Fifty Years of Fun

Latest Episodes:

KS-102 - STING-RAYS "Behind the Beyond" with Matt & Scott Jun 28, 2023

Show notes

Yes, it's been a long while! Remember when fanzines would come out a year late? Well here we are.

If you've been wondering what happened, we have NOT retired. We just got held up on a few episodes and then took a break! While we get back on track, we're posting a Patreon-only episode, from a release on Joe Foster's Creation-adjacent Kaleidoscope Sound label.

In the future we plan on doing more non-Creation releases here and we're going to test out doing our regular releases out of order to keep things going smoothly.

As always, special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music.

CRE010 - THE LEGEND “The Legend Destroys the Blues” b/w “Arrogant Bastards” w/ The Legend/Jerry Thackray/Everett True (The Legend!, journalist, author, professor) Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

It’s been a VERYYYYYYY long wait, but we swear this one is worth it. Your humbled hosts are back from the dead with our first repeat guest, with an incredibly fun interview, in what we believe to be our most entertaining episode!

Links:

Destroys the Blues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhsnRWQqzY8

Toy Dolls video” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m7tPikH0UA

Stuff we talk about:

A Witness

John Robb

Membranes

The Legend!

Jesus & Mary Chain

NME

Alan McGee

My Bloody Valentine

Byron Coley

Gerard Cosloy

Conflict Fanzine

Forced Exposure

Birthday Party

Ramones

Patrik Fitzgerald

X-Men

Maximum Rock n Roll

Red Guitars

Marimba Jive

Depeche Mode

New Model Army

Black Lace

Chameleons

The Dickies

Agadoo

Toy Dolls

B-52s

Cramps

Alive in the Living Room

Joe Foster

Three Johns

Mekons

The Smiths

Morrissey

** Fifty Years of Fun’s Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun **

Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music.

CRE009 - THE LOFT “Why Does the Rain” w/ Peter Astor (The Loft, The Weather Prophets, The Attendant, Ellis Island Sound, Wisdom of Harry, Louis Chavez, Damp Jungle; author) May 19, 2022

Show notes

** Fifty Years of Fun’s Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun **

It’s a huge one!! Maybe the first CLASSIC single on Creation, and boy are we excited about it. It’s worth the wait! Did you doubt us? I bet you did! Moves, technical problems, floods! Shit happens, as one says. At the end of the episode, you’ll hear how Pete Astor’s flat flooded and we had to put off the interview (but it’s mainly our fault!) And, we apologize but Matt’s mic is fucked up in the first segment. But we did it! 80s glam metal tragedies get coverage!

Links:

The Loft: All songs available on the recent Ghost Trains & Country Lanes compilation: https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/the-loft-ghost-trains-country-lanes-studio-stage-and-sessions-1984-2015-2cd/

Richard Hell “Time”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toNDJOItyqg

Push with Seal and Oisin from The Weather Prophets “Traffic”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSN0TTvZSTE

Damp Jungle “Picture of a Girl”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_sehoQZots

Devon Irons & Doctor Alimantado “Vampire”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7gtK3LyLUE

Heidi Berry “Firefly”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-g1gwo_4OI

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Stuff that comes up:

Creation Records

Roky Erikson

Farmer’s Boys

Andrew Weatherall

The Jam

Eric Clapton

Biff Bang Pow!

Pacific

Heidi Berry

Oasis

Dave Morgan

Funkapolitan

The Canaries

DC Gore

The Attendant

Lou Reed

4AD

The Out Club

John F.C. Turner

Vivian Kubrick

Tom Verlaine

The Fuck Pigs

Alan Lomax

The Stooges

The Damned

Fleetwood Mac

Stevie Nicks

Hanoi Rocks

Lee Perry

Devon Irons

Doctor Alimantado

The Subterraneans

Nick Kent

Razzle

The Sex Pistols

The Clash

David Westlake

The Servants

Wild Summer, Wow!

