Clapham South Escalators – Leave Me Alone
Upright Records – UP YOUR 1 [1981]
Leave Me Alone / Get Me To The World On Time – Cardboard Cutout
The Clapham South Escalators were, as you probably already know, an alias for the Meteors. After the recording session of their debut album, Lewis, Fenech and Robertson had some spare time and recorded three tracks in a garage/psychedelic mould.
One side features a Fenech original which borrows its bass line from the Jam’s Funeral Pyre (see how far we are from the Meteors frantic Rockabilly) with Nigel on electric bass. But, there’s no mistake, the lyrics are 100% Fenech.
The other one is the Lewis side. Get Me to The World On Time is a cover of the Electric Prunes, a Psychedelic band from the 60’s that the Meteors played live at the time. Cardboard Cutout is an original more in a Garage-Punk vein. Both announce the forthcoming releases of the Escalators.
Retrospectively, one can see in this single the seeds of the future split of the band, with Lewis choosing to pursue in that direction.
Debbie and Jackie