Hello folks!
We're reissuing another brilliant album by The Milkshakes!
Fourteen Rhythm & Beat Greats will be released as a black vinyl LP on 18th July. You can read all about it and pre-order a copy below. Why not get a copy of The Men With The Golden Guitars LP too!
Also a reminder that Thee Headcoats Sect's Got SECT If You Want It EP is out next Friday.
Pre-orders will be shipping soon!
The Milkshakes - Fourteen Rhythm & Beat Greats (Black Vinyl LP)
RELEASE DATE - JULY 18TH
Black vinyl stereo LP!
The album will also be streaming digitally in both stereo and mono versions!
“From the
opening rasp of “SEVEN DAYS” to the dying chimes of “WO’
NOW”, the frenzied beat goes on. Even the more subdued tracks are given
that unmistakable MILKSHAKES brand, pointing to THE MILKSHAKES being the
undeniable leaders of world beat!” It says here.
Following on from the imaginary international success of their debut album
“Talking Bout… “ and the 45 “It’s You” c/w
“Please Don’t Tell My Baby”, the Milkshakes decided to
squander what little money they had left on another long-player. The result was
the cleverly-titled, if slightly boastful-sounding, “Fourteen Rhythm &
Beat Greats”. Indeed, if you close your eyes and unplug the record-player,
all 14 – count ’em (next time you open your peepers) –
finely-crafted tunes on this LP could almost qualify as “great”,
depending on where you stand, musically. I recommend just around the corner, out
of earshot for best results.
Featuring such live favourites as “Black Sails In The Moonlight” and
Red Monkey”, the general consensus was that this was THE MILKSHAKES’
finest work to date (ask them yourselves). That must be partially true, as
London’s prestigious Big Beat Records figured it was good enough to
reissue on their very own prestigious Big Beat record label – twice.
But that was 40-odd (yikes…!) years ago, so please try and control your
excitement and form an orderly queue… although the sooner they sell out,
it can be repressed – yet again – with the blue masthead.
Hasty Bananas
Bassist Russ Wilkins shares his memories of recording the LP…
“This was recorded in Herne Bay at Oakwood’s second location. I think I’d just been there with the Prisoners, doing Taste of Pink. I was using my Framus Star Bass and just started using a Fender bass amp which let me down in the studio, so I had to use an AC30 top which was pretty distorted and not what I wanted but we had to go with it. You can hear it on ‘No-one Else’ which sounded great in rehearsal.
‘Can You Tell Me’ was the start of the stripping down where we tried to be as minimal as possible, I managed to get it to only two notes later on.
There was, of course the Wall City version of the record which was put out by Hansi Steinmetz in Berlin – different colour Logo on the front. There are a lot more backing vocals on this one too. I guess I need to take some responsibility for that.
It was recorded more like the previous Pop Rivets albums in that we all set up in the room together and played live, very few overdubs apart from the odd solo. The previous album had been done in the stairwell so was pretty “lively”. We did one more like that and then changed tack when we released the seven albums in one day or whatever it was.”
RUSS WIILKINS, MAY 2025
TRACKLISTING
SIDE A
1 – Seven Days 2 – Black Sails (In the Moonlight) 3 – Exactly Like You
4 – A Girl Called Mine 5 – Sad Girl Mambo 6 – I Want You 7 – Cadalina
SIDE B
1 – No-One Else 2 – I Need No-One 3 – You Did Her Wrong 4 – Can You Tell Me
5 – Red Monkey 6 – Take You Home Tonight 7 – Wo’ Now
The Milkshakes - MILKSHAKES IV: The Men With The Golden Guitars (Black Vinyl LP)
Instrumental album from 1983!
The band’s 4th LP, finally back on vinyl!
The 'Track Withdrawn' from previous issues has now been reinstated in the form of 'The Wrong Man'!
Having endured no less
than three long-players and a brace of singles featuring the caterwauling of
Messrs Hampshire and Childish, the Milkshakes’ audience figured it might
be time for an instrumental outing. In response the group gave them just
that.
But this was to be no run-of-the-mill effort – no Dick Dale-esque surf
marathons or Shadowsy twangers are apparent here. These tunes are more
‘rhythm-and-mood’-based compositions; occasionally leaning more
towards the Link Wray end of the spectrum – as you would probably
expect.
This IVth album (hence the name) was recorded in 1983 at Oakwood Studios –
as were all previous releases – but this was the first in their new
facilities in a converted church near Canterbury, which opened up a whole new
golden vista of shimmering, silvery sounds in atmospheric conditions. Of course,
the Milkshakes were having none of that.
We suggest you plonk the wax on your gramophone and let whatever happens
happens.
Hasty bananas.
https://kentbeat.uk/studios/41-oakwood-herne-bay
TRACKLISTING
SIDE A
1 – Chatham Drive 2 – General Belgrano 3 – Scapa Flow 4 – The Wrong Man
5 – The Klansmen Kometh 6 – Thunderbird 7 – Mumble The Peg
SIDE B
1 – The Yorkshire Ripper 2 – Flatfoot 3 – Dogwatch on Monkey’s Paw 4 – Every Corner
5 – Can You Tell? 6 – Dreadnaught 7 – Shed Country ‘83
Thee Headcoats Sect - Got SECT If You Want It! (7" EP)
RELEASE DATE - JUNE 20TH
Here, presented on wax we have the true highbreds of punk and rhythm and beat - Thee Headcoats Sect, featuring thee original Headcoat boys: Bruce, Tub and Billy, along with top notch bassman and vocalist of Downliners Sect - Keith Evans. Keith offers up vocals on ‘Man Trap’ and hit tune, ‘We'er Gone’, whilst Billy leads on ‘Got Love If You Want It’ and its bastard offspring ‘Got Sect If You Want It’. Downliners/Headcoats fans, get down and dig!
Billy Childish (May 2025)
SIDE A 1 Got SECT If You Want It 2 Man Trap SIDE B 1 We’er Gone 2 Got Love If You Want It
And to celebrate this new E.P. we're offering a special offer on their last E.P. from a few years back 'A Tribute to Don Craine', if you order a copy along with the new E.P. then you can have it for only £3.99
and lastly...on the SECT front we have these CD releases also available for the bargain price of £4.99 each.
and don't forget to check out all the recent releases on DAMAGED GOODS at the SHOP HERE