The Living Room

The Beatles

Pop Group

Otis Redding

Curtis Mayfield

Scritti Politti

The Loft

Weather Prophets

Leonard Cohen

Go-Betweens

The Anal Dwarves

Push Featuring Seal

Orange Juice

Danny Kelly

Seal

Primal Scream

Bobby Gillespie

Alan McGee

Richard Hell

Television Personalities

Peter Astor

A-Ha

Joe Foster

Neo Boys

23 Skidoo

Rolling Stones “Aftermath”

Bob Dylan “Love and Theft”]

Stimulin

Galliano

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** Fifty Years of Fun’s Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun **

Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music.

CRE008 - JASMINE MINKS - “Where the Traffic Goes” w/ (Part 1) Simon Down (Pink Label, The Legend!, early Creation label involvement) and (Part 2) Tom Reid & Martin Keena (The Jasmine Minks) Mar 11, 2022

Show notes

** Fifty Years of Fun’s Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun **

Holy shit we are back once again. We have careers, ok?? It's our double issue! This ep we are trying MULTIPLE new things. We have someone chatting with us in the first half (Simon Down’s number is on the back of this single so we had to talk to him!), and THEN we have TWO band members at the same time which is a new one for us. This really got our podcast editing knuckles a-crackin’! This really is the ultimate ep for any Minks fans out there—we get DEEP and DIRTY into some seriously nerdy shit. You will love it. We are proud of this one and it’s seriously fun if you like the deep details.

Links:

Jasmine Minks “Where the Traffic Goes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxG9I4hmrtw

Jasmine Minks “Mr. Magic”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoHv4meA0Bw

Jasmine Minks’ bandcamp: https://thejasmineminks.bandcamp.com/

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Stuff that comes up:

Alan McGee

Pink Label

Creation Records

The Jasmine Minks

Joe Foster

Television Personalities

That Petrol Emotion

June Brides

Phil Wilson

McCarthy

The Undertones

Dick Green

Patrik Fitzgerald

The Legend

Everett True

Laughing Apple

Biff! Bang! Pow!

Jesus & Mary Chain

Oasis

Primal Scream

Three Johns

The Mekons

The Nightingales

The Ramones

The Loft

Zarjaz

Tronics / Ziro Baby

Rough Trade

Link Wray

The Third Man

Orson Welles

Momus

El Records

Ed Down

Jah Wobble

Public Image Limited

The Byrds

We The People

The Buzzcocks

The Fall

The Jam

Jaco Pastorius

Japan

Beach Boys

The Doors

Felt

Bodines

House of Love

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** Fifty Years of Fun’s Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun **

Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music.

JAZ001 - Pat Fish & The Jazz Butcher Special w/guest David Barker (Glass Records) Jan 28, 2022

Show notes

** Fifty Years of Fun’s Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun **

Back again!! We took a winter break, but we are back with a special tribute to the recently passed frontman of The Jazz Butcher.

We start off talking about Scott’s history with the ‘Butcher, and then we chat with longtime Butcher supporter, David Barker.

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Links:

Link to Scott’s Jazz Butcher mix: https://www.patreon.com/posts/59744631Jazz Butcher website: http://jazzbutcher.com/

Jazz Butcher “Big Saturday”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVgd7oIHuEI

Jazz Butcher: “Southern Mark Smith” (single version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af3J3cBBn38

The 90s prank call every U.S. band member who toured in the 90s has heard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAeqfk5m0Y8

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Stuff that comes up:

Jazz Butcher

John Cale

Elliot Sharp

Pacific

Lemon Kittens

Danielle Dax

The Tonix

Woodentops

Jacobites

NRBQ

Mekons

Rolo McGinty

John Cale

English Subtitles

Max Eider

Pat Fish

Cherry Red

Glass Records

Elliot Sharp

In Embrace

Bron Area

Rip Rig & Panic

Antena

Everything But the Girl

Bauhaus

Religious Overdose

David J

Kevin Ayers

Syd Barett

Velvet Underground

Lou Reed

John Rivers

Kevin Askins

Swell Maps

Felt

Alan McGee

Roadrunner

Jonathon Richman

Mark E. Smith

Brix Smith

The Fall

KLF

Camper Van Beethoven

Spacemen 3

Sisters of Mercy

Andrew Eldritch

Big Time Records

Go-Betweens

Alex Chilton

Redd Kross

Dream Syndicate

Love & Rockets

REM

Green On Red

Tom Waits

Paperhouse

Teenage Fanclub

The Pastels

Rain Parade

Oasis

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** Fifty Years of Fun’s Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun **

Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music.

