PIG RIDER Archives - Guerssen Records

The Robinson Scratch Theory (2CD)

GuerssenAdmin — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 22:00:00 +0000

Bedroom / lo-fi psychedelia by these unsung heroes from the 80s DIY cassette culture scene.

From outsider synth-pop to Barrett-esque lysergic folk, from lo-fi garage-punk to basement prog: acid-fuzz guitars, cheap keyboards, primitive electronics, homemade vibe and bizarre, funny lyrics.

Pig Rider were formed in Kent, UK, in the late 60s by John Mayes and Colin Kitchener. With the help from some friends they recorded and self-released a series of acetate only psych-folk albums in the mid-70s (“Heterophonies”, “Bloody Turkey Sandwiches”…) which are prime examples of early DIY psychedelic music, highly sought-after since a review of “Heterophonies” appeared on the Galactic Ramble book.

In 2013, collector Alexandre Mansuy (from the influential “Somewhere There Is Music” blog), having only listened to their “Heterophonies” album, found John and Colin and was astonished when they told him their story: “Heterophonies” was only one of their many, many great recordings, 22 in all, including 45s, acetates and tapes. Those included complete, and to date unperformed, opera for schools, a song-cycle about Luton, a town they knew nothing about; songs designed to be played backwards, songs which are slightly offensive and others which are too offensive to play at all, anywhere, ever.

Thanks to Alexandre, we’re launching comprehensive Pig Rider reissue campaign:

Starting with “The Robinson Scratch Theory”, a compilation featuring tracks originally recorded between 1980 and 1986 and released as private cassettes. Pig Rider’s sound bring to mind obscure DIY bands like Desperate Bicycles, Instant Automatons or Beyond The Implode but only if those bands knew how to write catchy and well-crafted songs. But the most amazing thing is that Pig Rider were creating this kind of music for their own amusement without any knowledge of the post-punk or DIY movement. Although they were listening to bands like the Bonzos, Pink Floyd and The Misunderstood – “I played their “Children Of The Sun” 45 until the groove was worn out! – says Colin, Pig Rider claim the main influence on what they played was the availability of instruments and what they could do with them – not always what they were designed for and always pushing their limits. “We listened to everything, but copied nothing, which is why Pig Rider doesn’t sound like anything else”, says John.

We’ll follow our Pig Rider reissue campaign in July with two of their ultra-rare 70s acetates reissued for the first time: “”Bloody Turkey Sandwiches” (1974) and “Heterophonies” (1975).

So, welcome to the twisted world of one of the truly pioneering DIY psychedelic-pop bands.

“We didn’t try to copy anyone else’s style because they were better at it than we were!” – Pig Rider

Compiled by Alexandre Mansuy (Somewhere There Is Music)

Insert / booklet with detailed liner notes and photos

Master tape sound

CD edition comes with four bonus tracks which will be available as free download on Bandcamp

“…How can it be possible that a band like this, with such a huge and fantastic catalog stayed in the shadow all these years? There is no other example like this in the music history, as far as I can think of, making it one of the more interesting band ever. Pig Rider could be the first truly DIY band predating The Desperate Bicycles by a few years…” – Alexandre Mansuy (Somewhere There Is Music)

Tracklist:

Disc 1:

1. The Incredible Stan (1982)
2. Ralph The Poisoned Ferret(1983)
3. Edwin Threlfall, Man Of Many Parts (1981)
4. Can’t Stand People (1981)
5. Mabel’s Undercover Lover (1983)
6. Life On Brighton Pier (1981)
7. Mabel Incurs A Four Point Penalty (1982)
8. The Slough Tobacconist’s Blues (1981)
9. I Want To Make A Million (1986)
10. Glory, Glory Halitosis (1983)
11. Give Your Lunch To A Lemming (1981)
12. Elephants Over Dingo Rock (It Must Be Love) (1982)

Disc 2

1. I Wanna Play With You (1981)
2. Just Can’t Dance (1983)
3. Thanks For The Home Run, Elijah (1982)
4. Alight With Prowling Hamburgers (1981)
5. McStoat (1981)
6. Not A Love Song (1983)
7. Pervert (1985)
8. Luton Beds (1982)
9. The Parting (1980)
10. The Fish Fetishist (1981)
CD ONLY BONUS TRACKS:

11. Slimy Joe (1981)
12. Country Psychopath (1985)
13. Child Of The Sixties (1986)
14. Weekend In Spain (1986)

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Heterophonies with bloody turkey sandwiches (2CD)

GuerssenAdmin — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 22:00:00 +0000

Double CD containing “Heterophonies” (1975) and “Bloody Turkey Sandwiches” (1974). Although nearly 60 people have played in Pig Rider or its various offshoots over the years, there have only been two ever-present members, Colin Kitchener and John Mayes, who founded the band at Sevenoaks School in Kent, England in the late 60s. They met when they were 12, and not long after began haunting the music rooms at the school to hammer out current three-chord pop songs on pianos.

