The Associates: Have the years been kind?

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There's the Associates there - um, yes, that's right, the Associates with "Party Fears Two" which I think is really a silly pompous title for a song really, I mean why can't they do a good straightforward song title like "Classic" or "Censors Working Overtime", telling us exactly what they're thinking? And I bet they support the whingeing Labour Party and the nurses who take our lives into their hands with their arrogance that they want to get paid more than the newsagent down the road from my home in Cheam with the scary Alsatian, oh, what a bore, remember nurses, IF YOU DON'T WORK, WE DON'T WORK!!! More great Radio 1 pop music coming up after the news with the Goombay Hermes House, erm, Dance Band ...

― Hairy Cockflake, Tuesday, 22 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

four months pass...

I only just heard of the Associates but have known their work for sometime ever since I first heard the jingly goodness of Party Fears Two, which was endlessly repeated during the end credits of Radio 4's "Weekending" show for most of the 80s and early 90s.

I was pestering people in the office by humming the tune to see if anybody knew what it was but nobody knew. Then just the other day they played it on advert for the CD "Alternative Eighties" so I had to buy it. Now my mind is at rest! Strange CD, mind.

― Zooty McFrooty, Wednesday, 29 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Since this has come up again, let me say (again) just how amazing the demos album 'Double Hipness' is.

― Dr. C, Wednesday, 29 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

ten months pass...

i've had kitchen person buzzing around my brain for two days now

― gaz (gaz), Wednesday, 9 April 2003 02:52 (twenty-two years ago)

five months pass...

I needed something, I was at a loss, I decided now was the time for Sulk. "No" stalking and floating out of my speaker like a delirious revenant and all is again right with the world.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 22 September 2003 03:51 (twenty-one years ago)

i might play it when i get home too

― gaz (gaz), Monday, 22 September 2003 04:01 (twenty-one years ago)

just some info for hardcore associates fans: there's two spanish bands, hidrogenesse and astrud (actually their whole label, austrohungaro.com) that are completely fond of billy mckenzie's music and vocal style, and they do it really well and get a new sound out of their tribute to the associates. i absolutely recommend it to all.

― joan vich (joan vich), Monday, 22 September 2003 11:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyone got a take on Glamour Chase, which indeed found its release last year?

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 22 September 2003 13:33 (twenty-one years ago)

"The Glamour Chase" was well worth the wait - even if the impact of it was inevitably dulled from hearing various MP3s over the last few years.

It's probably a better album than "Wild & Lonely", but probably less than essential if you've already got the Rankine-era albums.

I seem to remember that there is still supposed to be another album's worth of unreleased Boris Blank collaborations. That must be the last of the releasable stuff in the vaults.

With regard to the posthumous releases, I would have prefered "Smile"-esque compilations of the Winter Academy and Outerpol albums, as opposed to the scattershot approach of "Beyond The Sun" et al.

BTW, I've still got a sealed copy of the deleted "Eurocentric" if anyone is after it.

― Marcel Gallingez (Marcel Gallingez), Monday, 22 September 2003 15:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Eurocentric, that was his solo album followup to Wild and Lonely? I am definitely interested...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 22 September 2003 15:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Do you mean like this. I'd love one, but I have mouths to feed.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Monday, 22 September 2003 16:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Blimey!

Didn't realise it was already worth £130. At this rate it's going to overtake my other two 'nest egg' records (Radiohead's "Drill" EP (vinyl) and XTC's "Wrapped in Grey" CD single).

Ned, you might be confusing "Eurocentric" with "Outernational" - Billy's only 'proper' solo album, released in 1992. I've got one of those as well, but it's far too good to sell...

― Marcel Gallingez (Marcel Gallingez), Monday, 22 September 2003 17:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Ah, clarity is mine. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 22 September 2003 17:36 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

i have had 4th drawer down burnt for months, and after spending all of that time trying to parse the music, i realized i have no idea what the lyrics mean at all. i have found a website with the the actual words, which has made the music seem even more cryptic to me.

it still sounds fresh as hell to my ears btw.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 05:49 (twenty-one years ago)

actually not all of the songs are frustrating, but explain "property girl" if you can. "no managerial talks"?

