Saturday, March 23, 2013

One Million Pieces 7" (1990, Phantom)

Aussie import time again, from a band I can find not a shred of info about, save for a Discogs entry.  "Deep Dark Hole" is a taught, bouncy riff-rocker in the vein of 2X4-era Guadalcanal Diary.  I kinda like the chorus harmonies on this one.  The sobering rumination of the flip-side, "I Think I'll Take My Life Tonight" strikes a decidedly bleaker tone to say the least.  Not as intense as say, "The Ledge" by the 'Mats, but in that same arena.  Per the above link, One Million Pieces had two other singles to their credit. 

A. Deep Dark Hole
B. I Think I'll Take My Life Tonight

Hear

8 comments:

Lucas Gelati said...

Apparently, in 1999 they released a discography CD called "Smother Mary" or something like that:
http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/6838694/a/Smother+Mary.htm
But can't find anything else by them on the internet.
Thanks for sharing! :)

spavid said...

Thanks Lucas!

Nick in Manchester said...

One Million Pieces was a Sydney indie 3-piece, signed to Phantom records, a well-regarded Sydney indie label known for acts including the Hoodoo Gurus, Hummingbirds and Def FX. You can find more about the label, along with an interview with Jules, the founder, here: http://www.collapseboard.com/features/columns/the-big-beat-in-the-heart-of-the-vinyl-jungle/

The band released three singles: Picture of You/So Sure (1989), Deep Dark Hole (1990) and Nothing Will Change/Sorry/Take My Own Life (1991). The album Smother Mary was released the same year, our only CD release. All these releases made it in to the top 20 in various Australian indie charts and Deep Dark Hole was widely played on alternative radio station Triple J.

The main members were Richard Quiggin (guitar, vocals), Grant Jackson (drums) and Nick Turnbull (bass). The original membership changed and the band split around 1994. Richard now makes surfboards in Sydney, having also worked in Santa Cruz and started his own firm, Pure Surfboards. Grant has continued working in the music business in staging live shows and still plays the drums. Nick is an academic, teaching and researching politics at The University of Manchester.

Nick Turnbull

Damian Stachelski said...

can you re up this please? Thanks!

Nick in Manchester said...

Sorry to leave it so long!! I have transferred one of the singles to video, So Sure, now up on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNj9TlDHInc

Will get on to the other ones soonish. All released on Phantom Records... the years are hazy in the mind, so these are a guess.

Singles were:
Picture of You/So Sure 1989 PH-35
Deep Dark Hole 1990 PH-38
Nothing Will Change 1991 PH-42

Album: Smother Mary 1992

One song, Come and Gone, is on the Phantom Records rare sampler, given away at a Lansdowne Hotel (Sydney) gig in 1989, For Chrevrolet DeSoto PH-37. Also on that record, Whole World, Shrinking Violets, Even as we Speak.

spavid said...

Thanks so much for the info Lucas! Am just seeing this now. Have updated the link to the single, which for the time being is all I have to offer.

Unknown said...

I would love to have access to all the singles if you know how please share info on this platform

Nick in Manchester said...

Very happy to oblige. Here's the other side of the first single, Picture of You from 1989 Phantom Records PH-35 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HPg9PMsxFg