One of the more wacked records I’ve been turned onto in recent years is this raspy, tuneless 1965 single from a Rochester, NY act called THE CHURCH MICE. I first heard of the record when it was pictured and briefly discussed in Johan Kugelberg’s Ugly Things feature on “primitive shit rock” (which I in turn wrote about here). A little research on the web brings me IT’S GREAT SHAKES which will tell you far more about the record – and why it’s important that you hear it – than I ever could. Finally, even crazy old Julian Cope got into the act and wrote up a piece on the ‘Mice and about the even more bent offerings from Armand Schaubroeck that followed this release. Schaubroeck is a real cult figure that I haven’t quite cottoned to just yet, but this 45 certainly leads me merrily in that direction. Easily one of the 1960s’ strangest pre-punk records.Download CHURCH MICE – “Babe, We're Not Part of Society” (A-side of 45)
Download CHURCH MICE – “College Psychology on Love” (B-side of 45)
Posts
10 comments:
too weird you post this on the same day i get a copy of this single in the mail. i dig the churchmice alright, but how 'bout some love for kack klick? recorded in '63? songs about being in jail? the best song never included on back from the grave? KK is killer and has balls to spare for the flaccid church mice.
later...ben
The sound and style of this kinda reminds me of the Fugs First Album, which is also from '65.
totally unique record that really reminds me of early half japanese/screaming meemees basement clutter.
kack klick single is pretty great. apparently, it's hard to find a copy that doesn't skip--mine does and mssr. shaubroeck even mentions it in the message he scrawled on the sleeve.
great records!
AA
my kack klick skips on one record player i have and not on the other. and it also has "this record fucking skips" written on it by armand and a rubber stamp of his face.
met the man before i knew the records...telling me stories about finding son house sleeping in snowdrifts in rochester. house of guitars is amazing and everyone should check it out and give themselves plenty of time to do so.
mine has the same exact thing written on the paper sleeve w/ the stamp. i'll have to try it on a different turntable, but so far it skips in two places on 'lord my cell is cold'. can't complain, i found it for dirt cheap.
AA
I've been very curious to hear this Church Mice 7" ever since I first saw it on Johan's Shit Rock list in the December 2004 issue of Ugly Things. So thanks a lot for posting this!! I was worried it would become another one of the records he praises in print but that I'd never hear because there's only 3 known copies or something. Wow, what a crude record. Pretty cool but not an all-time favorite. I'd call the A-side a "happy accident"- it sounds like they really meant to do a ballad but it turned out sounding all fucked up and twisted. So I wouldn't say it's intentionally snotty in the same way that Back To The Grave-type stuff is from the 60's. I almost like the B-side better than the A-side. Is it really from '65, though? The B-side mentions "hippies" in the lyrics but was that term really being used that much pre-1967? [Maybe so, according to: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-hip1.htm]. But you gotta love the song name "Babe We're Not A Part of Society" and the band name in general. In some circles, a "church mouse" is slang for a gay man who engages in "heavy petting" in a church (see the entry for it in the great "Big Book of Filth" book). But I doubt the slang term was being used way back then. Thanks again.
- Tony in Chicago
Both the Churchmice and Kack Klick singles were widely available as super-cheap overstock-type imports through the Virgin chain in the UK, 1979/80. Everyone I knew bought one cos they were only like 25p or something.
Both great, but I've never been convinced about the '60s-origin' thing either...
Steve
Church Mice and Kack Klick are okay but the main reason to adore Armand are his brilliant '70s masterpieces, especially "Ratfucker", "I Came to Visit but Decided to Stay", and the triple set telling his life story in prison.
This is w/out doubt one of the musical artefacts that I've craved most over the years. How I curse thee, box.net. PLEASE re-up this on whatever blog you feel is appropriate to do so. PLEEEASE.
Cheers!
One turned up ... finally
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150379462730
Post a Comment