Grant McPhee and Douglas Macintrye, co-authors of Hungry Beat, select the most vital 45s from the Scottish Independent Pop Underground Movement (1977-1984), the cool scene they document in their fascinating book

While the sonic delights of Buzzcocks’ Spiral Scratch – released on New Hormones on 27 January 1977 – remain undiminished, it was the commercial success of the Manchester band’s self-released EP and, above all, its homespun ethic that caused more impactful reverberations. Created from money cobbled together from family and friends, its independent spirit was a unifying call to all the regional cities in the UK that you didn’t need the backing of a London-based major to make a successful, cultural splash.

Its influence on Edinburgh-based label Fast Product and owner Bob Last was instant, as Grant McPhee testifies, “Fast originally existed purely as a manifesto until Bob Last’s partner, Hilary Morrison gave him a copy of Spiral Scratch.”

Douglas Macintyre agrees, “Spiral Scratch was the pivotal 45 that coalesced the Hungry Beat scene. It felt that the aesthetic and intangible concept of New Hormones was as important as the Buzzcocks’ tracks on the release. It was a massive influence on Fast Product and Postcard.”

Archly tagged ‘the sound of young Scotland’ and owned by sly disruptor Alan Horne, Postcard was the Glasgow-based equivalent of Fast Product. Postcard had Orange Juice, Josef K, Aztec Camera and The Go-Betweens on its fabled roster and its back catalogue of 7-inch singles is strewn with a number of highly desirable artefacts. Indeed, Josef K’s scratchily angular debut album Only Fun In Town aside, the Scottish indie scene was dominated by the 45. As McPhee says, “The 45 really was the de facto post-punk/indie statement. Albums were associated with prog rock and the 45 went back to the glory days of the 50s and 60s. Both Bob Last and Alan Horne were huge fans of soul music, an industry almost entirely built on independent 45s in America.”

Grant and Douglas very kindly selected seven of their seven 7-inches from the scene. Hungry Beat is now available in paperback from White Rabbit Books (£12.99) or the hardback edition (£20). To emphasise just how long it took us to pull our fingers out with this site Grant also has another book in the soon-to-be-published pipeline. Postcards From Scotland: Scottish Independent Music 1983-1995 is available from Omnibus Press in August.

1. Can’t Stand My Baby
The Rezillos
Sensible FAB1
£30
“The DNA for the entire Edinburgh post-punk scene runs throughout this fabulous song. Bob Last and Hilary Morrison started as roadies for The Rezillos with Bob becoming their manager at about the same time he started Fast Product. This is essentially the first independent punk release from Scotland, Year Zero.” 

2. Adult/ery/Horrorshow
Scars
Fast Product FAST 8
£20
“Edinburgh-based Fast Product had built a reputation as being probably the premier UK indie label (Gang Of Four, Human League). However, they hadn’t released anything from Scotland which did seem a little strange… until this. It’s the Scottish Anarchy In The UK. Not only was this Fast’s first local release, it still stands as one of the great singles from that era – powerful, dark, menacing and utterly brilliant. It kick-started a local revolution.” 

3. Get Up And Use Me
Fire Engines 
Codex Communications
£25
“Fire Engines only released three singles but 45 years later they are still talked about in reverential tones throughout the post punk landscape. Short, sharp, precise attacks of fiery sonic angularity and yelped lyrics are laid out over those three discs. The band’s influence is felt strongly over those decades. There’s a wonderful, ancient NME article where Paul Morley attempts to explain the Fire Engines to an utterly perplexed Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, “But that’s shorter than most of our solos.” 

4. Chance Meeting 
Josef K
Absolute Records ABS 1
£200
“Postcard darlings Josef K released their first single on Orange Juice drummer Steven Daly’s Absolute label. Like many of their Edinburgh contemporaries Josef K started out ploughing Television-esque slices of trebly angularity, but what really stands out throughout their short career is the quality of musicianship and willingness to experiment. From the confines of a primitive punk recording studio, Chance Meeting sounds like nothing else in the genre. It’s like a post-punk Forever Changes.” 

5. Blue Boy
Orange Juice
Postcard PC 80-2
£100
“Without a doubt the greatest single to emerge from Glasgow. Blue Boy is so far removed from the snarl of the London three-chord-and-leather-jacket crowd that its defiance to compromise feels like one of the ultimate ‘punk’ statements. It’s Orange Juice’s defining moment and sums up everything they and Postcard stood for. The influence of this song is immense. Virtually all indie-pop bands ever to have existed owe a debt to it. I’m in no doubt that the roots of Glasgow being awarded the City of Culture Award in the late 80s lie in the release of this song and the ripples it set in motion.”

6. Compatibility 
Visitors
Rational Records RATE 2
£15
“This is a stunning statement of intent on Josef K manager Allan Campbell’s label, Rational Records. In the same way Rational slipped through the cracks, Edinburgh’s Visitors should have attained greater cultural currency. Visitors were the late, great Mark Stewart of The Pop Group’s favourite Scottish group”.

7. Back From the Dead
James King
Virgin VS 405
£8
“Country music plays a huge part of Glasgow’s musical heritage, it’s something not really talked about outside of Glasgow. And someone also not talked about much outside of Glasgow is James King, which is a shame as he’s a huge talent. There’s a clear punk influence but they also incorporate the country heritage to form some kind of unique Glaswegian Americana. This single almost appeared on Postcard but was already promised to the Cuba Libre/Virgin label instead.”

Wear your fringe like Roger McGuinn’s and listen to the sounds of young Scotland circa 1977 to 1984 via the Groovy Times Hungry Beat playlist.