Like so many other disenfranchised kids in the heady days of mid-eighties United Kingdom, Magic Roundabout came armed with leather jackets, charity shop instruments, singles by The Fall and Buzzcocks, good haircuts, a healthy VU obsession and a little psychedelic inspiration. Influenced into existence at early gigs by The Jesus and Mary Chain and Shop Assistants, The Roundies wanted to change the world or at the very least make some noise, shake things up and be a part of the happening.
The gang established a clubhouse in early 1986 and began rehearsing, recording and gigging. Playing a ton of legendary shows with the likes of The Pastels, The Blue Aeroplanes, Spacemen 3, Loop, My Bloody Valentine, Inspiral Carpets and picking up a bunch of fans along the way. Rumor has it that Noel Gallagher roadied their final show.
There was one song released - She’s a Waterfall Parts 1 and 2 on Mark Webber’s (Pulp) Oozing Through The Ozone Layer cassette compilation - and that’s it. There were also talks of a flexi-disc that, for whatever reason, never saw the light of day. But by the end of the 80s, the gang had all gone their separate ways and the recordings along with so many other things were thought to be lost forever...
Now, these 1987 recordings recently unearthed by Ian Masters (Pale Saints) and Third Man Records and given the “treatment” by Warren Defever are presented to you lucky ones as the debut album by Magic Roundabout. 34 years too late or perfectly steeped and presented at just the right moment in history? Tune in, turn on and make up your own mind. Enjoy the trip.
Notes:
Debut album, 34 years late, from mid ‘80s Manchester noisemakers Magic Roundabout
Played shows with Loop, Spacemen 3, The Pastels, The Vaselines