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 06:07 (twenty-one years ago)

i happened to hear "tell me easter's on friday" for the first time the other week, on a compilation tape. i've been completely in love with it ever since, so i'll definitely try to pick up an associates album before long.

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 06:17 (twenty-one years ago)

i am thinking that at this point, it seems the most essential are:
1. Fourth Drawer Down
2. Sulk
3. Radio One Sessions Volume One

all remastered in the last three years.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 06:19 (twenty-one years ago)

thanks! i may have to resort to amazon, i don't think i've ever seen any of their albums on sale around here - but then i live in a particularly un-musical town.

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 06:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Aaron OTM. Get them. OR ELSE.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 06:24 (twenty-one years ago)

where do you live? i am in the DC area in the u.s. and i am having a hard time getting them even though i work for a record store. i had to write up a manual special order for them off of our main data system, and i might not be able to get them at all (which means no discount !), which is strange because we are able to order, stock and carry other strange fruit releases. amazon seems to have them though.

ned any help on the lyrics?

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 06:30 (twenty-one years ago)

tucson. possibly the one major city in america without a tower records!

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 07:20 (twenty-one years ago)

eight months pass...

Is there ever going to be a re-release of the original Affectionate Punch without the synth overdubs? That may be my favorite album of theirs.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 19:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Dan, Dave T. made Tim Paxton make me a CD copy of that with color-copied artwork. Yes, it's fantastic. Esp. given all the other reissues, I suspect it's a rights thing.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 19:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Dan, I've got the original Fiction vinyl, and I'd be happy to make you a tape if you want.

― Clarke B. (Clarke B.), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 19:45 (twenty-one years ago)

I have the LP, but thanks anyway. I just mean it deserves release. Don't know about rights as the 2nd version of The Affectionate Punch had a CD release.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 30 June 2004 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

three months pass...

"Here's a message from Jude of the MacKenzie Estate regarding The Affectionate Punch, as sent to Associates News List by Francois 30 Aug 2004: "The (...) original version of The Affectionate Punch has moved a stage closer to becoming a reality. As I'm sure you knew, the master tape of the original 1980 album had been lost without a trace since the 1982 remixed version supplanted it as the official release. While it is possible to master CDs from vinyl (with varying degrees of success), this is no real substitute for a 24bit digital master of the original tape. We were therefore astonished and elated when a duplicate tape of the original master recently turned up in Germany. It seems that the duplicate was made for Polydor's European pressing of the original album in 1980. It then went into storage at the pressing plant, where it had languished unnoticed for the past twenty four years. As such, the tape was apparently in good condition. It has now been transferred to a DAT, which has been brought to London to await remastering. This is not the end of the process by any means, but Polydor, who own the rights to the album, have indicated that they are keen to go ahead with a reissue deal. Negotiations notwithstanding, we can now be sure that WHEN The Affectionate Punch sees a new dawn, it will be in all it's morning glory. The October release date posted by Amazon was a provisional, somewhat over-zealous announcement on their part. In fact we're using the 25th Anniversary of the album's original release – ie: next year – to help Polydor find a good commercial reason to go ahead with it. Alan, Michael and myself have yet to agree new terms with Polydor, so there is no realistic chance of a release this year. Also, no decisions can be taken until the CD master is approved. But as I have said before, it is only a matter of time. Jude."

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 10:28 (twenty years ago)

(Probably not the appropriate place to ask, but were Scars -as mentioned on the flyer upthread- any good? Saw their album recently and it looked a tad dodgy, like some sort of Drum Theatre atrocity (well maybe not quite that bad) but now I see them in such fine company and I'm starting to hum and ho...)

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 10:47 (twenty years ago)

they had an early release on Fast which is essential, it's on some of the Fast Mutant Pop and Rigour Discipline Disgust type comps, 2 songs called Adultery and Horrorshow. The album, while not lacking in some charm, isn't nearly as good.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 13:59 (twenty years ago)

Noted and filed away. Now for the Associates = ABOUT GODDAMN TIME. But I'm glad that it has been provoked by this happy find.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:06 (twenty years ago)

How does the original compare to the remixed version anyway? Is it really better?

