The collection of Disciples of Spess’s songs that we have curated for our vinyl release are the band’s earliest recordings. Some were recorded in the basement and attic room of a travel agents, squashed between the glossy brochures advertising holidays in exotic locations or gazing across the glittering spires and imposing chimneys of Wrexham. All were recorded with the lovely expectation of creating the band’s own music with whatever personal talents and abilities they could muster at the time. Really this is the classic band tale of a group of teenage friends forming a band and trying to write their own songs. As simple as that. They managed to self-release two cassette singles that are basically impossible to find and a 7” single with 1986 re-recordings of their songs ‘Another New Iceland’ and ‘Here’, the only Spess stuff that you may have come across until today.
We are pleased to bring you this collection of early Disciples of Spess recordings for the first time ever, all of them being previously unreleased songs / versions, all coming from the original ¼” reel tapes sounding spectacularly, presented as a limited, hand numbered VINYL edition split in two colours; 100 copies in translucent blue and 200 in standard black, housed in a matt finish sleeve with a double sided insert and download code. There’s also a unique chance of purchasing a bundle of the album together with an original, new old stock copy of the 1987 single mentioned before!!!
The digital download version is available from our Bandcamp site here: www.deadwaxrecords.bandcamp.com
Now, about the songs contained in the album;
Always The Same: The title comes from a whispered line in the Cure’s 10:15 Saturday Night. Written on the bass the sequence of notes in a descending pattern are played on the 5th, 3rd and open frets. The importance of this will subsequently become clear.
Anna: Based on the story of Anne Frank with a personal story woven in. Written on the guitar it utilises the 3rd, 2nd and open frets in a descending sequence.
Big After Christmas: Featured frets here on a familiar descending sequence are the 7th, 5th, 3rd and 2nd. It was at this point the band began to be aware that they were running out of descending fret options.
Another New Iceland: Takes its initial inspiration from a poster on Ruthin Road in Mold advertising a local frozen food shop.
Song For Sean And Joanne: This is based on local graffiti seen around Wrexham advertising the romantic bond between these two modern-day Romeo and Juliets.
Here: Based on the late-night, overheard arguments of an unhappy couple who lived in a neighbouring flat. This is the zenith of the descending fret phenomenon featuring a frankly ambitious 8th,7th, 5th,3rd,1st and open fret progression.
Child With The Mirror: Try as I might I cannot reliably remember who this is about or why she was holding a mirror. Perhaps it was the popular British newspaper The Daily Mirror? It’s clear I was unhappy with her though, for reasons now lost in the mists of time.
Desecration Situation: The title is lifted from a live review of The Stranglers in a British music paper. Lyrically it treds the by now familiar path of being either happy / unhappy with members of the opposite sex.
Love Song: Based on some newspaper stories with some personal ones sprinkled in. Recorded in Manchester after we’d moved there in the mid 1980’s.