THE JAZZ BUTCHER
"We don't play jazz and we don't eat meat"
"THE JAZZ BUTCHER is one of the most criminally under-recognized musical geniuses on the planet. Sound heavy? It's not - it's great FUN!"
"The Jazz Butcher helmed by Pat Fish, the Jazz Butcher himself (a.k.a. Butcher), is one of the longest running and most popular cult bands in Britain, having recorded some fifteen albums since it’s founding in Oxford, England in 1982."
"Over the last three decades the Jazz Butcher has consistently put out some of the most intelligent, inventive, hilarious, moving and brilliant music ever recorded by any mortal."
"They were a personal favorite of Creation founder Alan McGee."
Genre:
Rock
Style:
New Wave, Pop Rock
Members:
Pat Fish - Voice, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Percussion, Saxophone, Flute, Xylophone, Rubber Animals, Programming..
Owen Jones (http://www.shakespeareandthebible.de/) - Drums (1983, 1986, 1999-2008)
Kevin Haskins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Haskins and http://www.myspace.com/kevinmhaskins) (Love And Rockets, Bauhaus, Messy, Tones On Tail) - Drums (1983-1985, US Live dates, 2000, 2001)
Max Eider (http://www.maxeider.com/ and www.myspace.com/maxeider) - Lead Guitar, Voice (1983-1986)
Rolo McGinty (http://woodentopsmusic.com/) ( The Innocents, The Woodentops) - Bass (1983 - 1985)
Alice Thompson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Thompson) (The Woodentops) - Organ (1983, 1985)
David J (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_J) (ex-Bauhaus, Love & Rockets, The Sinister Ducks) (1984-1985) - Bass
Graham "Felix" Fudger (http://www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk/studentbios/graham_fudger.html) - Bass (1985-1986)
Alex Green (http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/durer/229/alex.html and http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=60917669) - Tenor, Alto Saxophones (1986-1995)
Kizzy O'Callaghan died from a brain tumor in 1990 (guitar 1988-1990)
Laurence O'Keefe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_O%27Keefe_(rock_musician)) (The Levitation,Dark Star, Hope Blister,Sophia) - Bass, Guitar (1988-1992)
Sonic Boom (alias Pete Kember) (http://www.sonic-boom.info/ and http://www.myspace.com/sonicboom) (Spacemen 3, Spectrum, Blips, Experimental Audio Research)- Guitar (1988,1991)
Alex Lee (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Lee) The Sinister Ducks, The Blue Aeroplanes, Strangelove, Suede) - Guitar (1988-1995)
Paul Mulreany (http://www.ozjam.com.au/musician/paulmulreany ) (The Blue Aeroplanes, Primal Scream) - Drums, Vocals, Guitar, Bass (1989-1993)
Julian Poole (http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/music/2001/03/18/music1/setlist.shtml) (Strangelove, Witness, The Blue Aeroplanes) - Guitar (1990)
Richard Formby (http://www.myspace.com/formbyrichard) (Spectrum, Dakota Suite) - Guitar (1990-1993)
Joe Allen (Strangelove, The Blue Aeroplanes) - Bass (1991-1992)
Peter Astor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Astor) (Ellis Island Sound, The Loft, The Weather Prophets) - Guitar (1991-1992)
Peter Crouch (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=59199610) - Guitar (1992-1993)
Nick Burson (Foo Foo & The Boy) - Drums (1993)
Dooj Wilkinson - Bass (1993-1995)
Gabriel Turner (also was in Sumosonic in 1998) - Drums,Vocals (1994)
Dave Henderson - Guitar (1995)
Colin - Drums, misc European and English live dates (1995)
Curtis E. Johnson (www.myspace.com/curtis_e_johnson and http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/people/curtis_johnson.html ) - Guitar (1999)
Pat Beirne (http://www.spy-pictures.com/) - Harmonica (1999-2000)
Steve Valentine (works as attorney in LA, see: http://members.calbar.ca.gov/search/member_detail.aspx?x=191394) - Bass (1999 - 2009)
Rodney Allen (http://www.last.fm/music/Rodney+Allen) (The Chesterfields, Horror of Reality, The Blue Aeroplanes) - Guitar (?)
VIDEO:
"Spooky"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFielGAVxUk
"Girl Go"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhpMSXo-kzM&feature=related
THE TONIX (pre Jazz Butcher) - Tonix EP (1981)
Credits:
Pat Fish -Vocals
John Silver - Bass
Dave Goldie - Guitar
Pete Millson - Guitar
Owen Jones - Drums
Tracklist:
01 Sex Junk
02 Strangers
03 Talk To me
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/232114310/The_Tonix.rar
CITC:
What were the bands like that you were in early on?
Max Eider:
"Well, they were pisspoor, of course. Initially we wanted to sound something like Ummagumma-period Pink Floyd. But luckily our bassist's older brother, John Silver (more about John later), strongly advised us to stop arsing around and learn how to play a few Chuck Berry numbers. No better place to start. However, around that time we also started dabbling with LSD and spending long periods listening awestruck to Gong records, so we soon reverted to feeble attempts at prog/psychedelic rock. Still, at least by then we knew how to play a 12-bar.
At university there was a series of groups, of which the best by some distance was a band called the Sonic Tonix, formed by the aforementioned John Silver, with Owen Jones, who later joined the Jazz Butcher, on drums. By that time Punk had arrived and most of us were deeply embarrassed about a large section of our record collections. John was writing some good, quirky, spiky stuff, and Pat Fish and I were drafted in on vocals and guitar respectively. I replaced the original guitar player, Simon Mawby (later of The Woodentops). Pat and I had previously been in another band called The Institution, which had Rolo -- who went on to form The Woodentops -- on bass. I still know all these people.
Pat and I were both writing the occasional song at this time, but nothing either of us would care to remember. As a guitar player too, I had yet to find my way. However, at one point quite early on, one of the most accomplished musicians knocking around at the time came up to me after a gig and told me that I was the best amateur guitarist he'd ever heard. I was amazed, and I knew it was a misjudgment, but all the same I'd fooled him, and the compliment probably made me take my playing a bit more seriously."
(http://www.caughtinthecarousel.com/interviews/maxEider.php)
and read more here:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=138781577
IN BATH OF BACON (1983)
Credits:
Pat Fish - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Xylophone, Flute, Organ
Max Eider - Guitar
Louis Leroi - Saxophone
Lionel Brando - Drums
Rolo McGinty (from The Woodentops) - Bass (track 09)
Ian Sturgess (http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/the-ticket/ian_sturgess/) - Fretless Bass (tracks 01,03)
M. K. Daley - Thin Bass (track 08), Guitar (track 13)
John Silver - Mad Guitar (track 02)
Alice Thompson (from The Woodentops) - Vocals (track 10)
The Undead - Vocals (track 08)
The Sausage People - Vocals (track 11)
Recorded: Aug/Sep 1982, Starforce Studio, Clapham
Engineered: M. K. Daley
Production: Pat Fish & Lionel Brando
Photography: Mr. B (front), Mitch Jenkins (back)
VIDEO:
"Partytime"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qjl98ojBFGo
Tracklist:
01 Gloop Jiving
02 Jazz Butcher Theme
03 Partytime
04 Bigfoot Motel
05 Sex Engine
06 Chinatown
07 B-Side
08 Zombie Love
09 Grey Flannelette
10 La Mer
11 Poisoned By Food
12 Love Kittens
13 Bath Of Bacon
14 Girls Who Keep Goldfish
Bonus:
SOUTHERN MARK SMITH (7") (1983)
15 Southern Mark Smith
16 Jazz Butcher -v- Count Dracula
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/233344882/babac.rar
Q:
HOW DID THE JAZZ BUTCHER COME ABOUT?
Pat:
"i didn't have any friends! no, i'd been in this group and we'd played cambridge. as i sat on the toilet after the show, i asked myself, 'are we having fun? are we making money?' that was when i decided to stop playing and found that the others wanted to stop as well. next came a long succession of staying on people's floors and sponging off people. i fled to northampton and decided that i could write songs on my own, and did it. it all started from my own amusement on a two-track cassette player. then i met david "elvis" barker (boss of glass records)."
Q:
IS THE JAZZ BUTCHER A PERMANENT THING?
Pat:
"of course. the jazz butcher is me."
Q:
WHAT MOVES YOU TO WRITE A LYRIC?
Pat:
"mostly happy things, you've got your Bob Dylans and John Cales to make all the social statements. but i'm really into song writers like ray davies or Brian Eno, just any old stuff that occurs, you know. usually the title and the lyrics weave a sort of pattern, hopefully. i rarely get inspired to write songs about girl-boy experiences, or boy-cat experiences. a lot of people think the jazz butcher is quite a wacky guy, they don't realize that my songs are quite serious matters. it's just that the subject often isn't obvious, i don't comment on the situation, i just present the situation."
Q:
HOW ABOUT SOUTHERN MARK SMITH WHY HIM?
Pat:
"if the world were a good place, there would always be a southern mark smith. it's quite selfish really, but there should always be a jazz butcher. southern mark smith is not a derogatory comment, he is a good man, too many people have an image of him being a twisted bastard. what it boils down to is that most people chip away at taking the piss, where as he just goes in full steam ahead."
(http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/press/85abstract.html)
"A true style chameleon, the Jazz Butcher is a hard act to categorize — and nowhere more so than on this album, which is primarily a one-man effort with help from assorted sidemen. The songs here are embryonic forays into styles he would explore more confidently on subsequent albums. The title track is a punky blues number complete with squealing Elvis Costello-style organ. "Poisoned by Food" and "Sex Engine Thing" are thin, raw, folk-pop influenced numbers with an irresistibly nervous beat; the former paraphrases Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild," while the latter snitches Jonathan Richman's "Bye-bye" line from "Roadrunner." The musical feel of that Modern Lovers song is also evoked in a jazzy way on "Jazz Butcher Theme." "Partytime" is best described as cocktail folk. "La Mer" is a faux French folk song with surreal lyrics about elephants. Clever, unusual accompaniments are put forth in "Chinatown" (flutes, glockenspiel, click track) and "Grey Flanellette" [sic] (glockenspiels, bass, organ, sandpaper blocks, click track). The songs have unusual, improvisatory nonsense lyrics that veer from the obscure to the semi-clever. The sound and playing have a homemade quality that sometimes crosses the line into sloppiness. This is a strange yet intriguing record."
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:j9ftxqehldhe~T1)
"Before I begin phase two of these Jazz Butcher reviews (i.e., filling in all the gaps in his discography), I need to point out two things. One is that a lot of these albums are recorded under the name the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy, but I'm not going to make the distinction between JBC and JB here, because there really is no measurable difference. Secondly, all of the missing fragments in my collection were provided to me by an insanely kind individual who goes by the name NameDotCom. One day, he e-mailed me out of the blue and asked if I'd like for him to make me copies of a lot of Butch's out-of-print material so that I could review it, and what should arrive in my mailbox this week but nearly the entire Jazz Butcher discography? I've been tirelessly searching for these albums for like five years, so imagine my euphoric delight at finding them all wrapped up in a nice little package, with colorful slim jewel cases. My gratitude toward NameDotCom is boundless, and all he asked in return for fulfilling my lifelong dream is that I ask all of you JBC fans out there to please purchase these albums in a manner that will result in money actually getting into Butch's pockets, if possible. The label Vinyl Japan has recently started re-releasing some of the old stuff (A Scandal in Bohemia and Distressed Gentlefolk, as of this writing), and it's not only cheaper to buy the records directly from them as opposed to on eBay, but you'll be supporting one of the most talented British songwriters of the past twenty years.
Why didn't Vinyl Japan start their re-release campaign with the Butcher's first album, In Bath of Bacon, you ask? Well, presumably this is because they wanted to earn a little money from the first batch of re-releases in order to fund the next batch, and frankly, they probably wouldn't make a dime off this one. It's a magnificently stupid album. It opens with the cheesiest lounge-funk song you can imagine, with the Butcher (AKA Pat Fish, though that isn't his real name either) introducing each band member in the most obsequious manner possible: "Martin K. Daly, the Prime Minister of Funk." From there, things desend (or ascend, depending on your point of view) into smart-alecky songs about Bigfoot, food poisoning, zombies, how wonderful kittens are, and parties ("This is partytime, and it's better than a cold bath with someone you dislike"). This jovial idiocy is all a put-on, though; it's belied by the thoughtful, subtle "Chinatown," a beautiful song that is carried by Fish's minimalistic flute playing and lyrics that evoke Cold War paranoia. Even if most of the other songs sound as though the lyrics were made up on the spot (the sexy "La Mer" is a song sung entirely in French that purports to be about the sea, but suddenly veers off onto the topic of elephants), there's a hilarious twinkle of intelligence behind it all, and the music is a lo-fi treat that melds Frank Zappa's more accessible indulgences with the twee carnival folk of Split Enz's early work. If you can find it, In Bath of Bacon is slight, immature, and just this side of brilliant. Grade: B+"
(http://www.disclaimerband.com/j.html)
Caught In The Carousel:
What I've always found so striking about the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy is on those early records the band's identity seemed so fully formed, the aesthetic almost instant. That's no small feat for such a young band--what was the key to that artistic self-possession?
Pat Fish:
"Well, we weren't that young, compared to a lot of people. I was already 24 when we started making the first record. Max Eider (guitar) and I had known each other for quite a few years. We had become disillusioned with pretty much the same things and taken refuge in a few--primarily 1960's--things that we both admired.
Musically, once Max adopted that loungey guitar style of his, it provided a definite, identifiable sonic hook, as it were. My ability on all the instruments was extremely rudimentary, so at least that compelled me to keep things simple. The first line-up was pretty gang-minded. I'd say that the NN1 end (David and me) tended to provide the theoretical end of the aesthetic, whereas the Londoners (Max and Owen) actually had the chops. And the Triumph Vitesse convertible. Important, too, to credit D. Elvis Barker of Glass Records for corralling such a pack of foppish shitheids and building some kind of a mythology around them. Not to say that he was Malcolm McClaren or anything, but he was very astute in feeding us new music and cultural references that he knew would push our buttons. Uh...we didn't really notice any of that at the time..."
