Landing just ahead of Christmas (so ideal gift territory) is These Furious Flames! Redskins Live! 1985-86 vinyl and CD sets.
Yes, this is a new release by The Redskins and a welcome one if you are a fan. They were a great live band back in the day. And that day was quite some time back. The Redskins burned brightly for a fairly short time before disappearing for good.
I wrote a piece about the band and their disappearance for the site a while back if you missed it. But if you want more background, then you probably want this, as it’s not just about the music. It’s about the packaging, too.
In the mid-’80s, The Redskins offered a mix of rock, pop and soul, coated with a heavy dose of politics. It was a volatile time, and Chris Dean, known as the ‘Tamla Motormouth’, wasn’t afraid to share his opinions and stand up for a cause. You might recall their Tube appearance, with one of the striking miners taking the stage on prime-time TV.
These Furious Flames! is described as a ’25 track documentation of the energy, commitment and drive of the Redskins as that campaigning live act’.
Issued as a 2xCD set and double vinyl, each format couples together a recording of the full set of the final concert of their 1985 ‘Kick Over Apartheid!’ tour – including guest appearances from Jerry Dammers and Billy Bragg – with the BBC broadcast tracks from their 1986 concert at the Town And Country Club.
The double CD edition comes with a 40-page booklet that compiles new and period quotes by band members Martin Hewes, Chris Dean, Paul Hookham and Kevin Robertson, as well as the thoughts of associates and celebrity fans, including poet Atilla The Stockbroker, Billy Bragg, Colin Revolting, their studio album producers Pat Foley and Chris Silagyi and DJ Gary Crowley. The booklet also contains gig reviews, photographs and a condensed digest of media quotes about the band.
The double vinyl LP format has printed inner bags replete with archive photographs and a written introduction by Redskins founding member Martin Hewes, with whose co-operation and input this release has been curated.
Both sets land on 8th December 2023, and both are available to pre-order now. You can get the vinyl for £34.99 and the CD set for £20.99.
Find out more at the Amazon website
