BMX Bandits News
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Caroline Creation
Following the recent closure of Creation Records, Sony Music have released a compilation compiled by Alan McGee showcasing what was one of the best record labels ever. The Bandits released three albums on Creation and has one song on the compilation, 'Serious Drugs' the most well known of the Bandits' releases. The fact that Alan chose a Bandits song to be featured from all of the bands that have been on the label is a nice gesture. The album 'Creation Records - International Guardians of Rock n Roll 1983-1999' features some brilliant highlights from Primal Scream, Felt, Teenage Fanclub, House Of Love and more. Although you may have most of the songs, it still worth the investment for the Creation Family Tree that it features(get the triple vinyl version for best viewing). I've scanned in the bit with the Fannies and the Bandits, so more of you will get the idea of how it all got together. See it here.

As well as that I got the chance to hear the Caroline Now! Compilation which too is worth a purchase. Duglas covers a song called 'Lines'. Okay that's all for now.

FPAKA
Future Pilot AKA (Sushil K. Dade's project) has just released a second album titled 'Tiny Waves, Might Sea' which features contributions from members of nearly every decent band associated with the Scottish music scene, from Superstar, Delgados, Teenage Fanclub to Belle and Sebastian, Pastels and Duglas too. A beautiful album which fuses together the musical traditions of India with more current Scottish creativity. Highlight tracks for me are 'Darshan Returns' and 'Ananda Is The Ocean'. It also includes a cover of Witchi Tai To which the Bandits also covered a while back. Released on Stephen Pastels Geographic Records GEOG6LP/GEOG6CD. Go buy.

Still no sign of anything new by the Bandits, they are still busy doing their own projects. I can't even confirm to you the latest lineup of the band. It's more of who's available and when. Anyway take care and have fun.

With Everything Comes a Promise
Such as life that I never have time to do much with the site anymore. It's long in need of repair and care that I can't provide at the moment...but it's all because I'm running my own record label which so far has caused endless joy and pain. Emma's House Recordings is my label formed in May last year. So far seven singles, but one of them seems to have gone AWOL from the record pressers. The music is diverse and I love every release I've put out so far. There's a whisper that future releases may include a couple of songs by The Bandits themselves. Keep looking out.

Anyway a few thank you's as I've not updated the thank you page for a while now... to Marcus Meier, Yasuko, Kaori Shibuya, Quentin Wright for the Green Grow lyrics, John Pressly, Neil Currie. Plus other guys and gals out there that I've forgotten sorry.

The Motherwell Heritage Centre is putting on an exhibition on the music that has come out of Lanarkshire in the past 20 years, including The Bandits of course. It will run from 6th June to 31st August and will feature a few items lent to them by myself. If you can, go and see it, should be worth every bit of the effort. Contact details are : Motherwell Heritage Centre, High Road Motherwell ML1 3HU Tel: 01698 251000. There has talk that Duglas may come along and do a talk or seminar. Will keep you posted and when I do go, will bring back photos and writings.

Again not much news except that I can tell you that you can finally get the Galaxie 500 tribute album which was promised by Elefant a long time ago. It's a two CD affair featuring 29 bands called 'Snowstorm' (er-1038), with many duplicate versions, such as Tugboat, Fourth of July and Sorry. The first track is an excellent version of Tugboat by The Bandits with the help of Angel Corpus Christi. Other tracks of note are Magoo's version of 'Another Day', Hula Hoops 'Sorry', Seely's 'Plastic Bird' and 'Cold Night' by Tugboat. All of the tracks are of a high standard and will remind you to listen to the original records. I'm not entirely sure of Hefner's contribution though.

Former Bandit John Hogarty would like to let you know of some new websites, there's John's excellent band National Park at www.nationalparksite.com, they should be releasing some new stuff on the fabulous Geographic label (if you've not sampled the delights of Interational Airport, Empress and Future Pilot AKA, then I suggest you go out and seek), Future Pilot has it's own website at www.futurepilotaka.com. Francis, Finlay, Sushil and John played together recently asthe go-betweens band, there's a review of it on the go-betweens site at www.go-betweens.net. Thanks John for that info. A friend of mine told me that a Beach Boys Convention has been held in Edinburgh was to feature Duglas singing some Beach Boys covers. If you were there let me know what went on.

Well that's it thanks again to those of you sending me emails, I've not ignored you. Next time I'll hopefully be able to report back from the Motherwell Heritage Centre exhibition.

The Future Pilots of Pop
I finally made it up to Motherwell for the 'Pop Goes Lanarkshire' exhibition at the Motherwell Heritage Centre and how excellent it was. Although quite small held in the temporary exhibition area it was really well done with small biogs on the bands that have come out of Lanarkshire over the years including The Pastels, Soup Dragons, Sheena Easton, Mogwai, Delgados, Hue and Cry, The River Detectives, Primal Scream and of course The BMX Bandits. In the centre was a slide show of the area and some classic photos, plus you could sit down and choose from a selection of music videos from the likes of The Delgados, Mogwai, Superstar and others. I spent quite a while watching the videos as I had not seen most of them before. There was also a jukebox for you to listen to some great tunes while browsing the exhibiton. All in all well worth going to. There was also an interesting mining interactive exhibition going on too. You have until the end of August to see it. When I get my photos processed they will of course be posted here.

If you thought that was great then I also met up with Duglas while I was up in Glasgow which can only be described as a great moment to remember. The latest news from Duglas is that The Bandits have been getting together recently recording for their new album to be released sometime this year. They have already recorded seven tracks and Duglas feels it is going to be their best album to date. Hopefully it will mark a welcome comeback for The Bandits. In the meantime Duglas works fulltime for the BBC with The Beat Room, which is going to be put to a wider audience by getting a slot on BBC 2 Scotland, and then hopefully making a proper appearance across the country. He is also trying other TV things including 'Top of the Poppets' which is Top of the Pops but with puppets which sounds fun if it ever appears. We had lunch at the 13th Note Cafe while a few Ladyfest seminars were going on, and had a wander around town visiting record shops and generally talking about lots of things. If I was organised then I would have prepared an interview but in the end it was better that I didn't. Meeting your hero can sometimes be a disappointment but this wasn't, Duglas is a great guy and soon to be married in Japan in October. Again I have a few pictures which I will put up once they are processed. Also it is likely that I will be releasing a single sometime of some old things that the Bandits have not been released. Details when they arrive.

One final thing, Vinyl Japan have rereleased C86, with an excellent Skeleton cover by Duglas and an extra track 'Disco Daze and Disco Knights'. Well worth adding to your collection. Visit Vinyl Japan.

It seems like everything is business

A huge apology to everyone who expect this to be updated a bit more frequently. Yes working and running a record label pretty much leaves you with no time for yourself. Actually there hasn't been much news anyway so you are not missing much. I still haven't had the chance to get the photos scanned in.

Here's the real news, those fine people at Vinyl Japan are putting together a compilation of the BBC sessions that the Bandits have done, I presume this will be things from Radio Scotland, Mark Radcliffe Show. Also the Bandits have been getting together a new album! Yes their first new material for years is due to happen this year. If you can't contain yourself with the excitement then the aforementioned single release on my own label is also bearing fruit and is getting closer to a stage where it will be done. So all in all in Duglas' own words "it looks like this could be our BIGGEST year yet". Let's hope so too. Thanks again to everyone who's emailed me about this site too.