More review:
http://zerogsound.blogspot.com/2008/10/jazz-butcher-in-bath-of-bacon-1982.html
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/bath.html
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/smith.html
A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA (1984)
Credits:
Pat Fish - Guitar, Vocals
Max Eider - Guitar
Owen Jones - Drums
David J. - Bass
Recorded: August 1984, Woodbine Studio, Leamington Spa
Engineer - John A. Rivers (http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/pop_playground/the-sound-of-leamington-spa.htm), Jonathan Dee (also engineers of Dead Can Dance)
Producer - John A. Rivers (http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/card/0,,548895,00.html)
Photography - Mitch Jenkins (http://www.mitchjenkins.com/)
VIDEO:
"Girlfriend"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsWDmJtDcns
Tracklist:
01 Southern Mark Smith
02 Real Men
03 Soul Happy Hour
04 I Need Meat
05 Just Like Betty Page
06 Marnie (Muscovite Mix)
07 Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present
08 Mind Like A Playgroup
09 Girlfriend
10 My Desert
Bonus:
MARNIE (EP) (1984)
11 Marnie (Miaow Mix)
12 Zombie Love
13 Girls Who Keep Goldfish/Sweet Jane (Reed)
14 Cowgirl Fever
ROADRUNNER (EP) (1984)
15 Roadrunner (Richman)
16 Rain
17 Drink
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/233296583/asca.rar
"Recording with a stable backup band, the Jazz Butcher here puts together a top-shelf diamond of a record that is filled with excellent, memorable songs. Diverse styles are deftly referenced here and the lyrics are focused, wry, and often killer clever. The sound quality is a big improvement over that of his prior release, In Bath of Bacon. The drivingly tuneful "Southern Mark Smith" and "Girlfriend" are in a ringing folk-pop style. "I Need Meat" is a jumpy, neo-rockabilly number. "Marnie" deftly mixes funk and ethnic influences. "My Desert" is essentially a sea chantey or campfire singalong with ironically downbeat lyrics. "Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present" is a fuzzed-out hard rock parody with irreverently Dylan-esque "I Shall Be Free" style lyrics. "Just like Betty Page" is an uptempo, acoustic guitar based, top-tapping delight. And the wonderfully inventive "Real Men" utilizes a bizarre accompaniment of thudding drums, rumbling bass, and sparkling glockenspiel surrounding hilarious lyrics that attack macho attitudes. Don't pass up this album if you can find it."
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:k9ftxqehldhe~T1)
"This album was originally released on cd with the 'sex and travel' ep tacked on at the end. It was my first introduction to the butcher and his brand of irreverant bohemian pop. Sadly, a few years later glass records sold the rights to all of their output on glass in the back of the bar. The influence of alcohol on their career can never be underestimated.
A Scandal in Bohemia is arguably their finest moment. It runs the gamut of styles and textures. Blissful acoustic ballads like 'just like betty page' and 'soul happy hour' (one of many odes to drinking...) to something much louder, like 'Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present' or 'Real Men From Hell' (not drum n bass, it's drum and bells.) To the purely inane like 'Mind Like A Playgroup' and 'My Desert'.
If you already got draining the glass and are looking for more, this is definitely worth checking out. This is also one of the one's David J. from Bauhaus and Love and Rockets played on."
"I've been looking for this album for 14 years. David J from Bauhaus/Love & Rockets guests on this, and there are a number of classics here: "Real Men," and "Southern Mark Smith." In my opinion, "A Scandal In Bohemia" is a paragon of creativity.
It will be strange to listen to it a decade-and-a-half later...um, didn't hear it too much on the radio! It's one of those gems that you know will never see the light of day...anyway, get it and give it a try."
"It should be noted at this point that the Jazz Butcher's music has nothing whatsoever to do with jazz. (To some, this will be a major selling point.) The "butcher" aspect is appropriate, however, since A Scandal in Bohemia finds the band chopping up various elements from rock history, walloping them with a surgical two-by-four, and stitching them back together in mutations that resemble some of the more whimsical creatures from the bad kid's bedroom in Toy Story. "Soul Happy Hour," for example, borrows a few lines from "Money (That's What I Want)" and inserts them into an ingratiating doo-wop arrangement, all in the service of a drinking song. "My Desert" is a stirring, anthemic waltz that skewers the pomposity of stirring anthems (think the theme to John Wayne's The Green Berets), while "Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present" is a drunken, stomping sort of proto-punk mess that inexplicably juxtaposes Alice Cooper and Jim Morrison with rotting fish and sausages. Even if I don't care for "I Need Meat" (which isn't due to the fact that I'm a vegetarian so much as the fact that I don't like rockabilly to begin with, and less so when the song's riff is constructed from the off-kilter opening to "These Boots are Made for Walking"), that's made up for by two of the great lost singles of the eighties: "Southern Mark Smith (Big Return)" and "Real Men." The former is an airy, straightforward pop song that has one of the best keyboard lines you'll ever hear, and the latter is a hilarious rant against bullying, beer commercial machismo ("They're stronger than a sheet of metal and they're in the rugby club reserves/Buy the wife a birthday kettle/These are real men getting on my nerves"). This would not have been possible on their previous album, but Fish, guitarist Max Eider, and the new, taut rhythm section of bassist David J. and drummer Owen Jones have miraculously evolved into a polished satirical unit. It's never as off-the-hook silly as Ween or anything, but the Jazz Butcher's droll brand of genre-splicing is every bit as accessibly clever. Check it out. Grade: A" (http://www.disclaimerband.com/j.html)
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/scandal.html
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/marnie.html
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/roadrunner.html
SEX AND TRAVEL (1985)
Credits:
Pat Fish - Guitar, Vocals
Max Eider - Guitar
Owen Jones - Drums
David J. - Bass
Graham "Felix" Fudger - Bass
Recorded: February 1985, Woodbine Studio, Leamington Spa
Producer - John A. Rivers (see Scandal In Bohemia album)
Photography - Mitch Jenkins (see Scandal In Bohemia album)
Tracklist:
01 Big Saturday
02 Holiday
03 Red Pets
04 Only A Rumour
05 President Reagan's Birthday Present
06 What's The Matter, Boy?
07 Walk With The Devil
08 Down The Drain
Bonus:
09 Christmas With The Pygmies
REAL MEN (EP) (1985)10 Real Men
11 JB -v- PM
THE HUMAN JUNGLE (EP) (1985)
12 The Human Jungle
13 Death Dentist
14 The Devil Is My Friend
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/233300810/setra.rar
"This is classic Jazz Butcher. Short songs/stories about everyday, ordinary things and people wrapped up in melodic post-punk/new wave-style music. And they are done in a way that is pure Jazz Butcher (aka Pat Fish). Here an ordinary typewriter becomes ideal percussion to a monotone song about an average "English-speaking gentleman on holiday." This is a song that Ray Davies could have written circa 1969, but here the added keyboards and typewriter turn this story into something downright eerie. This is the charm of the Jazz Butcher. The smile they place on the listener's face is quickly erased into an expression of unease. Although the title of this album would suggest a live recording, it is not. No, the title gives away the content of the album — songs about sex and travel. Beautifully crafted tunes with wonderful arrangements, usually on the sparse side, but it works. The Jazz Butcher's voice is his usual deadpan mixed with sympathy and irony. For this release, the Jazz Butcher features ex-Bauhaus member David J, who co-writes one song which has the expected dark feel to it ("Walk With the Devil"). This is a great album."
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:a9ftxqehldhe~T1)
" Two months after the release of The Gift of Music, the Butcher's third proper LP revealed a newly mature band- one who had learned how to temper their goofiness with a regretful sincerity (and who was still savvy enough to dilute the sincerity with goofiness), while still keeping the tunes front and center. "Only a Rumour" is a terrific, introspective ballad about a nadir in a romantic relationship, and the mind-blowing Spaghetti Western epic "Walk with the Devil" expertly chronicles its bitter end. Less heavy but still just as subtle are "Down the Drain" (a cute Max Eider nursery rhyme) and "Holiday" (a parody of an uptight, "regular English-speaking gentleman on holiday" which lists his daily itinerary to a breathless, inflexible rhythm). In fact, only the jankly rave-up "Red Pets" is too knowing for its own good. Too short at only eight songs (I listened to the whole thing on the way to the video store and back), Sex and Travel nevertheless documents an important step in the Jazz Butcher's career: the one that lifted him above mere "novelty act" status and marked him as one of the great British zeitgeist photographers of the 1980s. Grade: A-" (http://www.disclaimerband.com/j.html)
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/sex.html
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/men.html
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/jungle.html
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/pygmies.html
HAMBURG -LIVE (1985)
Credits:
Pat Fish - Guitar, Vocals
Max Eider - Guitar, Vocals
Graham "Felix" Fudger - Bass
Owen Jones - Drums, Vocals
Notes:
Recorded live, 16 Aug 1985, Onkel Pö's, Lehmweg 44, Hamburg
VIDEO:
"Death Dentist"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsveB9VpivY&feature=related
Tracklist:
01 Bath Of Bacon
02 Soul Happy Hour
03 Death Dentist
04 Walk With The Devil
05 Rain
06 Roadrunner (Richman)
07 Jazz Butcher -v- Count Dracula
08 Bigfoot Motel
09 Real Men
10 Only A Rumour
11 Girlfriend
12 Sweet Jane (Reed)
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/233300249/hambu.rar
"This live album, recorded (appropriately enough) in Hamburg, Germany in August 1985, features the post-David J. Butcher lineup of Pat Fish, Max Eider, Owen Jones, and Felix Ray. Given the Butcher's fondnes s for songs about alcohol, you might expect a drunken chaos; instead, Hamburg is an agreeably loose but thoroughly professional affair. Fish forgets no lyrics and Eider does not drop, smash, or otherwise abuse his guitar. One could quibble with the choice of material. The 12 songs here are heavy on the bittersweet, and any Butcher fan will be able to come up with a few favorites they'd like to have seen included; "Drink" and "J.B. v. P.M." leap most immediately to mind. Still, it's quite nice to have live versions of "Bath of Bacon," "Rain," "Real Men," "Sweet Jane" and so on, and Hamburg serves as a worthwhile document of the Butcher and his cohorts in their prime."
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:g9fyxqehldhe)
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/hamburg.html
THE GIFT OF MUSIC (Compilation) (1985)
Credits:
Pat Fish - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Max Eider - Lead Guitar, Vocals
Alice Thompson (from The Woodentops) - Organ (tracks 01,05)
Rolo McGinty (from The Woodentops) - Bass (tracks 01,02,05)
David J. - Bass, Vocals
Owen Jones - Drums
Bass - Felix (track 12)
Drums - Kevin Haskins (track 01,05), Joby Palmer (ex-In Embrace and Eyeless in Gaza)(track 02)
Notes:
This records collects together the various singles that have been issued in England to date (1985).
1st Compilation on Glass Records of 1st 4 singles. Made for Export. Includes 5 Bonus Tracks.
VIDEO:
"Water"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5_TZY6Ej1Y
Tracklist:
01 Southern Mark Smith
02 Marnie
03 Roadrunner
04 Real Men
05 JB Meets Count Dracula
06 Zombie Love
07 Goldfish (Bonus Track)
08 Sweet Jane (Bonus Track)
09 Rain
10 Jazz Butcher V Prime Minister
11 Water
12 Partytime (Bonus Track)
13 Lost In France (Bonus Track)
14 Drink (Bonus Track)
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/233545780/gimu.rar
"This album is a stellar collection of pre-1985 singles. Only one song, "Real Men," and is lifted verbatim from a prior album, though. "Southern Mark Smith" is presented in a rushed tempo, organ dominated, psychedelia influenced version markedly different from that on A Scandal in Bohemia. "Marnie" receives a bouncy, rather rudimentary arrangement that in places suggests a punky version of Santana. "Zombie Love" here is faster and much more professional sounding than the wan version from In Bath of Bacon. Other worthy tracks here include the R.E.M.-influenced "Rain," a folk-funk hybrid entitled "The Jazz Butcher V the Prime Minister," the Cramps-like "The Jazz Butcher Meets Count Dracula," and a lengthy, hyperactive cover of the Modern Lovers song "Roadrunner." This album holds numerous delights both for Jazz Butcher neophytes and committed fans."
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:09ftxqehldhe)
"This is a slapdash collection of singles and B-sides from the Butcher's first two albums. In anyone else's hands, such a bizarre collection of songs ("Water" is a cousin to Syd Barrett's "Effervescing Elephant," "Drink" is the precocious nephew of the Rat Pack's lounge-swing fetishes, "Jazz Butcher Meets Count Dracula" is the retarded half-brother of "Monster Mash") would give you a headache, but since In Bath of Bacon and A Scandal in Bohemia were cohesive albums only in their bratty lack of a linear style, The Gift of Music fits as perfectly into the Butcher's oeuvre as Tetris blocks. "Southern Mark Smith" has stupidly been reinvented as an annoying, bouncy popster, and the alternate version of "Marnie" withers in comparison to Scandal's rendition, but they're mitigated by the new-and-improved "Zombie Love" and a killer cover of Johnathan Richman's "Roadrunner." Plus, "Jazz Butcher vs. the Prime Minister" has to be the most loony-yet-informed political rock song ever written (Fish threatens to literally consume good ol' Maggie Thatcher). There has never, to my knowledge, been a B-sides collection that didn't suffer a bit in the "substance" department, even if the songwriting was there. Never before, though, has this been turned into a bona fide asset. Grade: B+"
(http://www.disclaimerband.com/j.html)
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/gift1.html
DISTRESSED GENTLEFOLK (1986)
Credits:
Pat Fish - Guitar, Vocals
Max Eider - Guitar, Vocals
Owen Jones - Drums
Graham "Felix" Fudger - Bass
Mark Steeds - Piano (track 07)
John A. Rivers - Backing Vocals (tracks 08,09)
Recorded: May 1986, Woodbine St. Studios, Royal Leamington Spa
Engineer - John A. Rivers (see JB's 1985 Lps)
Photography- Richard Dumas
Sleeve: Lionel Brando
Credits for HARD (EP) (1986):
Bass - Felix
Drums, Vocals - Owen Jones
Engineer - Andy Butlin (www.myspace.com/luxurycondo), Slasher Harris (alias Tony Harris)
Guitar, Vocals - Max Eider
Photography - Mitch Jenkins
Producer - Tony Harris
Producer, Guitar, Vocals - Jazz Butcher, The
Producer - The Jazz Butcher, Tony Harris (http://catherineconsidine.com/tony/docs/index.htm)
VIDEO:
"Peter Lorre"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxSOms0bQ4Y&feature=related
Tracklist:
01 Falling In Love
02 Big Bad Thing
03 Still In The Kitchen
04 South America (Compact Disc only)
05 Hungarian Love Song
06 The New World
07 Who Loves You Now?
08 Domestic Animal
09 Buffalo Shame
10 Nothing Special
11 Angels
Bonus:
HARD (EP) (1986)12 Hard
13 Grooving In The Bus Lane
14 Vienna Song
15 Thing
CONSPIRACY (EP) (1986)
16 Conspiracy
17 Forever
18 Peter Lorre
19 Big Old Wind
20 Rebecca Wants Her Bike Back
21 Grooving In The Bus Lane (Original)
ANGELS (EP) (1986)
22 Angels
23 Mersey
MAY I (EP) (1987)
24 Speedy Gonzalez (Hess, Kaye, Lee) (Live)
25 Knocking On Heaven's Door (Dylan) (Live)
26 May I (Ayers)
27 Over You (Reed)
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/233308195/disge.rar
"This CD has been out of print for 15 years, it still blows my mind I snagged a copy of this 4 years ago. I was careful with it. (It contains material some might kill for....)
