Swell Maps

Swell Maps were an English experimental DIY, early punk and post-punk rock group from Birmingham, England active in various forms between 1972 and 1980. Influenced by bands such as T. Rex and German krautrock groups such as Can and Faust,[1] they went on to be influential to many others in the post-punk era.[2]

Swell Maps
OriginBirmingham, England
Genres
Years active1972–1980
LabelsRather Records, Rough Trade, Mute
Past membersEpic Soundtracks
(Kevin Godfrey)
Nikki Sudden
(Adrian Godfrey)
Jowe Head
(Stephen Bird)
Biggles Books
(Richard Earl Scaldwell)
Phones B. Sportsman
(David Barrington)
Golden Cockrill
(John Cockrill)

History

Although it had existed in various forms since 1972, Swell Maps formed into a coherent musical entity after the beginning of British punk.[3] The band consisted of Solihull teenagers Epic Soundtracks (real name Kevin Paul Godfrey), his brother Nikki Sudden (real name Adrian Nicholas Godfrey), Jowe Head (Stephen Bird), Biggles Books (Richard Scaldwell), Phones Sportsman (David Barrington) and John "Golden" Cockrill. The band released the single "Read About Seymour" in 1977. It is widely considered to be a classic punk era single,[4] and is referenced in the song "Part Time Punks" by Television Personalities.[5]

After recording their first John Peel session Swell Maps went into WMRS studio to record their first album A Trip to Marineville, which was released in 1979.[6] They recorded a second album, Swell Maps in "Jane From Occupied Europe", in 1980.

The band toured Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy before splitting up in April 1980. A double album of archival recordings, Whatever Happens Next..., was released shortly afterwards, but has not been reissued since.

Side projects

The band backed Steve Treatment on an EP, released on their own Rather Records label in 1978. They also backed The Cult Figures on a single "Zip Nolan", released on the Rough Trade label in 1979. An EP of experimental tracks of the band backing Phones Sportsman was released under the name of the Phones Sportsman Band in 1980.

Post split

The Swell Maps back catalogue has been remastered and reissued, and several compilations of archive recordings released.

Soon after the band's split Soundtracks and Head released a single, "Rain, Rain, Rain", on Rough Trade,[7] intended to be the first release from a forthcoming album, Daga Daga Daga, which was not completed. Richard Scaldwell (Biggles Books) released an album in 1981, The Egg Store Ilk, under the name "Richard Earl", but retired from music thereafter. Other members of the band continued to make music; Nikki Sudden began a solo career as well as working with Dave Kusworth. Epic Soundtracks was a member of Crime and the City Solution and also released solo material. Jowe Head has led a career as a musician and visual artist, and was also a member of the Television Personalities for many years.

Epic Soundtracks died of unknown causes at the age of 38 in 1997,[8] and Nikki Sudden died at the age of 49 in March 2006, in a hotel room in New York City.[9]

Influence

Swell Maps have been cited as an influence by bands including Dinosaur Jr., R.E.M., Nirvana and Pavement.[10] Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth acknowledged the influence of the Swell Maps in 1981, writing "As soon as that Nikki Sudden guitar comes slicing slabbing and all out fuzzifying off that crackling vinyl groove you know you're gonna rock. It's the best of both whirls: fist-in-the-heart guitar burnin’ rock and ahead-of-its-time songsmith awareness ... The Swell Maps had a lot to do with my upbringing".[11] Scott Kannberg of Pavement said "Swell Maps was a big influence on our early records ... they had these songs they fucked up somehow to make sound really dirty and low frequency, but they had these great songs underneath all this mess".[12] Tim Gane of Stereolab said that when he first bought A Trip to Marineville, "I must have played it a hundred times or more, just to listen to every single second of it".[11] Other notable bands to name them an influence include Cornershop,[13] The Pastels,[14] and Deerhunter.[15]

In 2007, The Guardian wrote that A Trip to Marineville "combined furious punk noise-outs such as HS Art with ambient instrumentals and other experimental interludes such as Gunboats."[16]

Discography

Studio albums

Compilations
  • Whatever Happens Next... (1981) #25 UK Indie
  • Collision Time (1981)
  • Train Out of It (Antar 1986) #18 UK Indie
  • Collision Time Revisited (1989)
  • International Rescue (1999)[18]
  • Sweep The Desert (2000)
  • Wastrels and Whippersnappers (2006)[19]
  • Mayday Signals (2021)

Singles
  • "Read About Seymour" (1977)
  • "Dresden Style" (1978)
  • "Real Shocks" (1979)
  • "Let's Build a Car" (1979) #6 UK Indie[20]

References
  1. Tangari, Joe (22 November 2004). "Swell Maps: A Trip to Marineville / Jane From Occupied Europe". Pitchfork. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  2. Ankeny, Jason. "Swell Maps - Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  3. Ankeny, Jason. "Swell Maps - Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  4. Llewellyn Smith, Caspar (18 February 2006). "Don't know what I want..." The Guardian. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  5. "Then they go to Rough Trade
    To buy Siouxsie and the Banshees
    They heard John Peel play it
    Just the other night
    They'd like to buy the O Level single
    or Read about Seymour
    But they're not pressed in red
    So they buy The Lurkers instead"
    - 'Part Time Punks' - Television Personalities.
  6. "1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die". The Guardian. 23 November 2007. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  7. Henderson, Dave. "The Jowe Head Top 20". Fire Records. Retrieved 11 October 2020
  8. "Epic Soundtracks Found Dead". Rolling Stone. 25 November 1997. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  9. Martin, Douglas (29 March 2006). "Nikki Sudden, Punk Rocker, Dies at 49". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  10. Neate 1995
  11. Sarig 1998, p. 245
  12. Sarig 1998, p. 244
  13. "This Music Made Me: Cornershop | This Music Made Me". Musicomh.com. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  14. Freeman, John. "Stephen McRobbie Of The Pastels' Favourite Albums". The Quietus, 3 June 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2020
  15. "Bradford Cox's Lonely Planet". Spin.com. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  16. "1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die". The Guardian. 23 November 2007. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  17. "Indie Hits "S"". 6 June 2011. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  18. Ott, Chris (20 April 1999). "Swell Maps: International Rescue". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 18 March 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  19. Tangari, Joe (13 July 2006). "Swell Maps: Wastrels and Whippersnappers". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  20. "Indie Hits "S"". 6 June 2011. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2021.

Bibliography
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