TELEVISION PERSONALITIES - Live in London & France

I mentioned Dan Treacy in dispatches when I posted Dave Kusworth recently. Dan’s another unique songwriter who like Dave hasn’t received ‘commercial success’ but is seen as a’cult figure’ a success but without the financial reward; a musician with a honesty and integrity. Asked by Kurt Cobain to support Nirvana, a song covered by The Futureheads and now 32 years since their first single 14th Floor. US freaky psychedelicers MGMT have recently recorded a tribute to their hero; Song For Dan Treacy. So I thought it’d been a while since I’d posted any of the only Personalities on Television worth listening to that it was about time I did, but I wasn‘t sure what to post. While I was humming’n’ahhring about it last week in a strange sort of synchronicity the TVP’S have appeared in this weeks NME at Number 20 in The Greatest Cult Hero Chart, he was also mentioned in an interview with MGMT in the same issue. So here you go, a double whammy of the Television Personalities, on account of I couldn’t decide which one to post. Paisley Shirts and Mini Skirts was recorded at The Clarendon, London in 1980,one of the bands early gigs. It finds the band in a playful post punk 60’s pop kinda way, and features Part Time Punks, I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives amongst others. Camping in France, which was recorded in….yes France sometime in 1985 on the other hand finds the band on a slightly darker psychedelic sixties pop trip, and includes 2 of the best anti-war songs written King and Country and Back To Vietnam and features Jowe Head from Swell Maps on Bass and Backing vocals. One reviewer felt that Camping In France “Caught the band on a bad night” True it is rather loose and sloppy, but that’s the charm and magic of it ; like all good rock’n’roll it’s unpredictable, which is why Dan Treacy’s a cult and others are ****’s
So if you fancy putting on a Paisley Shirt or Mini Skirt click here, or for a bit of Camping click there. Whatever you do, Enjoy!