Tissue Island Discs (2) #4 - Sweetleftfoot

Ha ha - nice one.


Your 3rd selection is by a band who I used to love during the mid to late 80's, The Housemartins.

You've gone for a more toned down offering than most of their tracks, 1985's Flag Day...

Why is this memorable for you...?

The self styled "Fourth best band in Hull"! I remember hearing this on the r1 Annie Nightingale request show around the time it was released as a single which Google tells me is 1985. Then the Housemartins are on some kids TV show based at Alton Towers playing Happy Hour and the rest is history. Love some of Heaton’s lyrics of this era, “try shaking your box in front of the Queen” being a particular favourite. Some of his stuff (most of his BS stuff) never stood the test of time, this certainly does, as does most of the London 0 Hull 4 album. Which should be in everyones collection due to it's name alone

I saw them 3 times during their short 5 year career, and the 3rd and final time was one of their last ever gig's, which was at Brixton Academy in 1988

They were brilliant live - good to see Paul Heaton & Norman Cook went on to be successful, I often wonder what ever happened to Stan & Hugh, the other two original band members.....

Didn't one of them go menkal and attack someone with an axe? Or is that an urban myth?

Was never a big fan of Norman Cook, but some of Paul Heaton's words are great. I'll Sail that Ship alone is a top song. As is Dumb. Some of it was a bit MOR-y shite though

I think that might have been Hugh, the toast-addicted drummer

Heaton's lyrics were pretty clever during that time your right, song's like Build, The people Who Grinned Themselves To Death and Me & The Farmer amongst others, were very witty...


Moving on to Track 4 and US country rockers The Flying Burrito Brothers track from 1969, Hot Burrito #1.

Fill us in on them and why it makes the list....

sorry to interrupt, but this is probably the best 8 songs of anyone so far

flag day is what i always quote in my anti-charity rants

Whilst I dont post a lot, I work from home so lurk a fair bit and get a lot of stuff off Fred, from good offers for adidas originals (!) to band recommendations. There seems to be some pretty clued up types here. This was one of them 'Fred' bands. There was a thread on here paying respects to the late (great) Sneaky Pete, the Burritos guitarist, and someone posted at the Dark End of The Street. I went off and got the album and loved it.

This song is just so wonderfully heartbreaking. For me its a sign of real genius that they write one of the greatest melancholy love songs ever, and then give it such a throwaway title. I like some of the newer country rock stuff like Band of Horses, and Willy Mason, and Gram Parsons influence on them appears to be massive.

here's an interesting fact about them - they were among the initial acts on the stage at the Rolling Stones' infamous "Altamont" concert on December 1969, and were on stage when one of the first fights broke out in front of the stage, as documented in the film, Gimme Shelter....

4 people died in the ensuing violence

His voice on that song though. He just sounds so f***ing beaten. It's an amazing track. I can never believe that it's never been used on a film or on something that uses it's sadness.

As for them white gazelles, I'm frightened to bleeding death to wear them to the match for fear of some bloke I've never met going, "you go on Fred Tish dont yer?"

Let's take a break from your tracks now, and talk about your earliest United memories.....