There are no bonus tracks on this edition, doesn't matter. This is the CD where the Jazz Butcher stepped away from the novelty songs like "Death Dentist" or "Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present." It's not all serious ("Buffalo Shame" is cute beyond words), but songs like "Falling In Love" and "Nothing Special" have soul and thought to back up the always-catchy melody. "Angels" is positively ecstatic and perfect for any fan who loved 'Waiting for the Love Bus' or 'Illuminate'. If you love Max Eider's atmospheric guitar, he's here. He even sings. (Then he stomped off after this 1986 CD. Now he's back in JBC 2001. That Max....)"
"I picked up this album back in the 80s and have carried it around as a musical treasure, always dismayed by the fact that I couldn't get the CD - I'm not one of those vinyl fans, I've always wanted to hear these songs without all the "warmth" and the popping and crackling of my record. It's difficult to describe this music...the humor in the songwriting reminds me somewhat of Barenaked Ladies and I suppose the music is perhaps ancestral as well. It really just good, clean fun with a musical style that will appeal widely. An excellent choice for exploring something a bit off the beaten path."
"While this album is not as consistently enjoyable as Fishcotheque or A Scandal in Bohemia, it’s still a lot of fun. Many of the songs are written in a hotel-lounge-bar-blues fashion, which effectively plays against the cynicism of songs like “Domestic Animal” and “Who Loves You Now?” And the songs that rock do so with a very particular, British wit: “Big Bad Thing” is rendered hilarious by its “Vut you vant?” shouts, while “Hungarian Love Song” is an amusing cannibalism number in the same vein as that Monty Python sketch where the sailors all insist that they be the ones eaten in case of trouble. Ballads “The New World” and “Angels” really go nowhere, however, and bland sideman Eider shouldn’t be allowed to sing, but the winners still outnumber the losers. Grade: B" (http://www.disclaimerband.com/j.html)
More review:
http://cd.ciao.co.uk/Distressed_Gentlefolk_Jazz_Butcher_Conspiracy_The__Review_5568687
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/distressed.html
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/hard.html
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/conspiracy.html
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/angels.html
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/mayi.html
BLOODY NONSENSE (Compilation) (1986)
Credits:
Pat Fish - Vocals, Guitar
Max Eider - Guitar, Vocals (track 11)
Owen Jones - Drums, Vocals
Graham "Felix" Fudger - Bass, Vocals
David J. - Bass, Vocals
Rolo McGinty (from The Woodentops) - Bass (tracks 02,07)
Kevin Haskins - Drums (tracks 02,07)
Alice Thompson (from The Woodentops) - Organ (tracks 02,07)
Paul of the Hackney Horns - Trombone (track 11)
Written-By - Max Eider (track 11)
Recorded: in England, Late 1983/Early 1986
Producer - John A. Rivers (see former LPs), D. Elvis Barker, Tony Harris (track 05,06,see Hard EP),The Conspiracy
Photography - Mitch Jenkins, Alastair Indge (http://www.aicommunication.co.uk/)
Sleeve: Jeff Price, Lendon Flanagan
Notes:
Compilation album of early Jazz Butcher singles, B-Sides and album tracks compiled for release in the US market.
Tracks A7 and B7 are cassette only bonus tracks.
This compilation was exclusive to USA/Canda.
VIDEO:
"The Human Jungle"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWN6iyJGaus
Tracklist:
01 The Human Jungle
02 Southern Mark Smith(Original)
03 President Reagan's Birthday Present
04 The Jazz Butcher Vs The Prime Minister
05 Partytime
06 Grooving In The Buslane
07 Count Dracula
08 Death Dentist
09 Big Saturday
10 Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present
11 Drink
12 Rain
13 The Devil Is My Friend
14 Real Men
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/233303536/blono.rar
Interview:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/press/86nsb.html
"This record is a greatest hits collection, drawing many of its numbers from the mid-'80s albums A Scandal in Bohemia and Sex and Travel. Track selection here is excellently representative of the artist, including a highly varied clutch of Butcher's best work. The ordering of songs is well-considered and the sound quality is excellent. Except for a more clearly performed, better recorded version of "Partytime," there's nothing new on the album to interest Jazz Butcher aficionados. But this is an excellent introduction for those unfamiliar with the work of this talented songwriter."
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:w9ftxqehldhe~T1)
"You know, the Jazz Butcher might be pushing things a bit by this point. Just 13 months after The Gift of Music (and one month before the release of Distressed Gentlefolk) comes... another compilation! Six of these 14 songs were actually on The Gift of Music! So why bother with this one? Well, if you can't find any of the previous albums (and somehow magically come across this one), all of these songs are terrific, from the infectious "President Reagan's Birthday Present" to the invigoratingly sloppy "Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present." Also, if you're a Butcher completist, five of these songs hadn't yet seen proper release on an LP, and confound it, they're essential: "Death Dentist" is a nifty ripoff of the Peter Gunn theme, "The Devil is My Friend" is a fun stab at Hank Williams, etc. If neither of those two ifs above apply to you, though, leave this one be, because it's just mind-bogglingly redundant! Resist the urge to pick up everything that has the words "Jazz Butcher" on it just because you were unlucky enough not to have been buying records in an age where there was a glut of wonderful Jazz Butcher product. It's a trick. Grade: C+" (http://www.disclaimerband.com/j.html)
"This outstanding compilation of early-era songs was released on Big Time Records in 1986."
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/nonsense.html
BIG QUESTIONS - GIFT OF MUSIC Vol. 2 (Compilation) (1987)
Credits:
Bass - Felix
Drums, Vocals - Owen Jones
Guitar, Vocals - Max Eider
Vocals, Guitar, Flute - Pat Fish
Tracklist:
01 The Human Jungle
02 Hard
03 Death Dentist
04 South America
05 Grooving In The Bus Lane
06 Mersey
07 Peter Lorre
08 Vienna Song
09 Olof Palme
10 Rebecca Wants Her Bike Back
11 City Of Night
12 The Hairbrush And The Tank
13 Conspiracy (Compact Disc only)
14 Thing (Compact Disc only)
15 Big Old Wind (Compact Disc only)
16 Forever (Compact Disc only)
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/233308698/biqu.rar
"Here is another Jazz Butcher sampler platter; as the record's subtitle implies, this is a collection of singles which is essentially an update of the 1985 release The Gift of Music. The songs are mostly drawn from 1985 to 1987 records such as Sex and Travel, Discreet Gentlefolk, and various EP side projects; three of these tracks appear in identical versions on the Mercury label collection Bloody Nonsense, while a fourth song, "The Human Jungle," appears in a greatly expanded version here. Sound quality is good and track sequence is effective. This is an interesting album to get if Bloody Nonsense is unavailable. First releases of this LP also include a bonus 7" EP of cover songs by Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, and others, recorded from live performances. [NOTE: some copies contain a bonus 7" EP, Glass Records HMMM 002]"
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:39fyxqehldhe~T1)
"Also known as The Gift of Music volume 2, Big Questions marks the Butcher's return to compilations that are actually worth picking up, instead of redundant cash-ins. With the exceptions of "Death Dentist" (which appeared on Bloody Nonsense) and an interminable, seven-minute version of "The Human Jungle" (from some versions of Sex and Travel), all of these songs were recorded and released in the year following Distressed Gentlefolk on various EPs. With snarky lyrical references to Brian Eno, the Soft Boys, and Peter Lorre (who gets his own infectiously stupid theme song), the better part of the album consists of intimate acoustic/synth songs performed solely by Fish and Eider. "Mersey," for example, is so despairing that it hardly matters that Fish is backed by a chintzy keyboard straight out of the song from An American Tail. From there, "Thing" is a brief snippet of heavily reverbed blues, "Rebecca Wants Her Bike Back" is another great buzzsaw rocker, "City of Night" is one of those perfect, ominous accordion numbers whose ethnic influences I can never put my finger on (these things always sound French-Italian-Greek to my ear), and the list goes on and on. These simple little songs prove that even a record full of what sound like the products of a one-night jam session can be emotional, funny, catchy, and all-around wonderful in the hands of the Jazz Butcher. Grade: B+" (http://www.disclaimerband.com/j.html)
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/gift2.html
FISHCOTEQUE (1988)
Credits:
Pat Fish - Songs, Vocals, Instruments
Kizzy O'Callaghan - Guitars, Vocals
Alex Green - Saxophones
Greenwood Goulding (from (The Institute of Unpopular Music/The Rockingbirds/The Weather Prophets) - Bass Guitar
Dave Morgan (from The Rockingbirds/The Weather Prophets) (http://www.morganised.co.uk/disco.htm) - Drums
Dave Suleyman - Bass (track 06)
Blair MacDonald (was the drummer of Defiant Pose?,if yes then became CEO of Sony UK.) (http://musicians.about.com/od/interviewsandbios/a/blairmcdonald.htm) - Drums (track 06)
Laurence O'Keefe - Bass (track 05)
Sonic Boom - Feedback (track 09)
The Perfect Disaster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Perfect_Disaster) - Backing Vocals (track 07)
Recorded: Alaska, Waterloo
Engineer - Iain O'Higgins
Producer - Pat Fish, Iain O'Higgins
Photography - Mitch Jenkins
Sleeve: by accident
Notes:
1988 CD Release of The Jazz Butcher's 5th Studio Album and his 1st on Creation Records.
Tracklist:
01 Next Move Sideways
02 Out Of Touch
03 Get It Wrong
04 Living In A Village
05 Swell
06 Lot 49
07 The Best Way
08 Chickentown
09 Susie
10 Keeping The Curtains Closed
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/232141579/jbfis.rar
"The Jazz Butcher's Creation label debut came after band regulars Max Eider and David J. of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets fame had departed for other projects. With Pat Fish (aka the Jazz Butcher) having already proven himself to be the driving force of the band songwriting-wise, this 1988 album fits right in with the top-notch records the band had already cut during the decade. It certainly features Fish's patented mix of cinematic pop melancholy and minimal pub rock. And while not as stellar as earlier efforts, the disc does deliver two of Fish's most realized bits of forlorn whimsy in "Susie" and "Keeping the Curtains Closed." Guitarist Kizzy O'Callaghan makes some fine contributions as well, while Butcher's guest alumni — like saxophonist Alex Green, bassist Greenwood Goulding, and drummer Dave Morgan — provide some loose and tasty backing. And for Spacemen 3 fans, there's Sonic Boom working his feedback alchemy on "Susie." Fishcoteque might not be the best of starting points for newcomers, but it still is a record that Jazz Butcher fans will eventually want to pick up."
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fbfixqw5ldse~T1)
"A bone fide classic of the literate indie-rock ouvre, includes a song about Thomas Pynchon novel, name-checks Tom Waits, has a guitar-distortion solo by Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3) is funny, intelligent, with some well-crafted songs - 'Susie' especially is a perennial favourite of mine."
"After Gentlefolk, the Butcher's band parted ways with him, and he hooked up with a bunch of new musicians, who took the band in a more rocking, less divergent direction. With shimmering guitars reminiscent of the Cocteau Twins (in tone only), a plain British singing voice reminiscent of Robyn Hitchcock, and hilariously smart/smarmy lyrics reminiscent of everyone from Kurt Vonnegut to Neil Finn, The Jazz Butcher, on this album, crafts some of the best dang rock songs I've ever heard. On Fishcotheque, there's a brilliant nonsense rap about chickens (sample lyric: "Chicken on holiday/ Chicken in jail/ You wake up in the morning, there's chicken in the mail"), a seductive pop song about divorce ("Get It Wrong"), and nine other slices of genius. This is actually a good place to start, if you can find it. Grade: A+"
(http://www.disclaimerband.com/j.html )
More review (French):
http://www.xsilence.net/disque-4734.htm
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/fishcotheque.html
SPOOKY (EP) (1988)
Credits:
Pat Fish - Vocals, Guitar
Paul Mulreany - Drums
Laurence O'Keefe - Bass
Kizzy O'Callaghan - Guitar
Alex Green - Saxophone
Kevin Komoda (ex-Rational Youth) (http://www.myspace.com/bongobeatrecords) - Organ
Brent Bambury - Backing Vocals
Recorded: May 88, Greenhouse, (Spooky); 5 Jun 88, Studio 13, CBC (rest)
Engineer - Iain O'Higgins, (Spooky); Richard and Yves (rest)
Producer - Iain O'Higgins, (Spooky); Kevin Komoda (rest)
Photography - Mitch Jenkins, Barbara Taylor (http://www.barbarataylorphotography.com/Site/HOME.html, Berry Carrington
VIDEO:
"Spooky"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFielGAVxUk
Tracklist:
01 Spooky (Extended Version)
02 The Best Way (Edgar Wallace Mix)
03 Blame
04 Spooky (Single Version) (Compact Disc only)
(The rest recorded at CBC and only available on the CD...)
