Coventry Music Museum - New EP and Label!

Coventry Music Museum - New EP and Label!

By Pete Clemons

How many music related exhibitors can boast their own record label? Very few I suspect, if any at all, would be the correct answer.

Well Coventry Music Museum, the brainchild of Pete Chambers, has done just that. And the first, of what’s promised to be many releases in vinyl, CD and download formats, has just been released.

A 4 track vinyl EP titled ‘The Alternative Sounds’ EP has already been produced and this debut offering is currently on sale.

The Alternative Sounds title is actually a clever pastiche of Martin Bowes fabled and legendary Coventry music fanzine that he put together during the late 70s and early 80s. And the E.P. has been compiled and mastered by Martin himself at his Cage Studios based in Coventry.

And the 4 tracks included, which has to be said, represents a fantastic range of Coventry’s diverse and varied music scene, are as follows: Roddy Radiation and the Skabilly Rebels ‘Heartbreak City’, Crokodile Tears ‘Trains’, The Primitives ‘Never Kill a Secret’ and Attrition ‘Two Gods’.

And these artists have given these songs towards the project for free. Now it doesn’t need me to tell you what a big deal it is when an artist gives away their work. The cause needs to be a worthy one, as in the case of recording artists, song writing is their life blood. It’s what pay’s the bill for them. They don’t do it lightly.

The launch evening for the E.P. was held at the museum. Many enthusiastic guests were in attendance including some of the cast from the forthcoming play Godiva Rocks which is being staged at the Belgrade Theatre along with several local luminaires from the Coventry music scene and beyond.

Those gathered were first of all treated to Crokodile Tears. The Croks, namely Christopher Sidwell, Alf Hardy and, one time Hawkwind member and now Hawklord, Jerry Richards were in attendance accompanied by Christopher Sidwell’s grandson. Between them they gave us a selection of their greatest hits such as ‘If Hippies Ruled the World’, ‘Egg and Chips’ and ‘Trains’.

The Croks set was particularly poignant as each song they played was dedicated, in remembrance, to a different and now lamented Coventry musician.

Following them were The Primitives, well half of them at least, vocalist Tracy Tracy and guitarist Paul Court. Between them they performed a three track acoustic set that included one of their more recent songs ‘Spin-O-Rama’, and the now classic tune ‘Crash’ feted by many as being up there as one of the best pop songs ever produced.

The Alternative Sounds EP will be the first of several releases and the physical copy of this particular record, as far as I understand, is a limited edition of 500 which is selling fast. So if you are interested in purchasing a copy then best act fast. All proceeds from its sale will be going to help the museum sustain itself. It is available directly from museum along with Vinyl Destination in the Market as well as record shops in Leamington Spa and Rugby. On line specialist Bandcamp will also be distributing it.