Jowe Head
SWELL MAPS
DISCOGRAPHY
Swell Maps have their origins in Solihull 1972, when teenage brothers Nikki Sudden (guitar/vocals) and Epic Soundtracks (drums/piano) began making music, shortly joined by schoolfriends Jowe Head (bass/vocals) and David Barrington (guitar). Hours of home recordings were captured on basic equipment, with the band augmented by new members Richard Earl and John 'Golden' Cockrill. It wasn't until 1977 and the punk era that Swell Maps recorded and released their first 'proper' record.

Swell Maps were not a punk band in the respect that the term punk is generally understood, but they certainly espoused the DIY spirit of the age. They combined elements of raw garage rock, Krautrock, the avant-garde and what would later be termed 'ambient' music; they released four singles and two albums before splitting during a tour of Italy in April 1980. Posthumous releases were compiled from outtakes and home recordings. They are cited as an influence by some of the "art-noise" bands of the Eighties and Nineties, such as Sonic Youth, and by lo-fi outfits like Pavement.
A comprehensive discography can be viewed at http://www.nikkisudden.com (archive version - site now defunct).
NewMarch 2017: Jowe Head shares some thoughts about the influence and impact of DJ John Peel and recalls the band's first visit to Maida Vale to record a session for the programme: John Peel remembered.
SINGLES
Read About Seymour Read About Seymour
Read About Seymour / Ripped And Torn / Black Velvet
7" Rather Records GEAR ONE 1977
7" Rough Trade RT 010 1978 (reissue)
Dresden Style Dresden Style
Dresden Style / Ammunition Train / Full Moon (Dub)
7" Rough Trade RT 012 1978
Real Shocks Real Shocks
Real Shocks / English Verse / Monologues
7" Rough Trade RT 021 1979
Let's Build A Car Let's Build A Car
Let's Build A Car / Big Maz In The Country / ...Then Poland
7" Rough Trade RT 036 1979
ALBUMS
A Trip To Marineville A Trip To Marineville
Rough Trade - Rough 2 - July 1979

H.S. Art
Another Song
Vertical Slum
Spitfire Parade
Harmony In Your Bathroom
Don't Throw Ashtrays At Me
Midget Submarines
Bridge Head (Pt.9)
Full Moon In My Pocket
Blam!!
Full Moon (Reprise)
Gunboats
Adventuring Into Basketry
My Lil' Shops Round The Corner

LP came with bonus 7":
Loin Of The Surf / Doctor At Cake
Steven Does / Bronze And Baby Shoes

Reissued by Mute Records in 1989 (MAPS CD 1) with 8 extra tracks.
Jane From Occupied Europe ...in "Jane From Occupied Europe"
Rough Trade - Rough 15 - 1980

Robot Factory
Let's Buy A Bridge
Border Country
Cake Shop
The Helicopter Spies
Big Maz In The Desert
Big Empty Field
Mining Villages
Collision With A Frogman...
...vs. The Mangrove Delta Plan
Secret Island
Whatever Happens Next...
Blenheim Shots
Raining In My Room

Reissued by Mute Records in 1989 (MAPS CD 2) with 8 extra tracks.
Whatever Happens Next... Whatever Happens Next...
Rough Trade - Rough 21 - 1981 (Double LP)

Read About Seymour
Fashion Cult
Armadillo
(I Am) The Greatest Pluming! / Radio Ten
Here's The Cupboard (Thrash)
Terribly Insect
Midget Submarines
Whatever Happens Next...
Clearasil Record
Blam!!
Down With Tractors
Amphibious Landing Craft
Paul's Dead
Sheep Dip
Havoc All Ended
The Himalayas
You And The Night And The Music
The Stairs Are Like An Avalanche
Vertical Slum
Forest Fire
Midget Submarines (II)
Armadillo (II)
Bandits On Fire

Note: This is a collection of home recordings and out-takes, plus a John Peel session.
This was due to be reissued by Mute Records in 1991 (as MAPS CD 4) but the release never happened. Thanks to Nikki Sudden for the info.
COMPILATIONS
Collision Time Collision Time
Rough Trade - Rough 41 - 1981

Read About Seymour
Ammunition Train
Full Moon In My Pocket / Blam!!
Real Shocks
Midget Submarines
Let's Build A Car
...Then Poland
Secret Island
Whatever Happens Next...
Big Maz In "The Desert From The Trolley"
Big Empty Field
Blenheim Shots / A Raincoats Room

