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INDIE TOP 20 ALBUMS

These were compilations made by Beechwood that sum up the indie from 1987 to 1997.
As far as I know, the last one was volume 23. Though I've heard tell of a volume 24.

I need some tracklistings, and a few images!

There were box sets for 1989 (5,6,7), 1990 (8,9,10), 1991 (11,12 and 13) and 1992 (14,15,16) with 3 cds in each.
Though, as there seem to be only 2 CDs some years, yet 3 CDs in every box set....it's all a bit odd!


Indie Top 20 Volume 1

(Apr 1987)
CS (UK) 1987  Beechwood Music TT01
LP (UK) 1987 Beechwood Music TT01
2LP Band Of Joy Music TT 01 (?)
MC Band Of Joy Music TT 01 (released in two different sleeves!)

Mickey Way (The Candy Bar) - A CERTAIN RATIO
Dickie Davies Eyes - HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT
Hang-Ten! - THE SOUP DRAGONS
Sometimes - ERASURE
Please Don't Sandblast My House - ONE THOUSAND VIOLINS
Loan Shark - GUANA BATZ
Oh Grebo I Think I Love You - POP WILL EAT ITSELF
You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends (Peel session) -
THE WEDDING PRESENT
Lover & Confidante - BLUE AEROPLANES
Transmission (Peel session) - JOY DIVISION
Turn The Heater On (Peel session) - NEW ORDER
The Grip Of Love - GHOST DANCE
Velveteen - THE ROSE OF AVALANCHE
Into The Groovy - CICCONE YOUTH
Completely & Utterly - THE CHESTERFIELDS
Sorry To Embarrass You - RAZORCUTS
I Could Be In Heaven - THE FLATMATES
Beatnik Boy - TALULAH GOSH
Throwaway - MIGHTY MIGHTY
The Day Before Tomorrow - BMX BANDITS

Now, it has to be said from the off that my indie listening kicked off around Volume 7!
By now of course, I've heard these tracks and can make minimal (at best) comments...
New Orders tracks is good, of course, odd to have that and a Joy Division one in the same place...The Soup Dragons really didn't have many other big tunes did they...not on this evidence, sorry lads...The Wedding Present, reasonable version of one of their nine billion or so tunes, the BMX Bandits live album version of "The Day Before Tommorow" is better than the one here...beyond that...it's a very interesting start to the series and reflective of the period, if a little dated today.

Indie Top 20 Volume 2

(Sep 1987)
2xTape 1987 Band Of Joy Music TT02
2xLP (UK) 1987  Beechwood Music TT02
CD (UK) 1987 Beechwood Music TT02CD
Was originally on Cassette and Lp...seems to have been on Cd Later...

Tape 1:
CRAZYHEAD - What Gives You The Idea That You're So Amazing Baby?
POP WILL EAT ITSELF - Love Missile F1-11
THREE WISE MEN - Refresh Yourself
RENEGADE SOUND WAVE - Kray Twins
BAMBI SLAM - Don't It Make You Feel...
CLOSE LOBSTERS - Never Seen Before
THE FLATMATES - Happy All The Time
THE PASTELS - Crawl Babies
THE SOUP DRAGONS - Head Gone Astray
MIGHTY MIGHTY - Built Like A Car

Tape 2:
THE BEATMASTERS - Rok Da House
THE BELOVED - Forever Dancing
THE CHESTERFIELDS - Ask Johnny Dee
VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE - Just A City
ALL ABOUT EVE - Our Summer
MICHELLE SHOCKED - If Love Was A Train
THE PASSMORE SISTERS - Every Child In Heaven
BLUE AEROPLANES - Tolerance
THE BRILLIANT CORNERS - Brian Rix
TALULAH GOSH - Talulah Gosh

Right, Pop Will Eat Itselfs' track is an odd cover of Sigue Sigue Sputnik and, to be honest, I've never found their pre 'This is the hour' days all that fascinating...The Flatmates pop up again, as do the Soup Dragons, neither's bad, neither covered themselves in glory.
The Chesterfields track is fun and stands up reasonably today...The Beloved, it would seem on this slim evidence, had the one decent album and earlier stuff was rough round the edges and The Beatmasters chart hit stands out as a distinctly odd choice.

But again, notice how interesting the mix of bands is...

Indie Top 20 Volume 3
War of Independents

(Feb 1988)
2xLP: (Beechwood TT03)
CS: TT03MC

Truth (Peel session) - NEW ORDER(4:16)
Never Let Me Down Again - DEPECHE MODE(4:20)
Lost And Found - THE LEATHER NUN(3:54)
Big Hollow Man - DANIELLE DAX(4:52)
Beaver Patrol - POP WILL EAT ITSELF(3:05)
Big Rock Candy Mountain - THE MOTORCYCLE BOY(3:13)
Preacher Man - FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM(4:44)
Christopher Mayhew Says - THE SHAMEN (3:49)
Open Up - RED LORRY YELLOW LORRY(3:24)
24 Hour Party People - HAPPY MONDAYS (3:18)
Delilah Sands - THE BRILLIANT CORNERS(3:05)
Females (Get On Up) - THE COOKIE CREW(5:13)
Hellhouse - HOTLINE (6:17)
Victim Of Love - ERASURE (3:37)
Fools Gold - GHOST DANCE(4:56)
Birthday - THE SUGARCUBES (3:54)
Cry Baby Cry - THROWING MUSES (4:24)
Strawberry Wine - MY BLOODY VALENTINE(2:31)
Anyone Can Make A Mistake - THE WEDDING PRESENT (3:15)
Love Will Tear Us Apart (Peel Session) - JOY DIVISION(3:24)

Volume Three seems to have been the first one Beechwood did themselves, without having been a Band Of Joy record.
And I take it back about Pop Will Eat Itself's early stuff, this is fun, if slightly childish, class...
both the Neph. and Shamen feature for the first time, there's the great Happy Mondays, a great Sugarcubes track, a poor, albeit fascinating, early My Bloody Valentine track, The Weddoes, Joy Division....let's be honest, this series had hit it's stride 3 lps in...

State Of Independents (Indie Top 20 Volume 4)
(Also listed as Volume 4 part 1 with The House Album as part 2)

(May 1988)
LP (UK) 1988  Beechwood Music TT041
CD (UK) 1988 Beechwood Music TT041CD
CS (UK) 1988 Beechwood Music TT041MC

1.THE SMITHS - William, It Was Really Nothing
2.THE WOODENTOPS - You Make Me Feel
3.THE BRILLIANT CORNERS - Teenage
4.WIRE - Kidney Bingo
5.CARDIACS - Is This The Life
6.FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM - Blue Water
7.THE WEDDING PRESENT - Nobodys Twisting Your Arm
8.THE FLATMATES - Shimmer
9.THE PRIMITIVES - Stop Killing Me
10.THE SHAMEN - Knature Of A Girl
11.WORLD DOMINATION ENTERPRISES - I Can't Live Without My Radio
12.POP WILL EAT ITSELF - There Is No Love Between Us Anymore

Very very short for a 20, isn't it.... I've only the vinyl and that's got "Part 1" on the spine, so add the house compilation at the bottom for the full picture.

