I have had a couple of blog ideas in the past 6 months or so, but somehow I never got around to actually committing them to this connection to the World Wide Web. But one thing I have been thinking about is collecting multiple copies of the same record and color variants. I tend to not get too involved in it, as it can get out of control. I tend to get one color along with a black copy, as DJing in a dark club and trying to cue color (or god forbid picture disc) can be a serious pain in the ass, not to mention the grooves in color aren’t as deep, and therefore don’t sound as good, or last as long. But sometimes, every once in a while I get hooked, on one band, or even one release…And hence my current on again, off again fixation on variants….The Cute Lepers!
It started on a break up; don’t most great relationship start on a great break up? I, like so many loved the Briefs! LOVED them, and it seemed with more time (listens, seeing in concert) I loved them even more, but of course, they broke up…Hmmm well I had the records, memories, it would be okay. Till somewhere I saw a Steve E. Nix and Cute Lepers add for a 7”! I quickly ordered, and on beautiful clear wax this two song 7” arrived in the mail.
1-2-3-4 Go! Records released it, and I played it over and over again. I talked to Nate, who of course had not only heard it, but was pre-ordering the repress on green, should he order one for me? Fuck yeah!
If I could only have two songs, I would have each version! The Green copy also has green polka dots on the back instead of the pink like 1st press, nice to have differences.
A black copy came soon after, and I think they may have been it!
A 2nd 7” came soon after on Drunk ‘N Roll records out of Germany, and I think still to this point is the only label to release it. I may have missed something. I can’t remember if the orange or black vinyl came first, but they each have slightly different cover photos with different fonts. Again only two songs on this record, that I again played the shit out of…
Cool inside too!
And while the covers no longer stated Steve E. Nix & The Cute Lepers, the labels on the records do....
Finally a full length! Can’t Stand Modern Music! 1-2-3-4 Go! Was pressing the vinyl, and Joan Jett’s aptly named label, Blackheart Records was doing the cd, which came out much after this clear vinyl copy!
All four songs from the two 7”s appeared, and it was a fuckin’ great LP! Again I played it like crazy. When the cd came out, I played that @ Virgin all the time, put it on a listening station, forced people to take notice of that record! But more importantly, the Cute Lepers were coming! Granted it was opening for the Horror Pops, who I could give two shits about, but I got to say they have brought some great bands on tour with them! (Riverboat Gamblers previous to this for example!) And for their first real US tour, 1-2-3-4 GO! Did a tour only version on Green!
Nate and I of course snatched a couple up! Here is the set list for that show!
Next was a couple of 7”s from European labels featuring a song from Can’t Stand Modern Music on the A side and a cover on the B. I forget the order but here they go (or at least what I have attained)…
Damaged Goods out of London released this one on Green vinyl. LP track Out Of Order along with Sex Pistols cover of Lonely Boys, which was from The Great Rock ‘N Roll Swindle. Great cover, you can see how pop the Pistols songwriting could be.
Damaged Goods also did this great Terminal Boredom 7” on clear, like how the first Cute Lepers 7” of Terminal Boredom was on clear, except this featured a different B side, Any Danger Love by the Starjets. I actually don’t own the original, but need to get it, as this is a fantastic song!
Here again is another Damaged Goods 7”, this time with a new track as the A side, Berlin Girls! Mint Green and Orange vinyl, looks great, a nice deep color on each. The B side Fall In Love by the Vibrators, great rendition!
Next was this split with the Bite, from a Spanish label, again two new songs! Both, I believe in different versions, would appear on their next LP. Never flipped the record over. The Bite could be my next favorite band, but I wouldn’t know, as I have never listened to their side! Sorry, The Lepers seem to like Orange vinyl!
JOIN THE LEPERS! No Front Teeth did this one and this is where it started to get obsessive! Five copies of the same record with simply different color print? All of them black vinyl, with new track Long Hearts, and a Steve E Nix as the Lurching Leper track! A great record, Disco Lepers are good too, but no relation to the Cute or Lurching ones though…
And of course a repress! Different cover though! And now on color wax! Obsessed! Oh yes!!! But there would be a limit! This can’t continue!!
