Edinburgh Indie Pop
Edinburgh Indie Pop - A Cabinet Of Curiosities
This usually sums up good old British weather, but what a song to cheer you up! A really feel good and catchy jangle pop tune.
Jesse Garon & The Desperadoes were formed in Scotland and part of the Indie Pop scene of the mid 80's, this was their second single 'The Rain Fell Down'. The song was originally released in March 1987 on the Independent Scottish label 'Narodnik' and also appeared on the album 'A Cabinet of Curiosities' released on other Indie Label 'Velocity' Records.
Their first 7" single, 'Splashing Along' was released in 1986 on the same record label. Catch the track below...
They Were...
- Andrew Tully (guitars, vocals)
- Angus McPake (bass guitar)
- Fran Schoppler (vocals)
- Margarita Vasquez-Ponte (drums)
- Stuart Clarke (guitar)
- Kevin McMahon (guitar)
- Eric Webster (bass)
McMahon and Clarke were to leave and were replaced by John Robb and Bruce Hopkins to help record their third release 'Billy The Whizz' on 12" . They later also hooked in Michael Kerr from Shoegaze Indie Band 'Meat Whiplash' on a permanent basis, you can catch Meat Whiplash's most well known track 'Don't Slip Up' at the link. They were one of the first bands to be signed to the Creation Record Label set up by Alan McGee in the whole Shoegaze scene and reached the dizzy heights of #3 in the Indie Charts in '85. The band's name was taken from a B Side by another Scottish Post-Punk Indie band called The Fire Engines. The band also caused some stir when they were the opening band for The Jesus & Mary Chain at North London Polytechnic by throwing a wine bottle into the crowd and then causing a semi-riot. Catch some glorious Shoegaze heaven at the link 'Some Candy Talking'. One of my favourites by them from that era.
Intertwined Indie
Andrew Tully and Margarita Vasquez-Ponte were also members of other Edinburgh post punk/indie pop band called Rote Kapelle catch their track 'King Mob' from the 1985 E.P. 'Big Smell Dinosaur' oddly enough released a record label with the same name. Further releases by them were on 'In Tape' records, a label set up by Marc Riley (Marc Riley & The Creepers/Radio 1 DJ fame).
Much like the intertwined post punk/indie scene in Liverpool back in the day it seemed that the same was true in Edinburgh with bands often being interlinked. Rote Kapelle also had associations with other bands from the area such as The Shop Assistants, The Pastels, The Vaselines and The Fizzbombs.
The Adam Faith Experience & Calling It Quits
By 1988 Jesse Garon & The Desperadoes were on the 'Velocity Records Label', whilst at the label they released another well received single 'The Adam Faith Experience' which you can catch at on youtube on the link, another slice of jangle pop and a great video too (think they might have had a wee visit to London to film it😉). They also released a cover of Blondie's 'Union City Blue' as well.
They were to release several more singles this time on the 'Avalanche Record Label' , the last being E.P. 'Hold Me Now' released in October 1990, they decided to call it quits in the same year.
Catch the rather beautiful song 'Leave You Behind' on the youtube link taken from the 12" E.P. called 'Billy The Whizz' released on the Narodnik Label in '86.
Catch them live at The Basement in Brighton in 1988 at the link, by the sound of it a bit of a tough crowd! Catch the cheeky bit of New Order they throw in towards the end.