05 Whitfield, Sarah & The Birchfield Road Affair
06 Sex Engine
07 Blame (It On The Libyans)
08 Girl-Go
09 Grey Flannelette
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/232141579/jbfis.rar
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/spooky.html
BIG PLANET,SCARY PLANET (1989)
Credits:
Paul Mulreany - Drums, Vocals
Laurence O'Keefe - Bass, Vocals
Kizzy O'Callaghan - Guitar
Richard Formby - Guitar
Alex Green - Saxophone
Pat Fish - Guitar, Vocals
Artwork By - Pascal Legras (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=423861027 )
Engineer - Francisco Cabeza , John A. Rivers
Photography - Mitch Jenkins
Producer - John A. Rivers, Pat Fish
Songwriter - Butcher, The* (tracks: 1-3, 5-6, 8-10) , Kizzy O'Callaghan (tracks: 4) , Laurence O'Keefe (tracks: 7)
Recorded: Woodbine St. Studio, Leamington Spa
Sleeve: Pascal Legras
Notes:
The Jazz Butcher's 6th Full Length Album and 2nd on Creation Records. The Butcher's 1st stable line-up since the departure of Max Eider and eventual departure of the remaining members Owen Jones, Alex Green, Graham 'Felix' Fudger and Richard Lohan in late 1986'.
Tracklist:
01 New Invention
02 Line Of Death
03 Hysteria
04 The Word I Was Looking For
05 Bicycle Kid
06 Burglar Of Love
07 Nightmare Being
08 Do The Bubonic Plague
09 Bad Dream Lover
10 The Good Ones
11 Almost Brooklyn
Bonus:
LIVE CHICAGO (EP) (1989)
12 Hysteria
13 Big Saturday
14 Biggest Loudest Heaviest Group Of All
15 Partytime
16 Moscow Drug Club
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/233344953/biscapla.rar
Interview:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/press/milwaukee89.html
"This is quite simply a brilliant album. Pat Fish (or the Jazz Butcher as he is known on this release) came up with melodic, melancholic, beuatiful rock/pop songs that are jammed full of emotion. Although Fish has stated he is unhappy with the overall production, John a Rivers created a sound with these songs utilizing the tight band put together for this album. There are a number of highlights, but the album is worth buying just for the wonderful "The Word I Was Looking For," which is lyrically very clever and has a tune that stays with you long after the album is over. This album is a brilliant example British guitar pop/rock souond from the late '80s."
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:39fuxq95ldje~T1
"The Jazz Butcher, long overlooked in the States, has created yet another smashing album full of lyrical wit, synicism and cleverness that is punctuated by endless musical hooks. This is highlighted on cuts like "Bicycle Kid," "Nightmare Being" and Bad Dream Lover." Pound for pound one of the strongest albums created in the 80's, second only to earlier releases by the Jazz Butcher. This album is well worth a listen, you won't regret it. If you're not already a fan, you will be after listening to Big Planet, Scary Planet."
"Along with Waiting for the Love Bus this album is an absolute masterpiece that I continue to listen to over and over. JBC is a musical genius, creating incredibly catchy tunes. That they never made it to the bigtime shows the dysfunctional state of the music industry."
"I have been listening to Condition Blue thinking there is no CD that can match it. Of course I put this on and it is even better. This would be my favorite CD ever if the Butcher didn't reference superstitious ideas of jesus and the soul. I guess to be a musician you get a different education that holds on to the archaic beliefs of our society of sheep. A shame because some of his lyrics are centered around brilliant philosophical ideas like those that define the non stop adrenalin rush of "New Invention", a song that is an all time favorite of mine. Brilliant ideas are complimented by ones that are laugh out loud funny defining songs like "Bicycle Kid". Every song is required listening even those that suffer from lyrics that support superstitious ideas of existence like "The Good Ones". This album defines what music can and should be. A non stop musical adventure allowing you to experience pure bliss from the auditory senses while stimulating all the brains pleasure centers. Get this before it becomes obsolete."
"This album leans more toward noisy rock than the good-natured pop of Fishcotheque, but that's not a bad thing. Also spicing things up are odd samples from old films and some of the Butcher's most pointed non-sequitur lyrics (most evident on "Nightmare Being": "I'm invisible, like salmonella"). "Line of Death" is a Middle Eastern rave-up that incorporates elements from Deliverance and The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, while "Do the Bubonic Plague" is a funky ode to the titular disease. Catchiness a'plenty! Grade: A+"
(http://www.disclaimerband.com/j.html)
"Here is a great 1996 album from The Jazz Butcher (aka Pat Fish) on CREATION which demonstrates all the usual sharp lyrics and catchy melodies which make it a mystery why they are not more widely known. SAiling close to Robyn Hitchcock territory on tracks such as Burglar of Love and the Bicycle Kid, this album is consistently enteratining and rewards repeated listening."
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/planet.html
CULT OF THE BASEMENT (1990)
Credits:
Paul Mulreany - Drums, Vocals
Laurence O'Keefe - Bass, Vocals
Kizzy O'Callaghan - Guitar
Richard Formby - Guitar
Alex Green - Saxophone
Pat Fish - Guitar, Vocals
Recorded: Raven, Norfolk
Engineer - Howard Turner (http://www.studiowizard.co.uk/ht.html), Tim Burrell, Martin Stebbing (Rev. Botus Whiteblood Fleming)
Producer - Martin Stebbing (Rev. Botus Whiteblood Fleming) (http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/people/martin_stebbing.html), Pat Fish
Photography - Alastair Indge (http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/people/alastair_indge.html and http://www.aicommunication.co.uk/), David Whittemore (http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/people/david_whittemore.html)
Sleeve: Pascal Legras
VIDEO:
"Girl Go"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhpMSXo-kzM
Tracklist:
01 The Basement
02 She's On Drugs
03 Pineapple Tuesday
04 The Onion Field
05 Daycare Nation (Compact Disc only)
06 My Zeppelin
07 Fertiliser
08 Mr. Odd
09 After The Great Euphrates
10 Panic In Room 109
11 Girl-Go
12 Turtle Bait
13 Sister Death
Bonus:
WE LOVE YOU (EP) (1990)
14 We Love You (One For The Band)
15 We Love You (The Great Awakening)
GIRL GO (EP) (1990)
16 Girl-Go
17 Excellent!
18 Burglar Of Love (Live, Vancouver)
19 Girl-Go (Live, L.A.)
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/233315976/cusem.rar
"After releasing a wealth of quality material in the '80s, the Jazz Butcher kicked off the next decade with this strong batch of originals. Featuring more of bandleader Pat Fish's lean, jazz and cabaret-style pop gems, Cult of the Basement would be the last full-band effort before Fish basically went solo as the lone Jazz Butcher during the first half of the '90s. Contributing this time out, though, are Butcher alum like saxophonist Alex Green, guitarist Kizzy O'Callaghan, drummer Paul Mulreany, and bassist Lawrence O'Keefe (O'Keefe and Fish made up the core duo on 1988's excellent Fishcoteque). Fish delivers his usual mixed bag of styles here, coming up with the cuts that range from the country-tinged "My Zeppelin" and surf-noir opener "The Basement" to melancholy-rich anthems like "Girl Go" and the Madness-inspired "Mr. Odd." The playing is excellent all around, and there's not a duff track in the lot. In addition to the fine roundup of '80s highlights, Draining the Glass and Fishcoteque fans will want to check out this strong effort by the band."
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:d9fuxq95ldje~T1)
"My favourite Jazz Butcher album. Contains the excellent "She's on drugs" and the poptastic "Mr Odd" (A "Space Oddity" for indie kids)."
"Cult of the Basement isn't quite as consistent as the previous two offerings. I say that only because of the interminable "Turtle Bait," which the Butcher himself admitted that everyone hates. Apart from that, though, this album is a bit more ballad-centric than, say, Big Planet Scarey Planet, but "Sister Death" and "Pineapple Tuesday" are two of the best ballads in musical history. "The Basement" is a wonderful surf-rock instrumental, and "Mr. Odd" is pure pop ecstasy (and there's a "Space Oddity" reference, too!). And "My Zeppelin" is just weirdness that involves Steffi Graf for no particular reason. Cult of the Basement is a strange little cruller, but a rewarding one. Grade: A-"
(http://www.disclaimerband.com/j.html)
"Did the Jazz Butcher get bored when making records? Yet again, this is a record that starts positively before collapsing in the middle and building up again to a decent conclusion; it appears the band could not get through a whole record without needing two or three tracks in which to fool around. 'She's On Drugs' is a fine, fast number and when the band is on form they produce a modern, fresher Lou Reed sound. 'Pineapple Tuesday' is again decent and could have come from the Weather Prophets; there is never any complaints about the musicanship and construction of Jazz Butcher songs which remains top notch. 'The Onion Fields' is a ballad to piano and acoustic, and 'Daycare Nation' a light, sax-fuelled number. Then things give way yet again. 'My Zeppelin' is a country number with an annoying vocal, 'Fertiliser' a baby crying with water noises, and 'Mister Odd' wastes some terrific guitar playing. 'Panic In Room 109' is another lost opportunity before the record picks up again with 'Girl Go' (single 77) which is a slow building number with a bassy rhythm and wailing guitar, enhanced by an unemotional vocal. The end track 'Sister Death' is again good, a slower number with nice lyrics and, again, very decent guitar work. 'Cult Of The Basement' shows no sign of the dance culture that had hit the label and retains a classical approach. The release came with an inner sleeve, but no lyrics."
(http://www.isolationrecords.co.uk/Creation-07.html)
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/cult.html
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/weloveyou.html
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/girl.html
CONDITION BLUE (1991)
Credits:
Paul Mulreany - Drums
Joe Allen - Bass Guitar
Alex Lee - Lead Guitar, Rhythm & Backwards Guitar,Motorcycle & Fuel Air Explosions, Lynch-Mob
Richard Formby - Lead Guitar, Tremelo & 12 String Guitar, Infinite Guitar and Feedback
Alex Green - Tenor and Alto Saxophones, String Arrangements
Pat Fish - Lead Guitar, Rhythm & 12 String Guitar,Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals
Sumishta Brahm (http://www.myspace.com/13frightenedgirls) - Singing
Peter Crouch - Rhythm Guitar, Bird Guitar (track 01)
Owen Jones - Organ solo (track 02), Percussion, Singing
Laurence O'Keefe - Lead Guitar (track 03), Singing
Peter Astor - Lead Guitar (track 07), Aquamarine Guitar (track 03), Harmonica, Singing
Tim Burrell - Piano (track 01)
Alastair Indge (http://www.aicommunication.co.uk/) - Vocals
James Rogers - Vocals
Howard Turner (from The Nivens, see: http://www.studiowizard.co.uk/) - Vocals
Colin Harris - Samples
Recorded: April/May 1991, Raven, Norfolk and Submarine Sound, Northampton
Engineered: Tim Burrell, Howard Turner, Andy Elliot, Pat Fish
Photography: Lionel Cullman
Sleeve: Pascal Legras
Tracklist:
01 Girls Say Yes
02 Our Friends The Filth
03 Harlan
04 Still & All
05 Monkeyface
06 She's A Yo Yo
07 Honey
08 Shirley Maclaine
09 Racheland
Bonus:
SHIRLEY MACLAINE (EP) (1991)
10 Shirley Maclaine
11 She's a Yo-Yo
12 Daycare Nation
13 Panic in Room 109
14 She's On Drugs
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/233546374/conblu.rar
"Pat Fish, better known as British thinking-person's popster The Jazz Butcher, is on a personal mission to bring literacy back to pop music. Over an uneasy nine-year, seven-album alliance with a sales-driven music industry, Fish has never taken the easy way out with a lyric. Condition Blue was inspired by a nervous breakdown Fish experienced toward the end of 1990. The album's barefaced and literal songs express Fish's observations as he worked to claw his way back to sanity. "She's a Yo-Yo" and "Shirley MacLaine" erupt in frenzied bursts of driving guitar and feedback. Over it all, The Jazz Butcher intones deep, resonant melodies, seemingly in calm control but always bordering the precipice that gapes just below the surface."
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dbfixqw5ldse)
"The Jazz Butcher (Pat Fish) is at it again and he brought some friends along to help him out - Alex green on tenor and alto sax, Sumishta Brahm on vocal, Tim Burrell on piano, Paul Mulreany on drums among other players - and of course Jazz Butcher's vocals as well as keyboard and guitar.
"She's a Yo-Yo" is an amazing song, "Shirley Maclaine" is definitely worth the price of admission. And "Monkeyface" - well, you just got to hear it for yourself to believe it.
I recommend you buy this cd- if you like Jazz Butcher and Jazz Butcher Conspiracy, you will enjoy this music."
"Apparently, this is an album that was made after a lot of personal pain and anguish for Butch. That might explain the lack of effort that was apparently put into the album- there are only nine songs, and one of them ("Monkeyface") is practically the exact same song as "The Basement" from the previous album, only with different samples layered overtop of it. However, the eight new songs are mostly pretty good (if overlong). They're mostly poppy tunes of the sort found on Fishcotheque, only with a slightly darker edge to songs like "Honey" and "Racheland." It's not my favorite album, but as the Trouser Press Guide to 90s Rock pointed out, "Mediocre Butcher beats the prime cuts of mere mortals anyday." Grade: B+"
(http://www.disclaimerband.com/j.html)
"a sweet confection of smart pop songs...a poppy kind of music that's slightly nostalgic and still hip..."
"Here is Pat Fish/Jazz Butchers 1991 album Condition blue on CREATION CD. The first track on this album, "Girls Say Yes", is one of the great lost songs of all time as far as I am concerned. Oddly the Ebay track listing shows this also as track two. Whilst it is so good you will want to play it again straight away, the actual second track is called "Our friends the filth".
If you have ever wanted a way in to about the Jazz Butchers many excellent albums then this is a great place to start."