CRE 007 - BIFF BANG POW! “There Must Be a Better Life” w/ Dave Evans (Biff Bang Pow!, Twelve Cubic Feet, Jesse Garon and the Desperadoes, producer, early live sound man for The Jesus & Mary Chain) Dec 02, 2021

Show notes

** Fifty Years of Fun’s Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun **

We’re back with a bang! One of the absolute best early Creation singles gets a detailed excavation by your hosts. Matt goes to great lengths to not say “great.” Our guest guides us through the early Living Room days and tells us some recording tidbits. Don't slip up!

Links:

Songs:

BBP - “TMBABL”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IebtIg8UZ4

BBP - “TCEM”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgFtQFv_Y8I

Rain Parade “Look Around”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eMIyM6u0wA

Twelve Cubic Feet “Hello Howard”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtWih7mjLoA&t=38s

Jesse Garon “And if the Sky Should Fall”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N1jW_mqxcg

Pop Will Eat Itself “Mesmerised”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQCG8MOpO0A

Dave’s Tour Diary which links back to his Facebook page:

https://indiethroughthelookingglass.com/2020/09/26/creation-records-package-tour-europe-1984/

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Stuff that comes up:

Creation Records

Alan McGee

Jesus & Mary Chain

Joe Foster

Tony Fletcher

Jasmine Minks

Nightingales

Go-Betweens

Primal Scream

Pop Will Eat Itself

Jesse Garon & The Desperadoes

Biff Bang Pow

Twelve Cubic Feet

Pastels

My Bloody Valentine

Joe Foster

The Legend!

The Rain Parade

Paisley Underground

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** Fifty Years of Fun’s Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun **

Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music.

CRE006 - THE X-MEN "Do the Ghost" w/ Tim Hosking (The X-Men, The Fish Hildas, Ug & the Cavemen) Oct 21, 2021

Show notes

Your friendly hosts explore the first of two X-Men singles on Creation, learning all about the garage trash & psychobilly scenes around early-mid ‘80s London. Guest Tim Hosking, bass player for the X-Men also helps us get to the bottom of the Fish Hildas mystery, and he lets us know how you can use a glass pie case to mic up chime bars. We learn a lot on this one!

Links:

Do the Ghost: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hks-DXYK1A

Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJPR5rr5kgQ

The Fish Hildas “How I Itch to Stitch My Pitch”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCP-gfctt3E

X-Men Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thexmenspiral

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Stuff that comes up:

X-Men

Creation Records

Alan McGee

Joe Foster

garage trash

psychobilly

The Meteors

The Cramps

Clapham South Escalators

Thee Headcoatees

Thee Milkshakes

The Sting-Rays

The Prisoners

Quickspace

Th’ Faith Healers

The Fish Hildas

Ug & The Cavemen

Flaming Stars

Jesus & Mary Chain

Big Beat Records

Alec Palao

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** Fifty Years of Fun’s Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun **

Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music.

CRE005 - THE PASTELS “Something Going On” w/ Stephen McRobbie (The Pastels, Buba & The Shop Assistants, The Paintings, Geographic record label) Sep 16, 2021

Show notes

The first of three fantastic Pastels singles for Creation brings us in contact with a true pillar of pop music, Stephen Pastel. Not only do we get into the details of the release of this single and the band’s history prior to Creation, we dip into the full span of the still-active band’s career. Listen for Stephen’s Alan McGee impersonation; we’re gathering a compilation of those for future release.

The band’s early works are only spottily available on streaming services, but the band is currently in the process of reissuing various albums. Most of the band’s post-1990 catalog is available on streaming services through Domino Records.

