The Fakes one and only single (I think).I don't know much about the Fakes, other than they were a four piece from Scotland. Does anyone else know anything more.
So what do you get, the a-side "Production" is a bit depressing for me with a repetitive drum beat and bass and lyrics describing a boring working day:
"7 o'clock get up to get ready to start the day at the factory"
"7:30 get ready to start work at the factory"
"9 o'clock stop have your tea at the factory"
"9:15 start work again at the factory"
and so on
I know punk was meant to be about protests, rebellion and all that stuff, but this is too dour for me.
The b-side cover lists only "Look Out" which is much better and more like a classic punk, this one has a bit more go in it. A bit of rhythm, some hand claps, simple riffs and lyrics, I love it. This rip also has another track "Sylvia Clarke" which is another little gem.
But as usual I'll leave it for you to decide, so leave a comment and tell ASFM what you think of "the Fakes".
Band: The Fakes
Year:1979
Label: Deep 2 Records
Tracks:
1. Production
2. Look Out
3. Sylvia Clarke (Included within Look Out)
Ripped from someone else's (someone donated this too me and I can't remember who, so please leave me a reminder) scratched vinyl.
28 comments:
I've been musing over buying this one on many occasion. I think I'll go for it next time it appears. I have Look Out on an excellent triple CD compilation which is devoted to Scottish punk and post punk, aptly called Kilt By Death.
There are 87 songs to enjoy.
hi there,
the messthetics comp #105 has the "sylvia clarke" song plus a lot of info about the fakes. i recommend to get it. ayway, they hailed from stirling, started out in 1978, played around 15 gigs and everything finished when the drummer got killed in a motorcycle accident. but they recorded before a cassete called "in room 7".
hope it works.
by the way, "production" song is so depressing it's brilliant!
all the best,
edu "jove omoix"
thanks very much!
I like it Gary, but then again, I like most depressing music.
Rubert is right about the Kilt By Death album. Well recommended!
Longy
Hi Rupert, thanks for the comment, I picked up a copy of Kilt By Death and even though I have played CD1, you are right an excellent compilation, thanks for the recommendation.
Hi Jove thanks for the comment. Messthetics 105 is on my want list. So I will be getting that sometime soon.
Sad story about the drummer, I didn't know that.
Hi isksp thanks for the comment
Cheers for the comment Longy, yep again Kilt by Death is a classic :-)
The Fakes were a genuine working class band from the council estates of stirling though the often played with the more new wave bands from the local university. The bside track is worth the price of admission alone.
Jamsie the bass player became ege bam yasi
http://www.egebamyasi.com/main2.html
Mairi hung out with Mike Scott when he was in APF, and later on developed boy bands.
Johnny I seem to remember had two kids right after this period and went back to the factory for real.
Hi Bruce, thanks for the extra info. I'm not surprised at the Fakes working class background, if you haven't experienced it I don't think you could understand or write lyrics like Production.
I hope people didn't misunderstand I love the track 'Production' but couldn't play it again and again' but yep with you on the b-side, that one I can.
Nice to hear and read comments from the past.
I'm Brians younger brother the drummer who was taken to young. Still miss him after all the years have gone by. My son is now in a rock band and he is as happy as the fakes were, I'm sure.
alanjkemp@btinternet.com
Hi Alan thanks for your comment. Its good to hear your son is keeping up the tradition. What kind of music is he playing?
This is crazy to find this!
jamzy was my next door neighbour when I was a kid and The Fakes were the first band I ever saw.
there's some more stuff about them here http://www.boredteenagers.co.uk/FAKES.htm
and a full download of their single and a rehearsal tape here:
http://www.killyourpetpuppy.co.uk/news/?s=%22the+fakes%22
where, by coincidence, only yesterday their old manager, Billy McChord posted up a message!
THE FAKES ARE NO REAL! (i've still got the badge!)
by-the-way, also on the B side of the Production EP (though uncredited on the sleeve) is a wee bit of a song called 'Tony Blackburn' which was kind of The Fakes' crowd favourite.
There were a few other good bands around Stirling back then, some of whom I saw at a gig on the roof of the Stirling University canteen one rainy saturday afternoon. One who stood out were the brilliantly names Vertical Smiles who contributed a cracking track to a Stirling comp tape that must have come out around 1980 called 'The Ankle File' along with some other bands from around Stirling/BofA like 22 Beaches, Curious Reign, Those French Girls etc.
