CULT OF THE UNDERDOG Podcast : Episode 14 Now Available!

[bigfootkit]

I went through again, but to no avail. So yeah, it would be nice to post those we don't know, that we could start to hunt them down.

I'm SO glad to hear M-80's - Angela as the first track!

If one would want to kill me I would not hear singer shouting "Angeluh!" I've heard "I'm alive" and that's what I searched for.

I'll reveal the remainder on Monday, leaving a day's grace for any last minute identifications.
Funny you should say that about mis-hearing the hook of the M-80's song, i constantly hear it as 'I'm a liar!' Going by the singer's anguished delivery that Angela girl sure did 'done him wrong', but at least he got a great song out of it.

[Keir]

Looks like no one got "T.V.'s on the Blink" by The Action.

[bigfootkit]

Looks like no one got "T.V.'s on the Blink" by The Action.

That's a good obscure spot Keir! I doff my cap to you sir.
Time to reveal all then?
You have been listening to:

01. The Harry South Orchestra - The Sweeney (Closing Version) (from the 'The Sweeney' TV soundtrack 7" (1975))
02. Baltik - Leslie Briggs ('Cult Of The Underdog' Theme) (from the 'Baltik' LP (1973))
03. M-80's - Angela (from the M-80's/World Alliance split 7" (198?))
04. Scott Morgan & The Hellacopters - 16 With A Bullet (from the 'Slow Down, Take A Look' 7" (2004))
05. Thundermug - Bad Guy (from the 'Orbit' LP (1973))
06. Neon Rose - War Song (from the 'A Dream Of Glory And Pride' CD [bonus track] (1974))
07. Fu Manchu - Eatin' Dust (from the 'Eatin' Dust' LP (1999))
08. Pandemonium - Eye Of The Storm (from the 'Hole In The Sky' LP (1985))
09. Circle Jerks - Beat Me Senseless (from the 'VI' LP (1987))
10. Hellion - Backstabber (from the 'Hellion' Mini LP (1983))
11. Screaming Trees - Working Class Hero (from the various artists compilation LP 'Working Class Hero' (1995))
12. The Action - T.V.'s On The Blink (from the 'T.V.'s On The Blink' EP (1979))
13. Short Cross - Just Don't Care (from the 'Arising' LP (1972))
14. Silvertide - Foxhole Jesus Christ (from the 'Show And Tell' LP (2004))
15. Dead Silence - Fair Game (from the '8085 : The Long Silence Is Over...' anthology (1980-1985))
16. Wits End - See It Through (from the 'Rock And By God Roll' LP (1979))
17. Ordalia - Hop-Frog (from the 'Odes For Victory' LP (2023))
18. Deep Purple - Owed To 'G' (from the 'Come Taste The Band' LP (1975))

[Keir]

That's a good obscure spot Keir! I doff my cap to you sir.

Well, all I did was search Discogs for "T.V.'s on the Blink" based on the lyrics. The only tracks I actually knew from this episode were the ones by Pandemonium and Hellion.

[Khnud]

from the '8085 : The Long Silence Is Over...' anthology (1980-1985)

Is this an actual physical release or a collection of digital files (on Spotify)?

[Noisenik]

THUNDERMUG, NEON ROSE, WITS END, SHORT CROSS, ORDALIA... now I am sure I will not manage to give a thorough listen even to those bands that would be highly rewarding, let alone all the rest.

Re. NEON ROSE: is this perhaps their best track? It's CD bonus track, it wouldn't surprise me, if it would be their best.

[bigfootkit]

from the '8085 : The Long Silence Is Over...' anthology (1980-1985)

Is this an actual physical release or a collection of digital files (on Spotify)?

They initially released the collection through mp3.com in the early 2000's, so you could purchase an on-demand pro CD-r at that time. They later re-released the same collection digitally on all the usual platforms with different cover art and a rejigged running order (though they used all the same songs & versions as previously).
So, technically there was a physical release, but the chances are that any CD-r's would likely be unplayable by now so you'd probably be best to avoid any 2nd hand copies & settle for digital 'til they release it properly.
Here's the full 13 song collection on YT:

[bigfootkit]

THUNDERMUG, NEON ROSE, WITS END, SHORT CROSS, ORDALIA... now I am sure I will not manage to give a thorough listen even to those bands that would be highly rewarding, let alone all the rest.

Re. NEON ROSE: is this perhaps their best track? It's CD bonus track, it wouldn't surprise me, if it would be their best.

Difficult for me to be objective about that, the 1st Neon Rose album is full of great songs & the 2nd and 3rd LPs are only slightly less impressive.
As for those bands you listed, Wits End & Short Cross only released an album each, there are just 2 Ordalia LPs & only 3 Neon Rose albums so the back catalogues aren't too deep to explore. Thundermug's discography looks deeper, but only their 1st 3 albums are worth your time, with 'Strikes' being by far the most consistent.