But it does! 1-2-3-4 Go! This time with the Blackheart Records logo included on the back, with a different back cover, repressed Can’t Stand Modern Music on Pink! With a patch!
….And again, on Purple! (No patch) Also with alt. back cover and again with Blackhearts logo!
News of a new LP surfaced, again on 1-2-3-4 GO! This time no Blackheart Records involvement. A single first! You Don’t Have To Belong To The Religious Right! Backed again by Any Danger Love, US audience should hear this as well!! Black wax for me, I think I had given up on the colors, variants, etc…I mean there was a few more Can’t Stand Modern Music versions coming out, Vomit is a color? Tri Color? Glow in the dark? I had taken a pay cut, I couldn’t keep up!
No Front Teeth was doing another new single as well, No Escape, again with different covers. I asked Nate (who usually was the one who got me these crazy singles!) to get me one, I didn’t care if it’s the “common” cover or what, I had to keep up on the music, that was the important part. So he got me this version, the LTD to 100 cover!
No Escape, the B side is Blackmarket Lepers 00, an exclusive!
Smart Accessories finally came out. I contemplated the color I would order. 1-2-3-4 GO! was even doing some crazy package with a test press! I simply could not afford it, I wanted it, but I wouldn’t be put in that position. I just walked down to Eastside Records and bought my black common copy and be happy with that! And I was, it’s a fantastic record! I could be happy with just one copy of a record……
A re press of No Escape, this time on greenish yellow vinyl, looks great, THREE different covers!
No Front Teeth loves the different covers! One (with the transparent cover) LTD again to 100 I think!
Oh damn, Damaged Goods just did three colors of Smart Accessories on clear, red and white! Okay, gotta have it, they cover the Beatles on the B side! You’re Gonna Lose That Girl, is as amazing as you could imagine! They got me!
Oh ok, Smart Accessories LP on green to, why not!
It was at Punk Rock Bowling, I had won some cash! Great set too! Opening for Me First, here’s the set list!
Oh, a European tour version of Can't Stand Modern Music on Yellow wax, from Damaged Goods, with a different cover too? Okay, that too…
See collecting can consume you, want to come over and see my record room as proof?
I am sure when the Cute Lepers are here next week opening for the Swingin' Utters, they'll have something else for me too...
(PS, Special thanks to Nate from May Cause Dizziness Records for helping me with many of these records, and suffering with the burdens of record collecting with me, I love you brother!)
POSTSCRIPT!!
Of course I got a few more records at the show, can you imagine??? But I had set a limit, and there was a couple I was looking for...
Glow in the Dark Can't Stand Modern Music, this is just cool! Granted I have a different record that glows in the dark, but come on this is rad. Sorry pics in the dark of record actually glowing, didn't turn out so good.
This blue with black streaks Smart Accessories looks great, I like a deep blue, very nice! Damaged Goods always have good looking records.
After giving me an endless amout of shit of this particular blog, the King Of The Monsters got me this nice grey Damaged Goods pressing of Smart Accessories, as it was one of the few records that I didn't have. A very nice grey, sometimes grey can look trashy, but again Damaged Goods got a nice deep color to it. The KOTM likes to call me a nerd for this type of thing, but that sir is the kettle/pot/black situation you know!
This nice Red, White Blue Damaged Goods pressing of Can't Stand Modern Music was what I was looking for, but they were unable to find. Once they did, I was at my limit for $$ for the night. Well it seems the Lepers are record collectors as well, and saw this blog, and Steve gave me this copy! Excellent, it's beautiful, I like this one the most I think. Trust me people, you do not, and should not try and get all of these, but maybe a single copy of one nice color of each lp is advisable! A great band, great records...and for all of you who gave me grief over this sort of absession, next time I'll do one of these of all the crazy Stryper records I own...Seriously, I'll show you!
