Well this post shows that you can't know it all. Whilst whiling away some time during my first visit to Whistable last weekend and after drinking an Oyster Stout or two I found a second hand record/video/dvd store.

Whilst browsing the punk section (which was the only section worth browsing it has to be said) I came across this single by Pauline Murray and The Invisible Girls.

This got me to part with a miserly £2 on two counts. One was that I haven't heard any of her other work after she left Penetration and two it was produced by Martin Hannett someone whose works I seem to end up collecting. Murray was joined by Robert Blamire who was also in Penetration whilst The Invisible Girls were a group in their own right and at times included Vinney Riley (Durutti Column), Pete Shelly and John Maher (Buzzcocks).

Riley was missing from this release which saw Wayne Hussey (Sisters of Mercy/The Mission) on guitar. However the nucleus of the band after reading up on the net seems to be Hannett and keyboard player Steve Hopkins. It's getting complicated - maybe I should have laid off the stout!

This single is far removed from what Penetration had produced and can only be described as delicate pop music whilst the flip side is very new wave synth pop.

Not sure I would go out and look for some other of her work though although if I past Whistable again and browse through the same shop and it's there who knows!

Searching For Heaven was released in 1981 on Illusive Records.

Pauline Murray and The Invisible Girls - Searching For Heaven
Pauline Murray and The Invisible Girls - Animal Crazy

My Bloody Valentine start their comeback tour at London's Camden Roundhouse later this month. I am we sure will hear tracks from Isn't Anything and Loveless, which are both being reissued as deluxe sets, but nowt from before which will disappoint the twee kids who may attend hoping to hear Paint A Rainbow!

I am looking forward to the gigs - I have seen the band in most of their incarnations but the last time I saw them was at Reading 91 (or was it '92?).

Here are some tracks from their earlier days with Dave Conway on vocals which were collated on 2001's Things Left Behind bootleg CD.

No Place To Go (originally on the Geek EP)
Lovelee Sweet Darlene (originally on the Brand New Record)
Silvies Head (originally on Sunny Sundae Smile)

Despite Conway (and Tina) leaving by the time of the Strawberry Wine single the band were still making that indie pop sound on the title track. However on the flip side there were hints at what was to come.

Can I Touch You?

There are a number of concert and Peel session tracks to download from Inkoma including a 1987 concert in Manchester with the earlier line up.

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