It's hard to imagine that 12 years ago when we started our DIY record label AAS that we had a specific instruction on the web page that under NO circumstances were bands to send us mp3's via email. Not because we were technophobes but because we were on 56k dial-up modems and it could take up to an hour to download a single music file (which would be doubly annoying when it turned out to be a dreadful Italian soft rock ballad).
So it came to pass that we shared a PO Box with one of our up-and-coming bands Stumble (who evolved into the soon to be global Rock Gods LostAlone) and encouraged any like-minded fiercely-independent bands to send us their demos for consideration.
It didn't take long before the CD's started flooding in, but weirdly at least 90% of them seemed to be from bands/acts that clearly had absolutely no idea who we were or what kind of label we were trying to run.
Mat had a theory that we had made it into some sort of International Record Label Yellow Pages and being called AAS meant we were second in the list (after Aardvark Records presumably) when it came to bands looking for places to send their demos.
Every few weeks the drummer from Therapy? (Stumble's manager at the time) would drop off a big bag of CD's at my house and I would embark on Demo Night. Evetually Demo Night became a prominent fixture in the social calendar, as the opportunity to read excruciating biogs, look at horrific promotional photos, all soundtracked by some quite embarassing music was too good to miss.
Amazingly we did pick up two bands and release their albums via this process* but for me the most memorable highlight remains the glorious Crystal Leigh.
I would normally dispose of each batch of demos by passing them onto Mark & Mat to "enjoy" but Crystal Leigh was special. I kept the CDR and it still warms my heart to this day.
As you can see from the picture, Crystal is a cuddly blonde of a certain age, and the music is pure Europop. The tone of the lyrics suggested that Crystal was very much on-the market (possibly a recent divorcee?) and no stranger to internet dating. This is the killer track and the words are work of a genius as Crystal basically implores her man to send her a mucky email.
Crystal Leigh - E-Me
The other noteable thing about Crystal's demo was that her contact details were through her Manager "Susan Silver". I always assumed that Susan Silver was fictional character and/or Crystal's alter-ego, but if you look up "Susan Silver Management" on Google it tells you that she DOES exist and spent the 1990's managing Soundgarden. She doesn't mention poor Crystal at all - pah!
don't call or ring my mobile phone
just kiss me with your commas
click on me for fantasy
just e-me
dot the i's and cross the t's
fill my life with ecstasy
i'm your format love.com
just e-me
*less amazingly the combined sales of both these albums was very nearly in double figures..but check them out anyway as they are both brilliant.
The Frightened Prisoners Of The Kraken
L. Christian Lundholm
- UPDATE MAY 2023
In dredging ny old mailbox for other stuff I actually came across the original email from Crystal herself, and it was lovely. One of my biggets regrets is that we didn't release her single! Date 6th October 2001, I wonder what she's up to these days...?
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