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The new Sex Pistols single is "Holidays In The Sun"/"Satellite." It appears that their debut album — if and when it ever gets released — will be out on Warner Brothers in the states. The band remains on Virgin in Britain.
Stiff has issued Hits Greatest Stiffs, a package containing various A and B sides of singles which the label released and soon after deleted last year. Among the rarities are Elvis Costello's B-side "Radio Sweetheart," Motorhead's "Leavin's Here," and Plummet Airline's "This Is The World." A nice touch is the inner sleeve, with album covers of "some fine records on other labels you might enjoy." Also new from the label is the latest from Elvis Costello, "Watching The Detectives," a single which probably won't come out in America, and new 45s from Wreckless Eric ("Whole Wide World"/"Semaphore Signals") and Yachts ("Suffice To Say"/"Freedom Is A Heady Wine").
As you probably know, Marc Bolan was killed in a car crash in mid-September. At the time, the T. Rex leader was doing a regular British TV show and had just released a new single, "Celebrate Summer." If you're interested in what Bolan did during his often exciting and controversial career, there are several albums available on import. There is a Greatest Hits of sorts, Bolan Boogie, which features songs like "Ride A White Swan," "Jeepster," "Get It On," and "Hot Love." It has 14 cuts in all. Besides his most recent album, Dandy In The Underworld, you can also get the two before that, Futuristic Dragon and Bolan's Zip Gun.
The Import Bin discovery of the month is Deke O'Brien's Nightbus, a rock album on the traditional folk label from Ireland, Mulligan. The album is deceptively packaged, as it shows Deke on the cover with an acoustic guitar, leading one to believe it's a folk album. Actually, it's beautifully understated rock, in the manner of the album Frankie Miller recorded with Brinsley Schwarz, Once In a Blue Moon. Deke is from Ireland, as are all the musicians on this album. He was in the great pub-rock band Bees Make Honey, as were/are several people on Nightbus. The production is sparse, the playing is just right, and Deke's voice is a bit like Miller's yet not as gravelly. You may have a hard time finding it but it's worth bugging your favorite store about. The number is LUN 003.
In a related vein is the release of a live EP by the latest version of Bees Make Honey. It has four songs recorded at London's Nashville Rooms last December. It was produced by Ian Gomm of Brinsley Schwarz and is on Charly Records, with a glossy picture sleeve.
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