Suicide Alley
Encyclopedia
"Suicide Alley" was the debut self-financed single from the rock band Manic Street Preachers
. It was released in Autumn of 1988, while they were still an unsigned act.
Only 300 copies were originally pressed. Around 200 came in a picture sleeve. This sleeve is highly reminiscent of The Clash
's eponymous debut album
, and was photographed and designed by Richey James Edwards
(which is why he is not in the shot). Musically, the influence of The Clash, The Skids, and other late-70's punk rock
bands is evident - the title track bears a strong resemblance to the Clash's 1978 single "Tommy Gun
". Around a third of the copies were released in a plain sleeve, and a handful featured handmade covers with glued on newspaper cuttings, which were assembled by Richey.
Because the single was not reviewed by the mainstream music press until almost a year after its release, the release date is often incorrectly stated as August 1989. However, it was first reviewed in January 1989 by the fanzine Beat the Street, who remarked "Makes a change from the glue-bag dirge that has passed for punk in the last couple of years." Several months later, the single was picked up on and praised in music magazine NME
, with journalist Steven Wells making it their 'Single of the Week'. Although this endorsement did not provide them with any immediate commercial success, it pre-empted the buzz that would eventually surround the band.
B-side "Tennessee" was re-recorded and featured on the band's debut album Generation Terrorists
. The A-side was included on all formats of the later single "Little Baby Nothing
", partly to curb the demand for the original single which was changing hands for hundreds of pounds.
The single has the catalogue number SBS 002. The 'SBS' stands for Sound Bank Studio, the studio in Blackwood where the single was recorded. The numbering 002 was meant to add some credibility by implying SBS was an established record label - there was never a release with the catalogue number SBS 001.
The band performed the song live for the first time in 22 years at their BBC Radio 2 concert on 27th January 2011.
text is in evidence at the rear. This bootleg did not do too much to dent the value of an original copy however, which still commands a high price.
Many sellers will try and represent one of these copies as an original, so it is therefore not recommended to purchase a copy from an auction website or private seller without having its authenticity verified in advance. However, when sold for what it is, many have found it a relatively inexpensive way to add to their collection.
A reproduction 7" single, complete with original B Side Tennessee (I Get Low), is available as part of the super deluxe edition of National Treasures : The Complete Singles. Suicide Alley does not appear on the main compilation however, despite the 'complete' title.
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
. It was released in Autumn of 1988, while they were still an unsigned act.
Only 300 copies were originally pressed. Around 200 came in a picture sleeve. This sleeve is highly reminiscent of The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
's eponymous debut album
The Clash (album)
The album received positive reviews from critics and peaked at number 12 in the UK charts. In December 1979, critic Robert Christgau named it his favorite album of the 1970s....
, and was photographed and designed by Richey James Edwards
Richey James Edwards
Richard James Edwards was a Welsh musician who was rhythm guitarist and lyricist of the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. He was known for his politicized and intellectual songwriting which, combined with an enigmatic and eloquent character, has assured him cult status...
(which is why he is not in the shot). Musically, the influence of The Clash, The Skids, and other late-70's punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
bands is evident - the title track bears a strong resemblance to the Clash's 1978 single "Tommy Gun
Tommy Gun (song)
"Tommy Gun" is a song by the British punk rock band The Clash, released as the first single from their second album Give 'Em Enough Rope ....
". Around a third of the copies were released in a plain sleeve, and a handful featured handmade covers with glued on newspaper cuttings, which were assembled by Richey.
Because the single was not reviewed by the mainstream music press until almost a year after its release, the release date is often incorrectly stated as August 1989. However, it was first reviewed in January 1989 by the fanzine Beat the Street, who remarked "Makes a change from the glue-bag dirge that has passed for punk in the last couple of years." Several months later, the single was picked up on and praised in music magazine NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, with journalist Steven Wells making it their 'Single of the Week'. Although this endorsement did not provide them with any immediate commercial success, it pre-empted the buzz that would eventually surround the band.
B-side "Tennessee" was re-recorded and featured on the band's debut album Generation Terrorists
Generation Terrorists
- Personnel :Manic Street Preachers*James Dean Bradfield – lead vocals, guitar*Richey Edwards – guitar*Sean Moore – drums, percussion, backing vocals*Nicky Wire – bass, piano on Little Baby NothingAdditional personnel...
. The A-side was included on all formats of the later single "Little Baby Nothing
Little Baby Nothing
"Little Baby Nothing" was the sixth single taken from the debut full-length album — Generation Terrorists — by the Welsh group the Manic Street Preachers. It features vocals by former porn star Traci Lords....
", partly to curb the demand for the original single which was changing hands for hundreds of pounds.
The single has the catalogue number SBS 002. The 'SBS' stands for Sound Bank Studio, the studio in Blackwood where the single was recorded. The numbering 002 was meant to add some credibility by implying SBS was an established record label - there was never a release with the catalogue number SBS 001.
The band performed the song live for the first time in 22 years at their BBC Radio 2 concert on 27th January 2011.
Bootleg
Capitalising on the fact the single has never been reissued in its original format, unauthorized bootleg copies of the single started to circulate around 2001. They were produced in the original black 7" vinyl, and also in red vinyl. Aside from the fact the original was never released in red vinyl, the bootleg can be easily distinguished from the original even by a non-expert. The vinyl and its label are reproduced quite well, but the sleeve can clearly be identified as a counterfeit. Most tellingly, the words 'Manic Street Preachers' are underlined on the front, and noticeably inferior / pixellatedPixelation
In computer graphics, pixelation is an effect caused by displaying a bitmap or a section of a bitmap at such a large size that individual pixels, small single-colored square display elements that comprise the bitmap, are visible to the eye...
text is in evidence at the rear. This bootleg did not do too much to dent the value of an original copy however, which still commands a high price.
Many sellers will try and represent one of these copies as an original, so it is therefore not recommended to purchase a copy from an auction website or private seller without having its authenticity verified in advance. However, when sold for what it is, many have found it a relatively inexpensive way to add to their collection.
A reproduction 7" single, complete with original B Side Tennessee (I Get Low), is available as part of the super deluxe edition of National Treasures : The Complete Singles. Suicide Alley does not appear on the main compilation however, despite the 'complete' title.
7"
- "Suicide Alley"
- "Tennessee (I Get Low)"