OPTIC NERVE, the Preston label which is repressing indie 7″s with love and care in its singles series, version 3.0 of which is with us now, is poised to release a little unearthed gem by Swiss punky girlpopsters Chin Chin and The Siddeley’s classy Sunshine Thuggery EP up next.
In recent times, the label has brought us reissues of The House of Love’s “Christine”, Revolving Paint Dream’s “In The Afternoon” and Camper Van Beethoven’s “Take The Skinheads Bowling”, among other absolute gems you could’ve cheerily bet your bottom dollar you’d never see come out again on vinyl – and it’s split coloured vinyl, to boot. Indie pop is never, ever, noise pollution, kids.
Chin Chin, an all-female trio consisting of singer-guitarist Karin, bassist and vocalist Esther, and drummer and singer Marie-Anne, formed in Biel, Switzerland in 1982. The three tracks on this 7″ were originally issued on 12″ by Zurich’s Farmer Records in 1986, and formed part of an eight-track comp put out by the lovely 53rd and 3rd a year later, which, ouch, price wise.
Never fear though: this is ready to order right now, and we’re also told that a singles and BBC sessions album is in the pipeline for Sealed Records.
The wholly limited half-blue, half-yellow vinyl three-track 7″ with postcard and poster is part of Optic Nerve’s excellent Optic Sevens 3.0 series, which also includes the aforementioned House of Love and Camper Van Beethoven gems, with East Village’s “Back Between Places”, Girls at Our Best!’s “Getting Nowhere Fast” and Beat Happening’s “Crashing Through” also among its hallowed annals. Superb.
Also up for the first time on 7″ is the John Parish-produced Sunshine Thuggery EP by The Vaselines, from 1988. This four-tracker caught the ear of John Peel, who invited the band to record a session. Peel commented at the time: “the woman who’s in charge of the band has a terrific way with words in almost the manner of Morrissey There are lines in here which make me laugh out loud.” That’s out on white vinyl with red splatter. Yesss.
And if that wasn’t enough to satisfy you – up for order now on eye-popping translucent lime green vinyl is Girls At Our Best’s post-punk classic “Going Nowhere Fast”, as covered by The Wedding Present on George Best. The band’s 1980 debut was made NME Single Of The Week (y’know, when that really meant something) and reached the Top 10 of the indie chart. The band, fronted by Judy Evans, released four further singles plus the album, Pleasure, which reached the UK album charts in 1981, before splitting up in ’83. It comes with its original flip, “Warm Girls”.
You can order Chin Chin’s Stop Your Crying 7″ direct from Optic Nerve, here; The Vaselines’ Sunshine Thuggery, here; Girls At Our Best’s “Going Nowhere Fast”, here, or subscribe to the full set of 12, why the hell not? here.
