The Snipers - Crass Records - 1981
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- Опубликовано: 28 авг 2024
- The Snipers, who I know next to nothing about except that they were on ‘Bullshit Detector’, and had this one 7″ single entitled ‘Three Piece Suite’, both released on Crass Records, which I liked and all my mates hated!
One of my gripes about the Crass record label, or perhaps more specifically some peoples views on the Crass record label, is that lazy remark; "All those records on that record label are just noisy thrash" or varying versions of those words, perhaps with an added: "All sound the same" remark for good measure. .
The Crass record label released a heap of records of many differing styles.
I reckon Annie Anxiety would have a hard time (on any record label not just Crass Records) sounding anything like any other artist or band. Lack Of Knowledge, M.D.C, Poison Girls, Zounds, D & V, Andy T or The Mob, neither Rudimentary Peni or K.U.K.L and many others on that label.
This record by The Snipers, is one of my favourite 7" singles on the Crass record label and is often overlooked. Criminally overlooked in my opinion!
Starting off with 'Parents Of God', a slow tom tom drum v bass guitar drone workout, followed by a guitar sound so sharp that Keith Levine from P.I.L should have sued Crass Records AND The Snipers, just as 'Flowers Of Romance' was being recorded. Wolfgang Press were also recording music similar to this 'Parents Of God' track around this time. Certainly The Snipers finding themselves in good company. This is a startling track.
The other side starts with '3 Piece Bores' and the drummer finds a snare drum from somewhere and batters that about, while blissfully unaware that when the record would finally be released, hundreds of Crasstafarians would jump up and down in their parents homes for a little over two minutes while praising the Lord (Penny Rimbaud) that at least one track on this bloody record sounds a' bit like' Crass / D.I.R.T / Conflict / ENTER NAME OF BAND HERE. ** It doesn't by the way **
The third track 'Nothing New' concludes this 7" single on a high. A 'call and response' battle between the bass and guitar, well written lyrics with the words 'sung' in such a 'bored matter of fact way', for the casual listener to think that perhaps he was reading the lyrics from a school notebook in a dark studio in Wood Green squinting at the words. But it all works. Wonderfully. For the last few seconds as the final bar chords make a pleasantly loud crescendo, it makes you wonder where the hell were all those bar chords hiding before that moment!
This record is classic, and it never sold!!!
Perhaps the band should have just sounded like Crass after all huh?
For the record my favourite 7" single on the Crass record label is 'Bloody Revolutions / Persons Unknown' a split Crass and Poison Girls record, closely followed by 'No Doves Fly Here' by The Mob.
The text below ripped from Listen And Understand blog.
The Snipers formed in late 1979 in Oxfordshire. The band compromised of Russell Bowers on vocals, Dave 'Bungi' Hounslow on guitar, Steve 'Wacker' Harris on bass and Mark Taplin on drums.
They were inspired by Crass to start a band, even though none of them could play and none of them had any equipment (what they did find was crap, such as a Colombus bass, homemade guitar, half a drum set and a 15 watt practice amp).
They were going to originally be called The Sinyx, but changed it to The Snipers upon finding out that it had already been taken.
Early practices were done at Russell's parents garage.
It took at least ten months of writing songs and practicing before they played their first gig at a Christmas party in the Victory Hut, a community centre from Brize Norton (a leftover hut from World War II).
The Snipers then recorded their first demo in Bourten, Gloucestershire possible around 1980.
They shared it with their friends and sent one to Crass.
Crass pulled their track 'War Song' for Bullshit Detector 1.
A second Demo was recorded, better recorded versions of three of those tracks on that demo ended up on their 1981 7" single 'Three Piece Suite' for Crass Records, and the other three tracks from the demo on a compilation, 'Spirit of an Old Age Anthem' cassette tape was released in 1982, and was the last thing the band released.
They played their last gig at the Wapping Anarchy Centre with Failing Parachutes in support, a band that is included in their compilation tape.
Mark eventually moved to Telford, and this led to the band becoming less active, and ultimately, their demise.
They had no interest in replacing Mark, since the band was made out of friendship.
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So pleased to hear this again. I grew up in the next door village to these guys and my brother was mates with Whacker. I had this and played it to death but none of my siblings seem to appreciate it. I think it's stood the test of time!!
One of my fave 7"rs on Crass Records at that time...and now as well!
Thank you for uploading this EP in whole!
You can't beat a good crackle on an old vinyl record,
Rice Krispies has it beat.
One of my faves. Actually have some EP's on display on my wall and this is one of them.
Three Piece Suite’, n ting !
????? "You know next to nothing about them"??? Yet you've written a full bio of them. Great tracks!
Still got this..
I really this version of Nothing New
are you saying this EP was demo's recorded at southern studios? ( www.discogs.com/The-Snipers-Three-Peace-Suite/release/808848 ) my band didnt get accepted by crass ( sent them a tape in) but we knew DIRT( they told us roughly what deal was) and John Loder ran SS as a business and it wasnt cheap to record there ...the reason all these Crass releases stand up today is because they would spend first day ( so i was told ) just getting a good drum sound .. maybe start tracking then next day or 3rd day record and mix ..I think it was about £400 per day and im not sure if Crass paid that or band had to ..John Loder was a genius engineer and I later saw him in action at SS ... plus of course Penny producing.. truly the Abbey Road of PuNk ... Jesus & Mary Chain recorded 'Psychocandy' here for these reasons... anyway reason I chirped up was , wasnt this a planned EP for Crass Records and not demo's ?... and how do you know all the details of The Snipers history even down to their Columbus bass ( i have two jazz ones ) etc... very interesting minutia and reminds me of my own early musical history...
I had this nice gem yah
Loved em
First time of hearing.
Hard to endure that one for me. Nasal drone of a voice. Agree with Michael Baxter on the fave 7" on the label. Many equal on 3rd spot though for me. Flux, Conflict, Nagasaki Nightmare B-side, Alternative, Zounds, Peni.....
Sad opinion.
@@inthegoldenrodhours333 It's my opinion.
That's absolutely stunning music, I can barely believe my ears! Many thanks to MUSICPUNK1977 on Instagram, rector of the 'punk-university' ;-)) for leading me to this as well as to many other great punk-tunes with the likes of Rezillos, The Snipers, Poison Girls, Exit Stance and so on!!!!