{"product_id":"wreckless-eric-wreckless-eric-presents-the-hitsville-housebands-12-oclock-stereo","title":"Wreckless Eric - Wreckless Eric Presents : The Hitsville Houseband's '12 O'Clock Stereo'","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e12 O'Clock Stereo\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWreckless Eric\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e's town and country album, a strange and at times uneasy mix of garage, pop, country and old-time rhythm 'n' blues.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUrban songs set in a grim, concrete world where the beer is flowing like piss, and abandoned lovers cry themselves to sleep between nylon bed sheets, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKilburn Lane\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCamden Girl\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMurder In My Mind\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePalace Of Tears\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Tales of ne'er do wells and country hicks, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Guitar-Shaped Swimming Pool\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFriends On The Floor\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, a ramshackle and nightmarish world, the village band play on raggedy and tuneless as the residents of a local retirement home zone out on valium (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Twilight Home\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCreepiness and social dysfunction - life in remote rural France where dissatisfaction and incomprehension rule supreme and a trip to the doctors is a day out, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYou Can't See The Woods (For The Trees)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e; and in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Marginal\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e the neighbours ask him in to laugh at him as they get drunk with backing provided by a showband on hallucinogens. And meanwhile, back on the home front the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCamden Girl\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e juggles forming a band with self-help, astrology and Tai Chi.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEric had initially formed \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Hitsville House Band\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e with drummer \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDenis Baudrillart\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and bassist \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFabrice Lombardo\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, two trash and garage virtuosos, bad boys from the south suburbs of Paris, as a backing band for ex \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAction\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMighty Baby\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e101ers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e guitarist \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMartin Stone\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. They didn't last long as a backing group – Eric had songs and then Fabrice and Denis wanted to record them.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“I was asked to record a track for a love-themed compilation album with a lifebelt on the cover - love and a lifeline, some foggy and fuzzy half thought out concept to do with love. The lifebelt looked for all the world like a toilet seat to me. We did the track for hard cash and used the money to buy tape to record an album.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe album was recorded at Eric's home, a dilapidated village dance hall seventy miles west of Paris, in the heart of rural France. Since his last album the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDonovan Of Trash\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Eric had upgraded his studio with the addition of a 1” Studer eight track tape machine. The stereo possibilities were limited by the further addition of an all-valve Telfunken one track 1\/4” mono mastering machine which had apparently previously been used in a jungle expedition, as borne out by the carcasses of large and weird-looking insects reclining in the machinery.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOn its release in 1996, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e12 o’clock Stereo\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was championed by the few, including \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJohn Peel\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMark Radcliffe,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e who both played tracks. In spite of constant touring throughout Europe and the UK, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e12 o’clock Stereo\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e soon found its place in the pantheon of obscure and uncompromising post-Stiff Records Wreckless Eric releases.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe title fooled some of Eric's detractors into thinking he'd finally caught up with the modern world and made a stereo record. The clues were all there – the word STEREO flanked by inward facing arrows...a lino-cut illustration of a mixing desk with all the pan controls in the centre position... that's right: MONO - the title, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e12 o'clock Stereo\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, means mono.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eContaining 5 extra tracks, including 3 radio sessions, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLawrence Of Arabia On Ice\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, a b-side from ‘\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Girl With The Wandering Eye\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e’ CD single, and ‘\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUgly \u0026amp; Old\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e’, the first track ever recorded by The Hitsville Houseband, specifically for a Love Song Compilation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"FIRE RECORDS","offers":[{"title":"Black Vinyl LP","offer_id":60035484778841,"sku":"SDZ-55012","price":16.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":60035484811609,"sku":"SDZ-55013","price":8.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0588\/3455\/0945\/files\/CAR_20261019_1200_113002_101_p_pdf_link_20261019110206_051.jpg?v=1792499968","url":"https:\/\/spindizzyrecords.com\/products\/wreckless-eric-wreckless-eric-presents-the-hitsville-housebands-12-oclock-stereo","provider":"Spindizzy Dublin","version":"1.0","type":"link"}