Photo: Supplied
Going through this whopping 68-track collection, I noticed many of its songs don’t show up online, available to purchase only on the physical release. I assume it’s copyright issues that are keeping tracks by Gang of Four, Scritti Politti, Soft Cell, The Wedding Present, Sisters of Mercy and more off the web version.
What remains though are 50 lesser known singles from the decade, which represent a fascinating alternative history, heavy on post-punk, and plenty of tunes that feel like forgotten hits.
Shake Appeal featured Adam Franklin, who would go on to form Swervedriver. Like a fair few of the bands on Where Were You?, they didn’t grow up in Leeds, but did study there.
Reading up on the album you get a sense the city has felt somewhat left out of musical history. The Who released Live at Leeds, but they were from London. Several reviews mention that Manchester has been thoroughly celebrated, so why not here.
The collection gets its title from the Mekons track which starts it. The ‘independent music' in the sub-heading presumably means independent in spirit - the iteration of ‘Damaged Goods’ is labelled 'The EMI version' - but the bulk of the tracks are from smaller labels.
It’s compiled chronologically, so things like drum machines slowly creep into the picture, with exceptions. Music For Pleasure’s first single ‘The Human Factor’ harks from 1980, but is already synth-heavy.
In 1976 the Sex Pistols performed in Leeds, triggering an explosion of punk bands in their wake. The music here starts in that vein but quickly tends toward post-punk, as the influences broaden.
The collection was co-compiled by Richard Rouska of Rouska Records, and Benoît Farvak, who was there at the time, and still plays bass for the band Salvation. There’s a real sense of connection in the way no-hit wonders are placed alongside bigger names, and the four hours of music comes with extensive liner notes, determined to give the city its proper due.
Anabas guitarist Ben Gunn went on to form Sisters of Mercy. Looking at a photo of the group, a goth flavour was definitely starting to enter the picture, something which Leeds became associated with.
Three years later we have Third Circle (who only released a handful of songs), with ‘Last Night Was the Best Night of My Life’, moving into borderline industrial territory.
Getting the rights to this vast collection of music was by all accounts a huge amount of work, and while it’s always nice to hear the hits, the real meat is its undiscovered or underrated gems.
The 1987 track ‘Longing For Next Year’ by The Sinister Cleaners contrasts its polite vocal with a high counter melody on guitar and roomy drums, and like many moments on Where Were You?, you can almost hear the echoing of future bands to come.