As it stands, the album starts with "William, it was really nothing".
You can't exactly say fairer than that.
Or at least you couldn't if the rest of the compilation didn't feature the Wedding Present, Wire, a really good Poppies track...decent Cardiacs.......oh, it's class. Again.

And no sarcasm from me, dull, isn't it...
Never mind, wait until about volume 22, they start putting bad late period Julian Cope in.
I'll be in spitting mode by that point, I promise.

Spirit of Independents (Indie Top 20 Volume 5)
CD, Cassette, LP


(Nov 1988)
ASIN: B00000ASFA
TT05CD
2xLP (UK) 1988  Beechwood Music TT05
CD (UK) 1988 Beechwood Music TT05CD
MC (UK) 1988 Beechwood Music TT05MC

1. Something Nice - ROBERT LLOYD
2. Silk Skin Paws - WIRE
3. Dreams Never End - NEW ORDER
4. Blind Box - KING BLANK
5. Mayfair - QUIREBOYS
6. Cat House - DANIELLE DAX
7. She's Lost Control - JOY DIVISION
8. Collision - LOOP
9. Church Of No Return - CHRISTIAN DEATH
10. Mercy Seat - NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS
11. Def Con One - POP WILL EAT ITSELF
12. Jesus Loves Amerika - THE SHAMEN
13. Son Of Nothing - WOLFHOUNDS
14. Solace - SEA URCHINS
15. Dying For It - VASELINES
16. Shame On You - DARLING BUDS
17. Bringing Up A Baby - TALULAH GOSH
18. Deus - SUGARCUBES
19. I'm In Love With A Girl... - ANOTHER SUNNY DAY
20. Love Will Tear Us Apart - SWANS

Although I could get an early start in here, yes, alright we've got Loop, The Vaselines (prized by Nirvana), New Order, Swans (covering Joy Division!) and Wire, but, honestly, Christian Death? Must we?
And the Quireboys? Why, for goodness sake....

All would be lost, but thank god, Pop Will Eat Itself wade in with the great "Def Con One".
No, really.

Ok, I meant Joy Division.

Indie Top 20 Volume 6
CD, Cassette, LP


Beechwood Music
TT06CD/1989

1.POURQUOI ES TU DEVENUE SI RAISONABLE? - Le Cadeau De Mariage/Wedding Present
2.THE THINGS YOU WANT - The Snapdragons
3:19    THE WORLD IS OURS - The Rose Of Avalanche
3:29    RENT ACT - The Wolfhounds
2:29    BUTTERFLY - Inspiral Carpets
4:00    RAIN OF RUIN - Suicide
5:04    BLACK SUN - Loop
4:40    THIS IS NOT BLASPHEMY - Christian Death
2:45    PAS MAL - The Young Gods
5:55    REVOLUTION - Spacemen 3
4:34    TRANSCENDENTAL - Shamen Vs. Bam Bam
5:01    HEADHUNTER - Front 242
4:25    VOODOO RAY - A guy Called Gerald
3:41    TANGIERS - The Screaming Trees
3:51    BLOW UP - The James Taylor Quartet
3:25    DODGING AROUND IN CARS - Bradford
3:37    NOTHING LESS THAN BRILLIANT - Sandie Shaw
3:37    SOMETIMES IN VAIN - The Parachute Men
6:40    CONSIDERING A MOVE TO MEMPHIS - The Colorblind James Experience

Some very odd choices adorn Volume 6, maybe compilations suffer from "difficult 6th album syndrome", I don't know, still, The Rose Of Avalanche and another for Christian Death sit uneasily alongside Bradford and The Parachute Men.
Mind you, there's some impressively forward looking tracks; Screaming Trees some years before grunge kicked in, the superb house/rave (yes you heard me right) of Guy Called Gerald's 'voodoo ray' and the Wedding Present, rapidly looking like series stalwarts.
Suicide, Loop...you have to say it's a classy set of acts overall, not necessarily the finest track by each artist, but, seeing as we're painting this as a weaker album, still not bad at all.

Indie Top 20 Volume 7

Cd, Cassette, LP
ASIN: B00000ASFC
Beechwood Music (1989)
TT007CD/TT07 (Double Vinyl)

1. Monkey Gone To Heaven - PIXIES
2. Made Of Stone - STONE ROSES
3. Ana Ng - THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
4. Eardrum Buzz - WIRE
5. Dizzy - THROWING MUSES
6. Polish Plain - OYSTER BAND
7. Rain Steam And Speed - MEN THEY COULDN'T HANG
8. My Love Is Like A Gift You Can't Return - MAN FROM DELMONTE
9. Joe - INSPIRAL CARPETS
10. Happy Shopper - WOLFHOUNDS
11. Freak Scene - DINOSAUR JNR.
12. Kansas - WOLFGANG PRESS
13. You Me And Everything - SHAMEN
14. Mercy Seat - ULTRA VIVID SCENE
15. Time To Kill - PERFECT DISASTER
16. Baby You're Just You - PASTELS
17. Sugar Luv - LUNACHICKS
18. Preachin' And Ramblin' - THEE HYPNOTICS
19. White Knuckle Ride - DANIELLE DAX
20. Deanna - NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS

Now we're talking. Just look at that opening five!
Pixies! Stone Roses! Wire!
Weep before your masters, inferior compilation series.
Ok, I'm getting carried away slightly, let's mention The Oyster Band, Ultra Vivid Scene and the Lunachicks (never trust a band with a one word pun title), but there are at least 8 or 9 tunes here that could adorn a "Classic Indie Hits" album today.
"Freak Scene" for example, only got re-released a little while ago!
Oh and a brief mention for Man From Delmonte at this point, despite having one of the worst names in the history of alternative music, it's a personal favourite track. Keep it under your hat, though.
Incidentally, does anyone else feel 'Joe' by the inspirals is rather weak?

Indie Top 20 Volume 8

Cd, Cassette, LP
Beechwood Music
TT08/TT08CD (1990)
3:24    INSPIRAL CARPETS - Move
4:31    DUB SEX - Time Of Life
3:42    DEPECHE MODE - Personal Jesus
3:50    FAMILY CAT - Tom Verlaine
5:49    SPACEMEN 3 - Hypnotized
3:48    JAMES - Come Home
3:37    A GUY CALLED GERALD - Hot Lemonade
4:06   THE KLF - Kylie Said To Jason
5:58    ALIEN SEX FIEND - Haunted House
4:51    THE SHAMEN - Omega Amigo
4:41    THE SUGARCUBES - Regina
3:19    KITCHENS OF DISTINCTION - Elephantine
3:06    FATIMA MANSIONS - Only Losers Take The Bus
3:23    WIRE - In Vivo
3:42    FIELD MICE - If You Need Someone
4:56    PALE SAINTS - Sight Of You
4:24    LOOP - Arc Lite
2:25  THE TELESCOPES - To Kill A Slow Girl Walking
5:00    THEE HYPNOTICS - Earth Blues

...and 'Move' actually.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring you The Family Cat!
...
Don't all applaud at once!
...
I like 'em, alright?
Seriously, another cracker, perhaps not as cohesive as the last, but the high points; Spacemen 3, Kitchens Of Distinction (a great babd, vastly under rated), Depeche Mode (Personal Jesus sounds amazing 15 years on), James (slightly weak early version of 'come home', but still!), make this another goody.
I'm beginning to fear I may have to review an entire compilation series without giving a single album a good kicking.
It's just not right.