After a number of other names (including D Jabferg Flossyakkit and Bob Scratch and his Country and South Eastern Spring Blues Band) they settled on ‘The Pig Rider Robinson Heterophony’ to perform under. After an attempt to build a seven-foot robot bassist called Peregrine Robinson to front the band failed the name was finally abbreviated to its current form.

Pig Rider’s music has been described as “joke folk / mock rock” and although they claim that their minds were only altered by lot of beer drinking, there’s a real psychedelic element to it. Also, they should be regarded as pioneers of the DIY movement which would came a few years later. They recorded at home with rudimentary equipment, they used handmade modified instruments (“orgasmatron”, “banjelele”, “torture machine”, “aquaphone”, “swanee bicycle pump”…) and they self-released a series of acetate only albums housed in primitive, handmade sleeves.

“Heterophonies” was originally pressed by the custom label Deroy as a private edition of five acetates in 1975. The music is an amazing mix of psychedelic electric folk, acid folk and twisted pop with funny / bizarre lyrics, tape experimentation, effects and homemade / stoned atmosphere.

Think of Incredible String Band, Bonzo Dog Band, Syd Barrett, R. Stevie Moore…

In 2009, a review of “Heterophonies” appeared on the Galactic Ramble book. Richard Falk said: “…Heavy, lo-fi, electric folk with lots of weird electronic effects and a distinctly psychedelic atmosphere…”. That review was the clue for French collector Alexandre Mansuy to track down the band in 2013: “What I was on the point to discover was way beyond my wildest dreams.” Heterophonies” was only one of their many, many great recordings – 22 in all, including the 45rpm and tapes, complete, and to date unperformed, opera for schools, a song-cycle about Luton, a town they knew nothing about; songs designed to be played backwards, songs which are slightly offensive and others which are too offensive to play at all, anywhere, ever.”

Thanks to Alexandre Mansuy, we present a comprehensive Pig Rider reissue campaign, which started last June with “The Robinson Scratch Theory”, a compilation of their jaw-dropping 80s stuff. And we continue with two of their rarest acetates from the 70s, “Heterophonies” and “Bloody Turkey Sandwiches”.

“Bloody Turkey Sandwiches” is another ultra-rarity: only six copies were originally privately pressed by custom label Deroy in 1974. The music here is much in the same vein as their famous “Heterophonies” album but even more crazed. Some of the tracks bring to mind the more experimental side of Olivia Tremor Control / Black Swan Network or even They Might Be giants …but only 20 years before those bands existed!

Electric acid folk with stoned homemade atmosphere, lo-fi sound, bizarre & funny lyrics, effects, backward bits, surreal humour, psychedelic skiffle and old-timey music hall parodies, brilliant folk-rock-pop and titles like “Interdrive Overstella”, “Be Glad For The Song Has An Ending”, “Pus In Our Time” and “Have you seen your neighbour in the bath”.

Recommended if you like: Incredible String Band, Bonzo Dog Band, Syd Barrett, R. Stevie Moore…

Master tape sound. Booklet with rare photos and lyrics

Tracklist:

Disc 1:

Beyond The Pail – The Insect Song – Dracula – Old John Braddleham – Ayleen May – A Tribute To Glenn Miller – Sheepstealer – Head Bashing Song – Being Menaced By A Dinosaur – Busted Bedspring Country Honk – Something Very Nasty – Koprotkin’s Lament – The Solicitor’s Lay – Abbot Wulfrig’s Rotunda – Dirt City ‘Live’

Disc 2:

Concert On The Coast – Shine On – Waltz Of The Homicidal Cabbage – Lonely Loss Adjuster Blues – Which Way To The Exist? – Wombat – South Coast Express – Pus In Our Time – World’s Greatest Lover – Blue Hair And Carrots – Ode To An Aardvark – Have You Seen Your Neighbour In The Bath? – Paeolithic Transport Blues – Be Glad For The Song Has An Ending – Pittsburgh Woman Blues – Interdrive Overstella – Big Joe

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