Because unfortunately, I am quitting. I have taken the decision to draw a line under this blog and there will be no further new entries. We'll come on to the reason why in a minute, but before that, let's get the practicalities out of the way, because in the months and years which follow that's going to matter to casual readers most.
The mp3s
I'm going to keep all the mp3s on this blog live until the end of June 2024 (note - sorry readers, most of them are gone now) after which point my subscription to Box will be cancelled and they will be removed. If there's anything here you want but haven't got around to downloading yet, please do it as soon as possible, as it will evaporate after that point.
Still, this isn't necessarily the end of the world. If any of the music is currently unavailable on YouTube I'll probably upload it on my channel there in the not too distant future - so this isn't as drastic as it probably sounds on first reading. Nothing should be wiped completely from existence.
After the end of June, the blog will exist in a mothballed state with all the writing, sleeve art and scans of record labels remaining available online but all sound files removed. No further updates to existing entries will be run beyond that point, so all very old entries declaring that "nobody knows who this band are" should obviously be treated with a pinch of salt. Share corrections in the comments for the benefit of other readers by all means, but I won't be acting on any of them.
But why do this?
Honestly, there are no external forces compelling me to. Nothing awful has happened - I'm still healthy, and I still have a certain amount of time on my hands to spend on this blog if I want to - but the truth is that after nearly 16 years of writing about rare and largely unheard music within the parameters I originally set, I just want to (pun entirely intended) change the record.
These are truly fantastic times for people who want to fish deep in the muddy backwaters of pop and rock, with Cherry Red putting out amazing box sets with hugely detailed, lovingly researched booklets seemingly every month. Back when I kicked this project off in 2008, the internet and record stores felt bereft of these nuggets, but these days just one of those box sets could put the contents of a year's worth of "Left and to the Back" entries to shame. That's a wonderful situation to be in if you're a consumer of music.
In fact, Spotify and Apple Music have also upped their game so much and there are so many people also active on YouTube doing this sort of thing that it's become extremely hard work to find truly buried material. This particularly applies if (like me) you're operating to a modest budget, and to be honest the blog has become more of a chore than a pleasure in the last year as a result. I recently visited my local independent record shop with a completely clear head, knowing that for the first time in years 100% of my brain could be devoted to looking for new things I wanted to spend time listening to myself, rather than worrying about "content". It was absolute bliss.
None of this means that I want to stop writing or talking about music. I will do something else soon, and I'm sure I'll be back on here to announce it when I do, but I'd like to spend more time focusing on music not just because it's odd, obscure or buried, but for other reasons. There's a whole other world out there and I intend to throw myself into it.
In the meantime, thanks for being such a lovely bunch of readers. Hopefully our paths will cross again very soon. Please do continue to follow me on Twitter at @leftandtoback or on Facebook for more news on future plans.
Oh yes, and the Discogs shop remains open for business and will be for the foreseeable future. The blog might be over, but I'll need to keep having clearouts for a long time to come.
21 comments:
A real labour of love, very much appreciated. Thanks for it all. Cheers, Arthur (real name Eddie).
Thank you for being there all this time.
Helped through hard moments with something new to listen to.
Priceless
All the best
Sigh...another favourite bites the dust.
So long and thanks for all the music.
Cheers,
Sonny
I've been quietly following for years. Thanks for everything!
Thanks everyone.
One thing I meant to mention in the main entry - if anyone reading this wants to set up a similar blog themselves, and wants a chat about getting it off the ground, I'd be more than happy to help, whether your doubts are about promotion, finding a decent and reliable file server for the mp3s, sourcing material, etc... there used to be a ton of mp3 blogs online and over the years they've all fallen, but I don't think anybody should mistake that collapse as being indicative of a huge problem. They've just fallen out of fashion, that's all.
Been quietly following and discovering hidden gems from you for over ten years now. Thanks for everything
Thanks for everything Dave, I've really enjoyed our interactions over time. The only thing stopping me from starting up something similar is resentment of having to pay more for postage than the cost of the vinyl especially on £15+ items.A high percentage of 45's that interest me are with overseas sellers. Like to leave you with something and I noticed someone had kindly uploaded the 'other' Mandarin Kraze 45 on YT it's more overtly pop this time around but interesting nevertheless;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV_rPDyZTV0&t=6s
Thank you for the many treasures (and, well, not so treasurables) through the years. It's been an education and a pleasure. Thank you!
It's a little regret. Whatever the music or the group was like, it was always presented with humour, and also a lot of interesting information.
Thank you for all these posts along the years, it was always a pleasure.
Thanks for everything, Dave. You have long since gone beyond the bounds of duty.
FB
I'm going to miss this blog, it's been a wonderful way to learn the byways of the pop industry. I look forward to seeing your new project.
All the best - the blog has always been a fun read (and listen) ...
Aw man, that sucks! I really enjoyed finding all the rare novelty singles you've found over the years! Really did a wonder for my show. Hell, I was even impressed when you found that version of "Que Sera Sera" that The KLF did and said it was the new national anthem for the world as it is now. I still thank you for all the rare finds. If you can, you can check out my comedy music show, "A-Log on the Airwaves", when you get the chance and see how many records you've found popped up on my show.
Stay Weird,
Anthony "A-Log" LoGatto,
Host of "A-Log on the Airwaves"
I will miss your blog! Thank you for all the music you've shared.
Many thanks for all the years of hard work. I'm generally only a Christmas-time visitor, but I always loved the wonderful stuff I found around these parts. Good luck in your future endeavors!
I will miss the blog, thanks for the music over the years.
Thanks for all the interesting stories about the songs.
A real shame that the blog will not be continuing but after reading your reasons, I can see why. Thanks for sharing all this wonderful music and good luck with your new ventures.
Thanks for the music, both the weird and the not so weird!
Another quiet appreciator of all you've done. Thanks for the music. It meant a lot.
-John M
I will miss your interesting take on pop's obscurities - but you have made the right decision for you. Enjoy the freedom it will bring. Thanks for your insights.
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