I need a/some Sarah Records EXPERT(S)!

1. I'm not really aware of any hidden tracks per se, except for the crazy screeching avant noise track that Harvey hid on the flipside of "Anorak City"

>>2. Has the same song ever been released in two or more different versions on the label?

There is a live version of "Cloud Babies" from the Sarah 70 flexidisc that is (obv) different to the album version on If Wishes Were Horses. Aside from that?? Hmmm, I'll have to think about it.

For 3. and 4. I'll have to have a listen to the records, but I'm not at home at the moment. Nothing rings a bell on "Top 40 Sculpture" having a "hiccup" though. There *are* lots of really awful mp3s floating around slsk and the interweb

for 5. It all kinda depends. Are you only concerned with things released on Sarah Records proper? Because there are other tracks by the same roster of artists that came out during the same time period on different labels, etc ("Escort Crash on Marston Street" by Heavenly springs to mind immediately). But other than the sorta dodgy-Sarah-not-really-Sarah Japanese releases like La Qui De La Peche, Speedboat, etc I don't think there were any foreign releases of Sarah stuff that were actually Sarah.

Unless you count like the "Sixteen Weeks" Cd Single that has some songs that weren't on the cd single or 7 inch of the single ("Coronation Street" and "I Love Christmas")

I wasn't aware of any other (hidden) song on the "Anorak City" single. I really hope I'll be able to find that on slsk. I have the 'Genetic Engineering/Kilburn Towers' single downloaded. Perhaps that other song on the 'Anorak City' single is one of those? Eh, probably not.

Oh, yeah I know the two different "Cloud Babies"'s. In fact, I have a bootleg of the show from which the flexi version originates. (It's a great bootleg. I could YSI as a 'thank you'.)

There *are* lots of really awful mp3s floating around slsk and the interweb
Don't I know it. It really is ridiculous.

I'm aware of Japanese releases of albums including extra songs from singles, and such. I'm not worried about that though, I'm only concerned with actually hearing the songs.
What's this 'Sixteen Weeks' single? I'm not aware of what that is at all, so I haven't seen that on that super Sarah site, either.

About "Top 40 Sculpture", dang. I'm so sick of that song. I'll still have to find a good mp3 of it though, since I'm doing this whole Sarah Records thing.

Thanks again, so far.

And it's Shadow Factory on one side - that's the comp I meant not Air Balloon Road. And would you believe what's on the other side of the cassette? Shelleyan Orphan. It was a cassette someone in the UK made me a long time ago.

wtf? after reading that, I grabbed my Anorak City flexi and there ain't shit on the backside no matter where I put the needle...

As far as versions go, there's a terrific version of "I Fell In Love Last Night" that was released on some cassette-only release with the vocal track intact, but with Hugh of the Pooh Sticks doing a totally new music track.

And if you stray outside the Sarah label itself, there are piles of wonderful rarities (and not so rarities) about. The Wake, Boyracer, Hit Parade and St. Christopher all have some lovely full-lengths on other labels. Brighter seems to have a lot of stuff around, with an alternate version of the Laurel 10" -- most of the versions demo versions, plus a couple different songs.

there are also the eight pre-Sarah Sha-la-la flexis (matt's label) with a substandard Orchids song, but with good stuff by a lot of other bands with no releases on Sarah, and the Cling Film flexi that Clare put out pre-Sarah (the song's on the Sea Urchins comp).

This link has the sha-la-la's, and if you look around you'll see more:

http://www.twee.net/labels/shalala.html

LOL

there's an unlisted song on one of the orchids cds (and two of the later tracks are strung together to make an 11 minute thing. plays havoc with the numbering when ripping them from the cd.)

were a few peel sessions that featured tracks not available to buy. feidlimce and orchids are the obvious ones.

some of the american versions of cd singles (i think there were only 4) had extra tracks from the previous singles.

