The Shop Assistants: "Dreaming Backwards" mixtape 1983-1990
In the late 1980s, my friend Rick Vorndran made me a tape of a record he bought while in England, the Shop Assistants' Will Anything Happen. The 1986 Chrysalis Records album by the relatively obscure Edinburgh, Scotland, band remains one of my favorites of all time, a thing of enduring power and beauty. On 100th listen, it still sounds vulnerable, gorgeously noisy, and built to chill (notice how the chorus becomes climax and coda on "I Don't Want to Be Friends with You" above). They're a secret link between the Jesus and Mary Chain roar and Riot Grrrl rage, the Pastels' tenderness and Slumber Party daze, Cocteau Twins glisten and Stereolab drive, something new under the Velvet Underground sun.
Shop Assistants friends and fans the Vaselines recently got a deluxe reissue treatment on Sub Pop, and it's high time "the Shoppies" got something similar (since they've been covered by Matador's Fucked Up, maybe that label would be game). They were so much better than their contemporaries, I think, at least on the evidence of their hard-to-find recordings, and yet so much less heard and known--and I've always wondered why.
Until we get a proper complete-discography double-CD, here's a recommended make-it-yourself chronological compilation, with info about where to buy or download each set of songs. The most surprising thing about putting this together was that every single track was worth it:
 |
From Buba and the Shop Assistants, Something to Do (November 1983, Villa 21, 002) 7-inch, downloadable here at Shelflife:
1. Something to Do
2. Dreaming Backwards
From The Shop Assistants, a.k.a. Shopping Parade EP (June/August 1985, Subway, SUBWAY 01, Subway Organization) 7-inch, all different versions of songs than on album, downloadable here at Phoenix Hairpins:
3. All Day Long
4. Switzerland
5. All That Ever Mattered
6. It's Up to You
If I could find it, this would be where I put the "rough mix" version of "Safety Net," from an unreleased demo tape, which I read about here at Down With Tractors (with more here at Westway). Hope he re-ups that track!
7. Safety Net (rough mix)
From Peel Sessions (October 21, 1985), downloadable at Hopeless:
8. Safety Net
9. Almost Made It
10. Somewhere in China
11. All That Ever Mattered
From Safety Net (February, 1986, AGARR 1/AGARR 112, 53rd & 3rd Records) 7-inch/12-inch, from Anthology 1985-1986, downloadable at eMusic:
12. Safety Net
13. Almost Made It
14. Somewhere in China
From Peel Sessions, June 12, 1986, downloadable at Hopeless:
15. Fixed Grin
16. I Don't Wanna Be Friends with You
17. Ace of Spades [Motorhead cover]
18. Before I Wake
I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You (September 1986, Blue Guitar, AZUR2/AZURX2) 7-inch/12-inch, downloadable here at Phoenix Hairpins:
19. I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You [not different than the album version, but included here for flow]
20. Looking Back
21. All Day Long (Slow Version) [a.k.a. Long Version]
 |
From the 2008 CD reissue of Will Anything Happen (also simply known as The Shop Assistants) (November 1986, Blue Guitar, AZLP2/ZAZLP2), LP/Cassette, also on Chrysalis Records/EMI, reissue on Cherry Red Records available for purchase at Amazon:
1. I Don't Want to Be Friends With You [same as single version except for the tweaked title]
2. All Day Long
3. Before I Wake
4. Caledonia Rd.
5. All That Ever Mattered
6. Fixed Grin
7. Somewhere in China [different version than on Safety Net single]
8. Train from Kansas City [Shangri-Las cover]
9. Home Again
10. Seems to Be
11. After Dark
12. All of the Time
13. What a Way to Die [Pleasure Seekers cover]
14. Nature Lover
From NME's C86 compilation cassette, downloadable here at Aquarium Drunkard:
15. It's Up to You
From You Trip Me Up flexidisc (January 1990, FLX886, Avalanche Records), downloadable here at Pukekos. Note significant lineup shift for these still-wonderful final releases, with the departure of lead vocalist Alex, bassist and second vocalist Sarah moving over to lead vocals, drummer Laura moving over to bass, and Margarita joining on drums with a full drum kit instead of Laura's usual upright bass and snare:
16. You Trip Me Up [Jesus and Mary Chain cover]
17. The Other One
From Here It Comes (January 1990, Avalanche Records, AGAP001C/AGAP001B), CD single, with "Here It Comes" and "I'd Rather Be With You" downloadable here at I Could Die Tomorrow, and the other two apparently downloadable here, though I'm going off my own CD copy, which is track-downable:
18. Here It Comes
19. I'd Rather Be With You
20. Look Out
21. Too Much Adrenalin
From Big E Power (May 1990, Avalanche Records, AGAP003/AGAP003MC/AGAP003T/AGAP003CD), various formats, including CD single, with first "Big E Power" and "One More Time" downloadable here at I Could Die Tomorrow, and "She Said" downloadable here at Chocolate Bobka, though I can't find the live "Big E Power" online anywhere yet (I'm going off my own copy of the CD, which is track-downable):
22. Big E Power
23. She Said [Beatles cover]
24. One More Time
25. Big E Power [live]
(The Pleasure Seekers' 1965 classic "What a Way to Die")Drawn from these Shop Assistants links: Tom Bartlett's page, Wikipedia entry, 17 Seconds post, I Could Die Tomorrow, Merry Swankster, MySpace page, a discography, ilx, with more here, here, here, here, and a live remembrance/review and photo at Fruitier Than Thou. Send suggestions and links if you have them--info on this band has exploded online over the past decade.
Write Comment
Email to Friend
Print Article
