My former operations director went from us to being the CFO for Monocle (or whomever the publisher is) and as a result once in a while I get a couple of copies through the door. Good to read on long journeys and leaving in business lounges afterward. They do a really good job in making you want to see the places they talk about,
Took me YEARS to id Templehead. It turned into an obsession. I thought it might’ve been Flowered Up, Primal Scream, Sabres… but not even close
File alongside that summer of ‘91 and brilliant music - Weatherall on fire, Zoe (I mean it was good at first), Primal Scream in Leicester Square and more…
(Edit - just played Zoe to see what it sounds like now. Maybe hasn’t aged great… She belts it out)
Oh my god I had two copies of this and used to just play it back to back, phasing, all sorts. Probably didn’t get sick of it for about 10 years. The rap is terrible mind you.
For some reason it popped into my head while I was walking the dog yesterday, thinking about it on Top of the Pops made me laugh out loud
The beats on the other side were great for that ![]()
Back in 93-95, our student union DJ would divide up the night into 3-4 main segments. It was the same every week in this square room that was normally used for heated NUS hustings and drama groups and stuff. I still remember every detail, every trainwreck, the exact order of play. Had no idea who he was, just that he had a limp and a pony tail (which in '93 didn’t narrow it down…) It’s a measure of how little people cared about DJs at the time that barely anyone noticed him enter or leave with carrier bags of records or could even place where he was in that room, amidst the constant dry ice.
- the thrash/rock half hour. Usually 6 computer science geeks stood in a circle headbanging to Therapy or RATM, whilst everyone else slowly filed in waiting for it to end, with varying degrees of patience.
- then he would tease in the crossover stuff to bring in the indies and this was where it got (slightly) more interesting - there would be nods to senser, carter, credit to the nation, mock turtles and rabble rousing from the 25th of May (remembered only for making a record called Lenin & McCarthy), interspered with the odd cheese like black machine how gee to not lose the floor.
- well into the second hour, there would be bits of studenty hiphop like Young MC or Young Black Teenagers, the odd world music or acid jazz, ethno wailing from yothu yindi and renegade soundwave and all the weird unclassifiable/crustie stuff, which is where templehead and weatherall also made their presence felt. (you would get these pissed girls from sports teams demanding Wham and Take That and the DJ was pretty brave to stand his ground)
- …before seguing into a full on prog offensive - gat decor, leftfield, anything with fluke on it, the ethics (luna to the beat of a drum) and direckt 2 fatt guitars (with the chic sample)
it was the third part that mainly stood out for me because I didn’t know anyone or anywhere else playing that stuff. and to this day have never heard records like that played at the same party. I assumed Templehead was just a quirky of-its-time record he’d picked up so was really surprised to see the likes of Timm Sure talking about it many years later. It seemed to defy easy categorisation and I guess it neatly summed up that period before DJ culture got so genre-obsessive
Templehead was a pretty big record - even heard Sasha play it in 1991. It must have sold in pretty big numbers - I think it was re-released in the mid 90s too.
Compiled a few years ago on this…
Think even Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq used to play it on The Evening Session on Radio 1 around that time mixed in with all the Indie.
He played it at 45 pitched down ( or pitched up if it was at 45)
@Hierbas - V big upstairs at Venus where Timm was resident
Was Zoe on Wau Mr Modo ( along with Blue Pearl)
Sure was
This was a biggie at our little club. But I really do think it’s time I let go of at least 2 of these. Big sentimental value although as @apiento said not sure it’s stood the test of time ![]()
Thats the full house right there…
I think @grantham_disco is going to have a word about this post ![]()
Going to be most perturbed.
Opinions and all that, but Sunshine on a Rainy Day is one of the worst records ever made.
Hahaha!
I’m glad you said it
