So far on this blog I’ve stuck to Irish acts but I came across this on my trawls through my Fanning cassettes and figured it was sufficiently good and suitably obscure that it warranted inclusion. It’s a track that was Dave’s favourite single of 1988 (along with U2’s ‘Desire’) and to my ears is a slice of pop brilliance which still sounds perfectly fresh. I have to wager that their unusual name (inspired by a newspaper headline relating to a small plane pilot who’d crashed and had to have is his foot re-attached) didnt help their career trajectory but thanks to the wonders of the internet I’ve been able to dig out a few details.
Stitched-Back Foot Airman started life in Southampton in the early eighties as a side project of Simon Vincent with his younger brother Robin Vincent, Mike Farmer and film maker/visual artist Crimp Beringer. Around 1984 the band decamped to London releasing several records on their own ‘Very Mouth’ label including a single ‘Wouldn’t You Like to Know’, a 12” single ‘Costa Del Sol’ and a mini album ‘Seven Egg Timing Greats’. I suspect Simon has uploaded some early videos here.
Costa Del Sol (1988)
