The Spiral Scratch E.P. - What the butler actually saw 28/12/1976

Well not the butler exactly but the very talented and thankfully for us, the fan's of the band, the producer Phil Hampson whose studio work ensured the Buzzcocks Spiral Scratch E.P. turned out to be (for me) - The finest Punk 7" ever to come out of 1977.

Phil has his own website (linked from his name above) and within it he tells the story of how the Buzzcocks came to engineer their first record in the Manchester Studio Phil was working in at that time.

It is a fascinating read and for me really highlights the true value of people like Phil who themselves were working in studios up and down the country with what was probably a new breed of music and musicians, and who sonically weren't really that concerned at how the studio worked let alone what the record was going to actually sound like.  It wouldn't be wrong of me to refer to Phil in this instance as the forgotten fifth member of the band, simply because what he did was made sure that no matter what was happening with the band or indeed Martin Hannett in that studio during that session the record was going to sound as good as it possibly could, and for anyone who listens to this great record from that period you just know that is the case, especially when you compare it against many other records that came out at that time.

Anyhow enough of my rambling read it for yourself here; My place in music history and listen to it via the YouTube links I have included in this blog.

As Phil himself states in the article, "But I've started to realise that I might just have sold myself short."

For me, maybe he did.  But for any fan of the Buzzcocks I doubt anyone would disagree with me that we certainly would hold Phil Hampson in high esteem for what he did on this record.

I'm certainly, as a fan indebted to Phil Hampson for helping to produce the most brilliant of records that gave the Punk scene here in the UK a real kick in the pants, and really launched a superb and to this day remarkable band of musicians in the Buzzcocks who we know put Manchester on the Map.

Thank you to Phil for allowing me to share his comments with you and link to his website.

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