Dave and the Derro’s – ‘Punk Princess’ (mp3)

Today’s track ‘Punk Princess’ is a b-side to the 1978 release  ‘Death to Disco’ on Mushroom Records by Dave and the Derros.

Dave, aka David Jones, wrote novelty songs for his radio show in Newcastle NSW, Australia. I presume this was one of them. While searching for some info on this release I came across quite a few want lists with this record on it. I also found a number of dealers selling it for anywhere between $25 and $60 USD.

I picked mine up at a thrift store in the outer suburbs of Melbourne for 50cents. See, if you have patience you can find gems amongst all the Kamahl and James Last records. I did not know this was somewhat of a collectors item when I picked it up. I just figured with a song titled ‘Punk Princess’ by a band called ‘Dave and the Derros’ I couldn’t possibly go wrong!

Download Punk Princess by Dave and the Derro’s

For more Dave and the Derros info and downloads visit Tom Mix Music blog

The Hook ‘n’ Pull Gang – ‘Gasoline’ (mp3)

The Hook ‘n’ Pull Gang were part of the late 80s indie scene in Edinburgh, Scotland. Described as “a cross between the Sex Pistols and the Ronettes,” punters remember the band as a strong live act. They were known for singing about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and influenced other bands in the Edinburgh scene such as Goodbye Mr Mackenzie. The band also made an appearance on the Scottish BBC indie music series FSD.

I’m only aware of one release by the band, a 7inch single which is the feature of todays post. After some searching I finally picked up a copy on eBay. My interest in The Hook ‘n’ Pull Gang (not to be confused with the more recent ‘Hook and Pull Gang’) stems from two of the band members, Rita Blazyca and Sam Ireland, who went on to form Die Cheerleader.

The recording for this 7inch is apparently from a radio session recorded in London in 1987, prior to Sam Ireland joining the band. The line up on the record is Eileen McMullan (drums/vocals), Rita Blazyca (guitar/vocals), Alan McDade (bass). By 1988 Rita had assembled an entirely new line-up, with Stuart on drums, John on bass, and Sam Ireland on vocals. When Sam joined the band a song called Smothered emerged in the set, one assumes this is the same Smothered that was also performed by Die Cheerleader?

After ripping the track Gasoline from my vinyl (not great quality, sorry) I found this gem of a download linked at KittyRadio.com. It’s a zip file containing the two songs from the 7″, another track Janice Long, and a live track recorded on May 19, 1987. Download it here.

The Hook ‘n’ Pull Gang 7″
A – Gasoline
B – Pour It Down Yer Throat
Label: Bitch Hog Records
Cat #: Bitch1

Download Gasoline by The Hook ‘n’ Pull Gang

Download the complete 7″ plus two bonus songs from MediaFire