Hard News by Russell Brown

Doctor says "No boy, you gotta learn
First I shoot up and then it's your turn"

That quack was never on the level.

the twinkle of backwards guitar in the bridge being, you’d think, the influence of the Beatles-loving Knox

correct, there was always going to be some, somewhere.

Out of all the New Zealand songs and videos from back then, Anything Could Happen is my favourite. It captures perfectly Christchurch in the late 70s before it got bleak.
The scenes are like time travel and the sounds are like nights out, and afternoons doing random things when I should've been at uni doing geography labs with Roger Shepherd and Steve Gleeson (sorry about those joint reports you two).
I love the video even more now the city's disappeared and, unlike most Christchurch nostalgia, there's a happy snort of recognition of my life.

Anything could happen/and it could be right now.
And it did.

From Peter Darlington's text:

I got more interested in the genre as I got older though and, while the selection in New Zealand was limited, over time, reissue labels have made extensive amounts of classic roots reggae and dub music available to local buyers.

This reminds me that one of the few sources for non-major-label reggae releases in New Zealand for a while was Hoghton Hughes' Music World label, which alongside Golden Saxophones, also released the Wailers' African Herbsman and Trojan's excellent 20 Reggae Blockbusters compilation, among others.

Yes, I've just realised that Music World is in fact on Discogs. Necessarily incomplete, but interesting nonetheless.

I love the video even more now the city’s disappeared and, unlike most Christchurch nostalgia, there’s a happy snort of recognition of my life.

Let's watch it again!

Fun fact: it was directed by future TVNZ bigwig (and former kids TV host) Andrew Shaw.

Doctor says “No boy, you gotta learn
First I shoot up and then it’s your turn”

That quack was never on the level.

Heh. The actual lyric is "First don't shoot up"

But your recollection does put an interesting spin on it ...

correct, there was always going to be some, somewhere.

Nice one. Thanks for the confirmation Doug.

My God surely not! I've been snickering at that line for 36 years. We need clarification from top experts now.

The original EP goes for quite a lot of money on Discogs

I was looking at Boodle againn last night after hearing Jesse Mulligan make the announcement on Afternoons - and struggling with the pronunciation of said EP!

‘Point That Thing’...is the undoubted opus of the EP.

Jesse gave PTT a spin too. And realising too the initial copies came out with 'A Flying Nun ©omic', I took the liberty of scanning / attaching the PTT page (whose author is one 'JH' JH?)

The Boodle comic itself is a work of art and frequently hilarious e.g. Hamish Kilgour intones: 'don't wear American clothing, ski jackets or Nomads...'; Robert Scott profiles 'bass players thru the ages'; and Martin Phillipps chips in with Samuel the Sailor: '...'one day you're King of the popsicle pile,...next day you're just a stick in the gutter!'

And from David Kilgour on Facebook:

nice write up Russel, thankyou, one but- i think we all knew exactly what we were doing recording wise (as well as giving it to the man and recording and releasing ourselves via self help & friends)........just check odditties 2 track recordings, esp the good ones, ha!....., and the first tall dwarfs ep...all done well before boodle....if thats what you were getting at?

I take it all back :-)

...one of the few sources for non-major-label reggae releases in New Zealand for a while was Hoghton Hughes' Music World label...

You still see them occasionally in charity shops and garage sales as well.

also making some waves - aldous harding's 'imagining my man'

The Boodle comic itself is a work of art…

I even have two pages in there
– as ‘Dinzie Lala’ (its ananagraminnit)
Chris Knox has at least two pages, too…
Though my efforts are more ‘doodle doodle doodle’

Immortality is mine!!
(albeit cryptically…)

Dinzie Lala? I remember him!

Yeah, him and Zane Dalili – put the three of us in one room and anything could happen…...or was it nothing's gonna happen?

Good luck for the Punk concert coming up...
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/91110062/kings-arms-to-fight-auckland-council-after-noise-complaints-shut-down-show
Maybe Kings Arms management should gift the complainer a night on Waiheke or some such...

I like Peter’s comments about reggae – its pretty much the music I listen to most, and having cut down on purchases this year, its what I buy 90% of the time when I sneak something in to address the notorious record collectors ‘buy’ itch. Don’t get me wrong, I still like jazz for example, but would rather buy reggae as I feel I’m going to give that more spins over the years to come. And yes, there is a deep well when you start digging into back catalogues.

Some great covers there also – Scientist’s ‘world cup’ LP (an OG greensleeves press) was one I really deliberated on when in Tokyo last, but at ~$100 I couldn’t do it given I already had more than 60 LP purchases (!). I console myself with reviews that say its not his best (see ‘Rids the world of the evil curse of vampires’ for that honour).

And the Music World reference was interesting to me too – I dig the logo, and am pretty sure I have something somewhere on it, just can’t think where. Your story Russell reminds me of the bloke who ran imports bitd at Uni Books in Christchurch (?), and from what I recall, was responsible for lots of otherwise inaccessible things getting into the country when tariff restrictions were a bit harsh. Can’t recall his name, but I am sure some of you know who I mean.

And a recent fave, rewind:

the bloke who ran imports bitd at Uni Books in Christchurch (?)

Tony Peake

Yes, Tony Peake - thanks Ian

Some great covers there also – Scientist’s ‘world cup’ LP (an OG greensleeves press) was one I really deliberated on when in Tokyo last, but at ~$100 I couldn’t do it

Shopping in NYC last year I was stuck by the high prices on old Jamaican 7"s. They were consistently the highest-priced 45s.

Yes, Tony Peake – thanks Ian

I too was a Tony disciple. Me and my mates would ride to the bookstore after school and hang out in the loft. He was a sweet man with impeccable taste.