Indie Top 20 Volume 9

Cd, LP
Beechwood Music (1990)
TT09CD
STEPPING STONE - The Farm
MOTHER UNIVERSE - The Soup Dragons
PINEAPPLE FACE - Revenge
BIG - New Fast Automatic Daffodils
INDIAN ROPE - The Charlatans
PRO GEN - The Shamen
ROUND & ROUND (Club Mix) - New Order
GET A KNIFE BETWEEN YOUR TEETH - McCarthy
MONSTER IN THE HOUSE - Finitribe
SHERIFF FATMAN - Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine
BLUES FORCEAUSESCU - Fatima Mansions
RITE OF PASSAGE - Wolfhounds
SLEEP WITH ME - Birdland
DREAMTIME - The Heart Throbs
JOY - The Sundays
SHE SINGS ALONE - See See Rider
ONE OF OUR GIRLS HAS GONE MISSING - A.C. Marias
DE-LUXE - Lush

Oop, spoke too soon...well, sort of.
But god knows, Revenge were dull, The Farm (Groovy Train excepted) baggy also-rans and The Soupdragons constantly mediocre.
And Birdland, all Andy Warhols' hair and a dearth of tunes. Yawn.
Don't get me started on See See Rider.
But, but...The Shamen 'Pro-Gen'! ('Move any mountain' to you, squire), the first (ok, dodgy), Charlatans single!, one good album wonders The Sundays!, one of Carter Usm's 4 good tunes!
But it's not enough and this comp. acts as a bridge between the old and new indie schools, ending up as a bit of an uneasy mix.

Indie Top 20 Volume 10

Beechwood Music (1990)
TT010CD
1. Groovy train (Terry Farley mix) - Farm
2. Make it mine - Shamen
3. All on you (perfume) - Paris Angels
4. What time is love (Echo & The Bunnymen mix) - KLF
5. Biting my nails - Renegade Soundwave
6. It's on - Flowered Up
7. Triangle - Field Mice
8. Only love can break your heart - St. Etienne
9. Lay me down - Mock Turtles
10. Scratches - Spin
11. She comes in the fall - Inspiral Carpets
12. Only one I know - Charlatans
13. Waiting for the angels - Darkside
14. Place with a name - Family Cat
15. Velouria - Pixies
16. Everything flows - Teenage Fanclub
17. Rent - Carter USM

Of all the indie top 20's, this is the one I listened to the most and it was, mostly, a cracking good album.
Let's get the exceptions (to my, at the time, teen ears, anyway) out of the way first..The Field Mice had better songs, The Darkside were dull and Spin already sounded dated (they'd later become Gene, or parts of them would!).
Beyond that, I love (and loved) it all, another great Carter Track, a fantastic Teenage Fanclub track I utterly failed to find on cd for many years, personal faves The Family Cat, Pixies, an awesome combo of Charlatans and Inspirals moments, it just got better as it went on.

Indie Top 20 Volume 11

Beechwood Music/Cassette, CD
TT011CD/1991
1. Anytime anyplace anywhere - Carter USM
2. Pray - My Jealous God
3. Spirit - Bridewell Taxis
4. Fishes eyes - New FADS
5. Phobia - Flowered Up
6. Listen - Honey Smugglers
7. Magic - Cud
8. Moody 'live' - Rig
9. I wanna talk like Iggy Pop - Upholstered Eldorados
10. Get higher - Moonflowers
11. Then - Charlatans
12. God knows it's true - Teenage Fanclub
13. Half life remembered - Pale Saints
14. Cry blood - Welfare Heroine
15. Oxygen restriction - Shamen
16. Tragedy for you - Front 242
17. Kaleidoscope - Boo Radleys
18. Decadence - Bleach
19. Bird brain - Buffalo Tom
20. Dig for fire - Pixies

It's not as lauded in the Fbp household as Volume 10, I think the Welfare Heroine, Front 242, Rig (a 'live' track..shudder) and My Jealous God tracks made it feel less shiny, but the high points are many nonetheless.
Flowered Up's 'Phobia' is bizarrely great, Cud's 'magic' a forgotten, slinky singalong panther of a tune, the Moonflowers do the whole spacey indie (as perfected by early Verve singles) thing very well, the Pixies crop up and the mighty Boo Radleys set out there stall with the frighteningly feedback driven 'Kaleidescope'. It wasn't all pop and trumpets in the early days, oh no.
Special mention also to proto slacker anthem "God knows its true" and the tremendously riffed "Birdbrain", possibly Buffalo Toms' best...

Also, Findlay Robertson emailed me and pointed out, quite rightly, that the Cd version didn't have tracks 8, 9 and 18 (Rig, Upholstered Eldorados and Bleach, a blessing in 2 out of 3 cases, you decide which), the tape did (possibly the vinyl too)...but he'd also found a Dutch import with those tracks listed (Though it is possible it's mis-listed)..odd.

Indie Top 20 Volume 12

Beechwood Music
TT012CD
1991
1. Happen To Die - The Charlatans
2. Pulling My Fingers Off - The Wendys
3. Lemon Afternoon - The Dylans
4. Chlorine Dream - Spirea X
5. Spaceman 3 - Big City - Spaceman 3
6. Nothing Can Stop Us - Saint Etienne
7. Fountain Of Youth - Candyland
8. Get Better - New Fast Automatic Daffodils
9. Don't Fear The Reaper - The Bridewell Taxis
10. Ten Little Girls - Curve
11. Counting Backwards - Throwing Muses
12. Fortune Teller - Buffalo Tom
13. You Love Us - Manic Street Preachers
14. She's My Friend - Catherine Wheel
15. Jack - Moose
16. Nadine - Levitation
17. Last Train To Trancentral - The KLF

Strangely, "Happen to die' was a charlatans b-side, albeit a classy one, an odd opener.
But there's little fat here, the absense of the Wendys, The Dylans and Candyland wouldn't have been a travesty, but even they are merely dull and a little mediocre.
Some early Shoegazers make an appearance here (oddly neither Chapterhouse (who'd released at least 2 e.p.s, possibly 'pearl' too) nor Ride ('Nowhere' was out, as were the well thought of preceding singles), feature until later on), Curve's excellent debut single, the 1st Moose ep's lead track, one of The Catherine Wheels finest, the terminally ignored Spirea X (I'd do a page, but they only really had the 2 good singles) it's all good stuff.
Other highs; a classic from Saint Etienne, another from Spacemen 3, a great early Manics single (coffee tables were just something they smashed in hotel rooms at this point), the Klf and the indie throwback feel Bridewell Taxis covering 'Don't Fear the reaper'.
Spot the odd one out.
Ps bonus points for the inclusion of a track by Terry 'Mad as a hat' Bickers; Levitation, 'Nadine' was the nearest they got to a tune.
Not that near, by the way.