Fuck knows if there's a download of it available anywhere though.
by-the-way, also on the B side of the Production EP (though uncredited on the sleeve) is a wee bit of a song called 'Tony Blackburn' which was kind of The Fakes' crowd favourite.
There were a few other good bands around Stirling back then, some of whom I saw at a gig on the roof of the Stirling University canteen one rainy saturday afternoon. One who stood out were the brilliantly names Vertical Smiles who contributed a cracking track to a Stirling comp tape that must have come out around 1980 called 'The Ankle File' along with some other bands from around Stirling/BofA like 22 Beaches, Curious Reign, Those French Girls etc.
Fuck knows if there's a download of it available anywhere though.
Hi Chris thanks for taking the time to comment and add all the extra info. I didn't know about the session tape, so thanks very much.
I've not heard of the other bands tou mentioned either, and would like to.
Do you have a copy of the tape?
All the best Gary
As coincidence would have it, I found my original copy when I was back in Stirling visiting my old dear only last week, though I was recently sent a downloaded CD copy of it by a mate not that long ago.
"New Clash Single" by Vertical Smiles is amazing. In fact, if my addled memory serves me correctly i'm sure John Peel played it once. he certainly played 'Production' and showed the cover on some documentary about him on TV back then. Also, if i'm not again mistaken, The Cuban Heels were one of the bands who played that rooftop Stirling Uni gig, and you can see a wee clip of them playing 'Paint It Black' at the start of that Peter McDougall film 'Just A Boysgame' about late 70s Glasgow gang culture.
Hi Chris, excellent news, any chance of a copy? Or would you want to post it on ASFM? Happy to credit you.
I've just emailed the guy who sent me the CD of The Ankle File so hopefully he'll be able to help. the Fakes 'in Room 7' tape should still be up for download on the Kill Your Pet Puppy site though and you'll be welcome to download and post that up here if you give them a credit. Cheers.
Its fantastic to see al this old material is still in circulation. I.m after the scars material? And idea where to download, I have the 2 singles but I never did get the album back I leant to some f****r years ago!
Cheers and I'm glad its not just al feded away!
Hi Chris I've got all the Ankle stuff, thanks for getting ken to help.
I will post it sometime soon, some really good stuff.
Do you know anymore about it? Ken thinks that all the bands came from Stirling.
All the best
hey there. Just to let you know I sent ken a scan of the 'poster' for the Ankle File which I finally located, plus a full tracklist. Hope that helps :)
Hi Chris, yes I got the scans from Ken and updated the post, so thanks very much for that. I'm still playing it as well.
You can see it here:
http://asfm.blogspot.com/2009/05/ankle-file-various.html
Thanks Gary
Hi, Wierd, I found this blog by accident when I typed in Ankle Tapes The Fakes. The Fakes were managed by Billy McChord who created Ankle Tapes. After the fakes split Johnny and Jamesy formed the band New Youth with Donnie and Lez Stewart on the drums. I was their manager when they produced a tape and played a few of the strangest gigs ever, in a heavy metal pub in Glenrothes where Billy Blitz our roadie pogoed alone and spat on the mossers. Kevin the Engineer and me built the sound desk into a little fortress - just in case the mossers got mad. We played an equally freaky gig at Stirling's only nightclub - Le Clique and John Travolta we were not.
Hi Jurassaosaurus, thanks for the comment and the extra info. It's great when you type in something and you get exactly what your looking.
for.
Have you checked out the Ankle tape as well? Lot of memories in the comments.
All the best
Hello! I saw this blog shared on Facebook. I was Mairi Fake. I have to admit that I've done a few things in my life which I'm not so proud of, but I never developed boy bands! I did work on a video for a boy pop singer once (he was big in Japan....honest..), but that's it :) I've a feeling that Jamesy (Mr Egg) put that rumour about for pure devilment, as is his wont. In the early 90s, I worked on pop videos / styling, etc., mostly for Betty Boo. The reality nowadays is probably the least punk job you could imagine; I'm a music-loving antiques dealer. BTW, The Fakes have a Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/152993964715891/
Thanks for the update Mairi, it's difficult (no impossible) to stop rumours, etc. So it's always good to get the facts.
the fakes havegg reformed with myself mr egg back on the bass and johnny on wocals...we now have new drummer....mr lee and new guitarist...billum baird...we play the first fakes gig in 39 years on may 18 2018 at the voodoo rooms in edinburgh,then have more gigs thru may,junegg,july.....and thats no fake news
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