Gordon

whilst listening to the excellent new Messthetics #103 i stumbled apon The Cravats `Gordon`.These lot self-released `Gordon` with the help of band member Chris Shend`s mum who loaned them £400 to press 1000 singles.this amusing quote came from a recent interview with two members of the band:

"My Lovely Mum lent us £400 to make Gordon and we're still paying her back. She wanted me to be happy and so allowed me to be an anarchist in the conservatory after 6pm"

a copy of the single managed to find its way to Pete Stennet`s Small Wonder records, where they subsiquently brought 500 copies to put out with their own stamp on the center label.

The band formed in 1977 in Redditch as a reaction to seeing The Stranglers in Birmingham.The band had four members at this point,Chris Shend,Robin Dallaway,Martin Seys and Ethos Yapp.`Gordon` was recorded as a demo with some other songs in 1978.

Dale Jowett writes:

"The band didn't have a clue what to do once inside the studio so an in-house engineer took charge.When he handed them the finished tape they didn't know to what to do with it."


`Gordon` captures all the very British,simplistic rhythms that are found in Crass` music.but which came first?both bands formed in `77.maybe Crass heard `Gordon` when they too joined Small Wonder to record a single in 1978, and were heavily influenced by its sound.or maybe they were just doing similar things at the same time.this is speculation until the facts can be uncovered.

The Cravats-Gordon



The Cravats interview can be read here:

http://http://www.trakmarx.com/2004_02/07_cravats.htm

The Cravats own website:

http://www.thecravats.com/