― JC (JC A.), Thursday, 7 October 2004 01:54 (twenty years ago)

i like the first one! but i had it for a while and grew to love it and then of course the "the way we really wanted it" one came out and its a bit of a disappointment to be honest.

― gaz (gaz), Thursday, 7 October 2004 01:58 (twenty years ago)

I remember liking it better enough to give away the remixed version but that was a long time ago.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Thursday, 7 October 2004 02:00 (twenty years ago)

this thread's revival reminds me that JC's retraction above is one of my all time favourite things EVER on ILM

― Paul (scifisoul), Thursday, 7 October 2004 02:34 (twenty years ago)

Billy McKenzie and Marc Almond are my girlfriend's favourite singers -I can only add that I just would like to sing like Billy.

― Marco Damiani (Marco D.), Thursday, 7 October 2004 06:47 (twenty years ago)

I like both versions a great deal.

― Andy K (Andy K), Thursday, 7 October 2004 11:36 (twenty years ago)

Billy McKenzie and Marc Almond are my girlfriend's favourite singers

You are to please tell her that my estimation of her has grown even stronger.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 7 October 2004 12:01 (twenty years ago)

two weeks pass...

actually not all of the songs are frustrating, but explain "property girl" if you can. "no managerial talks"?

"Mona Property Girl" (and its superior incarnation "A Girl Named Property") should be pretty obvious...it's a rambling about females being looked upon as Earth-mothers/all-giving goddesses and having tribute paid to them by naming things after them as a sort of worship or as a means of comfort or company (like the song says) taken to silly proportions... ("Mona property girl...Mona property world...Mona office blocks...") I think it's a funny song, probably my favourite by Associates.

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Monday, 25 October 2004 22:37 (twenty years ago)

thanks. ive never been good at parsing lyrics as opposed to prose which is maybe why i like Basic Channel so much hehe.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Monday, 25 October 2004 23:26 (twenty years ago)

A personal shout-out for Double Hipness leftover "Geese" is in order — great, soaring melody and Levine-esque post-punk guitar...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 15:31 (twenty years ago)

five months pass...

Oh god I love this band. (Just finished listening to the first disc of Double Hipness in a long while.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 24 April 2005 19:11 (twenty years ago)

Tum! Tra-la-la, tra, tra-la-la-la la-la...
Tum! Tra-la-la, tra, tra-la-la-la lum!

― Ian Riese-Moraine has a grenade, that pineapple's not just a toy! (Eastern Mantr, Sunday, 24 April 2005 19:21 (twenty years ago)

BAP DE LA BAP

(Though at this second I listen me to "Mona Property Girl.")

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 24 April 2005 19:44 (twenty years ago)

I just played the first 2 LPs recently, first time hearing em in entirety, and hafta say B.McK's vocals annoy the krap outta me at least half the time... Good grooves tho.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 24 April 2005 19:47 (twenty years ago)

The original version of The Affectionate Punch comes out on CD this summer, according to a forward from an Associates mailing list.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Sunday, 24 April 2005 19:53 (twenty years ago)

Good, good...

Michael Dempsey gave a cryptic reference to further tracks for release at the end of his brief liner notes for Double Hipness, though I wonder if he was more referring to the still unreleased state of Affectionate at that point. Still though, hmm.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 24 April 2005 19:56 (twenty years ago)

Oh and ARGH HOW GOOD IS THE START TO "TELL ME EASTER'S ON FRIDAY." I mean, the rest of the song as well, but that swirling high twirl of twisted sound might as well be end of nineties glitch bits as momentous/portentous intro without being stereotypically *either.*

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 24 April 2005 19:57 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, the music for it's really pretty if you disregard the walloping stomp of John Murphy's drums (which I definitely enjoy, admittedly).

― Ian Riese-Moraine has a grenade, that pineapple's not just a toy! (Eastern Mantr, Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:03 (twenty years ago)

Recently got the BBC sessions as well, amazing amazing version of Waiting For the Loveboat. Just checked amazon and am confused because I coulda swore there was a singles CD comp w/ Ice Cream Factory on it, but the comp there doesn't have it. That's my fave. It does have Kites though, also wonderful.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Sunday, 24 April 2005 20:07 (twenty years ago)

i pulled out sulk yesterday after reading the scotland chapter in sr's p-punk book, and good god i can't believe this EVER charted, however briefly. the whole album is on overload.

