NO BRAIN
RECORDS
No Brain Records was a DIY label. It
managed two singles. It issued singles in INV-000 numerical series. Distributed
By No Brain Records. The Innocent Vicars formed in 1980, with an average age of
14. The St Albans band met at school, bonding over a love of Bo Diddley, the
Undertones and Buzzcocks. The line up chopped and changed for a while before
settling on Richard Norris, vocals/rhythm guitar, Aaron Russell, lead guitar
(brother of the Toys Mick Russell), and Nigel Benson, bass, who went into a
Christian recording studio in Wheathampstead to cut 'She's Here'/'Antimatter'. A
host of local talent guested on the record, including Nick Egan from the Tea Set
on backing vocals, Cally from the Tea Set on drums, Mark Adams from the Bodies
on Roland 101 synth (making the acid house noise on 'Antimatter' nearly a decade
early) and Waldo's Phil Smee on production duties.
The single sold out of
it's initial 500 pressing, thanks to support from John Peel and Radio 1's Round
Table show, where it was spun straight after the Clash. The band played many
school discos, local clubs, various church halls and youth clubs in St Albans,
Hatfield, Luton and Harpenden, as well as a number of spots at St Albans City
Hall (supporting Kagagoogoo and Paul Young's band Q Tips). They also played at
the Fleur De Lys pub, despite all being underage, at a girl's Boarding school
and in St Albans Abbey (twice).
After a quick line up change (Mike 'Mac'
McDonald replaced Nigel Benson on bass, Steve Watts took over on drums), the
band recorded a second single, a cover of Lipps Inc's 'Funky Town' backed with
'Voices'. They also appeared on two compilation albums, with the tracks
'Starship 22' and 'She Was My Girl'. Since their release thirty years ago, the
original singles have been bootlegged a number of times in America and Japan and
regularly sell for over £100 on ebay. BBC Radio's Steve Lamacq named 'She's
Here' one of his all time favorite records, playing it on BBC 6 Music as
recently as February 2011. Richard Norris, 'Mac' McDonald and Steve Watts have
all had long careers in music. Aaron Russell and Nigel Benson are currently
missing in action.
80
The Innocent
Vicars
Antimatter / She's Here
NO
BRAIN
INV
001
80
The Innocent
Vicars
Funky
Town
NO BRAIN
INV
002