More review (French):
http://www.xsilence.net/disque-857.htm
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/blue.html
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/shirley.html
EDWARD'S CLOSET (Compilation) (1991)
Credits:
Pat Fish - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Paul Mulreany - Drums, Vocals
Laurence O'Keefe - Bass, Vocals
Alex Green - Saxophone
Kizzy O'Callaghan - Lead Guitar
Richard Formby - Lead Guitar
Alex Lee - Lead Guitar
Sonic Boom - Guitar
Greenwood Goulding - Drums
Dave Morgan - Drums
Recorded in London, Leamington and Norfolk between August 1987 and February 1990.
Engineered: Iain O'Higgins, John A. Rivers, Kevin Komoda, Tim Burrell, Howard Turner, Martin Stebbing (Rev. Botus Whiteblood Fleming)
Photography: Lucien Borderline, David Whittemore, Ben Davis
Sleeve: Alex Novak
Tracklist:
01 Mr. Odd
02 The Best Way (Edgar Wallace Mix)
03 Spooky
04 Pineapple Tuesday
05 Keeping The Curtains Closed
06 She's On Drugs
07 Line Of Death
08 Girl-Go
09 Susie
10 The Good Ones
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/233295499/eclo.rar
"This is another sampler album, culling material mostly from the late-'80s and early-'90s CDs Fishcotheque, Big Planet, Scary Planet, and Cult of Basement. Selections range from the enjoyably danceable folk-pop number "She's on Drugs" to the ineffective rap-oriented song "The Best Way." There's also a curious uptempo rocking cover of the 1960s Classics IV chart hit "Spooky," this version of which is marred by a dull middle improvisatory section. This is a respectable if somewhat bland and uneven collection; those hoping for the quality level of mid-'80s Jazz Butcher albums will be disappointed."
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:f9fyxqehldhe)
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/closet.html 
WAITING FOR THE LOVE BUS (1993)
Credits:
Pat Fish - Fender Telecaster, Fender Jaguar, Yamaha sf-800, 6 & 12 String Acoustic Guitars, Keyboards, Percussion, Programming, Vocals
Richard Formby - Fender Jaguar, Gibson Firebird, Burns Electric X11 String, Programming, Tapes
Dooj Wilkinson - Wal Bass Guitar, Voice
Nick Burson - Drums
Peter Crouch - Fender Stratocaster, Fender Jaguar, Yamaha sf-800
Producer - Richard Formby
Engineer- Richard Formby, Pat Fish
Artwork - Pascal Legras, Mark Brown
VIDEO:
"Ghosts"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deS-xz_QnrQ&feature=related
Tracklist:
01 Rosemary Davis' World Of Sound
02 Bakersfield
03 Kids In The Mall/Kaliningrad
04 Whaddya?
05 Sweetwater
06 Ghosts
07 Baltic
08 Killed Out
09 Ben
10 Penguins
11 President Chang
12 Angel Station
13 Rosemary Davis' World Of Sound (Reprise Compact Disc)
14 Everybody's Talking (TriStar Only)
15 Do You Wanna Dance (TriStar Only)
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/233315146/wabu.rar
"Following 1992's successful tour of North America by the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy, Pat Fish returned to the studio to complete this CD. Unlike previous Jazz Butcher Conspiracy albums, there is very little humor here. The music is low-key and somewhat depressing, and the lyrics match that sound. Fish's voice is strong and he delivers his lyrics with typical determination. There are several highlights, such as "Rosemary Davis World of Sound" and his cover of "Everybody's Talking." Fish's cover version of "Do You Wanna Dance" sounds a great deal like his Black EG alter ego, which means that the track is very danceable, entertaining, and too long. Overall, however, Waiting for the Love Bus is still strong; existing fans will enjoy the album and it may even win over some new ones."
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wvfexq8hld6e)
"All you need to know about this album is that it has a song about penguins on it. Sure, there's all sorts of tunefulness and melodicism and hookery and those good things, but the most important thing about Love Bus is that it has Butch chanting dolefully, "We are penguins/ We are penguins/ We are flightless/ We are standing/ On our eggs." It makes me smile. Grade: A"
(http://www.disclaimerband.com/j.html)
"Waiting for the Love Bus, released on CREATION in 1993. By this point the name of Pat Fish's alter ego had confusingly evolved into The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy but the music was the same mix of classic guitar melody and quirky pop lyrics. Includes the very beautiful "Rosemary Davis world of Sound"."
Q:
How did Waiting For The Love Bus and Illuminate differ from previous JBC albums?
PF:
"It was never going to be easy to follow Condition Blue. The decision to record at Richard Formby’s studio in Leeds was made for two reasons: first, I wanted to keep the same kind of production control that I had had on Condition Blue, and obviously working with Richard was one guaranteed way to achieve this; second, because Richard’s studio at the time was only 16-track, it was about half the price of our usual 24-track facilities, which meant that we could take twice as long on the record for the same amount of money. Plus, of course, it’s an absolute pleasure to work with Richard in his big, airy studio that looks out over the centre of Leeds. As the recordings went on, it emerged that this record would be a little bit “beyond”; still sounding like the JBC, but sort of bleached out and distant. Lyrically, “Ghosts” was the key tune. The taxman had just found me after several years and invisibility really had its attractions at the time. Musically, it’s “Rosemary Davis’ World of Sound” that really gives the keynote to the record. That said, things like “Bakersfield” and “President Chang” could be really, really fierce on stage."
"This album represents the Jazz Butcher at their peak of creativity. The songs range from softer ballads to hard rockers, and the guitar work is superb. Almost every song is listenable, there are very few clunkers. If you have any interest in JBC, this is a must album by a very underrated and incredible group."
"What a sensational album the Jazz Butchers have deliverd with "Waiting For The Love Bus," it is filled with both driving rock, the swirling guitars, atmospheric texturing, spooky messages and obscure references, one comes to expect from groups the likes of Spacemen 3.
The voices are mixed low on almost all of the songs to produce a dreamy effect, though on songs like “Bakersfield” they rock out. The song “Kids In The Mall” was my first point of reference for the group and I’ve never looked back, just enjoying the journey. Perhaps the best song, and I only say that because it’s a piece of surreal artwork, is “Penguins,” a bobbing little number you will listen to over and over until you catch each twisted little phrase. “Rosemary Davis World Of Sound” is in reality, about a series of murders committed by Rosemary Davis, who was lost within her own head, in her own world, all set to the sweetest most beautiful and almost childlike song.
It’s definitely late night music and very much under the influence. I like to think it was recorded in a smokey little room at 2 A.M. in the morning, windows wide open, dim yellow lights, with great vibes pouring out of some 32nd floor, floating over the cities of America."
More review:
http://rho-xs.blogspot.com/2007/12/alphabet-soup-09.html
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/bus.html
WESTERN FAMILY - LIVE (1993)
Credits:
Pat Fish - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Peter Crouch - Lead Guitar
Dooj Wilkinson - Bass, Vocals
Nick Burson - Drums
Kathie McGinty - Mileage and Maintenance
Karen Shook - Tour Management and Leisurewear
Mixed By [Live Sound] - Iain O'Higgins
Written-By - Pat Fish (tracks: 1 to 6, 8 to 11)
Engineer - Iain O'Higgins, David Whittemore
Producer - Martin Stebbing (Rev. Botus Whiteblood Fleming)
Sleeve - Pascal Legras, Mark Brown, Mike Egli (photography)
Notes:
The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy [Live] in America and Canada 1992.
Tracklist:
01 Southern Mark Smith (4:52)
02 Shirley Maclaine (6:31)
03 Sister Death (7:57)
04 Still And All (6:01)
05 Pineapple Tuesday (5:38)
06 Angels (6:09)
07 Beautiful Snow-White Hair (7:09)
08 She's On Drugs (4:00)
09 Girl-Go (5:39)
10 She's A Yoyo (5:15)
11 Racheland (7:39)
12 Everybody's Talkin' (3:21)
13 Tugboat Captain (4:03)
14 Over The Rainbow (3:03)
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/232117800/jbwefa.rar
"In 1992, Pat Fish resurrected the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy name and completed an extensive tour of North America in support of the wonderful album Condition Blue. As usual, fans were treated to an eclectic show, which combined classic Jazz Butcher songs ("Southern Mark Smith"), show tunes ("Over the Rainbow"), and classic folk songs ("Everybody's Talkin'"). This CD is an excellent representation of that tour. The above songs can be found here in all their glory, as well as a number of songs from Condition Blue. Here the songs have a much more raw, brittle sound. Fish's voice and introductions are in top form, and the band blends well together. The overall sound is bootleg quality, but then one would expect that from the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy, given the production values of the group's first live album released in 1985 (the brilliant Hamburg). Fans should love this CD, and for those lucky enough to catch the band on the 1992 tour, this serves as a great souvenir."
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kzfrxqy0ldae~T1)
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/western.html
ILLUMINATE (1995)
Credits:
Alex Green - Tenor and Alto Saxophones
Dooj Wilkinson - Bass, Synthesiser, Guitar and Singing
Dave Henderson (from Poison the Poteen, see: www.myspace.com/poisonthepoteen) - Electric Guitars
Gabriel Turner - Drums, Guitars and Singing
Pascal Legras - Design, Photography and little girls with candles on their heads
Pat Fish - Guitars, Keyboards and Singing
Alex Lee - Guitars Singing
Curtis E. Johnson - Hungarian Stockwhip
Dave Fleece - Guitar (track 16)
Max Read - Singing
Bolly - Dijeridoo (track 01)
Botty - Sumo Prfundo
Engineered - Max Reed
Production - David J.
Tracklist:
01 A Great Visitation Of Elephants
02 Sixteen Years
03 Cute Submarines
04 Lulu's Nightmare
05 Beetle George
06 Truck Of Fear
07 Old Snakey
08 Blues For Dean Read
09 When Eno Sings
10 Waiting For Sumo
11 The Ugliest Song In The World
12 Scarlett
13 Cops And Hospitals
14 Surf Gear In Idaho
15 Land
16 True Stories
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/232138496/jbil.rar
"Pat Fish (aka the Jazz Butcher) records very sincere albums. This is yet another entry into his already varied and brilliant catalog, and as with the other albums, this one is very sincere. Fish uses his emotion-filled voice and minimalist guitar to produce story songs about everyday people in unusual situations ("Cute Submarines" is an excellent example of such a song; it also has one of the strongest and catchiest melodies this side of Lennon and McCartney). He also sings about unusual heroes, such as Brian Eno ("When Eno Sings). That is the beauty of the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy, one just never knows what to expect. Even a tribute to his favorite band is here in the form of the short, but wonderful instrumental "Beetle George." While the album is fun, Fish has started to write more angry, biting songs, such as "Cops and Hospitals," a blistering attack at Thatcher, couched in a brilliant powerful tune. This is a great album, as with all of his releases. Fans of the band and pop music will enjoy. Just be sure to pay close attention to the lyrics. There is more going on there than might be suspected."
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hpfixq9hldke)
"The Jazz Butcher (Pat Fish) is at it again and he brought some friends along to help him out - Alex green on tenor and alto sax, Sumishta Brahm on vocal, Tim Burrell on piano, Paul Mulreany on drums among other players - and of course Jazz Butcher's vocals as well as keyboard and guitar.
"She's a Yo-Yo" is an amazing song, "Shirley Maclaine" is definitely worth the price of admission. And "Monkeyface" - well, you just got to hear it for yourself to believe it.
I recommend you buy this cd- if you like Jazz Butcher and Jazz Butcher Conspiracy, you will enjoy this music."
PF:
"Illuminate was recorded in Northampton, hence all that stuff about Abington Square on the sleeve notes. The studio is a proper 24-track job, but they gave us a good rate, so we had plenty of time and the convenience of being able to walk to work from my house.
The generation of the basic touring band which made Illuminate was quite radically different from what had gone before, with Gabriel “The Bishop” Turner on the drums and Northampton-based lead guitarist Dave Henderson. On the other hand, Dooj on the bass was a veteran of the band since 1991 and had played on Love Bus, and we roped in the Alexes (Green and Lee) to add a bit of the old conceptual continuity. Of course, the biggest dollop of conceptual continuity on this record was having Dave J. around to mix it. Having moved to America, Dave was temporarily back in Northampton, trying to sell his house. He threw himself back into the local scene with a vengeance, which included mixing this LP. Dave wasn’t around for the actual recordings, so I took the MD role there, then took very much of a back seat for the mixing, leaving Dave to do his magic."
More review (French):
http://www.xsilence.net/disque-2698.htm
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/illuminate.html
DRAINING THE GLASS (Compilation) (1996)
Credits:
Owen Jones - Drums, Percussion, Organ, Vocals
David J. - Bass, Electric Guitar, voice
Max Eider - Electric Guitar, acoustic & classical guitars, voice
Graham "Felix" Fudger - Bass, Voice (tracks 03,05,11,17,19)
Pat Fish - Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Saxes, Flutes, Organ, Voice
With
Paul Taylor - Trombone (track 16)
The Undead - Backing Vocals (track 12)
Lionel Brando - Drums (track 12)
Martin K. Daley - Bass (track 12)
Kevin Haskins - Drums (track 09)
Rolo McGinty - Bass (track 12)
Alice Thompson - Organ (track 12)
Notes:
Recorded: England 1982 - 86
Engineered: Derek Tomkins, John A. Rivers, Martin Daley, Tony Harris
Compiled By: Pat Fish & Pete Gardiner
Tracklist:
01 Southern Mark Smith
02 Marnie
03 The Human Jungle
04 Real Men
05 Partytime
06 Big Saturday
07 President Reagan's Birthday Present
08 Girlfriend
09 Jazz Butcher -v- Count Dracula
10 Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present
11 Domestic Animal
12 Zombie Love
13 Walk With The Devil
14 Girls Who Keep Goldfish
15 Bigfoot Motel
16 Drink
17 Nothing Special
18 Just Like Betty Page
19 Angels
20 Down The Drain
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/232134710/jbdragla.rar
"In college back around 1984-6 I was a huge Jazz Butcher fan. I have pretty much everything of theirs on vinyl (until they signed to Creation records in 1987 and the suckiness started). This is the bulk of their PRIME stuff: Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present, Drink, Zombie Love, Real Men, and Southern Mark Smith. A few tracks should've been here such as Jazz Butcher Meets the Prime Minister, Red Pets ("Olga Corbutt drives me mad/I'll buy some vodka for her dad" is a classic line!) and especially the quinessential rare b-side The Devil Is My Friend which was a favorite at their live shows. I dock the collection a star for these omissions, but most everything else is worth the price of the CD. This was the best stuff of the band by far and Max Eider and David J (ex-Bauhaus) were still helping Pat Fish's band. When they left the humor level died down significantly. A must have collection for fans of mid-80's alternative music!"
