running : Johnny And Marie
10 Allo, Darlin : Henry Rollins Don't Dance
11 Read All Over : Outside To The Other World
12 Black And White Lovers : Best Years Of Our Lives
13 Chosen : Sound Of The Dream
14 Corvettes : Love To Hate You
15 Point : My Mind
16 Don't Ask : Destiny
17 New Walk : Pressure Point
18 Life Support : About You
19 A Classic Education : Best Regards
20 35 Summers : I Didn't Try

Green numbers indicate new entries.

TURNTABLE REVOLUTION RECORD COLLECTION 27