When I was 12, I taped this fucking amazing song off John Peel which sounded like someone yelping through a radiator, with jackhammer beats and splintered fuzz guitar. I thought it was incredible and regretted not writing down the band name. I especially felt gutted when the tape snapped. It was only when I was 19 and took a chance on Big Black's "Songs About Fucking" LP I realised it was "The Power Of Independent Trucking".
Ditto after spending ages asking people 'Have you ever heard that reggae tune with the two blokes riding round on the motorbike laughing their heads off?' Thank God Blood & Fire bother to produce extensive sleeve notes, reading the back of 'If Deejay Was Your Trade', I was like "It HAS to be 'The Barber Feel It'"
Still, some records which I've given up all hope of ever finding -
a) unknown LS Diezel track with King Stitt samples and psychedelic electro breakdown in the middle - circa '92
b) field recording of African girls playing a drum while pouring water over the skin and laughing in the background - one of the strangest sounds I've ever heard
c) gabba jungle track with sick bass, lots of gunfire and a sample of a ferocious sounding American woman repeating "Crush you like a fucking insect" - circa '96?
d) indie group with fucked up Big Black production, circa '95 - sort of like Therapy? but much better, obviously - very bland, generic lyrics - "I know you can't hear me speak - I know you can't hear me" went the last line. Taped off a late night pirate station in London in 1995. For some reason I think they might have been called "Air ----(something or other)'
e) a record by, er, 'Sackgasser'? Called 'Devos Alt'? Not a clue as I caught this on World Service, years ago- starts off with what sounds like a Welsh choir doing some mournful song, before bursting into some choppy, angry punk number with yelled HC-style chorus- I think the band might have been Eastern European - pretty glorious stuff
f) records by bands called 'Fad' and 'New Girl Art Riot' which are Google-proof
g) jungle tune from '94 with killer bass and sample "Jah warriors are coming" - minimalist but effective
h) drum and bass tune from '95 which I have on a tape of an Eruption FM broadcast which is terrific, but absolutely nobody I've played it to has been able to identify it
i) Also, I've never ever been able to find that '666 mark a de beast / turn it around and you get the police' track which may well be Anthony B (see 'What's that reggae track?' thread) but been unable to find it to verify (though the 999 reference suggests it may be a UK artist) (unless Jamaica's emergency services number is also 999?)
j) Two tracks I've never been able to find in any shape or form - Sharon Forrester - 'Which craft is witchcraft' (lovers) and Grace Kennedy - 'New Love Affair' (disco)
Also, does anyone know if the first ever Cornershop Peel Session ever got released or bootlegged?
I know, I know, I should have forgotten about all this shit years ago, but....