[great_knuthulhu]

Looks like no one got "T.V.'s on the Blink" by The Action.

That's a good obscure spot Keir! I doff my cap to you sir.
Time to reveal all then?
You have been listening to:

01. The Harry South Orchestra - The Sweeney (Closing Version) (from the 'The Sweeney' TV soundtrack 7" (1975))
02. Baltik - Leslie Briggs ('Cult Of The Underdog' Theme) (from the 'Baltik' LP (1973))
03. M-80's - Angela (from the M-80's/World Alliance split 7" (198?))
04. Scott Morgan & The Hellacopters - 16 With A Bullet (from the 'Slow Down, Take A Look' 7" (2004))
05. Thundermug - Bad Guy (from the 'Orbit' LP (1973))
06. Neon Rose - War Song (from the 'A Dream Of Glory And Pride' CD [bonus track] (1974))
07. Fu Manchu - Eatin' Dust (from the 'Eatin' Dust' LP (1999))
08. Pandemonium - Eye Of The Storm (from the 'Hole In The Sky' LP (1985))
09. Circle Jerks - Beat Me Senseless (from the 'VI' LP (1987))
10. Hellion - Backstabber (from the 'Hellion' Mini LP (1983))
11. Screaming Trees - Working Class Hero (from the various artists compilation LP 'Working Class Hero' (1995))
12. The Action - T.V.'s On The Blink (from the 'T.V.'s On The Blink' EP (1979))
13. Short Cross - Just Don't Care (from the 'Arising' LP (1972))
14. Silvertide - Foxhole Jesus Christ (from the 'Show And Tell' LP (2004))
15. Dead Silence - Fair Game (from the '8085 : The Long Silence Is Over...' anthology (1980-1985))
16. Wits End - See It Through (from the 'Rock And By God Roll' LP (1979))
17. Ordalia - Hop-Frog (from the 'Odes For Victory' LP (2023))
18. Deep Purple - Owed To 'G' (from the 'Come Taste The Band' LP (1975))

Short Cross, Thundermug and Baltik all go into that "Purchased years ago, haven't listened to for years either" pile of albums. Never really "got" Short Cross but should give them a few more listens one of these days. Bad Guy is my favourite Thundermug song, but the whole 1st album is pretty good. I have the first three, which are decent to good, but the rest aren't any good then?

On Janne Schaffer and Baltik, I remember the album mentioned in one of those "proggen" books in Swedish. Don't remember which one though. Where I used to work, both the janitors were music fans and both knew Janne Schaffer very well (I started working there in 1999). One of them played guitar and had Schaffer as one of his main sources of inspiration (He played in a Swedish-style dance band). Schaffer played on "everything" in the 70s though.

The Hellion EP was also a great one. I loved that one from the first time I heard it in... 86? Could have been '87...

[bigfootkit]

Short Cross, Thundermug and Baltik all go into that "Purchased years ago, haven't listened to for years either" pile of albums. Never really "got" Short Cross but should give them a few more listens one of these days. Bad Guy is my favourite Thundermug song, but the whole 1st album is pretty good. I have the first three, which are decent to good, but the rest aren't any good then?
On Janne Schaffer and Baltik, I remember the album mentioned in one of those "proggen" books in Swedish. Don't remember which one though. Where I used to work, both the janitors were music fans and both knew Janne Schaffer very well (I started working there in 1999). One of them played guitar and had Schaffer as one of his main sources of inspiration (He played in a Swedish-style dance band). Schaffer played on "everything" in the 70s though.

I have a soft spot for that Short Cross LP. If i was being critical, they perhaps lacked a little in terms of originality & individuality, but the songs are really well crafted & played with such enthusiasm & energy that they won me over easily. If memory serves they were all still in their teens when they made the LP, so with that in mind i find it easy to overlooked a few hackneyed moments that might otherwise have put me off.
Thundermug's discography is such a confusing mess. The Canadian & US releases had different songs included & excluded on at least 2 of their 3 studio LP's from the 70's. There were also several additional non-LP tracks buried on single B sides & promo 45s that really ought/need to be comped.
After the 3rd LP the singer left & they continued as a trio until the end of the decade without releasing any further LP's, however in 2020 Axe Records finally released a long-shelved studio album they'd recorded during that mid/late '70's era called 'Bill, Jim & Ed'. I've only heard it twice so can't properly evaluate it yet, though it sounded decent on those initial plays.
After they revived the band in the early 90's the 2 further albums they recorded were very different stylistically to their early records, the music has more of an alternative feel to it mixed with some trad Blues. It's not bad music for what it is but it doesn't sound much like the Thundermug of old.
I'm not at all up on Schaffer's work beyond Baltik, but after Khnud's earlier comment i did look up his impressively lengthy discography and i'll likely investigate some more of his work. He's done so much recording that it's hard to know where to begin.

