Strange Things Happen

London Underground - Watching West Indians In The Cold

Ripped from a 10" dub disco plate released on ON-U Sound Records (ON-U DP 4) in 1982 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio. Another of my wants list which fell into my lap a few months ago was this fine dub-punk EP from London Underground. Most of you should have rounded up the back catelogue from previous postings, Watching West Indians In The Cold completes the discography. As usual with ON-U stuff, Mr Sherwood mans the controls with splendid results.

A1 Strange Things
A2 Conspiracy
AA Why Do Fat Men Have Such Skinny Thoughts?

The Rise And Fall Of London Underground

London Underground - Current Affairs Session

I am rounding off the early On-U stuff, and almost forgot this one which was promised back at Christmas. The Current Affairs Session was the final release by dub-punks London Underground in 1983. Stand out track Motivation evidences Adrian Sherwood's move from acoustic to electronic percussion. A 7" single edit of the horn-laden Between The Lines should have broke the band commercially but subsequent sales were weak. A live London Underground album was scheduled to follow this but was never released.

Originally released on a vinyl album on On-U Sound Records (ON-U LP28M) in 1983. Ripped here in high quality lossless flac audio.

A1 Between The Lines
A2 Motivation
A3 1-3
B1 Animosity
B2 Rise And Fall
B3 Bleach It

No Pressure Sounds

London Underground - At Home With The London Underground

The debut London Underground album was released on On-U Sound in 1983. With Doctor Pablo joining adding melodica and piano, the song structures improved and the production tighter with copious dubbed effects.Whereas Holdsworth's voice is clearly out of London, the overall feel and influence is distinctly out of Jamaica, no more so evident than on side one's poignant You Don't Know.

I have the second album ready to be ripped, shortly after that London Underground's short career was over and Pete Holdsworth was eventually to make his living running the Pressure Sounds label. Happy Christmas.

Ripped from a vinyl album released on On-U Sound Records (ON-U LP22) in 1983 to high quality lossless flac audio.

A1 Fall In
A2 Great Expectations
A3 You Don't Know
A4 Thud And Blunder
B1 Hole In The Ground
B2 Ridley Road
B3 Watch Your Step
B4 Moving Mountains

Gone Underground

London Underground - Train Of Thought

Led by On-U cohort and future Pressure Sounds chief Pete Holdsworth, London Underground first proper single appeared on Situation Two Records. Produced by Adrian Sherwood, these two stabs at jerky and dark, almost grinding post-punk funk are unique and addictive. Sherwood's production is spacious and raw, the guitars are fuzzy and funky, the stabby bass is driven by pounding delayed drums. Holdsworth's voice mimics a pop groupie Mark Stewart. Splendid!

The follow up was the dubby Watching West Indians In The Cold 10" disco plate on On-U Sound. I don't possess a copy of this but an mp3 archive is linked for reference.

Ripped from a 7" vinyl single released on Situation Two Records (SIT 9) in 1981 to high quality lossless flac audio.

A Train Of Thought
B All Too Many