Well before 'Straightjacket Fits' Shayne Carter formed the band 'Bored Games' with his school mates Wayne Elsey, Fraser Batts, Jonathan Moore and Jeff Harford. They released an EP 'Who Killed Colonel Mustard' in 1982 on the Flying Nun label. We regularly play "Joe 90" from that EP on Bitter FM. Wayne Elsey had left the band to form 'The Stones.' In 1983 Carter and Elsey formed 'The DoubleHappys' after the demise of each of their bands. They added a drum machine, which didn't really work out for them and subsequently added a real drummer, a mate named John Collie. They released a double 7" single and an EP 'Cut it Out' before tragedy struck. During a tour in 1985, Wayne Elsey was killed in a freak accident, while traveling on a train from Auckland. Carter and Collie decided not to continue as 'The DoubleHappys' and they became 'Straightjacket Fits.' Flying Nun released a compilation album 'Nerves' in 1992, featuring the single and EP, together with some live tracks... essential for all fans of the Dunedin Sound and the Flying Nun label. The compilation is full of treasures like "Big Fat Elvis and, of course, "Needles and Plastic"... the quintessential DoubleHappys song. We know the greatness of Shayne Carter's musical career with 'Straightjacket Fits' and 'Dimmer'... well, this is where the peak started.
No comments:
Post a Comment