Indie Top 20 Volume 13

Beechwood Music
TT013CD
(28 October, 1991)
1. I wanna be adored - Stone Roses
2. Star sign - Teenage Fanclub
3. Heaven sent an angel - Revolver
4. Precious one - Chapterhouse
5. Catch the breeze - Slowdive
6. Shallow - Catherine Wheel
7. Flying - Telescopes
8. Suzanne - Moose
9. Run - Spiritualized
10. I won't try - Midway Still
11. Planet of sound - Pixies
12. Super baby - Spitfire
13. Handsome and Gretel - Babes In Toyland
14. Siva - Smashing Pumpkins
15. Young people - Pooh Sticks
16. Porpoise - Pale Saints
17. Summer fayre - Dodgy
18. In the sun - Etoile, Pierre
19. Mahler - No Man
20. Moves like you - Carroll, Cath

Plot the quality of this record on a graph and you almost have a cheap and effective way of creating a template for a ski slope any day of the week.
Let me give you examples:
Stone Roses 20/20
Tfc 'Star Sign', one of their best; 19/20
Revolver, their very best song; 18/20
Chapterhouse, messing the graph theory up with one of their least great songs (what was wrong with 'Pearl'?; 12/20
Slowdive - Catch the Breeze, their best tune; 18/20.
...
Oh sod it, the Pixies would have shagged the theory anyway, point is, it starts with class, ends with Pierre Etoile, No Man and Cath Carroll.
Bleurgh.
Dodgy also feature.
On the flip side the Nme single of the week 'I won't try' is fantastic, Babes In Toyland give of their best, Spiritualised and Smashing Pumpkins ditto and it's almost all cracking good stuff.
Another interesting break from the norm here stems from the fact that the Pale Saints 'Porpoise' (an instrumental live favourite), was not the lead track on the 'Flaeh Balloon e.p. From whence it came, 'Hunted' was.
Definitely the better track though, even if the cover of 'Kinky Love' is arguably better still.
I'm just showing off my shoegazer roots now...not quite sure who I'm meant to be impressing...

Indie Top 20 Volume 14

Beechwood Music
TT014CD (1992)

1. For love - Lush
2. Last night I fell again - Moose
3. Don't ever leave - Revolver
4. Car wash hair (the bee's chasing me) - Mercury Rev
5. Not too soon - Throwing Muses
6. Hazy lazy hologram - Dr. Phibes & The House Of Wax Equations
7. Hit - Sugarcubes
8. Damascus - Catwalk
9. Caterpillars - Wonky Alice
10. Die like a dog - Curve
11. Home - God Machine
12. Jimmy - Silverfish
13. I want the Moon - Leatherface
14. Wish - Midway Still
15. Some fools mess - Gallon Drunk
16. Love your money - Daisy Chainsaw
17. Space Christmas - Shonen Knife
18. Wow - Captain America
19. Thru your heart - Pastels

It's possible that sometimes the whole is less than the sum of its parts.

At least, that's how Volume 14 feels, on reflection.
I think it's the tracks rather than than the bands themselves, there are some great artists here, but many had better records.

Examples? Silverfish, Lush, Revolver and Curve all had better stuff that hadn't been featured on previous compilations. Revolvers 'Venice' for example, is way better than 'Don't ever leave'.
I'd guess it's all about timing, singles wise.

Never mind, the highs are plentiful:
Mercury Rev's 'Car Wash Hair' is a fantastically trippy tune, 'Not too soon' is my favourite Throwing Muses track, 'Home' by the mighty God Machine reminds us how great (and heavy) they were.

Leatherface, Midway Still, Gallon drunk, Daisy Chainsaw and Captain America (later Eugenius) all pull out blinders.
And special mention to short lived, if rather special bands, Wonky Alice (odd, kind of pre Super Furry Animals crossed with Pulp and that's a terrible description) and Catwalk, who I'm not even sure had any other releases.

But don't shout at me if they did.

Or quietly if you must.

Indie Top 20 Volume 15

TT015CD
(6 July, 1992)
1. Fait Accompli [Extended, Extended, Extended] - Curve
2. Lazy Day - The Boo Radleys
3. Throwing Back the Apple - Pale Saints
4. Sunshine Smile - Adorable
5. My Insatiable One - Suede
6. Man Called Sun - The Verve
7. Do You Love Me Now? - The Breeders
8. Celebrated Working Man - Kingmaker
9. Venice - Revolver
10. How You Satisfy Me - Spectrum
11. World Around - Levitation
12. Flame On - Captain America
13. Better Than Before - Midway Still
14. Steamroller - The Family Cat
15. Sirius - Wonky Alice
16. Girl Like You - The Wolfgang Press
17. Secondhand Clothes - Moonshake
18. Wild Sunshine - Spitfire
19. Pink Flower - Daisy Chainsaw
20. Stupid Kid - Sultans Of Ping F.C.

And 'Venice' makes an appearance.

Aaaanyway, look at that opening seven! A tune fest and absolutely no mistake.

And now I've offended Kingmaker fans.

...
You thought I was going to make a comment there, didn't you?

No chance, pal, my favourite old band's The Family Cat, the expression "not a leg to stand on" springs rapidly to mind.

But, I digress. A fine selection this time around, 'Sunshine Smile' being adorables' high water mark (and debut single), The Verve turning out classy and innovative early stuff before they went dull and Levitation still not sure when to give in.

Though, it wouldn't be long.

Wonky Alice get a second outing, Daisy Chainsaw point out the meaning of one hit wonder, as do Sultans Of Ping. Who end up being featured after 'Wheres Me Jumper', to the confusion of everyone.

Spectrum sounded staggeringly like Spiritualized, by the way. Coincidence?
...Probably, yes.

Indie Top 20 Volume 16

(25 January, 1993)
TT016CD/MC
1. Babies - Pulp
2. Birthday - Sugarcubes
3. Bitches brew - Inspiral Carpets
4. Changes - Sugar
5. Dusted - Belly
6. Fat piss blues - Come
7. Find you in the end little bird - Moose
8. Firefile - Throwing Muses
9. He's dead - Suede
10. Horror head - Curve
11. I am one - Smashing Pumpkins
12. I'll be your saint - Adorable
13. Just got back today - Jennifers
14. Low fi - Stereolab
15. Medication - Spiritualized
16. Never lose that feeling - Swervedriver
17. She's a superstar - Verve
18. Trigger cut - Pavement
19. True love will - Spectrum
20. Winona - Drop Nineteens

The now forgotten Drop Nineteens feature here, American shoegazers? Check. Sound like a poppier My Bloody Valentine? Check. As forgotten as the 360's? (and they both had an Evening Session session, kids, it's not a ticket to fame!) Check.

Still a great tune, mind.

