It's Immaterial gems, inspired by a recent catch up with the treasure trove that is the Higher Than The Sun music blog.
Back in the summer, Ricky posted links (currently still live) for the two 'lost albums' recorded by Jarvis Whitehead and John Campbell, works in progress for an intended follow up to 1990 second album Song.
Fate - and an incredible sequence of unfortunate events - meant that third album House For Sale eventually saw the light of day in 2020 and it was truly magnificent. I shared some of that story, and a couple of 'lost' versions, when my Imaginary Compilation Album featured on The Vinyl Villain on 27th October 2021.
There's something about the earlier versions that really appeals to me too, so it was a delight to be able to plug some of the gaps in the handful that I'd acquired on t'internet in previous years.
Suitably inspired, a trawl of YT has also unearthed some shining nuggets that deserve to be shared.
Opening up the post, a performance of two songs on BBC2 magazine show Riverside in 1983. The first is called Huzah Huzah Physic Stick, the second the more familiar (to me at least) A Gigantic Raft In The Philippines. The latter was originally released as a single in 1981 and would be again, in re-recorded and remixed form, in 1984. It's a very different sounding band from the It's Immaterial that found fleeting chart fame with Driving Away From Home, but I love the energy of these early songs.
Next up is an hour long interview with John from February 2023, which encompasses his life and career to date, from growing up in Manchester, being in Yachts with Jarvis in the late 70s and four decades of trials and tribulations with It's Immaterial.
I'm still working my way through this one in its entirety, having only dipped in and out at various points so far. John is an affable and generous interviewee, but Zoom interviews can be a bit of a slog at the best of times and interviewer Greg makes hard work of it, though he warms up some more towards the end.
TheSoundAgents YT site contains a couple of hidden It's Immaterial treasures. In 1986, Siren Records' A&R Ross Stapleton filmed the band rehearsing for some European gigs. This is a very fine version of Rope, a single from debut album Life's Hard And Then You Die.
In 2016, as a thank you to those who had pledged for the House For Sale album, John shared a snippet of a work in progress song, then titled Manchester Mambo.
Rounding out this selection is Just North Of Here, presented here in it's earlier, 'lost' version, which was posted online in 2010. Just North Of Here made it through to the 2020 release of House For Sale and the album version was the penultimate song on Side 1 of my It's Immaterial ICA. It sounds great, whichever version you listen to.
Last Night From Glasgow are keeping the It's Immaterial flame burning. They've already released Life's Hard And Then You Die (via the Past Night From Glasgow imprint); red or white vinyl still available.
January 2025 will see the release of the complete BBC Sessions on vinyl, 16 tracks covering all four sessions for John Peel between 1981 and 1985. Huzah Huzah Physic Stick, A Gigantic Raft In The Philippines and Rope all feature.
The BBC Sessions is available to pre-order as a standalone release, or if you're looking for a Christmas gift, it's available a 4-album bundle, along with Sophisticated Boom Boom, Win and China Crisis.
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