Note: This is a singles compilation, apparently aimed at the US market.
Train Out Of It Train Out Of It
Antar Records - Antar 4 - 1986

Let's Build A Car
Real Shocks
Read About Seymour
Full Moon
Big Maz In The Country
St. Saviours' Road
Doomette
The Graveyard Shift
Then Poland (Parts 1 & 2)
Clear The Floor
The Cave Dwellers
Dresden Style
Ammunition Train
Black Velvet
Doctor At Cake
Elephant Flowers
Stitch
Rundown Tube
Texas

Note: This is a further collection of unreleased material, plus tracks culled from the singles.
Reissued by Mute Records in 1991 (MAPS CD 3) with 7 extra tracks.
Collision Time Revisited Collision Time Revisited
Mute Records - 71421 - 1989 (Double LP)

Let's Build A Car
Real Shocks
Border Country
Big Maz In The Country
Blues No. 1
Garden Of Medals
Midget Submarines
Bridge Head
Read About Seymour
Ammunition Train
Doctor At C.
St. Saviour's Road
The Graveyard Shift
Big Maz In The Desert
Mining Villages
Blues No. 2
Beatle Bonfire
Secret Island
The Stairs Are Like An Avalanche
Gunboats
...Then Poland
Full Moon In My Pocket
Blam!!
Full Moon (Reprise)
Fashion Cult
Whatever Happens Next...
Blenheim Shots
Raining In My Room
Texas
International Rescue International Rescue
Alive Records - Alive 0035 - 1999

International Rescue
Real Shocks
Black Velvet
Ammunition Train
Ripped And Torn
Spitfire Parade
New York
Forest Fire
Winter Rainbow
Dresden Style (City Boys)
Vertical Slum
H.A.K.
I Really Love You
Hey Johnny! Where's The Chewing Gum?
Sweep The Desert Sweep The Desert
Alive Records - Alive 0041-2 - 2000

Then Poland
Full Moon In My Pocket
BLAM!
Full Moon (reprise)
Big Maz In The Desert
Big Empty Field (no. 2)
Don't Throw Ashtrays At Me
Midget Submarines
Bridge Head (part 9)
Never To See Any Other Way
Doomette
Collision With A Frogman vs. The Mangrove Delta Plane
Fashion Cult
Big Maz In The Country
Cave Mines
Avalanche
Big Empty Field
Raining Room
The Graveyard Shift
GUEST APPEARANCES
Members of the Swell Maps played on or produced several contemporary recordings. Here are a selection.
Steve Treatment
5 A-Sided 45
Hooked On A Trend / Danger Zone / Negative Nights
Taste Your Own Medicine / The Hippy Posed Engrossment
7" Rather Records GEAR 2 (1978)

Features Nikki Sudden, Epic Soundtracks, Jowe Head and Richard Earl (?).
Cult Figures
Zip Nolan
Zip Nolan / Playing With Toys / Zip Dub
7" Rough Trade RT 020 (1979)

The Cult Figures were Birmingham duo Gary Jones and Jonny Hodgson.
On this, their debut single, they were backed by the Swell Maps:
Nikki Sudden, Epic Soundtracks, Jowe Head and Richard Earl.
Cult Figures
In Love EP
I Remember / Laura Kate / Almost A Love Song
7" Rather Records GEAR 8 (1980)

Nikki Sudden and Epic Soundtracks contributed backing vocals.
Phones Sportsman Band
I Really Love You EP
I Really Love You / Get Down & Get With It
7" Rather Records GEAR 9 (1980)

Phones Sportsman, of course, was an occasional contributor to Swell Maps releases.
Features Nikki Sudden, Epic Soundtracks, Jowe Head and Richard Earl.
Metrophase
New Age
New Age / Frames Of Life
7" Neo London Records PHASE 2 (1980)

Features Nikki Sudden (guitar, backing vocals), Jowe Head (bass, backing vocals).
Thanks to the people at Topplers Records for originally alerting me to the existence of these releases.
Further information was culled from the official Nikki Sudden website.
Additional thanks to Jowe Head and Gary from the Cult Figures for their assistance.
Read the story of the Cult Figures at http://cult-figures.tumblr.com/.

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