AAGA - BEDROOM TAPES - 1983

When you get an idea, get it down any way you can. Scribble it onto a scrap pad, whistle it into a Dictaphone, anything, as long as the idea is itemized, so to speak, that's the main thing, then you can go back and refer to it later when time comes to do a proper version of it. If you miss the opportunity to get the idea down in the first place, chances are it will never appear again. Gone forever!

I unearthed this cassette by AAGA from 1983 called "Bedroom Tapes", the contents consisting of tunes Mike Kane & Steve Grimmond came up with. Some tracks are a bit loose, some are more fully formed. AAGA made loads of cassettes back then, a few were "one offs" such as this one, others were duplicated then either given away free or sold cheaply.

This particular red & blue one was swiped off the cover of a magazine when Mike worked in John Menzies. Any unsold mags that had tapes attached, Mike would...recycle them, let's say, and record over the contents with his own stuff. All that was needed was a portable tape recorder and whatever band equipment there was.

There are 8 of these homemade lo-fi tracks on this cassette, so plucking one out as an example I have gone for "These Chances". Undeterred by the DIY approach, this tune has a really compelling bassline accompanied by a freestyle kind of singing technique layered on top.

Not intended to be the finished article of course, but you can tell there is a good idea in there bursting to get out!

Glad they made the effort.

STOP PRESS : There are reports coming in of an official CD release by AAGA due out in a few weeks. More on that later.