― strng hlkngtn, Sunday, 24 April 2005 21:18 (twenty years ago)

nude spoons EUPHORIAAA EUPHO-O-O-O-RIA-A-A-A-A!

(i love sulk, yes i do)

― joseph (joseph), Sunday, 24 April 2005 21:33 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 303 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

yes! so great! one of my fave 12"s ever.

― stirmonster, Wednesday, 4 January 2023 00:26 (two years ago)

Having only discovered the Associates and Billy McKenzie a few years ago (one of those, why didn’t I discover them sooner things) this is sad. Rankine and McKenzie were such a great team.

― Lord Pickles (Boring, Maryland), Wednesday, 4 January 2023 01:16 (two years ago)

Hey, never too late to realize how great they were.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 4 January 2023 02:11 (two years ago)

I only discovered them a few years ago on a documentary about 80s scottish music. Sulk is by far my favorite thing by them and I really wish it could have kept going with that lineup. Will watch the Glamour Chase documentary soon and hope I can track down his solo albums someday.

― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 7 January 2023 18:43 (two years ago)

Do they appear in the recent book Hungry Beat oral history thing on Scottish independent music. Presumably must do. I think the Pop Group do but had a very short look at the book.

― Stevolende, Saturday, 7 January 2023 18:48 (two years ago)

Very briefly.

― dan selzer, Saturday, 7 January 2023 21:17 (two years ago)

four months pass...

BA Robertson is so fucking weird.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhM-nO4Yjjw

― MaresNest, Thursday, 18 May 2023 22:31 (two years ago)

one year passes...

Forgive me if I'm being a dunderhead but I've only just worked out the meaning of this song after 40 odd years. In "Party Fears Two" 'this party' is not a party in the sense of 'a social gathering of invited guests, typically involving eating, drinking, and entertainment' but is instead a party in the sense of 'a person or people forming one side in an agreement or dispute', right? So the song is about fear of commitment in a relationship, right?

― Please play Lou Reed's irritating guitar sounds (Tom D.), Monday, 17 February 2025 23:29 (four months ago)

Hmm! Could be!

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 18 February 2025 01:52 (four months ago)

I can dig it. I think I imagined, for no good reason, that he stole an obscure headline about a *political* party and built lyrics around that. A quote on Wikipedia at least rules *that* out:

"My wee brother was at a party watching two girls who wanted to come in. They were smashing windows and attempting to kick the door in with their stiletto heels, which he admired, so he christened them the Party Fears Two and I pinched the title from him."

It's probably the greatest pop song I've ever heard, whatever his intent lol.

― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Tuesday, 18 February 2025 02:31 (four months ago)

someone at songmeanings.com came to the same conclusion

by Pianosa23
18y ago
The 'party' in this song has nothing to do with parties in the social gathering sense. 'This party' refers to the narrator himself, as in legal references to the first party, second party and third party. 'This party fears two' is an oblique way of admitting 'I fear the prospect of being in a personal relationship'.

― visiting, Tuesday, 18 February 2025 02:42 (four months ago)

i have been obsessed with "Windy" ever since sleeve started his "SuperBubble" poll. i am ready to open my heart to this band

― budo jeru, Tuesday, 18 February 2025 03:42 (four months ago)

lol ... sorry. my bad. surely i can't be the first one to have done this

― budo jeru, Tuesday, 18 February 2025 03:43 (four months ago)

lol it took me a second!

― sleeve, Tuesday, 18 February 2025 16:20 (four months ago)

Everyone knows it's bu-do

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 18 February 2025 16:43 (four months ago)

;)

― budo jeru, Tuesday, 18 February 2025 16:56 (four months ago)

In "Party Fears Two" 'this party' is not a party in the sense of 'a social gathering of invited guests, typically involving eating, drinking, and entertainment' but is instead a party in the sense of 'a person or people forming one side in an agreement or dispute', right?

Yeah, but he's also playing on the obvious connotations of the words to provide the situation with an emotional backdrop of social hysteria, paranoia.

― Halfway there but for you, Wednesday, 19 February 2025 18:55 (four months ago)

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