VARIOUS ARTISTS - SHARON SIGNS TO CHERRY RED: INDEPENDENT WOMEN 1979-1985

2016 two CD collection. RPM proudly presents a compendium of the demo cassette generation from the early 1980's, filtered through (principally British) independent women of the post-punk era. Sharon Signs To Cherry Red began life as the archetypal independent single released on the obscure Lowther International label by archetypal independent act, The Kamikaze Pilots, the review of whom by Danny Kelly, NME gives us the starting point: "Disturbingly, also from Norwich... comes this plaintive tribute to/assassination of all the earnest misery gobs ever signed to Cherry Red's roster, with particular reference to the Tracey Thorn pantheon". What was a gentle mocking of The Marine Girls et al is now being hailed by RPM as a noteworthy offering in its own right, suggesting it represents a defining group of female voices from the period who performed and recorded in all manner of genre and styles. As the parent group of RPM Records is Cherry Red Records, the once mocked is now able to celebrate one and all. Many of these artists were night-time John Peel session regulars, fighting for daytime coverage in the press, walking the fine line of questioning from the NME (hip young gunslingers asking sexual politics) and Smash Hits (Milton Keynes readers asking which hairspray they used). Sharon... ' is an eclectic soundtrack for the early '80s covering post punk, mod revival, '60s revival, independent scene, rockabilly/cowpunk, garage, London soul/funk, reggae dub and commercial pop, pre C86 with its looking back and looking forward, and what it isn't, the extremes of the SAW production line of the late '80s and another era entirely. The DIY culture described in our title song is illustrated on the compilation through several unreleased demos, of the sort which were common currency in the day, plus many new to CD tracks. 30 years on from Sharon Signs To Cherry Red, Sharon finally signs to Cherry Red with this extensive compilation.

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