On April Showers and Arco
It's a funny thing how in the past five or so years since I've been online,
I think I've posted about April Showers something like at least once every
year to various lists and individuals. I'm sure there's something in the
indiepop list archive if you dug deep enough... however, a few brief details
here: April Showers were a Glaswegian duo comprising Jonathan Bernstein and
Beatrice Colin. The only single I know that exists by them is the Abandon
Ship single, which was released on the Chrysalis subsidiary Big Star (who
also released the first Del Amitri records) in 1984 (I think. I don't have
the record to hand, but I'm pretty certain it was '84). I have the 12" which
has 'Abandon Ship', 'Everytime We Say Goodbye' and an instrumental 'Abandon
Ship', all of which of course are fantastic Pop moments. It's close to being
my all time favourite Pop single, although that's such a hard thing to pin
down of course. The first I knew of April Showers was via the Juniper Beri
Beri fanzine that was run by Aggi and Stephen Pastel; there was an interview
in issue 2, which sadly I no longer have... they were certainly part of a
Glasgow Pop Phenomenon for me and my mates in the summers of '83 and '84,
obsessing as we did about them, and Strawberry Switchblade, Ojs, Aztec
Camera, Friends Again, Bluebells, Sunset Gun... Abandon Ship became a
certified classic and was played all the time at our parties. Hence my copy
has a battered sleeve and crackles a fair bit. The sign of a well loved
record I always think... I know that Beatrice was billed to play a show with
Chris Thompson (Friends Again and Bathers) in '86 or so in Glasgow but not
if it ever happened... and apart from that I know nothing. I certainly
didn't know about the Operation Twilight material. Is this as April Showers?
Does anyone have a tape?! I suspect there must be tapes of unreleased April
Showers material from the '84 era lurking in boxes in attics, and I know
that I for one I would love to hear more. Perhaps one day...
And on a more contemporary note, can I just add that I just got a sampler
for the new Arco LP today and it is as ravaged and seductively sullen as you
might have hoped for.
alistair
http://www.tangents.co.uk
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