THS censored album

[K dragon]

can anyone fill me in on the whole history of this album please

[Flyermonkey]

Hi there,

I just dug out my copy of the CD. It was produced by Thurso High School Art and Music departments with help from CASE and Toyota UK (according to the blurb on the booklet) and featured a variety of school bands. The only teacher mentioned is Colin McPhee so I assume that he was the driving force behind it. It doesn't have the year on it, oddly, but if me memory isn't too far wrong I think it was about 1995 give or take a year?

The bands featured on it included Rubber Band (the core of whom went on to become Buddha Crush), Steel, Atmosphere Elektrik, Niall Porter, Bleach, Monkey Kettle and Trip. Many of the players featured in multiple bands on the CD, a few of whom are still playing in various places in various bands including in Caithness.

I have a feeling I might have one or two spare copies somewhere if you want one?

[K dragon]

ah well i have come across one actually, i was curious as to "why" it was made, you know the "story" behind it.

i was only in thurso high from 1999 and the music dept never mentioned it, and to my knowlegded they have never been interested in producing albums before

just curious, i find it interesting.

cheers though.

[moncur]

Stop That Train!

[the_big_mac]

ah well i have come across one actually, i was curious as to "why" it was made, you know the "story" behind it.

i was only in thurso high from 1999 and the music dept never mentioned it, and to my knowlegded they have never been interested in producing albums before

just curious, i find it interesting.

cheers though.

Cant remember why we made it, and there aint that much of a story im afraid. Music teachers asked bands to write some stuff and record it. Some of it was truly dreadful, see the band i "played" with, and some was actually pretty good. Bleach, Steele and Rubber Band I remember being decent.

You gotta bare in mind that the vast majority of us that played on it were 13,14 and 15 years old. CD's were still quite newish and THS got a grant to publish some far north talent. There is still a video of the concert kicking about somewhere.

I doubt they ever considered doing it again, as other than the novelty value, there wasnt much point buying it. Other than band members i dont know anyone who bought it to listen to!

And "Stop that train" is a lethal choon! May even make a comeback someday

[The Pepsi Challenge]

The music department - if you can call them that (a sincere joke) - filmed quite a few concerts held in the school. My band at the time, Box Clever, were the first, and only band, to ensure those recording a concert we performed at, scrub the entire thing. Why? Because the few "dancers" we invited up to the stage tried to re-enact the end of a Who gig. The amps were knocked over, someone took out the drums Kurt Cobain style, and several underpants were worn upon the head. The best part was seeing the janitor chase some of them through the school corridors and some of the parents comparing it to the Sex Pistols. The biggest injustice was that we, the band, got suspended for doing nothing other than inviting people onto the stage to dance. Too rock 'n' roll for school. Censored? Now there's a laugh. Mummys' boys with expensive guitars.

[Jeid]

Mummys' boys with expensive guitars.

Pretty much like the indie wimp craze that's gripping the UK Music scene just now.

Liked the review of the JLNL Festival in the Record today, the bit about farmers made me laugh. Also had a good laugh at the Fightstar review.. I can't believe you asked for Busted to come back!

[The Pepsi Challenge]

You would, too, if you were locked in the same, cramped room as Fightstar for an hour. Fair dos to Chuck, though, for not selling out. Well, sort of.

[foreveruntitled]

Pretty much like the indie wimp craze that's gripping the UK Music scene just now.

Haha, yeah.

[theone]

The music department - if you can call them that (a sincere joke) - filmed quite a few concerts held in the school. My band at the time, Box Clever, were the first, and only band, to ensure those recording a concert we performed at, scrub the entire thing. Why? Because the few "dancers" we invited up to the stage tried to re-enact the end of a Who gig. The amps were knocked over, someone took out the drums Kurt Cobain style, and several underpants were worn upon the head. The best part was seeing the janitor chase some of them through the school corridors and some of the parents comparing it to the Sex Pistols. The biggest injustice was that we, the band, got suspended for doing nothing other than inviting people onto the stage to dance. Too rock 'n' roll for school. Censored? Now there's a laugh. Mummys' boys with expensive guitars.

I have that video!

[theone]

ah well i have come across one actually, i was curious as to "why" it was made, you know the "story" behind it.

i was only in thurso high from 1999 and the music dept never mentioned it, and to my knowlegded they have never been interested in producing albums before

just curious, i find it interesting.

cheers though.

If I remember rightly Censored came about from the old "skills for enterprise" class where pupils would set up a business. Most classes sold home baking or whatever but "Censored Limited" went a lot further.