> La Qui De La Peche

there's another japanese compilation as well, same label (quattro) but earlier. nothing you haven't already got though. was a 3" cd containing 3 songs that was given away with les inrockuptibles mag in france as well. but again nothing that wasn't also available on 6 other releases. (fielmdice, heavenly, orchids from memory).

the french versions of the 10" eps were all 12"s, apparently.

the first compilation comes in two sleeves - first was red and blue, later copies were yellow and green. am told that sarah 10 also had a different sleeve in later pressings.

if you're going after great singles on other labels then the sweetest ache had some good ones. avoid the second lp though. (also, the cassette, lp and cd of jaguar are all different colours, cd purple, lp red, cassette green)

oh, and fierce put out a live cd featuring sarah badns. punk rock candy mountain, or something.

> I think it was the first one..Air Balloon Road?

ABR was first CD they did, were two vinyl comps out before that.

hi keith!

are these what will comprise the six unreleased songs that appear on the matinee reissue of laurel and the flexis next month?

http://www.indiepages.com/matinee/catalog/cd041.html

yeah, I forgot about that upcoming brighter comp. must-have, that, probably sounds a lot better than the n-th generation cassette stuff I have.

released Laurel:

- Christmas
- Frostbite
- Summer Becomes Winter
- Something To Call My Own
- Ocean Sky
- Out To Sea
- Maybe
- Journey's End

I won't vouch for this, I have got them from someone who got them from the Red Roses for Me person, who said that this was the unreleased Laurel:

- Amy Never Knew
- Hope to God
- If I Could See
- Journey's End
- Nothing at All
- Summer Becomes Winter
- There Is Nothing We Can Do
- Wallflower

It was EEC Punk Rock Mountain.

I think Air Balloon Road was kind of a best of the 1st 2 vinyl comps. It is the best of all the comps IMO.

Someone needs to reissue

Someone needs to reissue Another Sunny Day - London Weekend. Goes for way too much on Ebay.

So, we've got #4, and I'm pretty sure about #3, I suppose.

This is really just about what's actually been released on the label. I know some of the artists on the label had their other musical endeavors before, during, and after the label. I've heard/or am aware of Shinkansen, Sha La La, Amelia Fletcher's solo efforts (thank you anyway, by the way, Pessimist, but I've heard it), etc... This is just about what's on the label.

So, I guess this is really just about #1 and #2, now.
Thank you for the help, so far. I'll probably have to just go on and buy those Orchids re-issues on LTM to be sure. So, if anyone has any more info, even if someone stumbles upon this thread later on, or actually knows if I've got it down, I'd love to hear and know and be sure.

I just have the compilations to listen to, now. I thought it'd be really fun to save those for last and get to go back over some songs and all that I've probably forgotten.
I've kept all the mp3s in very OCD-esque order on my computer, and when I'm sure that I've heard it all, I'm not missing anything, and they're all nice mp3s, I'm backing it all up to data dvd-r. The next time someone asks me about Sarah Records, I'll be able to be like BOOM! and burn them off a copy of that.

Thanks.

I think we need to discuss the postcards that made a bit picture when put together, and the whereabouts of Pinkneys Green.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sarah-Records-3-promo-CD-Field-Mice-Orchids-C86_W0QQitemZ230087227423QQihZ013QQcategoryZ58593QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The Field Mice - 'When Morning Comes To Town'
St Christopher - 'You Deserve More Than A Maybe'
Another Sunny Day - 'You Should All Be Murdered'
The Orchids - 'Tiny Words'

starting bid £50. sarahs 1 and 2 on there as well at the moment. 1 bid between them.

in other news, soon i will have transferred all my sha la la flexis (soon as in next week) and will make them available to everyone, yay

still just slightly unsure of #1, but other than that, i am a complete sarah expert now! i have and know the entire discography pretty forwards and backwards, inside and out, and i love most all of it!

koogy, that'd be so cool to have.

and jimbo, i can't wait for those flexis!!! thanks a bunch for going through the trouble. will you be torrenting them, or doing some you-send-its?

not in england, i'm pretty sure of that, but maybe it was a france only thing, a compilation? am aware of the two japanese comps but nothing else. the 40x 10" eps came out as 12" eps over there, apparently.

that's only the second time i've seen that 3" for sale, last time was sister ray about 12-15 years ago when i was buying the low numbered singles that someone had obviously dumped there (1, 2 and 6 iirc). there are so many more things i'd rather spend £50 on.