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• THE TELESCOPES burst onto the Indie scene in 1988, their dissonant, psychedelic snarl was inspired by 60s punk rock and the Velvets and attracted comparisons with the likes of Loop, My Bloody Valentine and Spacemen 3.
• Early singles on Cheree and What Goes On turned heads: ‘Kick The Wall’, ‘7th # Disaster’, ‘To Kill A Slow Girl Walking’ and the classic indie hit ‘The Perfect Needle’. The band also released an acclaimed debut album Taste.
• In early 1990, The Telescopes signed to Creation Records, who were enjoying success with bands like Teenage Fanclub, Ride and Primal Scream. Over the course of 1990-1991, The Telescopes’ sound evolved across three EPs. ‘Precious Little’ retained their earlier menace; ‘Everso’ was dreamier than before while ‘Celeste’ and ‘Flying’ blended psychedelia with a vaguely dancey backbeat.
• In 1992, The Telescopes unveiled their next album, #Untitled Second, a fascinating assemblage of their influences to date and a work which has matured well and subsequently inspired many so-called Shoegaze bands.
• Sadly, the band disbanded soon after the LP’s release but reunited a decade later. Since then, The Telescopes have embarked on a musical adventure, creating music which is both exploratory and engaging. Only this year, they issued a new album Hidden Fields.
• Curated with the full cooperation of The Telescopes’ frontman Stephen Lawrie, SPLASHDOWN is the first-ever compilation to properly document the band’s three-year tenure with Creation Records. The first CD combines their four EPs for the label, with the added bonus of some tracks planned as the B-sides for an abandoned final EP.
• Disc 2 re-presents the band’s second album, which is joined by bonus material including some cover versions originally donated to compilations and a previously unissued session for John Peel’s show on BBC Radio 1.
Tracklist
DISC ONE: THE CREATION EPs
1. PRECIOUS LITTLE
2. DEEP HOLE END
3. NEVER HURT YOU
4. I SENSE 3:03
5. EVERSO 3:15
6. NEVER LEARN NOT TO LOVE
7. WISH OF YOU
8. CELESTE
9. ALL A DREAMS
10. CELESTIAL
11. FLYING
12. SOUL FULL OF TEARS
13. HIGH ON FIRE
14. THE SLEEPWALK
BONUS TRACKS
15. TORNADO (alt version of ‘Flying’)
16. SUNSPRAY
17. 16T#3
18. FROM THE INNER VOID I FEAR
DISC TWO: #UNTITLED SECOND
1. SPLASHDOWN
2. HIGH ON FIRE
3. YOU SET MY SOUL
4. SPACESHIPS
5. THE PRESENCE OF YOUR GRACE
6. AND
7. FLYING
8. YEAH
9. OCEAN DRIVE
10. PLEASE TELL MOTHER
11. TO THE SHORE
BONUS TRACKS
12. THE SLEEPWALK (Sitar Version)
13. CANDY SAYS
14. THE GOOD’S GONE
15. PLEASE TELL MOTHER
(John Peel Session 15/9/91)
16. SPLASHDOWN
(John Peel Session 15/9/91)
17. TO THE SHORE
(John Peel Session 15/9/91)
18. THE PRESENCE OF YOUR GRACE
(John Peel Session 15/9/91)