the sTriP - 1995

aug 1994 - mar 1995 mar '1995 - dec 1995 jan 1996-dec 1996 jan 1997 - jun 1998
the sTriP recorded lots and lots of tapes over the years (under many different names). Most were released by various different tape labels, but a few have stayed in their boxes...




mar '95 - skinny top, heavy bottom

grunge kids
confused
beautiful confusion
somebody means you
we can build you
vaseline
eMpTy V
blame
mirror
swings and roundabouts
the blind watchmaker
green checked shirt
dreaming
liquid menthol tortoise
This was the sTriP's first album. It was mainly recorded on a four track at James parents house with overdubs done in the big room at 208 Infirmary Road. Some of the songs were recorded by johnnie in the attic at 208.
apr ' 95 - naked in the marsh

she's so cool
mirror (cracked)
somebody means you
grunge kids*
on demand
swings & roundabouts
hole
green check shirt
thinking
beautiful confusion*
This tape was given to people who came to the gig at The Angel Inn, Horncastle on 17th April 1995. Some of the songs were taken from the first album - "Skinny Top, Heavy Bottom" and some were almost finished versions of songs that would eventually end up on the second album - "poetry for the underground".
the sTriP songs were recorded over cassingles johnnie bought from Andy's records for 10p each and each cover was hand made.
* There were two different versions of the tape - one had 8 songs, the other had 10. Whether the tape was an 8 or 10 song tape depended on the length of the cassingle it was recorded over.

apr '95 - the melissa george e.p.

she's so cool
thinking...
on demand
like a star
swings & roundabouts
unlisted bonus tracks:
- dirty boots*
angel (demo)
mildred pierce* (backwards)
A selection of songs from the first two albums with some silly bonus tracks.
* sonic youth cover.
apr '95 - poetry for the underground

thinking...
star
mirror
the question?
whole
poetry
sprite
april '95
from the top
didn't think to..........
not as good
the star you used to be
on demand
burnt out
she's so cool
love backwards
The difficult second album. When this tape was originally released it was wrongly titled "tales from the underground" by the label. It was mainly recorded at james parents house with overdubs done in the big room at 208, though a couple of songs were recorded in the attic of 208.
aug '95 - my first kitten

wholesale
star
fleeting on a chill wind
under the thumb
mary 1
the jesus incident
not listening
on demand
the mote in god's eye
confusion
angel
from the top
12 chicken nuggets (branca style)
fizzing on a star
to the girl
"yeah - feedback time"
acoustic E.ROOM
just a little bimbo
roy's beer pt.1
fizzy*
roy's beer pt.2
super starry girl
fast chase sequence
XR-13, PRN
a tribute to a fallen idol????
babel
never claimed
diary
sighted on the horizon
sainsbury's
nuggets (2 for 1)
fever
a fatal mistake
FM
scottish poodle
nylon blush
tizer hair
menthol coffee
the bleeding scene
some runes that i haven't got a font for
334
caesium spark
The third album. Most of this album was recorded in two days in may 1995 at james parents house with overdubs recorded in the lounge and the small room at 208. johnnie had written a few of the songs in advance, but most were improvisations with the guitar in a variety of tunings. A few songs were recorded at 174 edmund road later in the summer after james moved to sheffield. About half of the tracks are short improvised instrumentals and half are full songs.

* co-written by shahzad ahmad who later ended up making more music as a member of the AhmaDilloes
sept ' 95 - there's goo in my heart

fever*
never claimed
thinking in the rain
running blades
just a punk rock bimbo
baby hippo you're my friend
kevin
superstar
school assembly song
egg
diary
kevin the amoeba*
eric's on the median
dr. ladybird
empty room (demo - unlisted)
Soon after putting "my first kitten" together johnnie discovered a few songs left on the tapes, so this tape includes a couple of songs from "my first kitten", a couple of the leftover "kitten" sessions songs, a couple of new songs recorded at 174 and a couple of new songs recorded at 50 Priestly Street.

* co-written by shazad ahmad, who also spoke one line. Shahzad later ended up making more music as a member of the AhmaDilloes.

sept '95 - songs for holly +4

atmosphere
thinking (new)
dropping hints
run away
tumbling
wish
home again
fizzing on a star
2nd form poetry
hopeless
when time is poetry
contact
let's go (remix)
eric's on the median
on demand (4 holly)
kit kat
strictly for scarabs
my original angel
stalk
oooh oh ooh ah
better than mint (kT?)
sprite (holly's version)
sainsbury's
a wish (first time)
she's so cool (garagical)
green check shirt
liquid menthol tortoise
the beginning of myself
This tape was supposed to be a four song demo to be sent for review, but for some reason ended up having 28 bonus tracks. The bonus tracks included more leftover "kitten" sessions songs, new songs recorded at 50, rerecorded old songs and plain old songs.
oct '95 - live the fantsay (released under the name Aquarius)

no need to order
once bitten
always on the ropes aka lift
a room full of video screens aka where are the squirrels
holding back aka smile
camera = life aka shoot a hole
money mix aka soul/hole etc
october aka empty room
action man
ambitions aka pc song
gone-to-sleep
angel's breath
unlisted untitled instrumental
johnnie came up with the idea of this album as a way of pissing off james. It didn't really work. It was recorded at 50.

oct '95 - the jesus incident (released under the name Queen Bee and Her Pals)

games i always lose
may
sloth
faint
sainsbury's (sunday shopper)
lost & found
floating
space shower
stupid
bow down
dreams of sleep
menthol coffee
dash
you're no star
lost
time to fly
generic
everyday
in a tv interview
S.I.M.P.L.E.
punch
never stop
DM 1
chains of air
pointless rerun
the screwdriver song
Another album released under a different name as there had been too many sTriP albums released in a short space of time. These songs were recorded at 50.

At this point there was a short break in the sTriP as johnnie and james answered an ad and became the backing band for a guy named richard. They were called monkeywrench. They weren't very good.

james solo stuff johnnie's solo tapes aug 1994 - mar 1995 mar '1995 - dec 1995 jan 1996-dec 1996 jan 1997 - jun 1998
Last updated 02/01/08