John The Postman / Is Still Above God (Vinyl LP)

Description

First edition – unreleased album recorded in 1980

Ltd to 300 copies

1980-UK

Format: Vinyl LP

#Ref: OVER 173LP

Release date: 2020

Release notes

John The Postman was, hardly surprisingly, a postman. John and his friends were regulars at the first punk gigs in Manchester. It was at one such gig in April 1977 after a few too many drinks that John decided to invade the Buzzcocks stage, picked up a guitar and decided to terrorise the audience with his version of the rock standard Louie, Louie. Far from being murdered, he actually won a few admirers and after a couple more appearances was actually invited to become the official support to such artists as V2, The Fall, John Cooper-Clarke and The Drones.

Soon John was joined by other musicians and a band (of sorts) was formed for the live gigs. Things improved, sometimes they got paid for appearing!

Flushed with success and beer money, it was inevitable that John would sell out and release a record on Manchester’s Bent Records. So in Feb 1978 John and fifteen other musicians got drunk and headed into Pennine Studios in Oldham to record their debut mini album ‘Puerile’. The introduction to the album was by Mark E. Smith of The Fall and was his debut appearance on vinyl.

The album was released in a brown paper bag (to look like a letter) and sold an impressive 10,000 copies.

In need of more beer money, John and ten musicians went to Cargo Studios in Rochdale on Sunday, 10th October 1978 and in a few hours completed his second album. Packaged in another appropriately D.I.Y. sleeve the album was another success, selling 7,000. Sounds saw fit to describe John as “neo-legendary and neo-obscure”.

A third album was recorded in 1980 scheduled to appear on Mark E. Smith’s Cog Sinister label, before departing to America to work as (you’ve guessed it) – a postman!

In 2014 John approached Overground Records (who had reissued his other albums) and a release was planned. Sadly John who prophetically suggested the title died in 2015 and the project was shelved until now.

This masterpiece of mayhem continues the madness and is released as a limited edition of just 300 copies. It is the perfect tribute.

Tracklisting

A1. Merry Go Round  A2. No Fun  A3. Good News Week  B1. Barbados  B2. Work  B3. Eve Of Destruction  B4. Wild Man Fischer Trio