19 Goldene Hits - Berlin Pop Compilation

Here are some information about this 1994 Compilation- CD on our Tape- /Fanzine- Label SMUF. All of these bands were from Berlin. We pressed 500 copies, some are left and can be ordered from FST.

SAINTLY SNAILS - The Rumble ( Surf- Instrumental – a perfect opener)

MOST WANTED MEN - The Glass Menagerie ( pre- GROOVY CELLAR, compilation CD on Marsh Marigold)

ABRAMCZYK – Grungemädchen ( Noise- Pop with myself on the mic)

TUMBLING HEARTS - V.I.P. Treatment (Country- Pop out of the TWANG TONE- scene)

ELEKTRO IM BUS - Ich Liebe Dich ( later DIE ELEKTROS, with smash- hit „Kämpferin in S- Bahnzügen“)

THORN - The Best Part Of Being With You ( Uwe’s own band, feat. Members of SAINTLY SNAILS)

CUBAN REBEL GIRLS - Sixteen Days ( Sixties- Pop)

GOING DOWN WITH BRILLIANCE - Only Place ( song by ex- FST- member Jan, “produced” by myself)

SAINTLY SNAILS - Amuck In My Head ( friends of the family)

WESTWAY – Shine ( Electro, first Band from BLOCHIN 81 and LATO- singer Des Squire)

PLEASURE - Shut Up ( Shoegazer - singer Sascha formed JAKETHIVE two years later)

CRACK A WHEAT - It's About time ( great Popabilly)

PROFANES - Too Late To Leave ( another band from the sixties- scene)

RECKLESS PRESSURE - And Suddenly The River ( another band from “the scene that celebrates itself”)

GROOVY CELLAR - You Make Me Feel Younger Than I Am ( 15 years later on Firestation Records)

MILCHBLUMEN FC - Auf Dem Halensee ( I know nothing about them ;-) )

PHONETIC RELATIONS - Girl With No Name ( another great Sixties- tune)

ELEKTRO IM BUS – Popstar ( second track by the Berlin- Popstars)

THE ANSWER - Sun Won't Shine Anymore ( my favourite track on this CD, great organ- sound)

THE 1 EURO SHOP

Please notice, about 30 releases from our catalogue are now available for only 1 EURO each. Tell your friends that this is the chance to complete their collection for a small amount of money. Releases by Lato, Arvidson, Cinnamon, The 05, Ambitious Beggars, Tribeca or Vermont Sugar House are some of the offers. Please check our website for the full list.

As you see there, www.firestation-records.de is under construction. I need some time to re- organize the website- structure, a total chaos welcomed me last tuesday. In the meantime enjoy this blog or check our myspace- pages.

THE BIG GUN

“Heard About Love“ - When people asked me about how the perfect indiepopsong should sound like i always reply these three words. Full of the greatest jangly guitarsound i ever heard this 2.58 minutes long song makes my day since nearly 20 years. I still remember the day when i bought the 7“ from record and tape exchange in camden town. “Heard About Love“ was released on the band's (i believe) own “Hi-Fibre“ label back in 1987. A year before the band shared a flexi disc with Basil Pieroni. “You'll Always Give Your Best“ was nearly as brilliant as the singletrack. When we started the Sound Of Leamington Spa serie back in 1998 one of the first bands we were looking for was the Big Gun. I remember that it took me ages to locate them. They came by by in 2000 and i was more than happy to include their song on Sound Of Leamington Spa 2. As member Andy Crone once said the band never called it the day, they just went separate ways. Beside the 7“ and the flexidisc the band recorded at least one three track demo tape back in 1986.
It contains the following tracks:

-Happiest Day
-Now That You Gone
-Where I Want To Go

Needless to say that all those songs are brilliant as well !

In 1989 members of the Big Gun founded short-lived band Cincinnati. A demotape was recorded but no proper records were released. I have to think on band's as The Great Leap Forward or Drop while listening to their songs. Especially “About You“ is a great song. Hopefully there will be a chance to include this tune on Sound Of Leamington Spa 8.
Andy and Keith Martin teamed up together again in the late 90s to form another band which name was Stagger Lee. We included their song “Four Families“ on FST 045 – These Are The Songs We Always Wanted To Hear. I have to say honest, that this tune is still my favourite track from that compilation. The band recorded a couple of fine demos before broke up soon after.
Recently i talked to Andy about the possibilty to release a Big Gun compilation CD, so finger crossed for it !!!

Firestation Records - Pre-Releases (1991 - 1994)

I first met Olaf back in september 1990 at a Soup Dragons concert. A couple of months later we released our first fanzine which was called “SMUF“. Although i never found out cleary why it was called so, Olaf should know for sure. Can't remember how many copies we've done of it, but most of them were sold with a flexi-disc by then Sarah Records artist BRIGHTER. Not so sure anymore how the deal was, but Bernd Kabs of Blam A Bit-fame passed over copies of it for letting us giving it away with the magazine. The fanzine has an interwiew with our flexistars among stories and live reviews on such bands as ACTION PAINTING, AZTEC CAMERA, GOLDSTEIN CIRCUS or THE PARIAHS. It was sold mostly through Mind The Gap mailorder.
Soon after we compiled a compilation tape which was called “It's All About Love“. Released in the year 1992 it has some fine bands on it in the likes of THE AURBISONS, JESTERBELLS or THE SUGARGLIDERS. The next tape we released was a compilation by Greece-based indiepopbands. I think it was some kind of “licensing“ as it was released in Greece also. “In Those Happy Days“
sold not much more than 50 copies back then, so i was surprised that it is a good seller on ebay these days.
Without having a job back in 1993 i decided to start an fanzine on my own. I named it “Happy To Be Sad“ after an unreleased song by alltime faves The Servants. I done a couple of numbers on my own before Annikki and Jan came by. I still wrote it when Firestation Records was found in 1998. There should be no more than 50 copies of the first numbers but last two numbers were an good seller on concerts so i decided to re-press it again. “Happy To Be Sad“ Number 3 lists english indiepopbands from the 80s from letter A – D. Although there was the plan to have a follow-up on it, not much happens.
The most important release in pre-Firestation days saw the light of day back in 1994. Olaf and me put together an compilation CD by Berlin-based Indiepop-bands which were around these days. The title of it was “19 Goldene Hits“ and we pressed 500 copies of it without having any distributer on our own. Beside tracks by the labelowners bands (Abramczyk, Going Down With Brilliance, Milchblumen FC and Thorn) it contains such wonderful bands as Most Wanted Men, Westway (pre Blochin 81/Lato) or Elektro Im Bus (later called Die Elektros). The releaseparty for it took it's place in oktober 1994 at then famous berlin club Die Insel. More than 300 people went by and we sold lot's of copies of the record. Although i have to say honest that i can't remember not the half of that night, i still have wonderful memories of it. After great gigs from bands as The Groovy Cellar or Milchblumen FC things went wrong when myself found his place on the stage to sang some songs with my band Thorn. Falling from stage, loosing my T-Shirt and breaking young girl's hearts.
It took another four years then before Firestation Records was found at a warm sunday afternoon around the Nollendorfplatz.