BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS WEEK (1)

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the charity over the past few days. Hugely appreciate your support. And although I've enjoyed having a few days off, it is good to be back.

TVV turns four years old later this week. There have been times over that period I've felt like packing it in and going back to being a mere consumer of the many other excellent music blogs out there. But its the comments and the emails that lift me out of any gloom or self-doubt and bring me to the keyboard time and again. So again, thanks to those who make the special effort.

I thought I'd try and mark the occasion with a few unusual postings this week. So how about the debut EP from the last band signed to Factory Records before the label went tits-up in 1992?

mp3 : The Adventure Babies - Camper Van
mp3 : The Adventure Babies - Barking Mad
mp3 : The Adventure Babies - Lifetime At The Sink
mp3 : The Adventure Babies - Long Night Narrow Boat

One of the poppiest things ever released on the label - it was certainly quite different from Happy Mondays. I love Camper Van. As the lyrics suggest, it's just a happy happy song that always make me smile.

I'll be honest and say up until I dug out the vinyl, I couldnt really recall any of the other three songs, Not sure if any of them really have stood the test of time but it was awfy brave of them to put the folk-like eight and a bit minutes of Long Night Narrow Boat on a debut LP. Cant imagine too many Hacienda punters were fond of it.

This EP was released in late 1991 with the catalogue number FAC 319. The debut LP, Laugh (FAC 335) and a second single, a different version of Barking Mad (FAC 347) followed in early 1992. None of the releases sold well, and to the best of my knowledge the band broke up when the label folded a short while after.

Tried tracking down a promo but now joy.

Happy Listening nonetheless.