[Noisenik]

Aww, additional data. Reg. Schaffer, you could start with "Katharsis" or debut, or if you are willing to tease yourself further, with the second one, then going back or forth at will.

As you have stated, the back catalogues of name-checked bands are not that deep to explore, but taking into account what was already presented and what is (probably) yet to come, it is destined to become unnavigable.

And Graham, as usual, I'd like to get some info on dialogues. Cheers in advance!

I have a soft spot for that Short Cross LP. If i was being critical, they perhaps lacked a little in terms of originality & individuality, but the songs are really well crafted & played with such enthusiasm & energy that they won me over easily. If memory serves they were all still in their teens when they made the LP, so with that in mind i find it easy to overlooked a few hackneyed moments that might otherwise have put me off.
Thundermug's discography is such a confusing mess. The Canadian & US releases had different songs included & excluded on at least 2 of their 3 studio LP's from the 70's. There were also several additional non-LP tracks buried on single B sides & promo 45s that really ought/need to be comped.
After the 3rd LP the singer left & they continued as a trio until the end of the decade without releasing any further LP's, however in 2020 Axe Records finally released a long-shelved studio album they'd recorded during that mid/late '70's era called 'Bill, Jim & Ed'. I've only heard it twice so can't properly evaluate it yet, though it sounded decent on those initial plays.
After they revived the band in the early 90's the 2 further albums they recorded were very different stylistically to their early records, the music has more of an alternative feel to it mixed with some trad Blues. It's not bad music for what it is but it doesn't sound much like the Thundermug of old.
I'm not at all up on Schaffer's work beyond Baltik, but after Khnud's earlier comment i did look up his impressively lengthy discography and i'll likely investigate some more of his work. He's done so much recording that it's hard to know where to begin.

[great_knuthulhu]

I have a soft spot for that Short Cross LP. If i was being critical, they perhaps lacked a little in terms of originality & individuality, but the songs are really well crafted & played with such enthusiasm & energy that they won me over easily. If memory serves they were all still in their teens when they made the LP, so with that in mind i find it easy to overlooked a few hackneyed moments that might otherwise have put me off.
Thundermug's discography is such a confusing mess. The Canadian & US releases had different songs included & excluded on at least 2 of their 3 studio LP's from the 70's. There were also several additional non-LP tracks buried on single B sides & promo 45s that really ought/need to be comped.
After the 3rd LP the singer left & they continued as a trio until the end of the decade without releasing any further LP's, however in 2020 Axe Records finally released a long-shelved studio album they'd recorded during that mid/late '70's era called 'Bill, Jim & Ed'. I've only heard it twice so can't properly evaluate it yet, though it sounded decent on those initial plays.
After they revived the band in the early 90's the 2 further albums they recorded were very different stylistically to their early records, the music has more of an alternative feel to it mixed with some trad Blues. It's not bad music for what it is but it doesn't sound much like the Thundermug of old.
I'm not at all up on Schaffer's work beyond Baltik, but after Khnud's earlier comment i did look up his impressively lengthy discography and i'll likely investigate some more of his work. He's done so much recording that it's hard to know where to begin.

Appreciate the info on Thundermug. I have the US version of two of the three first and the Canadian version of the third - I forget which it is. Some songs repeated if I remember correctly. I also have some CDs which serve to further confuse the matter.

I think Schaffer played with Abba and Toto, as well as in the theme tunes for Swedish TV-shows, among other things.

[bigfootkit]

Aww, additional data. Reg. Schaffer, you could start with "Katharsis" or debut, or if you are willing to tease yourself further, with the second one, then going back or forth at will.

Thanks for the recommendations Noisenik, that gives me an entry point at least. He has such a dauntingly vast catalogue of work that i'll likely only ever manage to scratch the surface.
I'll PM you about the samples.

[bigfootkit]

Appreciate the info on Thundermug. I have the US version of two of the three first and the Canadian version of the third - I forget which it is. Some songs repeated if I remember correctly. I also have some CDs which serve to further confuse the matter.

No problem G.K., I had been reading up on Thundermug recently so the info was reasonably fresh in my mind. Hopefully someone will compile those tracks exclusive to the U.S. LPs & the 7" non-LP material & release them someday. There's likely further material from the 70s they also could use as i read they recorded demos throughout the decade. It's definitely a discography that deserves to be properly untangled.