"The Jazz Butcher is an awesome songwriter. He has written so many great songs that any collection would be missing something, but this is about as good as it gets. Big Questions (The Gift Of Music Volume II) may be just as good, but it is criminally out of print so you will miss songs like "Rebecca Wants Her Bike Back", "Olof Palme", "Conspiracy", "Vienna Song", "Death Dentist", "Thing", "Hard", "Mersey", and "Peter Lorre", but this is the best replacement in the meantime. Other drawbacks are that you miss great songs from all their great albums and there is as much or more filler here than on their other classic albums, but if you just want a collection this is pretty darn good and the best one available. Pick this up quick because Jazz Butcher works go out of print fast. He is a cult artist that will reward those looking for something special and different."
"I bought this awhile ago because I have been fan for many years and misplaced my out of print "The Gift Of Music" disc. I found that most of the songs I missed for so many years were finally available again here. I catch myself listenting to the tracks from this CD more than any others in my collection. One track I was missing most was the JB v. PM. I found my "The Gift Of Music" this weekend at a friend's house (still in great condition) and am still happy that I bought Draining the Glass, and happier I got my disc back with JB v. PM on it. Some tracks are the same but there is enough difference to make this worth the purchase. If you don't own any JB, this is the one to have."
More review:
http://www.ink19.com/issues/march2003/musicReviews/musicJ/jazzButcherConspiracy.html
http://www.xsilence.net/disque-2701.htm
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/drainglass.html
EXCELLENT! THE VIOLENT YEARS (Compilation) (1997)
Credits:
Mister Paul Mulreany - Drums, Percussion, Guitar and Voice
Laurence O'Keefe - Bass,Voice
Alex Green - Tenor and Alto Saxophone
Kizzy O'Callaghan - Guitars and voice (tracks 04,05,06)
Richard Formby - Guitars (tracks 01, 02, 12, 14, 15)
Alex Lee - Guitars (tracks 01,03,07,08,09, 14)
Owen Jones - Organ, Percussion and Voice (tracks 01,07,08, 14)
Peter Crouch - Guitars (tracks 08, 09, 10, 11, 12)
Dooj Wilkinson - Bass,Voice (tracks 10, 11, 12)
Nick Burson - Drums (tracks 10, 11, 12)
Pat Fish - Guitars, Keyboards, Percussion and Voice
Guests:
Joe Foster - Bass (tracks 01,08,09,14)
Dave Morgan - Drums (tracks 05,06)
Greenwood Goulding - Bass guitar (tracks 05,06)
Tim Burrell - Piano (track 08)
Sumishta Brahm - Voice (tracks 08,09)
Photography - David Whittemore, others
Production: Iain O'Higgins (tracks 05, 06), John A. Rivers (track 04), Martin Stebbing (Rev. Botus Whiteblood Fleming) (tracks 02,03,07,13,15), Pat Fish (tracks 01,08,09,14)
(Special Thanks to Tim Burrell), Richard Formby (tracks 10, 11, 12)
Tracklist:
01 She's A Yo Yo
02 Mr. Odd
03 She's On Drugs
04 Bicycle Kid
05 Get It Wrong
06 Chickentown
07 Sister Death
08 Girls Say Yes
09 Our Friends The Filth
10 Sweetwater
11 Whaddya?
12 Ghosts
13 Pineapple Tuesday
14 Shirley Maclaine
15 Girl-Go
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/232137767/jbec.rar
"Butcher fans are ready for the release of the old vintage albums that the set standard for European pop music. This latest piece of work is suitable for new listeners, but leaves the real fan thirsting for more."
"I couldn't find a space to review this incredible album, (yes, I said album), called "Bloody Nonsense", which came out 10-12 yrs. ago, so I thought I'd type it here. I have some Jazz Butcher from that era, and all I can say is "Bloody Nonsense" is incredible. Can't find it anywhere--album or CD, and don't ever hear anything about it, which is a shame, because people are missing a mighty great bunch 'o tunes!"
"I was hoping for some new songs when I saw the cover, but yes reading the song list let me know there was weren't any. I understand why these compilations are done without new material. His regular releases go out of print so fast you have to compile what is available and consumers have to buy it or never get them songs on CD. This is one of the weaker compilations, but still wothwhile if you don't have the original albums. Then again a random sampling of the albums used here could make a compilation just as good. From reading the reviews there seemed to be a couple people that purchased this to listen to the Butcher for the first time so it accomplished its goal. Of course if they had added only two new songs I would have bought it so maybe a considerate tactic could have gotten more sales. I also wanted to expose that even fans of obscure artists like the Butcher have different tastes. To me "Sister Death" is a favorite song of mine and a necessary choice. Even "Chickentown" was a good choice, a novelty song with an underlying merssage that is a fun song on Fishcoteque. To me "Waddya?" and "The Good Ones" are weaker tracks. "Waddya?" to me is one of the few weak tracks the Butcher has done. "The Good Ones" is excellent musically, but is sabotaged by religious lyrics. I really wish artists would write about subjects that are based in reality. This compilation also has nothing in common with either of the Bloody Nonsense releases I have. Those are early compilations, Excellent! is a compilation of later material. The Bloody Nonsense releases do overlap the Butchers first greatest hits compilation, The Gift Of Music, but contain a few differences that make them stronger. This compilation is the worst one available by the Butcher, but if it is the only Butcher you can get it is worth it to buy."
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/violent.html
GLORIOUS AND IDIOTIC - LIVE (2000)
Credits:
Pat Fish/Max Eider/Owen Jones/Curtis E. Johnson/Pat Beirne
Notes:
Recorded: 26Feb1999, Logo, Hamburg
Tracklist:
01 Partytime
02 Raking Up the Leaves
03 Just Like Betty Page
04 Baby, It's You
05 Drink
06 The Long Night Starts
07 The Human Jungle
08 Who Loves You Now?
09 Old Snakey
10 Rain
11 Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present
12 Bigfoot Motel
13 Roadrunner
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/232133080/jbglo.rar
"Glorious & Idiotic, a decent recording-quality live show captured for posterity in Hamburg, Germany, is less a triumphant return than a particularly inspired, quiet continuation. The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy, with songwriter Pat Fish (aka the Jazz Butcher himself) ever at the conspiracy's center, has been making sophisticated acoustic-punk-pop-jazz (a la Jonathan Richman if he spent more time bellying up to the bar) for nearly two decades as of this release. Glorious & Idiotic is the reunion of Fish, longtime cohort/vocal doppelganger Max Eider, and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Owen Jones. This particular conglomeration of conspirators is responsible for some of the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy's finer, early-career recorded moments. Judging by the evidence presented here, the three blokes haven't missed a beat (though they've mellowed a bit since the early '80s). The musical nuances are intact, the pairing and juxtaposition of playful incisive wit and irresistibly catchy melodies -- a hallmark of the JBC -- are all here in glorious, spontaneous live idiocy. Sometimes sublime and heartbreaking, other times absurd and borderline stupid, the Jazz Butcher is always compelling and this release spurred Pat Fish and the reunited lineup to take a trip around the States, something they hadn't done in more than a decade. So you know they thought the magic was there. Judging by such classic JBC tracks as "Partytime," the sublime "Rain," and such ridiculous romps as the strum-punk of "Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present" and "Bigfoot Motel," it's clear that these three men -- who collectively created some of the most underrecognized, smartest pop music to ever barely escape the British Isles -- are thankfully still a viable alternative to an unthinking mainstream." ~ Chris Handyside, All Music Guide
"As a long time Jazz Butcher fan, I found this Cd to bring a fresh spin to some oldies but goodies. It was wonderful to hear some of Max Eider's stuff as well. Pat Fish always delights me with his talent. I need to find Bath of Bacon and Sex and Travel. Oh when will they reissue the old stuff. I need to complete my collection. As a long time fan I so enjoy when ever JBC comes to town. Keep coming to San Francisco and release live albums since thats the only way we can get our hands on your music. Keep it coming. We love you Pat!"
"The jaw-dropping bids on eBay give some indication of the Jazz Butcher's proverbial cult following: a digital copy of 1982's A Scandal in Bohemia, something of a post-punk masterpiece ignored by the critics, recently sold for almost $200, and many of the out-of-print CDs earn triple-digit offers. Copyright hassles with the now defunct Glass Records, keepers of the Butcher's early catalog, have prevented re-releases of the most sought-after disks, while a 1996 compilation with many of the best old cuts is already out-of-print. Thus, ROIR's new Glorious and Idiotic, recorded live in Hamburg during the Butcher's recent tour (a reunion circuit with original guitarist Max Eider that had the Internet cultists buzzing), is less a standard concert disk than a way around the copyright trouble and a chance for fans to access some great rare material. The thirteen songs, most of them old Butcher mainstays, are crisp and intimate - a big improvement from the live Western Family CD released in 1993 - from the loungy chords of "Partytime" and "Just Like Betty Page," to the clean pop of "Rain" (and, why the hell not, the ubiquitous cover of the Modern Lovers' "Roadrunner"). There's little new ground, but that's hardly the point, and fans will appreciate a chance to hear some vintage Jazz Butcher without giving their rent money to eBay. Newcomers, meanwhile, can sample the best of an obscure British artist whose talent, if not luck and timing, has been as formidable as any in the history of alternative rock."
"The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy has FINALLY surfaced a la disc once more! Upon buying, I didn't know it was LIVE...I thought it was a greatest hits of mostly early days of the JBC. WOW! What a breath of fresh air (as long as you're not with Caroline Wheeler in the elevator with the fish). This is a MUST for lovers of JBC...the comments Pat Fish and Max Eider make during the show are much like the Live From Hamburg album from 1987... but they've grown older and more cynically beautiful since then! This is the best live disc they've made!"
"Absolutely an amazing record. Anyone who doesn't know too much about the Butcher should start with this one. And then if they can find it go back to the Glass & Creation days. Too bad it's so hard to find a lot of their earlier material. Fortunately, this has superb versions of many of their classics; Partytime, DRINK, Roadrunner, Old Snakey & more. Extremely well produced, especially for a live album. An album about drinking with many humorous critiques, merriness, & quirky insights. Pat Fish is absolutely FANTASTIC."
More review:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/jazzbutcher
http://vermontreview.tripod.com/CD%20Reviews/jazzbutcher.htm
http://www.roir-usa.com/8260.htm
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/glorious.html
ROTTEN SOUL (2000)
Credits:
Pat Fish - Fender Telecaster, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Singing
Max Eider - Gretsch Double Anniversary,Singing, Bass
Owen Jones -Accordian, Percussion, Singing, Catering
Peter Crouch - Fender Stratocaster, Shouting
Kathie McGinty (Sumosonic) - Singing, logistics
Pat Beirne - Smouth Organ
Recorded by Peter Crouch at Studio Leviathan, Earth, March-April
Programmed and produced by Pat Fish and Max Eider
Photographs - Mitch Jenkins
Tracklist:
01 Big Cats
02 Come On, Marie
03 Baby, It's You
04 Mister Siberia
05 Tough Priest
06 Sleepwalking
07 Niagara
08 The One You Adore
09 The Ballad Of Tiny And Clyde
10 I Hate Love
11 Call Me
12 Diamorphine
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/232147198/jbroso.rar
"This is the first studio recording from the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy since 1995's Illuminate. It is also the first time Max Eider, Pat Fish, and Owen Jones played together since 1986's classic Distressed Gentlefolk. Pat Fish continued to use the name after he and Eider split with various names and varying degrees of success. This particular CD has everything that makes a JBC album wonderful. Strong melodies, guitar-focused rock songs, with quirky and witty lyrics. Only this time, Fish and company are somewhat angry (such as the blistering "Mr. Siberia (21st Century Winter)" and "Big Cats"). Musically they revisit the track "Conspiracy (You'll Be All Right)" but without the optimism. Fish's vocals are as earnest and strong as ever, however, the overall production of the CD is somewhat poor, which is a little distracting. However, as a whole this is a great album, full of great songs and stories. Fans will not be disappointed." ~ Aaron Badgley, All Music Guide
"The Jazz Butcher has been doing great music without a lot of big name recognition for many years. His fans, however, know he's one of the best songwriters and performers around today. The biggest surprise even for some fans is that this is the best stuff he has done in years. The Pat Fish songs "Big Cats," "Come On, Marie," "Tough Priest," and "Niagara" are all almost hypnotically catchy, some of the best he's ever done, and the Max Eider contributions are welcome, melodic change-ups. Highly recommended!"
"The return of Max Eider and Owen Jones to the folds of the Conspiracy results in the most solid album Mr. Fish has produced in years. This is an older, wiser Jazz Butcher, and while the usual wit and whimsy is still there, a certain amount of, dare I say it, maturity is in evidenced. A stripped-down, underproduced record, "Rotten Soul" nevertheless boasts top-notch songs (standouts being "C'mon Marie," "Niagara," and "Diamorphene.") These guys have been underrated their entire career; it's heartening that they still put in such an amazing amount of effort. Buy this!"
"When I read things like under produced and then listen, thinking I will be disappointed, it never happens. In fact whenever I read this, after listening for myself, I find the CD to be a favorite. This is first class material and sounds great. There are a couple misses, but "Big Cats", "Come On Marie", "Mr. Siberia", "Tough Priest", "Sleepwalking". "Niagra", "The Ballad Of Tiny And Clyde", "I Hate Love", "Call Me", and "Diamorphine" are all classics. I love everything the Butcher has recorded except Illumination and this is no exception. It may not reach the heights of classics like Cult Of The Basement, Sex And Travel, Big Planet Scary Planet, and Fishcoteque, but is close to other awesome releases like Condition Blue, Waiting For The Love Bus, Scandal In Bohemia, Distressed Gentlefolk, and Bath In Bacon. Another release I am better for owning from one of the best catalogs available from a truly great and unique artist."
