I thought it was good time to revisit the great Bi-Joopiter label founded by Paul Rixon from Gilroy, The McTells and more, and Gilliam Elam also from The McTells in 1983 in Hertford, UK.

Among their many releases in different formats I thought looking into one that I know nothing about, The Big Paintings 7″. I have this record but have no clue who are behind it. Anyone knows?

What I do know is that it was released in 1994 with catalog number BIJOOP 027 and included three songs, “The Strangest Secret of a Daisy Head” and “This Does Not Mean a Thing” on the A side and “Long Over Drawn” on the B side.

Okay, it is true that the sides on the record are not marked as A or B. But this is how Discogs lists it.

There’s some runout etchings on this record, again on what we say is the A side it says “Thee Alvins Children Mike’s – The Exchange”, and on the B it says “The Big Painting Number One”.

This wasn’t the band’s first release. There was another one many years before, in 1987. I don’t own this one sadly. It was a tape titled “Weats the Most Important Thing in Your Life? Money” (BIJOOP 016). This cassette mini-album had six songs, “All the Times”, “I Like it Here” and “Instrumental One” on the A side, and “Penny Picture Poseman”, “The Girl with Green Eyes” and “My Minitrend Friend” on the B side. We know that Kenneth Williams (who had released a song called “Kenneth Williams” on the 1988 tape compilation “Best Before Oct 88 (A Shropshire Compilation) was the producer.

Mark Flunder was the drummer on this record. Mark has been in many top bands including The McTells, Sportique, Television Personalities, Emil, Sindy Arthur, Moscovite Five, Elusive Diplomats and Cee Bee Beaumont.

The other band members of Big Paintings were Owen on bass and vocals, William on vocals and guitar (I believe he is Bill from The McTells), and Paul who is credited for Woodblocks. The Timothy Stevens orchestra is also credited.

The Brighton band also released some songs on compilations. In 1989 they had “I Like It Here” on “What Feet” tape comp released by Bi-Joopiter (BIJOOP 020) and the song “Charity” was on another tape comp called “Purveyors of Domestic Genius – Volume One” released by Swell Cassette Recording (SWELL TEN).

In 1991 on the classic “A Prospect of the Sea” compilation tape released by Cloud Production (Smile 003) they had the song “Penny Picture Postman”. Lastly in 1992 “This Does Not Mean a Thing”, a video of theirs, was on “Dead Eye One” VHS tape. Sadly this video is not on Youtube.

That’s all there is about them online, but I am sure some of you may know more details about them. Were there more recordings by The Big Paintings? Why no more releases? Who saw them live?

Use the comment box below to share any info on them!

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Listen
The Big Paintings – The Long Overdraw