I think they raised most of the initial money from CASE and Toyota (The toyota garage was at bridgend then). That paid for the mixing desk and the PC based recording system.

At the time the high school had a really good music scene, concerts on every couple of months or so. All the bands were invited to write songs, with Colin McPhee doing the producing. The mixing desk was set up in the keyboard room, with the bands performing in Mr Watsons room next door.

I think most of the artwork, a green dragon??? was done by Duncan Crofts, the singer of rubber band.

Although all the songs were meant to be originals I remeber at the time speculation a few songs were actually rip offs! Don't suppose anybody noticed though!

There must be a pile of the CD's lying around somewhere, I'm sure they made 2000 of them!

[The Pepsi Challenge]

I have that video!

What - with Box Clever on it? I'm sceptical, but if you do, punt us on a copy, please, gadgo.

[marty123]

Oh the memories came flooding back when reading this!! To think then that i was going to make a living out of drumming, 'the one' has the story spot on, to why such a magical thing was created!! In all my time playing music as a young un, a certain track was the one and only time I sang, due to a certain person not being able to make the recording lying in his pit hungover!!

'Why does she hate me'

[theone]

What - with Box Clever on it? I'm sceptical, but if you do, punt us on a copy, please, gadgo.

Definately have it, I'll try to dig it out, I remember watching it a couple of years ago and being surprised that JP on drums had hair!

[K dragon]

so while remembering the birth of this cd, has the music scene indeed gone somewhat downhill for the younger generation as the high school is no longer as music orientated as it once was?

thank you for the info. curiosity quelled.

cheers

[theone]

What - with Box Clever on it? I'm sceptical, but if you do, punt us on a copy, please, gadgo.

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxO-4LLQlag


I can't believe rhino shirts were once considered cool!

Dug out the video and found 5 or 6 concerts from 1993-97 and a couple of the early "battle of the bands" Must upload more of them.

[theone]

Here's rubber band playing one of their songs from the Censored CD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqRZFdLf9ws

This was at the first ever THS battle of the bands.

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxO-4LLQlag


I can't believe rhino shirts were once considered cool!

Dug out the video and found 5 or 6 concerts from 1993-97 and a couple of the early "battle of the bands" Must upload more of them.

Jesus, Mary (Chain) and Joseph! That was shocking. Think it'll take me another ten years to get over that. Erm, thanks for putting that up, I think. One thing is for sure - it backs up my statement that all music is about hair and clothes.

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Jesus, Mary (Chain) and Joseph! That was shocking. Think it'll take me another ten years to get over that. Erm, thanks for putting that up, I think. One thing is for sure - it backs up my statement that all music is about hair and clothes.

Jesus, Mary (Chain) and Joseph! That was shocking. Think it'll take me another ten years to get over that. Erm, thanks for putting that up, I think.

Jason never had hair - he always wore a wig, or at least that's what he called his sad, Madchester haircut. JP sure was a victim in all senses of the word. He was the whipping boy of every band I played in with him, he always had to have the last word (a badly-timed crash cymbal), so it was funny seeing him have to try and piece the drumkit back together himself in the video.

The "dancers" by the way were (naming and shaming here): Keith Pentland, Gary Daniels, Ian Brands, and the simply fantastic drum-kit-taker-outer Dougal Kennedy. How Nirvana was that?!

The antagonist was none other than Dave Cuthbert. Dave lives in Edinburgh's Tollcross district now and was, not so long ago, playing bass and keyboards in the very excellent My Electric Love Affair (www.myspace.com/myelectricloveaffair).

As for Rubber Band? Well, we were always the most punk band in Caithness (right, folks?), so I'll perhaps leave that for another thread. What I will say is that Duncan Crofts looked like Jim Reid (of the Mary Chain) just nowhere near as cool, and Ritchie looked like a gerbil auditioning for The Replacements. Unfortunately no amount of string-snapping and geeky looks was going to turn Thurso High into Athens High, Georgia. In fact, I saw Ritchie not too long ago. He said he was working in HMV in Edinburgh (he might as well be working in a shoe shop) and now plays lap-steel in a couple of alt-country bands.

Am a music hack and funk genius.

Funny how things work out, eh?

[theone]

I always liked rubber band, yeah they were no REM but they were good.

I've been watching more of the videos tonight. Some of rubber bands original songs were very good, indie type feel good music.

When they morphed into Buddah Crush I think image became more important than music and I never liked the whole glam rock thing!

I'll post more of them shortly........