"After a lengthy hiatus, Butch reunited with estranged sideman Max Eider and put out this album on the Vinyl Japan label. As Eider writes in his witty liner notes, "We have nothing but good to say of Vinyl Japan, but I'm sure they won't mind my pointing out that [this album has] been made on the cheap." This is a bit of an understatement. Rotten Soul features the cheapest drum machine this side of Trio and a total lack of production (one example: the opening verse of Eider's "The One You Adore" is marred by the piercing line noise from a guitar whose part hasn't started yet). This has the unfortunate effect of making the subdued songs which make up a large portion of Rotten Soul sound as though they were performed by an above-average karaoke band. Sometimes Butch manages to transcend his budgetary limitations: the buff "Tough Priest" transcends the lo-fi nature of the proceedings by means of a killer hook and the Butcher's use of an ominous Irish accent. "Mr. Siberia" works with the cheapness of the sounds to produce a terrific slice of slow funk, but those are the only two songs that measure up to the standard set by Fishcotheque and Big Planet Scarey Planet. Some songs sound like mere demos ("Big Cats"), and some just sound sad (the ill-advised country ballad "Sleepwalking"). Mr. Eider himself is another problem. His leisurely songwriting style has never really meshed with the Butcher's aggressiveness, and while his tunes are a vast improvement on the Jimmy Buffett margarita-rock formula, they pale in comparison to Butch's. (Parrotheads would do well to seek out Eider's well-meaning solo album The Best Kisser in the World, however.) There's simply not enough joy to be had here, I'm afraid. It's a disappointing comeback. Grade: C"
(http://www.disclaimerband.com/j.html)
"When I read things like under produced and then listen, thinking I will be disappointed, it never happens. In fact whenever I read this, after listening for myself, I find the CD to be a favorite. This is first class material and sounds great. There are a couple misses, but "Big Cats", "Come On Marie", "Mr. Siberia", "Tough Priest", "Sleepwalking". "Niagra", "The Ballad Of Tiny And Clyde", "I Hate Love", "Call Me", and "Diamorphine" are all classics. I love everything the Butcher has recorded except Illumination and this is no exception. It may not reach the heights of classics like Cult Of The Basement, Sex And Travel, Big Planet Scary Planet, and Fishcoteque, but is close to other awesome releases like Condition Blue, Waiting For The Love Bus, Scandal In Bohemia, Distressed Gentlefolk, and Bath In Bacon. Another release I am better for owning from one of the best catalogs available from a truly great and unique artist."
"I'll never figure out how the Butcher sequences his songs. "Big Cats" is typical Butcher, but that it doesn't make it the world's strongest opener. Oh, well and not to worry! The album is sweet and melancholy (must be Max's influence) and sounds completely unlike any other JBC effort. The snide, very effective send-up of trip-hop, "Mr. Siberia," is a highlight to share with friends everywhere and anywhere. Who needs Eminem? Pat Fish: the Great White Hope of rap. And if that isn't tempting enough, "The Ballad of Tiny and Clyde" takes organ riffs that sound like what Happy Mondays was shooting for (and failing to achieve) for years, and then adds quintessential JBC lyrics over top. What fun!"
More review:
http://www.insound.com/Jazz_Butcher_Conspiracy_Rotten_Soul_CD/productmain/p/INS6188/
https://www.bentcrayon.com/details.asp?product_id=14261
http://www.xsilence.net/disque-2697.htm
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/rotten.html
CAKE CITY (Compilation)(2001)
Tracklist:
01 Girlfriend 02 Soul Happy Hour
03 What's the Matter Boy?
04 The Human Jungle
05 Who Loves You Now?
06 Nothing Special
07 Caroline Wheeler's Birthday Present
08 Big Bad Thing
09 Love Kittens
10 Road Runner
11 Big Old Wind
12 City of Night
13 Sweet Jane
14 Affection
15 Speedy Gonzales
16 Knocking on Heaven's Door
17 Over You
18 May I?
19 Water
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/232127242/jbcaci.rar
"Newcomers: This is a great catchy balanced way to start. If you love smart bands, this is the right place surely. For hardcore Jazz Butcher fans, there are plenty of very rare tracks I've never even heard of. And they're good.
The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy band has always found a way of slipping through the commercial cracks. Robyn Hitchcock has a cult celebrity. What about Pat Fish & Gang? They're beyond similar with Robyn. Catchy tunes, smart lyrics, distinct humour, but with jazzy spiky guitar atmophere. Certainly a product of punk - only the 'no rules' freedom of punk could allow them to exist. They showed up past late for the punk game, but they applied that expression, and applied better musical tools. This is tuneful stuff. You really need this CD.
Blah Blah. Anyway, 'Cake City' collects material from the early-mid '80s Glass Records era. The beauty of this CD is it doesn't play as cute tuneful novelty, there's substance with the jokes. Of course, the gorgous lyrical tunes would perfect in the early '90s. But the balance here is stronger than any Jazz Butcher album from the '80s.
For hardcore fans, tracks 12-19 are required. Most of the Jazz Butcher albums are out of print. I own so many impossibly rare JBC records, I thought I knew it all. But I have only 1 of these 7 tracks."
"Not sure just what I’ve got here — it has three tracks each from Distressed Gentlefolk and A Scandal In Bohemia, the two other JBC discs Vinyl Japan just reissued. There’s almost nothing from the three (?) other early albums by the band, but the “almost” keeps it from being clearly a licensing issue. Many tracks are apparently unreleased, but aside from the draggy cover of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”, none is filler. Enlightenment would be welcome.
Whether this is supposed to be a greatest-hits, a rarities collection, or some third thing, it’s a terrific CD. Even the few slow songs don’t fall into the Creation Records-style torpor that afflicted chunks of the later Jazz Butcher experience, and Pat Fish’s didacticism is in full force. He’s never condescending — it’s more like he’s very, very confused himself and thus thinks you might likewise need a refresher on why kittens are cute or drinking is fun.
Meanwhile, it still seems I like every cover of “Roadrunner” better than the original."
(http://www.pastemob.org/wp/?p=292)
FREE LUNCH (Compilation) (2003)
Credits:
Paul Mulreany - Drums, Guitar, Vocals (Mr. Odd, She's On Drugs, Girl-Go, She's A Yo Yo, Shirley Maclaine, Still & All, Monkeyface, Sister Death)
Blair MacDonald - Drums (Lot 49)
Nick Burson - Drums (Bakersfield, Vodka Girls, President Chang)
Gabriel Turner - Drums, vocals (Scarlett, Cops And Hospitals)
Laurence O'Keefe - Bass guitar, Vocals (Mr. Odd, She's On Drugs, Girl-Go, Sister Death)
Erol Suleyman - Bass guitar (Lot 49)
Joe Allen - Bass (She's A Yo Yo, Shirley Maclaine, Still & All, Monkeyface)
Dooj Wilkinson - Bass guitar, Vocals (Bakersfield, Vodka Girls, President Chang, Scarlett, Cops And Hospitals, Sister Death, True Stories)
Richard Formby - Guitar (Mr. Odd, Girl-Go, Shirley Maclaine, Still & All, Bakersfield, Vodka Girls, President Chang)
Alex Lee - guitar (She's On Drugs, She's A Yo Yo, Shirley Maclaine, Monkeyface, Scarlett, Sister Death)
Kizzy O'Callaghan - Guitar (Lot 49)
Peter Crouch - Guitar (Bakersfield, Vodka Girls, President Chang)
Dave Henderson - Guitar (Scarlett, Cops And Hospitals)
Dave Felce - Guitar (True Stories)
Alex Green - Saxophones
Pat Fish - Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals
Martin Stebbing (Rev. Botus Whiteblood Fleming) - Producer (Mr. Odd, She's On Drugs, Girl-Go, Sister Death)
Iain O'Higgins - Producer (Lot 49)
Pat Fish - Producer (She's A Yo Yo, Shirley Maclaine, Still & All, Monkeyface)
Richard Formby - Producer (Bakersfield, Vodka Girls, President Chang)
David J. - Producer (Scarlett, Cops And Hospitals, True Stories)
Tracklist:
01 Mr. Odd
02 She's On Drugs
03 Girl-Go
04 Lot 49
05 She's A Yo Yo
06 Shirley Maclaine
07 Still & All
08 Monkeyface
09 Bakersfield
10 Vodka Girls
11 President Chang
12 Scarlett
13 Cops And Hospitals
14 Sister Death
15 True Stories
16 President Chang (Evil Karel Von Daemmerung Remix)
Links to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/232119561/jbfrlu.rar
"The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy....a name to conjure with.....all over Europe and the USA, people asked "Why?"....but in the end, they surrendered US radio gave in without a fight....and Johnny European Punter made the nine kow-tows....and put their money on the counter....... Some call them the Last Gentlemen Adventurers Of Rock'n'Roll (along with me and Pete Astor)....some call them a bunch of travelling freelance restaurant critics.....others "The Greatest Rock Band In The World"....or something....The world conquering colossi of Indie (yuck!).....The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy!
A poignant selection of all the hits and then some from their fabled Creation Records period......with some rarities for those so inclined.....makes for a wonderful listening experience at YOUR leisure event.....Girls....Say Yes!!
This is a completely new collection of the best of the Creation Records period, selected by our own Joe Foster and Mr. P. Fish himself after some argy-bargy.....including many rarities among the hits! Plus it has been exquisitely remastered in the usual Rev-Ola style.... With a lavishly illustrated booklet with lengthy commentary, yea, a novelette by Mr. Patrick Fish Esq......the full sordid story is here!.....emigrate now....you know who you are.....
A must for lovers of the JBC obviously....but for all fans of cool music everywhere too......and for those who loved Creation Records in all it's ragged glory.....look out for other releases from this semi-lost world of The Label Of Love.....the never-ending story indeed....we're still at it..."
(http://www.cherryred.co.uk/revola/artists/jazzbutcherconspiracy.htm)
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/free_lunch.html
Biography:
The Jazz Butcher was the vehicle of prolific singer/songwriter Pat Fish, an archetypal British eccentric whose sharp observational wit and melodic gifts navigated the group through over a decade of constant line-up shifts, stylistic mutations and even a series of name changes which found the band performing variously -- and apparently randomly -- under such titles as the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy and the Jazz Butcher & His Sikkorskis From Hell.
Fish was born Patrick Huntrods in London
in 1957, and raised primarily in Northampton. He first began performing while studying philosophy at Oxford in the late 1970s, fronting the short-lived Nightshift; a subsequent band dubbed the Institution later joined forces with their rivals the Sonic Tonix, establishing the nucleus of players who later formed the core of the Jazz Butcher sphere.Fish first concocted his Butcher persona in 1982, quickly enlisting his Oxford mates to join him in a band of the same name; even from the outset, the group's roster changed seemingly on a daily basis, although Fish found an early mainstay in guitarist Max Eider.
The Jazz Butcher's eclectic 1982 debut A Bath in Bacon -- including early skewed pop gems such as "Love Zombie" and "Sex Engine Thing" -- was essentially a Fish solo record, but by 1984's folky A Scandal in Bohemia the roster had stabilized to include ex-Bauhaus bassist David J. Following The Gift of Music, a 1984 compilation of single sides, the Jazz Butcher resurfaced the following year with Sex and Travel, a marvelously odd set ranging in sound from punk ("Red Pets") to cabaret ("Holiday").After David J left the band to join Love and Rockets, the remaining quartet -- Fish, Eider, bassist Felix Ray and drummer Mr. O.P. Jones -- rechristened themselves the Jazz Butcher and His Sikkorskis from Hell and recorded the 1985 live set Hamburg, followed the next year by an EP, Hard. Leaving the rhythm section behind, Fish and Eider then recorded 1986's Conspiracy EP, credited to the "Jazz Butcher vs. Max Eider" and foreshadowing the subsequent shift to the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy aegis for Distressed Gentlefolk.
Eider soon exited to mount a solo career, leaving Fish to team with guitarist Kizzy O'Callaghan for 1988's Fishcoteque, their first release for the Creation label.By the time of 1989's Big Planet Scarey Planet, the line-up also included the superb bassist Laurence O'Keefe, saxophonist Alex Green and drummer Paul Mulreany; 1990's Cult of the Basement was recorded with the same roster, but the usual disruptions soon left Fish essentially to his own devices for 1991's Condition Blue and 1993's Waiting for the Love Bus.
