The BV’s 7″s arrived this weekend! Just waiting for the inserts to arrive and will start shipping them! The original release date was November 10th. But we’ll probably be moving it to November 1st as things have moved so fast!

Un.Real: never heard this band before but according tot heir Bandcamp this band’s formation in Isabela, Puerto Rico, dates of 1995. Their latest effort though was released a few days ago as a 7″ and includes two songs, “Blue Garden” and “Kids are Astronauts / Drones edit”. What to expect? some very pretty shoegaze, as they also self-define themselves as the first ever shoegaze band in Puerto Rico.

The Hannah Barberas: a new batch of songs from this fantastic UK band. So, “No Mystery”, “Spellbound” and “Time Will Show the Wiser” are now available on the band’s Bandcamp and from what I read the first 50 downloads are free, so why not hurry up and check them out?

Echo Ladies: the Malmö band will be releasing a two song 7″ on November 16. Sadly it seems as if it is already sold out. But at least we can stream the A side, “Overrated (Robin Guthrie version)” which, as the name suggests, was reworked by the Cocteau Twins member. It is a superb song of course. On the B side we find the song “Rebel Rebel”.

Adults: tweepop as I haven’t listened in a while. Adults hail from London and their brand of lo-fi tweepop is available now in their latest cassette album “The Weekend Was Almost Over”. It was supposed to be released in August, but still looks as if it is only available to pre-order. So who knows. You can stream the 9 songs though.

Sueisnine: 5 demo songs by this Japanese band from the Chiba prefecture. Formed by Kana, Hayashi and Kajiya the band released last year the “Lilac EP”, and these 5 demo songs of soft guitar pop are definitely a nice listen. I wonder what will happen to these songs, will they be properly recorded for a new release?

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I was looking at my wishlist. There are some records that I assume I will never find a copy for myself like the one and only 7″ Rapid Dance released back in 1982. That’s life you know. But perhaps, I would be able to get in touch with the band and interview them through this post. That would make my day.

I was aware of the band thanks to the interview I did with Martin Cotter of the Wee Cherubs many many years ago. He mentioned that one of the members of the Wee Cherubs, Christine Gibson, had been in Rapid Dance before joining him. It was at that moment that I googled for the band’s music and found the A side for their 7″, “Fragments of Youth”. It would take some years until I was going to listen the B side, “Hidden So Well”, through the Messthetics compilations.

The 7″, released in 1982 on Resolute Records (RO 1) is a gem. It is this sort of proto indiepop, influenced by Postcard Records, by Orange Juice and Josef K. It is a terrific record. You’ll agree with me.

It seems to me that Resolute Records was perhaps their own record label as there are no other releases listed for this label. The sleeve doesn’t have much information, doesn’t say where the band was based in Glasgow. The labels though have some information. Both songs are credited to Love & RD. It also says that the A side, “Fragments of Youth”, was recorded at Pork Lane during the autumn of 1981. “Hidden So Well” on the other hand was produced by Kenny and Rapid Dance. On this side of the label they thank Ally and Hector.

A person on Discogs has uploaded some photos of extra promo stuff that came with the record he has. Like a letter asking a radio to play their music written by Iain Jenkins. Was he the manager? I can add another band member name though, Willy Bain who was also later in The Bachelor Pad.

That is the only Rapid Dance record listed on Discogs though of course there is the appearance on the “Messthetics #105” CD compilation that was released by  Hyped to Death in 2007 featuring a bunch of Scottish DIY and Indie band from the late 70s and early 80s. But there is some extra information on the booklet worth checking out:

“Alan Love met Willy Bain through a girlfriend who lived next door -and promptly found himself in the Bain’s living room on Vennard Gardens getting an earful of Taking Tiger Mountain, Sam the Sham and other aural hallucinogens. And as soon as Alan had warbled the Buzzcocks “Breakdown” and a couple others with a late version of the International Spys (with both Brian McNair and Iain Bain), it was time for a group of his own. Mate Colin Watson lived down the road from the Bains and invaluable worked weekends at the Record Exchange; he wanted to be the Drummer (no argument from the others!), and Chrsitine Gibson (who lived at the end of the road) had been learning classical guitar. Colin found the phrase “rapid pips” in the instructions of a Glasgow phone box, but Alan fretted over Gladys Knight associations so they became Rapid Dance instead.
They were committed fans of The Alleged (with Hector Bain) who’d become local stars playing punk hits (their originals on Second City Statik are garagey pop-punk classics) and a Doune Castle support gig duly came their way. Ere long the’d played a spate of shows in Glasgow bars (Christine was underage and was asked to stand out of sight in a couple of occasions -never did) and on the (much louder) Paisley scene, opening for the Fall, the Scars and the Revillos.
Colin’s standout drumming propelled both sides of their 45, recorded at Park Lane Studios in Glasgow. Christine had finally turned 16, but she was still in school when the 45 came out (and broke, to boot), so she left, as did Willy a short while later. Alan and Colin added Hector on guitar and Robbie Stewart on bass and re-christened themselves The Great Divide, who recorded (an as-yet unheard) 1982 demo before drifting away from the scene.
Willy Bain went on to the Oysters, Bachelor Pad, Bain Brothers and Sawney Bean –he now operates www.bicyclerepair.co.uk
Christine switched to bass and joined Martin Cotter’s Wee Cherubs, who became Bachelor Pad. More recently she has toured with Jad Fair and played with Five Piece Horse Theatre with Gordon Goudie (Simple Minds, Primevals, Echo & the Bunnymen) and Leigh Ferguson. She (and Leigh) are now with the Parsonage: www.myspace.comn/parsonagechoir”

That’s quite some information! So the band members were Christine Gibson, Willy Bain, Alan Love and Colin Watson. The myspace for Parsonage doesn’t work. But the Bicycle Repair shop belonging to Willy Bain in Glasgow does. He has been a cycle mechanic for the last 26 years. So cool.

Christine’s latest musical involvement, The Parsonage, actually has a Wikipedia page, where it mentions it is a group of around 40 Glasgow based singers. Their name is in honour of Gram Parsons.

What about Alan Love and Colin Watson? What are they doing?

Do any of you Scottish friends remember the great Rapid Dance?

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Listen
Rapid Dance – Fragments of Youth