Hungry Beat: The Scottish Independent Pop Underground Movement

by Douglas Macintyre, Grant McPhee, Ian Rankin (Foreword)

The immense cultural contribution made by two maverick Scottish independent music labels, Fast Product and Postcard, cannot be underestimated. Bob Last and Hilary Morrison in Edinburgh, followed by Alan Horne and Edwyn Collins in Glasgow helped to create a confidence in being Scottish that hitherto had not existed in pop music (or the arts in general in Scotland). Their fierce independent spirit stamped a mark of quality and intelligence on everything they achieved, as did their role in the emergence of regional independent labels and cultural agitators, such as Rough Trade, Factory and Zoo.

Hungry Beat is a definitive oral history of these labels and the Scottish post-punk period. Covering the period 1977-1984, the book begins with the Subway Sect and the Slits performance on the White Riot tour in Edinburgh and takes us through to Bob Last shepherding the Human League from experimental electronic artists on Fast Product to their triumphant number one single in the UK and USA, Don't You Want Me. Largely built on interviews for Grant McPhee's Big Gold Dream film with Last, Hilary Morrison, Paul Morley and members of The Human League, Scars, The Mekons, Fire Engines, Josef K, Aztec Camera, The Go-Betweens and The Bluebells, Hungry Beat offers a comprehensive overview of one of the most important periods of Scottish cultural output and the two labels that changed the landscape of British music.

'Hungry Beat is the story of an all-too-brief era where the short-circuiting of that industry seemed viable. But hell, the times were luminous as was the music these artists made. The songs and many of the players remain, and here they tell their story and lick their wounds' Ian Rankin

Genres: Music

464 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2022

Reviews

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wer an Musik aus Schottland denkt, dem fallen zuerst Folkmusik und Dudelsäcke ein. An Independent Music denken wahrscheinlich die wenigsten. Mir ging es ähnlich, auch wenn es hauptsächlich die Musikrichtung ist, in der ich mich bewege. Aber Douglas MacIntyre schreibt über die späten 1970er und frühen 1980er Jahre und da hat sich mein Musikgeschmack erst entwickelt. Trotzdem kannte ich überraschend viel, wenn auch nicht die Bands, aber die vorgestellten Songs.

Wie der Titel verrät, war die Bewegung nur kurz, aber sehr intensiv und man kann spüren, mit wie viel Begeisterung man bei der Sache war. Gefühlt ging es direkt von der Schule in den Probenraum und wenn man Glück hatte, weiter ins Tonstudio. Dabei war der Übergang zwischen den einzelnen Bands fließend, aber es gab wegen eines Wechsels kein böses Blut und wenn, erwähnt es der Autor nicht. Nur in späteren Jahren waren die Künstler vielleicht nicht mehr so frei in ihren Entscheidungen und die Plattenlabel haben sich in wenig mehr eingemischt.

Vom Erzählton her wirkt das Buch wie eine Unterhaltung unter Freunden, die sich längere Zeit nicht mehr gesehen haben und über die guten alten Zeiten sprechen. Eine Erinnerung an die Jugend. Das ist mir auch beim Betrachten der Bilder aufgefallen. Die MusikerInnen wirken alle sehr jung und manchmal wirken sie auf den Bildern so, als ob ihnen die Aufmerksamkeit fast ein wenig unangenehm wäre. Aber sie waren auch stolz darauf, dass man in den Städten in England auf die Musiker aus dem kleinen Schottland aufmerksam geworden war.

Aber vielleicht war genau diese Aufmerksamkeit der Grund, warum die Bewegung so kurzlebig war: die vielversprechendsten Künstler wurden von den großen Labels im Süden abgeworben und man vergaß, dass sie eigentlich aus Schottland kamen. So ging es mir auch bei dem einen oder anderen Namen, aber jetzt habe ich sie wieder in ihre musikalische Heimat einsortiert.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fascinating account of Scotland's independent music scene between 1977 and 1984 and the two ground breaking record labels - Edinburgh's Fast Product Records and Glasgow's Postcard Records - and the bands they promoted. The story is told using interview quotes from the people involved - the managers, band members and journalists - which seems awkward at first but is fine once you get used to it and gives the account a first hand immediacy. On a personal level the period coincides with the time I was in higher education in the region and although I wasn't particularly into the music then I found it quite evocative of the place and the time.

[Ray Smillie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much focused on Fast and Postcard records, almost totally ignoring some of the bands outwith that scene. I suppose the Scottish punk bands I saw and loved in the late 70s have featured elsewhere whilst the iconic Jesus and Mary Chain, who released the superb Upside Down in 1984, don't feature at all. Personally I found the mostly jingly jangly Orange Juice a bit twee, but that is just my personal taste.

I will revisit this book and check out, online, some of the bands mentioned, a few I have never heard of.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful reminder of how much I don't know about the Scottish indie scene.

I must confess that Fast Records had passed me by entirely, although I was 9 at the time.

My interest picked up when the narrative moved on to Postcard Records of which I have some recollection.

[John Steel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Unlike others I liked the interview type passages. It’s also got me playing albums I haven’t listened to in years. It deserves 5 stars for that alone.

[Stewart Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply essential, honey.

[Jack Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, comprehensive history of postcard/fast product and their surrounding lore.

[Phil Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book on excellent music.

[Miles Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant glimpse into the sound of young Scotland in the late seventies/ early eighties. Even if you one or two of the many bands discussed in this book, read it anyway.

[Bill Mcarthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good history of the indie pop culture told by the people that were there.

[Richard · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hugely disappointing if I'm honest. Largely just a gossip-y series of quotes from people trying to big up their own importance in a story that really isn't even that interesting in the first place (to anyone outside of themselves). By the end it's just pure tedium.
So much great Scottish music of this era is completely ignored, it's hard to take it's "definitive history" tag seriously.