Oh and speaking of hard to find forgotten tunes, this album features The Jennifers, or 'Supergrass before they were Supergrass'. Sideburn less, sporting the worst band name since pre-Blur Seymour and signed to Nude, kids the world over were compelled to ask "is this the b-side to the new Ride single"?

Changes were made...

Back to the business in hand, there are great tunes by Pavement, Verve, Swervedriver, Smashing Pumpkins and ex Husker Du man Bob Moulds' new project Sugar, medium tunes by Belly, Moose, Spiritualized, Come, The Throwing Muses and Suede and there's 'Birthday' by the Sugarcubes which fell out of a hole in space.

Indie Top 20 Volume 17

(25 June, 1993)
TT017CD
1. Adrift - Cranes
2. Alison - Slowdive
3. Beautiful John - Madder Rose
4. Beautiful son - Hole
5. Blue - Verve
6. Detonate my dreams - That Petrol Emotion
7. Hang on to your ego - Black, Frank
8. How could I be wrong - Auteurs
9. How should it be - Inspiral Carpets
10. I feel you - Depeche Mode
11. Iron sky - Mega City Four
12. Natterjack Joe - Mint 400
13. Razzamatazz - Pulp
14. Snuggle - Delicious Monster
15. Sunshine - Miranda Sex Garden
16. Supernatural giver - Kinky Machine
17. Big time - Suede
18. Trip easy - Cornershop
19. Why people are grudgeful - Fall
20. You're in a bad way - St. Etienne

A few dodgy numbers here. Don't get me wrong, I liked the Cranes 'Tommorows Tears', Mega City Fours' 'Awkward Kid' & 'Miles Apart', the auteurs 'Showgirl' and a lot of early Suede, but (respectively) 'Adrift', 'Iron Sky', 'How Could I Be Wrong' and 'Big Time' are not great examples of those bands best.

Miranda Sex Garden may have only been around for 3 years, but already seemed dated, That Petrol Emotion had been around since the mid 80's and it seemed like they'd been cut loose by everyone..generally, there's less forward thinking choices here...a sense of 'hand off the tiller'.

There are still timeless greats; Pulp's 'Razmatazz', The Falls mighty 'Why Are people Grudgeful' and St. Etienne's 'You're In A Bad Way', but the amount of mid to bottom tablers (Mint 400, Kinky Machine, Delicious Monster), coupled with the afore-mentioned weaker tracks by popular bands, gave the whole thing a way less essential feel.

Indie Top 20 Volume 18

TT018CD
(26 November, 1993)
1. Chemical World - Blur
2. Venus As A Boy - Bjork
3. Condemnation (Paris Mix) - Depeche Mode
4. Today - Smashing Pumpkins
5. Lean On ME I Won't Fall Over - Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine
6. R.S.V.P. - Pop Will Eat Itself
7. Stutter - Elastica
8. Slide Away - The Verve
9. Norman 3 - Teenage Fanclub
10. Queen Jane - Kingmaker
11. Wish I Was Skinny - The Boo Radleys
12. Big Love - Delicious Monster
13. We Are The Beautiful - Chapterhouse
14. Curve - Missing Link - Curve
15. Tilted - Sugar
16. Duel - Swervedriver
17. Salad - Kent - Salad
18. Cranes - Jewel - Cranes
19. Airplane Gardens - Family Cat
20. Enough Is Enough - Credit To The Nation And Chumbawamba

With Britpop just around the corner, this album marks another bridge between old and new school. Acts like The Cranes, Family Cat, Carter, Teenage Fanclub and Chapterhouse would be sidelined (even if they continued to exist) for the likes of Elastica, Oasis and, ironically, given when they were formed, Blur and Pulp.

I think everyone who likes Indie from being a teenager hits a point where the new breed seem samey and they cling on to the old guard longer and this album has a whiff of that.

There are exceptions, John Peel always moved forward, for example, but even Steve Lamacq has been mentioning The Clash and some long forgotten early 90's bands a tad more these days.

My point being, even though Britpop's about to hit, this compilation shows little sign of it..I guess few saw it coming..but there'd be no excuses next time.

Indie Top 20 Volume 19
(29 April, 1994)
TT019CD

1. In your room - Depeche Mode
2. Saturn 5 - Inspiral Carpets
3. Play dead - Bjork
4. Linger - Cranberries
5. Creep - Radiohead
6. VHF 855V - Tiny Monroe
7. Slowly slowly - Magnapop
8. My dark star - Suede
9. Razor - Sharkboy
10. Pale movie - St. Etienne
11. Glam rock cops - Carter USM
12. Can't get out of bed - Charlatans
13. Plan B - Rancho Diablo
14. Sunday Sunday - Blur
15. Ich bin ein auslander - Pop Will Eat Itself
16. Barney (and me) - Boo Radleys
17. Broken and mended - Blue Aeroplanes
18. French disco - Stereolab
19. Diminished clothes - Salad
20. Where I find my heaven - Gigolo Aunts

Ok, Britpops now hitting, Oasis unleashed 'Supersonic' on the 11th and this came out on the 29th (and compilation makers will get tunes ahead of time), Sleeper have released 'Swallow', Ash had 'Jack Named The Planets'..the point I'm making is that, compared to earlier compilations, this one was less of a barometer of what was to come and more a collection of what was about to go...or of bands that wouldn't go anywhere...

Blue aeroplanes, Pop Will Eat Itself, Sharkboy, Racho Diablo, Carter...

And did we need another Depeche Mode track?

Or Bjork?

The qualities there in places (Radiohead, Suede, Stereolab), but the seeming clairvoyance and risk taking was taking a beating.

Odd, alternative tracklisting found by Philip...
1 Saturn 5 - Inspiral Carpets
2 Glam Rock Cops - Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine
3 Sunday Sunday - Blur
4 Can't Get Out Of Bed - The Charlatans
5 Creep - Radiohead
6 My Dark Star - Suede
7 In Your Room (Zephyr Mix) - Depeche Mode
8 Violently Happy (Massey Mix) - Björk
9 Pale Movie - Saint Etienne
10 French Disko - Stereolab
11 Barney (...& Me) - The Boo Radleys
12 Slowly, Slowly - Magnapop
13 Vhf 855v - Tiny Monroe
14 Diminished Clothes - Salad
15 Razor - Sharkboy
16 Where I Find My Heaven - Gigolo Aunts
17 Broken & Mended - The Blue Aeroplanes
18 Mall Monarchy - Compulsion
19 Ich Bin Ein Auslander - Pop Will Eat Itself
20 Plan B - Rancho Diablo

Indie Top 20 Volume 20
(28 October, 1994)
TT020CD

1. Be my light be my guide - Gene
2. Bizarre love triangle - Frente
3. Cream bun - Tiny Monroe
4. Delicious - Sleeper
5. Everything's cool - Pop Will Eat Itself
6. Fine friend - Pale Saints
7. Hold me up - Velvet Crush
8. How does it feel to feel - Ride
9. Hypocrite - Lush
10. I can't imagine the world without me - Echobelly
11. I want you - Inspiral Carpets & Mark E. Smith
12. Jesus hairdo - Charlatans
13. Lazarus - Boo Radleys
14. Ping pong - Stereolab
15. Protean - Transglobal Underground
16. Seether - Veruca Salt
17. Shining road - Cranes
18. Starcrossed - Drugstore
19. Supersonic - Oasis
20. Your favourite thing - Sugar

Volume 20 and Oasis, Echobelly and Sleeper hint at the world of Britpop, now leading the charge..

