Jack O'Fire - 6 Super Shock Soul Songs. Estrus Records 10". ES 102

Well, here's a post with lots and lots of inserts for you to read. That was one of the great things about Jack O'Fire, their commitment to the written word. Releases usually came with the latest ramblings of Big Daddy Soul, self-appointed and inspirational leader of the Young Lions Conspiracy. Bands have played at the creating a gang / cult things over the years with various degrees of success including The Nation of Ulysses (good), Psychic TV (scary) and WU LYF (massively naive), but the best of all were the words which skipped from the fingers of Big Daddy Soul onto his manual type-writer.

The music's not half bad as well... Enjoy.

Jack O'Fire - 6 Super Shock Soul Songs. Estrus Records 10". ES 102.

blues estrus jack o'fire Tim Kerr

Jack 'O Fire - Bring Me The Head Of Jon Spencer EP. Undone Records 7" UR002

First insert.

Second insert.

Jack O'Fire (note the ' is in the right place here, unlike on the cover of this record) were a band I found very easy to love. Sure, they were a covers band, but such fantastic covers! On this, their debut release, we have songs made famous by Howling Wolf, Blind Willie McTell and those well-known blues artists Joy Division. No Love Lost was on 'An Ideal For Living', the first release from Joy Division. Download a superb version of it here.

In addition, the whole Young Lions Conspiracy schtick made their early releases doubly entertaining. There were two 'tracts' with this release. As is policy, I've scanned them both. Enjoy.

Jack O' Fire - Bring Me The Head Of Jon Spencer EP. Undone Records 7" UR002.

Austin jack o'fire joy division texas Tim Kerr undone records

Jack O'Fire - Soul Music 101 Chapter 3. Sympathy For The Record Industry 7". SFTRI 253-3.

More from The World's Greatest Cover Band. Jack O'Fire tear up a storm no matter who they cover, and a band who can cover The Fall and Sonny Boy Williamson with equal levels of respect are deserving of your love. Here they take on twitchy Seattle Power Poppers, The Fall Outs and deceased instrumental powerhouse Link Wray. Enjoy.

Jack O'Fire - Soul Music 101 Chapter 3. Sympathy For The Record Industry 7".  SFTRI 253-3.

blues jack o'fire Sympathy For The Record Industry Tim Kerr

Poison 13 - Love Me EP. Sub Pop Records. SP 274.

I worked my way backwards into Poison 13 by being a fan of Jack O'Fire, then picking this up as it was a band with Tim Kerr in it. Much like Jack O'Fire, this is an assembly of cover versions, but a very fine assembly of cover versions. I always enjoy hearing covers of Manchester bands by US artists, particularly at the more obscure end of the market, so this cover of Warsaw from the first Joy Division EP, An Ideal For Living, generates the same warmth as Jack O'Fire's assault on The Fall's Container Drivers and Bassholes version of Joy Division's Interzone. Enjoy.

Poison 13 - Love Me EP. Sub Pop Records. SP 274.

joy division poison 13 sub pop Tim Kerr

Lord High Fixers - Scat Man. No Lie Records 7". NL-006.

I never had as much time for Lord High Fixers as I did for Tim Kerr's previous band, Jack O'Fire. In retrospect that's a bit of a shame, but I was also slightly burnt out by what I perceived as a second wave of inferior garage bands and lack of quality control by some of the more prominent labels on the scene. So unlike the tower of vinyl I have for Jack O'Fire, Lord High Fixers are represented in my collection by this single only. It's a good one, though, showcasing the slightly rockier feel of Lord High Fixers and packaged with consumate care by record label, No Lie. The Cub Card shown above is membership card-sized. The inserts continue Kerr's journey with Young Lions Conspiracy USA.

In addition I've linked to a record sent to me by Tim Kerr back in the mid to late nineties. It's a clear vinyl, unlabelled 7" with just the one track on it. In the meantime I have totally forgotten what it is and who recorded it. Any information will be gratefully received. It's a departure musically, but not thematically. As you will hear. Enjoy.

Lord High Fixers - Scat Man. No Lie Records 7". NL-006.

Lord High Fixers - Scat Man Revolution - Free 7".

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