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Links:

Songs:

“Something Going On”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FWayIxCGcY

“Stay With Me”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r63N1phPO5E

“Truck Train Tractor”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8AtJnYwEuI

Pastels’ Links:

Band page: thepastels.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/pastels_the

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Stuff that comes up:

Creation Records

The Pastels

Television Personalities

Buba & The Shop Assistants

The Paintings

Orange Juice

Fire Engines

Teenage Fanclub

My Bloody Valentine

Alan McGee

Bobby Gillespie

Primal Scream

Andrew Innes

Loop

Glass Records

Joe Foster

John Rivers

The Loft

Jesus & Mary Chain

The Legend!

Jerry Thackray

Everett True

Rough Trade

Geoff Travis

Richard Boone

New Hormones

Buzzcocks

QQQ Magazine

Strawberry Switchblade

Rose McDowall

The Roches

Formica Tops

This is Memorial Device (Book by David Keenan)

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** Fifty Years of Fun’s Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun **

Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music.

CRE004 - THE JASMINE MINKS “Think!” w/ Jim Shepherd (The Jasmine Minks) Aug 06, 2021

Show notes

You can count on us to take a while but bring the goods! Just a purely incredible single, and frontman Jim even PLAYS THE A-SIDE for us!! We get to the bottom of the fretless bass mystery and we learn a lot more about the Aberdeen, Scotland-based ‘Minks, the first Creation band to come from outside the Communication Blur crowd. Stay tuned for three more Minks singles to come, all fucking CLASSICS.

Links to the songs in question are included below, and we highly recommend the “Cut Me Deep: Anthology 1984 1984-2014” compilation on Cherry Red on 2CD and streaming services.

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Links:

Songs:

Jasmine Minks “Think”: https://youtu.be/Do7aRXQPKGc

Jasmine Minks “Work for Nothing: https://youtu.be/ADzG6TO4s2Y

Jasmine Minks “Nothing Can Stop Me”: https://youtu.be/zttghAZNgWk

Minks Links:

Minks’ Bandcamp: https://thejasmineminks.bandcamp.com/

Jim’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/behappydadda?lang=en

Jasmine Minks Anthology: https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/cut-me-deep-the-anthology-1984-2014/

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Stuff that comes up:

Byrds

Wilf Smarties

Alan McGee

Orange Juice

Television

Echo & the Bunnymen

Jasmine Minks

Jim Shepherd

Joe Foster

Television Personalities

Revolving Paint Dream

Buzzcocks

Primal Scream

Biff Bang Pow

Dave Musker

Billy Fury

Cliff Richard

Jesus & Mary Chain

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Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music.

CRE003 - BIFF BANG POW! “Fifty Years of Fun” w/ Dave Musker (Television Personalities, Revolving Paint Dream, Jasmine Minks, X-Men) Jul 01, 2021

Show notes

We’re back!! Farfisa Dave is an incredible guest and such a good sport; we are so excited about this one! Dave was the keyboard/piano player on the TVP’s dark classic LP The Painted Word, as well as hired hand on basically all of the early Creation singles. Dave also did sound in Alan McGee’s early club, The Living Room, and he apparently was doing sound for the first Jesus & Mary Chain show in London. (And yes, the clanky sound you hear during the interview is his teacup hitting the saucer.)

Links to the songs in question are included below, and we highly recommend you check out the Biff Bang Pow! compilations available on CD and on streaming services.

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LINKS:

Songs:

BBP! “Fifty Years of Fun” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpjZqKEhNXI

BBP! “Then When I Scream”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWIKLZ_iNbI

Jackie Edwards “Keep On Running”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdJGyf-iJE4

Spencer Davis Group “Keep On Running”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrxHcSZBU38

Teenage Filmstars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsJGl-LZF5U

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BBP & TVPs streaming links:

BBP’s The Singles As and Bs: https://open.spotify.com/album/4ZvKQzPNI2k5ti1JGp4Gfd?si=AhiDXsT3TxmBfLc0kffsHw

BBP’s Waterbomb (best of collection): https://open.spotify.com/album/7aseYjnUQdpUYAwxtoLf9c?si=WQ14W6xkTjusYdQXv0aiZA