God help us all, but Menswear would be along in a minute with "I'll manage somehow".

Shudder.

Gene lead the way with the great "Be my light...", I never really understood everyones problem with them, the main accusation appearing to be that they sounded like the smiths.

So what? If I was going to sound like anyone, I'd want it to be one of the greatest british bands of all time.

God knows, there were more heinous musical crimes...

Anyway, where was I?

Oh yes, Frente. Two things. One, sorry, who? And Two, excuse me, isn't there a law against covering New Order?

Tiny Monroe put in a second turn, though I'm pretty sure most people knew the writing was on the wall for them by then.

The Pale Saints, Cranes and Transglobal Underground (all fine earlier on), were running out of steam a tad, Pop Will Eat Itself were out (crap, record company forced live lps were about to be forced down their throats) and Velvet Crush and Drugstore never had a great deal.

Mitigating circumstances include The Boo Radleys finest (?) hour 'Lazarus',one off indie dancefloor hit 'Seether' by Veruca Salt and Mark e smith vs. The inspiral carpets, as it would be known today.

Comparisons to a drunk barking randomly over a bunch of soon to split indie 'giants' gladly accepted.

And again, Philip found this version....
1 Supersonic Oasis
2 I Can't Imagine The World Without Me Echobelly
3 Hypocrite Lush
4 Seether Veruca Salt
5 Cream Bun Tiny Monroe
6 Be My Light, Be My Guide Gene
7 I Want You Inspiral Carpets (Featuring Mark E. Smith)
8 Jesus Hairdo The Charlatans
9 Lazarus The Boo Radleys
10 Protean Transglobal Underground
11 Everything's Cool Pop Will Eat Itself
12 How Does It Feel To Feel? Ride
13 Your Favourite Thing Sugar
14 Hold Me Up Velvet Crush
15 Delicious Sleeper
16 Ping Pong Stereolab
17 Starcrossed Drugstore
18 Shining Road Cranes
19 Fine Friend Pale Saints
20 Bizarre Love Triangle Frente!

Indie Top 20 Volume 21

(18 April 1995)
ASIN: B000007596
TT021CD
Beechwood
1. Caught by the fuzz - Supergrass
2. Close - Echobelly
3. Familius horribulus - Pop Will Eat Itself
4. Give it to the dog - Bandit Queen
5. Going South - Wolfgang Press
6. Hand passes plenty - AC Acoustics
7. Happy shopper - 60ft Dolls
8. I don't know where it comes from - Ride
9. Inbetweener - Sleeper
10. Jackie's racing - Whiteout
11. Let it flow - Spiritualized Electric Mainline
12. Live Forever - Oasis
13. Lover - Perfume
14. Low - Cracker
15. My iron lung - Radiohead
16. Wild ones - Suede
17. Thrill her with a gun - Blaggers ITA
18. Ultra twist - Cramps
19. Uncle Pat - Ash
20. Voodoo lady - Ween

Often, you have to wonder what bands were thinking with a title. "Give It To The Dog" is one such case.
Bandit Queen never really grabbed the publics attention anyway, but the 'ha, ha.....oh, actually it's not that funny' title of this track may well have sealed their fate.
The fact it was dull won't have helped.
Onward and upward and, in the Derby that is indie, thoroughbreds Supergrass, Ride, Oasis, Radiohead and Suede are joint first past the post.
There's a selection of also rans; Sleeper, Echobelly, Cracker.
Underperformers; Spiritalized, Ac Acoustics.
Once proud winners, now hoary old nags soon to be glue; Pop Will Eat Itself, Wolfgang Press, Cramps.
Young foals, as yet not up to full speed, Ash.
Horses being tried out then stuck swiftly out to the countryside, 60 ft. Dolls, Whiteout.

And theres Ween.
Whose jockey had done too much acid and thought he was a felt hat.

Indie Top 20 Volume 22

TT022CD
(17 November, 1995)
Beechwood Music
1. Wake Up Boo! - The Boo Radleys
2. Great Things - Echobelly
3. Vegas - Sleeper
4. Try Try Try - Julian Cope
5. Sparky's Dream - Teenage Fanclub
6. Kung Fu - Ash
7. Blister In The Sun - The Wannadies
8. Aphrodisiac - Powder
9. Sleep Freak - Heavy Stereo
10. The Night - Intastella
11. Dubstar - Stars - Dubstar
12. Just Lookin' - The Charlatans
13. On Your Own - The Verve
14. Paraffin (Red Snapper Mix) - Ruby
15. Seal My Fate - Belly
16. Subhuman - Garbage
17. Take It Easy Chicken - Mansun
18. Chronic Offender - Done Lying Down
19. Penis Size And Cars - Supermodel
20. Yesterday Follows You - Perfume

Here's where your Britpop contenders reach their sales peak and, for better or for worse, It shows.
The Boo Radleys chart hit (and soon to be millstone), 'Wake up Boo' kicks things off..it's a classic, mind.
It's followed swiftly by the highly repetitive 'Great Things' by Echobelly. Listening to it now, I don't think I realised at the time just how irritating her voice was. Even the Sleeper track no one can remember can't diminish its irritation. Impressive.
A selection of odd choices are scattered about after that; Julian Cope hadn't done anything noteworthy for a while, Intastella's comeback was blatantly being ignored (as had their initial forays into sounding like Saint Etienne), as was Ruby (Lesley from Silverfish).
There are a smattering of great tunes too, such as the Wannadies b-side cover of 'Blister In The Sun', Ash, one of Teenage Fanclub's last really amazing singles and ditto for the Charlatans.
The rest? It's hard to be either way about any of the following artists' tracks: Supermodel, Mansun, Done Lying Down...
Indie wasn't indie any more.
It was just in a state.

Indie Top 20 Volume 23

ASIN: B000053OC1
TT023MC
(4 October, 1996)
Beechwood
Trash - Suede
What's in the box - Boo Radleys
From a window - Northern Uproar
Charmless man - Blur
Sale of the Century - Sleeper
Goldfinger - Ash
Your smile - Octopus
Tape loop - Morcheeba
Eat my goal - Collapsed Lung
Born slippy - Underworld
Goodnight - Baby Bird
Mouse in a hole - Heavy Stereo
Aim indeed - Pusherman
Talk to me - 60ft Dolls
Crabs - 18 Wheeler
Phasers on stun - Urusei Yatsura
Are you ready - Gyres
One in a million - Sussed
I'm doing fine - TC Hug
Andrex puppy love - Orange Deluxe

The last of the series (as far as I know) and with indie (now alternative, there's little independence from majors left), dying in a mediocre band slump that'd last, pretty much, until 2002/3, it's hard not to feel sorry for the better artists of the time.
Uresei Yatsura, for example, had a few cracking singles and Underworlds' 'Born Slippy', whilst an indicator that dance ruled the roost, was ace.
But there's a lot of terribly bland acts:
Northern Uproar were pretty dull, Octopus were a pop indie band without a great tune, Heavy Stereo a dated indie rock outfit... Pusherman, 18 Wheeler, Sussed, Tc Hug, they all had little to offer but unremarkable tunes.
60 Foot Dolls, whilst not a favourite of mine, at least had great energy and it's hard to slag off Orange Deluxe due to the presense of ex 5:30 band members, but in all truth they weren't great, either.
A sad end to a once great series.

