The Jazz Butcher

The Jazz Butcher
The Jazz Butcher (1989)
Background information
Also known as	The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy The Jazz Butcher And His Sikkorskis From Hell
Origin	Oxford, England
Genres	Indie pop, Jangle pop
Years active	1982–2000, 2012
Labels	Glass, Creation, Vinyl Japan
Website	http://www.jazzbutcher.com/
Past members	Pat Fish Max Eider Felix Ray Mr. O.P. Jones Kizzy O'Callaghan Laurence O'Keefe Paul Mulreany Alex Green Alex Lee Richard Formby Joe Allen Dooj Wilkinson Nick Burson Peter Crouch Pascal Legras Mark Bown Gabriel Turner Dave Henderson Owen Jones Pat Bierne Curtis E. Johnson

The Jazz Butcher, also known as The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy and The Jazz Butcher And His Sikkorskis From Hell, are a British musical group founded by Pat Fish.

History

The band was formed in Oxford in 1982 by Pat Fish, who had previously been a member of Wow Federation while at university in the city, with Max Eider.^[1] The début album in Bath of Bacon was released by Glass Records in 1983.^[1] A second album A Scandal in Bohemia, also on Glass, featured guest appearances from David J and Kevin Haskins of Bauhaus.^[1] After 4 Albums, and 2 singles collections for Glass, Fish signed to Creation Records in 1988, releasing eight albums on the label, culminating in 1995's Illuminate.^[1]

Lyrical themes

Their oeuvre is blackly humorous with such topics as Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49, an unrequited crush on Shirley MacLaine, and an ode to SF writer Harlan Ellison. The song "Sister Death" is not about the comic book character, but was inspired by the last words of Saint Francis of Assisi, "Welcome, Sister Death".

Discography

Albums

• In Bath of Bacon (1983), Glass
• A Scandal in Bohemia (1984), Glass
• Sex and Travel (1985), Glass - UK Indie #25^[2]
• Distressed Gentlefolk (1986), Glass - UK Indie #15^[2]
• Fishcotheque (1988), Creation
• Big Planet Scarey Planet (1989), Creation
• Cult Of The Basement (1990), Creation
• Black Eg (1991), Creation (under the name Black Eg)
• Condition Blue (1991), Creation
• Waiting for the Love Bus (1993), Creation
• Illuminate (1995), Creation
• Rotten Soul (2000), Vinyl Japan
• Last of the Gentleman Adventurers (2012), (self-released)

Singles

• "Southern Mark Smith" (1983), Glass
• "Marnie" (1984), Glass
• "Roadrunner" (1984), Glass - UK Indie #50^[2]
• "Zombie Love" (1984)
• "Affection" (1984)
• "Real Men" (1985), Glass - UK Indie #34^[2]
• "The Human Jungle" (1985), Glass - UK Indie #27^[2]
• "Christmas with the Pygmies" (1985)
• "Leaving It Up to You" (1985)
• "Hard" (1986), Glass - UK Indie #24^[2]
• "Angels" (1986), Glass
• "Peter Lorre" (1986)
• "Spooky" (1988), Creation - UK Indie #19^[2]
• "New Invention" (1989), Creation
• "We Love You" (1990), Creation
• "She's a Yo-Yo" (1991), Skyclad
• "Shirley MacLaine" (1991)
• "Sweetwater" (1993)
• "Vodka Girls" (1994)
• "Sixteen Years" (1995), Creation

EPs

• Conspiracy (1986), Glass - UK Indie #42^[2]
• May I (1987)
• Girl Go (1990), Creation

Live

• Hamburg (1985), Rebel
• Western Family (1993), Creation
• Glorious and Idiotic (2000), ROIR

Compilations

• Gift of Music (1985), Glass
• Bloody Nonsense (1986), Big Time
• Big Questions (Gift of Music, Vol. 2) (1987), Glass
• Edward's Closet (1991), Creation
• Unconditional (1992)
• Draining the Glass (1996), Nectar
• !Excellent! The Violent Years (1997)
• Cake City (2001), Vinyl Japan
• The Jazz Butcher's Free Lunch (2003)

References

1. Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0, p. 381-2
2. Lazell, Barry (1998) Indie Hits 1980-1989, Cherry Red Books, ISBN 0-9517206-9-4, p. 122

External links

• Official website