I’ve mentioned many times on these pages how, somewhere along the line as I moved flats over the years, a great big chunk of my vinyl went missing. The problem is that since I didn’t have a turntable that worked until recently, I’ve never been able to pinpoint exactly when it all went.
The other problem is that often I won’t realise that something has gone until I go to play it, and such is the case with today’s tune.
It features on an album which I bought back when I was at Sixth Form, which I know I would never have sold or given away, but still, when the other day I decided to listen to my vinyl copy of Martin Stephenson & The Daintees’ Boat to Bolivia album, there it was: gone.
It’s been added to the seemingly ever-growing list which now includes: all of the albums I had on vinyl by The Wedding Present, R.E.M., Blondie, Billy Bragg, The Housemartins and – and these are the ones that hurt the most – my entire collection of The Smiths’ albums, all original Rough Trade pressings.
Luckily, I also bought this one on 7″ single back in the day, and it remains in my little black box of singles to this day. And it’s a corker, a cautionary – and true, apparently – tale of a man who tries to rob a garage with a toy gun.
This is not so much a Country record, it’s more of a glorious North East of England hillbilly stomp. It’s bloody great:
Martin Stephenson & The Daintees – Running Water
More soon.