ODDER ONES, VIDEOS AND BEST OF INDIE TOP 20s

Indie Top 20 - Cd88
Cd, Cassette, LP


1. Our Summer - All About Eve
2. Is This The Life - Cardiacs
3. Preacher Man - Fields Of The Nephilim
4. Cat-House - Danielle Dax
5. Baby Turpentine - Crazyhead
6. Nobody's Twisting Your Arm - The Wedding Present
7. Hang Ten! - The Soup Dragons
8. Velveteen - Rose Of Avalanche
9. Dickie Davies Eyes - Half Man Half Biscuit
10. Fog Town By Michelle-Shocked - Michelle Shocked
11. Ask Johnny Dee - Chesterfields
12. Kidney Bingos - Wire
13. Skin Storm - Bradford
14. Chile Your Waters Run Red Through Soweto - Sweet Honey In The Rock
15. Mickey Way (The Candy Bar) - A Certain Ratio
16. Into The Groovy - Ciccone Youth
17. Forever Dancing - The Beloved
18. Jesus Loves Amerika - The Shamen
19. There Is No Love Between Us Anymore - Pop Will Eat Itself

Best Of's are great, aren't they? And this seemed to be a best of from Volumes 1-5.
These days, it's a great little time capsule for a sample of late 80's indie.
Pwei, early Shamen, Peel favourites The Wedding Present and Half Man Half Biscuit, the gothness of Fields Of The Neph. And All About Eve, the oddness of The Chesterfields and A Certain Ratio..it's all here.

The Best Of Indie Top 20 Volume 1
(2LP/MC/CD Beechwood Music BOTT001)
1991

1.HAPPY MONDAYS - 24 Hour Party People
2.THE FARM - Stepping Stone
3.THE CHARLATANS - Indian Rope
4.INSPIRAL CARPETS - Joe
5.THE SOUP DRAGONS - Mother Universe
6.THE BELOVED - Forever Dancing
7.NEW ORDER - Round And Round (Club Mix)
8.THE SHAMEN - Pro>Gen
9.PARIS ANGELS - All On You (Perfume)
10.FLOWERED UP - It's On
11.FRONT 242 - Head Hunter (VI)
12.DEPECHE MODE - Personal Jesus
13.CARTER U.S.M. - Bloodsport For All
14.PIXIES - Monkey Gone To Heaven
15.DINOSAUR JNR. - Freak Scene
16.SPACEMEN 3 - Revolution
17.THE WEDDING PRESENT - Why Are You Being So Reasonable Now?
18.BIRDLAND - Sleep With Me
19.LOOP - Arc-Lite
20.THE SUGARCUBES - Regina
21.THE SUNDAYS - Joy
22.THE HEART THROBS - Dreamtime

A proper volume 1 emerged in 1991, oddly featuring The Beloved's 'Forever Dancing' again.
Not for nothing are they only remembered on pop quizes for "That Hello Song" (though 'The Sun Rising' wasn't bad, I grudgingly suppose.....I'm losing the thread here..)
Oh yes! The compilation!
Well, it's pretty bloody good, all told, some real classics adorn the list; The Shamen's 'Pro Gen', The Sundays 'Joy', The Weddoes, Pixies, Depeche Mode, Dinosaur Jnr., Spacemen 3, great tracks all.
The Hearthrobs, who I thought were rather ace at the time, sound a bit weedy now, like a watered down Lush and Bjorks' warbling in the Sugarcubes should carry a sonic health warning.
As to where the world would be if Front 242 had never existed, the answer surely is 3rd planet out from the sun.
Still.

Indie Top 20 Best Of Volume 2
1992, BOTT002
Need A Copy On Cd

1. Carter USM - Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere
2. Curve - Ten Little Girls
3. Suede - My Insatiable One
4. Teenage Fanclub - God Knows It's True
5. Chapterhouse - Precious One
6. Slowdive - Catch The Breeze
7. Verve - Man Called Sun
8. Mercury Rev - Car Wash Hair
9. The Breeders - Do You Love Me Now?
10. Spiritualized - Run
11. Cud - Magic
12. Adorable - Sunshine Smile
13. Lush - For Love
14. Levitation - Nadine
15. The Boo Radleys - Kaleidoskope
16. Catherine Wheels - Shallow
17. Flying - The Telescopes
18. Siva - Smashing Pumpkins
19. Handsome And Gretel - Babes In Toyland

Pretty much smack dab in the period of music known to historians as "Edmunds favourite bit", this compilation manages to neatly compress the time of shoegazing into one reflective record.
Known 'scene that celebrates itself' agents included Slowdive, Chapterhouse, Curve and, liggers supreme, Lush. All present.

The Best Of Indie Top 20 Volume 3
BOTT003CD
1996

1. Chemical World - Blur
2.Can't Get Out Of Bed - The Charlatans
3. Inbetweener - Sleeper
4. Stutter - Elastica
5. Uncle Pat - Ash
6. Caught By The Fuzz - Supergrass
7. I Can't Imagine The World Without Me - Echobelly
8. Lover - Perfume
9. Subhuman - Garbage
10. Changes - Sugar
11. Rsvp - P.W.E.I.
12. Lazarus - The Boo Radleys
13. Protean - Transglobal Underground
14. Let It Flow - Spiritualized Electric Mainline
15. Hand Passes Plenty - AC Acoustics
16. Creep - Radiohead
17. The Wild Ones - Suede
18.I Want You - Inspiral Carpets Featuring Mark E Smith
19. Hypocrite - Lush
20. Where I Find My Heaven - Gigolo Aunts

A pretty good best of, this one, Blurs' 'Chemical World' is a great opener and the comp. never really drops far from that starting standard.

Ok, neither 'hand passes plenty' nor 'Protean' are the respective bands' finest hours, but there's little that's not at least 'good' here.

eeeexcellent.