Upon reuniting with David J, who produced 1995's low-key Illuminate, Fish decided to lay the Jazz Butcher name to rest, and performed a farewell performance in London at the end of the year. He subsequently signed on to play drums with the Stranger Tractors, but in 1999 reunited with Eider for a Jazz Butcher Conspiracy tour of the U.S. The live Glorious and Idiotic appeared the following year and Rotten Soul was issued in fall 2000. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
ALBUMS:
In Bath of Bacon (1983)
A Scandal in Bohemia (1984)
Sex and Travel (1985)
Hamburg -Live (1985)
Distressed Gentlefolk (1986)
Conspiracy (EP) (1986)
May I (EP) (1987)
Spooky (EP) (1988)
Fishcotheque (1988)
Big Planet, Scary Planet (1989)
Cult Of The Basement (1990)
Condition Blue (1991)
Shirley Maclaine (EP) (1991)
Black Eg (EP) (1991)
Waiting for the Love Bus (1993)
Western Family -Live (1993)
Illuminate (1995)
Glorious and Idiotic -Live (2000)
Rotten Soul (2001)
Compilations:
Gift of Music (1985)
Bloody Nonsense (1986)
Big Questions (Gift of Music, Vol. 2) (1987)
Edward's Closet (1991)
Unconditional (1992)
Draining the Glass (1996)
!Excellent! The Violent Years (1997)
Cake City (2001)
The Jazz Butcher's Free Lunch (2003)
PAT FISH
is the leader of The Jazz Butcher, but also played with:
Spacemen 3 - Recurring (1991) (Flute - Pat Fish,see: http://www.spacemen3.co.uk/pages/recordcollector/rcspacemen.htm )
Spectrum - How You Satisfy Me (maxi) (1992) (Pat Fish -Sax, see: http://www.sonic-boom.info/spectrum.php )
Spectrum - Soul Kiss (Glide Divine) (1992) (Pat Fish -Sax)
The Blue Aeroplanes:
"Pat Fish: co-writing "Whatever Happened To Our Golden Birds?", playing guitars on other "Rough Music" (1995) tracks, and providing backing vocals on "Beatsongs'. Pat also took the photo of the BLUEAERO licence plate that appears on the back of the "Boy In The Bubble" single. (http://www.blueaeroplanes.org/archive/msg00181.html)
He guested on the David J - Crocodile Tears And The Velvet Cosh (1985, flute in a song) and Max Eider's 2002 album (check Max Eider entry for the details)
He played with Spiritualized (http://ideensynthese.de/spiritualized/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6071&start=0)
His other projects are Wilson (http://wilsondub.com/ and http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=74576032 and http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/wilson)
and the mysterious Black EG:
http://www.isolationrecords.co.uk/Creation-09.html
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/albums/blackeg.html
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/press/94eg.html
http://celebrationcenterchurch.net/htdb/eg/eg_audio.html
http://www.adjective.com/htdb/eg/index.html
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/htdb/gigs/1994/Jun1.html
and SUMOSONIC:
SUMOSONIC - This is Sumo (1998)
Genre:
Electronic, Rock
Style:
Indie Rock
Members:
Anita Allbright, Gabriel Turner, Headstone (Pat Fish), Kathie McGinty, Kathy Schaer, Mister B, Russ Cooper
Credits:
Guitar, Keyboards, Bass, Programmed By, Vocals - Headstone
Guitar, Programmed By, Vocals - Gabriel Turner
Mastered By - Mandy Parnell (http://www.mandyparnell.com/)
Mixed By - Darren Nash Percussion - Agent Russell Cooper (Russ Cooper)
Producer - The Lords Of Sumo
Vocals - Anita Allbright , Kathie M* , Special K (Kathy Schaer), Mister B
Guitar - D.T. Henderson (http://www.myspace.com/goonmoon)(track 01)
Vocals - Jon Mattock (Spacemen 3, Spiritualised, Lupine Howl, Slipstream, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Mattock and http://www.myspace.com/slipstream1), Max Read (track 01) /Chorus - Jamie Jab (track 02)/Curtis E Johnson - Rap (track 02), Backing Vocals (track 06)
Loops [Drum] - John Langley (Blue Aeroplanes) (track 03)
Guitar [Acoustic] - Mark Refoy (Freelovebabies,Spiritualized,Slipstream) (track 05)
Guitar [Solo] - Steve Davies (track 08) /Guitar [Slide] - Max Read (http://www.lodgerecording.co.uk/) (track 11) /Didgeridoo - Bolly (track 10) /Producer [Additional], Remix - Johnny Octopus , Tom Withers (track 12)
Written-By - Pat Fish, Curtis E Johnson (track 05)
Notes:
Recorded at The Lodge, Northampton. Mixed at Nash, Bath. Mastered at The Exchange, London.
Tracklist:
01 Come, Friendly Spacemen (Lords Of Sumo Mix) (5:16)
02 God's Green Earth (5:51)
03 Fern, Schnell, Gut (3:50)
04 Cat's Life (5:48)
05 Everything Is Wonderful (3:46)
06 Stupid (3:58)
07 Destroy All Monsters (4:31)
08 Radio Saigon (3:33)
09 Business And Work (5:36)
10 Monks Of Kung Fu (3:57)
11 Sputnik (6:22)
12 Come, Friendly Spacemen (Sushi Remix) (5:17)
Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/234684061/sumosonic.rar
"To call Pat Fish the best British songwriter of the past fifteen years is an invitation for some awfully suspicious stares. Pat who? But he might be just that. Known since the early 1980s as the Jazz Butcher, Fish remained detached enough to avoid the indie-rock vortex of the last decade, dooming himself to obscurity w
hile leaving behind one of the most valuable buried treasures in all of alternative music.
Fish has joined with an all-new cast to form Sumosonic. In what may be a disappointment to long-time Jazz Butcher fans (they're out there), this inaugural disk is decidedly un-Butcheresque, with a keyboard-heavy attack of quasi-techno rhythms. Pat was known to dabble in reverb and noise, but the results were moody, melancholy textures, quite unlike the flash of This is Sumo.
Never quite dance music, the tight compositions and good-natured feistiness are a bit too mischievous for outright club-fare. Consider the tongue-in- cheek ferocity of 'Monks of Kung Fu,' (which some might liken to the Butcher's 'Do the Bubonic Plague,') with its melodic grunting and hilarious Chinese sampling. At times, like on the gentle 'Cat's Life,' it's reminiscent of New Order-style synth-pop, with dreamy, entrancing swirls set to a pulse- quickening backbeat. The snappy chorus of 'Come Friendly Spacemen' will have you wearing out the repeat button, as will the balmy spells of 'Stupid,' and 'Destroy All Monsters' which are at once energetic and disarmingly sweet. The syrupy 'Sputnik,' meanwhile, is the prettiest thing we've heard since 1993's 'Whaddya?' Fish is no less graceful with keyboards and effects than he was with acoustic guitar.
Considering Pat's long and productive past, it's hard to judge This is Sumo as a true 'debut'. But let's not get caught on Sumo-semantics. No matter his band-mates or current moniker, the man still has genius to share. "
(http://www.sumosonic.com/htdb/words.html)
"This is, in my opinion, the last great project (so far) of Pat Fish, AKA "The Jazz Butcher." Far better than "Rotten Soul" and more essential than the live record "Glorious & Idiotic," this poppy gem contains some excellent tracks that take the aesthetic of such albums as "Waiting for the Love Bus" and "Illuminate" to a different level. Contains some female vocals as well."
More info:
www.myspace.com/patfish77
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Fish
http://www.flickr.com/photos/antisyzygy/tags/patfish/
(photo of ALTEROCK interview April, 1990)
Finally the interview below is from a Hungarian shortlived new wave magazine ALTEROCK from 1990, when The jazz Butcher gave a live show in Budapest.
Q:
The Jazz Butcher's music includes dreaming psychedelia and folk music. To the question what they have to do with butchers, Pat's answer is:
"As much as to jazz, that means nothing."
Q:
There is a lot of humour in your songs. Aren't you affraid that the audience find you simple?
Pat:
"Absolutely not, these songs are not humorous at all. I still get moved again and again when i come to a beautiful line in the lyrics.
But these are very personal and they can arouse different feelings in different people. That's why we are playing pop music. It's good to feel happy and sad at the same time."
Q:
How would you describe your music in only one sentence?
Pat:
"How could you describe Lou Reed and Tom waits in a sentence?
The personality of these people guarantees quality. We don't compare well with them.
But we are trying to follow in their footsteps.
And back to your question, you have to decide what kind of music we are playing."
Q:
Once a journalist wrote about you that you are either geniouses or idiots.
Pat:
"I remember, it's by Helen Mead, but my favourite quotation is from a Canadian magazine:
"The Jazz Butcher is gazing at the world, showing it as it is. That's the reason why people think this band is crazy"
However the situation is that we behave like little children in a toyshop. We are playing with something and running away to try something else. Because there is something new in every corner."
More info:
http://www.jazzbutcher.com/
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=70779993
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=63396495
http://www.arabhorses.ms11.net/jbcsongs.htm
http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=jazz_butcher
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz_Butcher
http://www.ear.fm/Encyclopedia%20J/jazz_butcher.htm
http://www.adjective.com/
http://unclee.wordpress.com/2009/01/04/the-jazz-butcher-conspiracy/
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/who-is-the--jazz-butcher-664964.html
http://www.guitarvibe.com/2007/10/pat-jazz-butche.html
http://www.metafilter.com/64001/The-Butcher-Says
http://www.jellocat.com/musicians-and-bands/the-jazz-butcher-conspiracy.html
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Jazz+Butcher
http://www.drizzle.com/~lostboy/AirWaves/JButcher.html
http://www.fegmania.org/archives/fegmaniax/1998/v07.n372
http://thesentinelsoftime.club.fr/Discographies/disco%20jazz%20butcher.htm
http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=13089
http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?6,234083
http://209.85.129.132/search?q=cache:33rcqqgZjicJ:www.thesummersite.org/songsforsummer/html/sfs_jazzb.html+Jazz+Butcher+%E2%80%93+Fishcoteque&hl=hu&ct=clnk&cd=46
http://www.musoscribe.com/bootleg_bin/jazz_butcher_bob_anne_wedding.shtml
http://bandtoband.com/index.php?Page=Search&BandId=3038
http://sendmedeadflowers.com/2007/02/jazz-butcher_23.html
http://gonnabetimeless.blogspot.com/search?q=jazz+butcher
http://www.page.sannet.ne.jp/kimi_i/bands/butch.html
http://www.beatcityrecords.com/Vinyl_Jazz_Butcher.htm
Interview:
http://www.caughtinthecarousel.com/interviews/jazzButcher.php
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=138781577
posted by saltyka at 10:36 PM
25 Comments:
Thank you for posting these goodies. Most of my Butcher collection resides on dusty vinyl and crusty tapes. You just made my day.
Ditto what he say's. Most excellent 80's artist who I heard of due to his ex-Bauhaus members. Strange I never listen to bauhaus these day's but scandal in bohemia is/was a classic. Really enjoy your site. Thank You.
Thanks for filling a few gaps and especially for the Tonix ep.
Great heaping thanks!--been hunting "distressed Gentlefolk" for years since the death of my cassette -its like $128 on amazon ($178 ? cant remember, the figure stunned me)
The butch really stands up exceptionally well over the years w/the var. albums alternating for first place
Oh-but I'm still missing 1 indispensible JB song: his live cover of john cales "Leaving it up to you" from, a magzines cassette of 'the 101 club'? memory stumbles.
But It was AMAZING-better even than any of cale's recordings of it.
Any Clues?
Nice job on the site. I'm mySpace friends with Pat Fish & he has recommended your page in his blog. I've been a fan since my teens.
For those trying to hunt down the criminally-deleted JBC back catalogue, I have the following items:
CD:
A Scandal in Bohemia / Sex & Travel
Spooky
Fishcoteque
Waiting for the Love Bus
David J – Songs From Another Season (Max Eider plays on this & it’s a terrific album)
Vinyl:
Human Jungle
Distressed Gentlefolk
Angels
Cassette:
Fishcoteque
Big Planet, Scary Planet
I have the capability copying any of these formats to CD. I am glad to send a copy gratis to any JBC fan if, on your honour, you will continue to pay the piper by promoting & supporting this rare & under-appreciated talent in any way you can.
I think it’s important to note that I purchased all of these brand new, so hopefully the proceeds helped to support the artist who created them.
You can contact me here:
slotco@hotmail.com
Best post ever!
Thank you for posting this. Very interesting to read and also nice to hear. So much great music and so much compilations. Once again thank you - you made my day.
Grazie. Ho trovato cose che cercavo da parecchio, e cose di cui ignoravo l'esistenza!
Amazing post.
Dunno if you're interested but I've got 2 different versions of 'Bath of Bacon'. The only difference being two completely different versions of 'Grey Flanellette'.
Holler if you need em
and thanks a million for this post, I managed to pick up a couple rarities I'd missed.
I appreciate THE TONIX - I had no idea. Thank You.
Cheers, mates! I have all the original vinyl that I fear scratching. Pat's my fave.
Thanks a bunch, great presentation!!
What a fantastic band.
Unfortunately I came here to fill out my collection. I have most of the LPs and wanted singles. you bundled them in with the LPs, which would be fine, except they're tagged as if done by a crayon stuck in a monkey's butt.
you pulled together random tracks into "EP"s (like a lot off "gift of music" -- had mutt albums at different bit rates, incomplete albums. no dates, no bundled artwork, misnumbered eps stuck willy-nilly onto the ends of albums. in several cases no tags at all, even artist or song title. often no consideration of whether it is "the jazz butcher" or "the jazz butcher conspiracy". all in all, a real friggin mess. so, slap yourself with a pat fish.
again, i appreciate what i could piece together but it took me like 2 hours to trash the garbage and retag what could be saved.
I still can't find any other mention of "May I EP" or the live Chicago EP, let alone any cover art. Maybe you can clue us in.
And you can make it up to me ;-) by posting that Black Eg CD.
ok nm about "May I" and the Chicago show -- both shown on jb web site. same 5 tracks of chicago show for download, but was it ever released as a vinyl/cd ep?
I can't believe how much of this I just wasn't aware of. Thank you for bringing more information to this topic for me. I'm truly grateful and really impressed.
Alright, I join the crowd. Loved it all back in the day, still have vinyl and cassettes, now I can move into a more modern technology. Cheers.
LOVE it! Unfortunately many of the links are dead "file removed", any chance of getting them re-upped? Specifically the early lps, "Glorious and Idiotic", any/all compilations. Pretty Please?!?
You sure did a great job with the post. You even added a video with all the information. Thanks for it.
Please re-up Rotten Soul, Waiting For The Love Bus, Western Family, Glorious & Idiotic and Sumosonic.
Please re-up
Pretty sure the cover of Leaving it up to you is available on the Jazz Butcher's website as a downloadable mp3. Thanks for the great work collating all of this, a pleasant read.
I don't if anyone exist behind this blog , but if you read it Please reup these JAZZ BUTCHER TREASURE.
Fajnie się prezentujecie jako zespół, gracie jeszcze coś na zasadzie koncertów or nie bardzo ?
This is a fantastically comprehensive post - thank you for writing it. Is it possible to re-up the Hamburg album? That's the one I've never been able to find!
Hi, I just wanted to download the Waiting for the Love Bus (1993), probably all links are dead, as rapidshare was very long time dead now. Will you plan to renewing the links? Would be fantastic, but I don't think it so, at all, if somebody will read this. But thank you anyway, nice blog. Cheers. Gyula
Post a Comment
<< Home