Around the turn of the century, I began reading about this mysterious indie-pop label and wished I could get my hands on some product. My wish was granted a short time later when Kavanagh began putting out the once vinyl only relics on CDs. From 2003 to 2007, he released a bevy of band compilations and label samplers, and that's when I picked up 'Souvenirs From Egg Records,' a whopping 27-track gift from the heavens featuring 15 bands, mostly from Scotland, but a couple from Australia and Canada too. Among the treats Kavanagh assembled during this period were collected singles from the early years of Even As We Speak, a new album co-release from the Bats, a re-release of Baby Lemonade's legendary 1987 songs on Sha La La and Narodnik and many more.
It was well and good to have these reissues, but I continued to keep an eye out for opportunities to buy those original Egg releases on vinyl. I came across Egg 002 recently when a friend of mine put it up for sale. 'A Lighthouse in the Desert' is a four-song sampler featuring some of my favorite Egg bands. "Mr. Watt Said" has appeared on these pages before (in the summer of 2017), but I don't think you will mind hearing it again one bit... especially if you like the June Brides. This is my absolute favorite song on Egg, just beating out "Meet the Lovely Jenny Brown" by the Bachelor Pad. Three of the four acts have had a recent resurgence of interest thanks to compilations by Emotional Response Records (The Bachelor Pad) and Firestation Records (The Church Grims and Remember Fun). These are highly recommended purchases. Even the Prayers have popped up on Cherry Red compilations ('C88' and 'C89').
Clearly, Kavanagh's place in indie-pop history is secure, but my hope is someday his headquarters at 17 Prince Edward Street is thought of in the same way as 185 West Princes Street is when it comes to another legendary Glasgow-based label.
Side A
The Prayers - Puppet Clouds
The Church Grims - Mr. Watt Said
Side B
The Bachelor Pad - Silly Girl
Remember Fun - Cold Inside
4 comments:
Brian - I was not aware of Egg records until discovering your blog. This is strange, because Jim K penned one of my favourite fanzines of the era (Simply Thrilled) and I have other records by the likes of the Submarines and Bachelor Pad. The Submarines' Grey Skies Blue 7" on Jeff Barratt's Head Records would definitely be in my top 20 singles of the '80s, but I never realised Egg had released a whole LP by the band. Do you have it? Is it worth seeking out?
DDSD, Not too surprising as Simply Thrilled might just be more famous than Egg itself. Jim certainly had his hand in the Sha La La flexis that came with so many of those great fanzines, which as you know, I have an obsession with. No, I don't have the Submarines comp. Off the top of my head, you can find some of those 11 songs in other places, such as the Big Gold Dreams box, Vol. 4 of the Sound of Leamington Spa series (unfortunately, Vol. 4 is one of the tougher ones to get) and the C87 box. Take Me Away and the Grey Blue Skies single you mention are the songs that cement the status of the Submarines. I should add that the Submarines have two songs on the aforementioned Souvenirs From Egg Records. Those are Take Me Away and Down Through the Room.
Not a bad tune among them.
I remember fun...
Very good, Rol.
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