From Duncan's Parcel of Pop (Part 2)

Let's dig a little deeper into the treasure chest from my pal in New Zealand. I didn't become aware of Bristol band the Driscolls until I became obsessed with Woosh and the flexis that came with the fanzines. That would be years after the band called it quits. You can catch up with part of my journey to the label, fanzine and the Driscolls here and here. Duncan, on the other hand, goes way back with the Driscolls. Here was how he discovered the band. Duncan, the floor is yours....

I first became aware of the Driscolls courtesy of a flexi included with the second Woosh fanzine, along with an interview with the band (this would've been 1988). There were three things that immediately attracted me to them:

1. The name:

"The name comes from Julie Driscoll... known as much for her looks as her voice. I'd always had a bit of a crush on her...." - Mike Eagle (singer/guitarist). Although it wasn't a very fashionable thing to admit to in 1988, I also loved Julie Driscoll. One of the great sixties girl singers: "Season of the Witch", "Save Me", "Indian Rope Man"...

2. The new single:

According to the interview, they had a new single out called "Julie Christie". At the time I was obsessed with the film 'Billy Liar', and particularly with Julie Christie's character in the film.

3. The cover version:

The previous year, my best mate H had sent me a tape of sixties mod, psych, freakbeat tracks, mainly culled from Bam Caruso compilation LPs: Creation, Eyes, Attack, Syn, Action, Birds, etc. One of the standout tracks was "Father's Name Is Dad" by Fire, which is the song the Driscolls covered on the flexi.

So, this was obviously a band with seriously cool taste. I immediately sent off for for their two singles (two pounds inc P&P) direct from the band. Some great songs, particularly "Julie Christie" and "Groovy Little Town". And the sleeve of the "Julie Christie" 7" is to die for; a gorgeous still of her from David Lean's 'Dr Zhivago'.

I got to see the Driscolls the following year in Birmingham, supporting fellow Bristolians the Brilliant Corners (what was it about Bristol and guitar bands in the 80s?). It was a brilliant show and they ended their set with a fiery version of "My Father's Name Was Dad". Great memories.

The Driscolls opening for the Brilliant Corners! My jealousy knows no bounds, Duncan. At this point you must be asking, alright, already, what was in the box? The "Julie Christie" and "Girl I Want You Back" singles, but that's not all. He threw in a promo poster for one of the singles. This will be framed and put up in my music room. A close inspection of the poster shows thumb tack marks in the corners which brings a smile knowing Duncan probably had this up in his room decades before.

Two interesting tidbits about these A-sides. I mentioned in a previous post John Peel was attracted to "Girl I Want You Back" because of the line "stacking shelves in Gateway" in the middle eight. I always sing along right there. One of the B-sides, "Andrew," has Superstore in the lyrics. What is it about these grocery stores? Turns out Eagle's flat was across the street from a Safeway. As for "Julie Christie," Eagle had a great photo of her he knew belonged on a sleeve. That was all the inspiration he needed to write the song. In the end, the photo that inspired him wasn't used because bassist John Foster found this one from 'Dr. Zhivago.' Eagle relented, but I can't help but wonder what photo of Christie was used as Eagle's muse...

Let's close with the two A-sides and a giant plug for my pal Chris at Jigsaw Records. In 2014, Jigsaw put out a single-disc Woosh collection that includes "Father's Name Is Dad," and it's still in print. If you are an indie-pop aficionado and don't have the flexis, you need this one. That same year, Jigsaw released a 35-track two-disc set of the Driscolls' complete recrdings. This one is sold out in physical form, but you can stream and download here.

Girl I Want You Back
Julie Christie