Indie Top Video Volume 1

VHS (UK) 1989  PMI MVP 991187 3
Picture Music International MVP
(Beechwood) PPS 2042
(July 1989)
1.Fine Time by New Order
2.Jesus Loves AmeriKa by The Shamen
3.Def Con One by Pop Will Eat Itself
4.Voodoo Ray by A Guy Called Gerald
5.It's All Up To You by The Darling Buds
6.Why Are You Being So Reasonable Now? by The Wedding Present
7.Hollow Heart by Birdland
8.Is This The Life by Cardiacs
9.White Knuckle Ride by Danielle Dax
10.Preacher Man by Fields Of The Nephilim
11.Collision by Loop
12.Church Of No Return by Christian Death
13.Keep An Open Mind Or Else by McCarthy
14.They'll Need A Crane by They Might Be Giants
15.New York Girls (Trad. Arr. Oyster Band) by Oyster Band

From the Best of Indie Top 20 albums volumes 1 to 6
video compilation

Indie Top Video Take 2

1989 Picture Music International/EMI
MVP 9912003 Beechwood Music
1.THE STONE ROSES - She Bangs The Drum
2.THE LIGHTNING SEEDS - Pure
3.INSPIRAL CARPETS - Joe
4.THE MEN THEY COULDN'T HANG - Rain, Steam And Speed
5.WIRE - Eardrum Buzz
6.KITCHENS OF DISTINCTION - The Third Time We Opened The Capsule
7.THE MAN FROM DELMONTE - My Love Is Like A Gift You Can't Return
8.JAMES - Sit Down
9.BRADFORD - In Liverpool
10.THE PARACHUTE MEN - Leeds Station
11.THE FUZZTONES - Nine Months Later
12.NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS - The Mercy Seat
13.THE WOLFGANG PRESS - Raintime
14.THE SUGARCUBES - Regina

Indie Top Video Take 3

1990 UK Picture Music International MVP 9912153).
It claims to be a companion to Volume 8 of the Indie Top 20 LP/CD/CASS
PMI label, cat no: MVP9912153.
INSPIRAL CARPETS - Move
DUB SEX - Time of life
Depeche mode - Personal Jesus
Spacemen 3 - Hypnotized
James - Come home
The KLF - Kylie said to Jason
The Shamen - Omega Amigo
Kitchens of Distinction - Elephantine
Wire - In vivo
Distant cousins - You used to
Tangerine - Sunburst
Loop - Arc-lite
The Telescopes - To kill a slow girl walking
Thee Hypnotics - Justice in freedom.

Indie Top Video Take 4
(1990, Beechwood, VVD772)


1.THE SOUP DRAGONS - Mother Universe
2.THE FARM - Stepping Stone
3.REVENGE - Pineapple Farm
4.THE SHAMEN - Pro>Gen
5.NEW FAST AUTOMATIC DAFFODILS - Big
6.FINITRIBE - Monster In The House
7.THE FAMILY CAT - Remember What It Is That You Love
8.WOLFHOUNDS - Rite Of Passage
9.BIRDLAND - Sleep With Me
10.SEE SEE RIDER - She Sings Alone
11.A.C. MARIAS - One Of Our Girls Has Gone Missing
12.THE HEART THROBS - Dreamtime
13.LUSH - Deluxe
14.THE SUNDAYS - Joy

Described as "An Essential companion to Volume 9 of Indie Top 20 audio series on LP/CD/CASS"

Indie Top Video Take 5

CARTER THE UNSTOPPABLE SEX MACHINE - Rubbish
EAT - Psycho Couch
PIXIES - Velouria
THE TELESCOPES - Precious Little
SPIRITUALIZED - Anyway That You Want Me
THEE HYPNOTICS - Half Man Half Boy
THE CHARLATANS - The Only One I Know
MOCK TURTLES - Lay Me Down
SHACK - I Know You Well
SP!N - Scratches (In The Sand)
PARIS ANGELS - Perfume
FLOWERED UP - It's On
SAINT ETIENNE - Only Love Can Break Your Heart
THE SHAMEN - Make It Mine
KLF - What Time Is Love (Live At Trancentral)

Thanks to Dennis for this info!

Indie Top Video Take 6

The Charlatans - Then
My Jealous God - Pray
The Bridewell Taxis - Spirit
Pale Saints - Halflife Remembered
Teenage Fan Club - God Knows Its True
Carter USM - Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere
Buffalo Tom - Birdbrain
Cranes - I Hope
Manic Street Preachers - Motown Junk
Front 242 - Tragedy For You
New Fast Automatic Daffodils - Fishes Eyes
Flowered Up - Phobia
No Man - Colours
Moonflowers - Get Higher

Indie Top Video - The Best Of Indie Top 20 Video

(MCEG, Virgin Music Video) VVD 751
1.THE FARM - Stepping Stone
2.THE SHAMEN - Omega Amigo
3.NEW ORDER - Fine Time
4.THE SOUP DRAGONS - Mother Universe
5.THE CHARLATANS - The Only One I Know
6.THE SUNDAYS - Joy
7.THE LIGHTNING SEEDS - Pure
8.KITCHENS OF DISCTINCTION - Elephantine
9.EAT - Psycho Couch
10.THE WEDDING PRESENT - Why Are You Being So Reasonable Now?
11.POP WILL EAT ITSELF - Def Con One
13.FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM - Preacher Man
LOOP - Collision
CARTER THE UNSTOPPABLE SEX MACHINE - Bloodsport For All

Melody Maker Video
Melody Maker MMV Vol1
Cat No: MMV1
MMV1 Front MMV1 Back
CURVE - clipped
VERVE - all in the mind
ADORABLE - sunshine smile
SPIRITUALIZED - run
SUEDE - the drowners [original video version]
MORRISSEY - you're the one for me fatty
CARTER USM - Do re me, so far so good
DAISY CHAINSAW - love your money
SWERVEDRIVER - never lose that feeling
CHAPTERHOUSE - falling down
THE ROCKINGBIRDS - gradually learning
THE SUGARCUBES - hit
LUSH - superblast!
SPECTRUM - how you satisfy me
POPINJAYS - monster mouth
STEREOLAB - super-electric
PALE SAINTS - throwing back the apple
LEVITATION - world around
THE BELLTOWER - outshine the sun
GALLON DRUNK - some fool's mess

Thanks to Paul for lending me the video, the tracklists correct and when these pages are moved, I'll put up higher definition scans.

Indie Top 20 House LP
Also billed as Volume 4 Part 2
Need Copy

Format: LP
Catalog#: TT042
Released: 1988
Country: UK
Style: House
Notes: Compiled by C.K.C. & The Queen Bee.

Tracklisting:A1 S-Express -  Theme From S-Express (5:58)
  produced by Mark Moore
A2 Twin-Beat -  Let's Pick Up The Pieces (5:48)
  produced by Michael & Peter Fallon
A3 Gene And Jim -  Shake! (8:22)
A4 Coco Steel & Lovebomb -  The Sound Of Europe Part 1 (4:07)
  remix by MC Mikey
B1 2 The Max -  People Of All Nations (6:15)
B2 Groove -  Submit To The Beat (5:17)
  produced by John Crossley [DUPLICATE]
B3 Smith & Mighty -  The Dark, Dark House (5:00)
B4 The Housedoctors -  Housedoctors (4:24)
  produced by Doctor Felix

Odd, but this turns out to have stemmed from an early volume of the indie top 20 series.

At first dance and guitar tracks were pit on, indiscriminate of style. By the time this compilation rolled around, there were as many of eachso the decision was made to create "Part 1" (Indie Guitar) and Part 2 (Independant label dance music).

So there you go.