Papa's Got a Brand New...Pigbag

UPDATE: This post was re-uploaded 08/31/2013.
Enjoy, NØ.


Pigbag was started by Chris Hamlyn in Cheltenham in late 1980. He recruited multi-instrumentalist Roger Freeman, (an old friend from his hometown Birmingham) along with Chris Lee (trumpet) & James Johnstone (guitar / alto sax). Later Drew "Chip" Carpenter (drums) & Mark Smith (bass), both old school mates of James & former members of his previous band Hardware, were recruited for informal rehearsals. It was at these jam sessions that their first hit was developed, from an idea Hamlyn had before the band was formed.

Simon Underwood, previously of The Pop Group was invited to join, along with his old friend & tenor sax player Ollie Moore. Simon's connections with manager Dick O'Dell landed Pigbag their first gig, supporting The Slits at Bristol's Romeo & Juliets. Based on the crowd's enthusiastic response to a 20 minute performance of their first song, O'Dell invited them to record the track for his label Y Records the very next day.

Their first single, "Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag", was released in 1981, taking inspiration for the title (if not the music) from James Brown's "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag". The instrumental release quickly became an underground dance hit, selling many thousands of copies & appearing high in the independent charts.

Year - - - - - - - - Title - - - - - - - - - - - - UK Indie Chart Position
May 1981 ----- "Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag" - - - - - - #2
Nov. 1981 - - - "Sunny Day" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - #2

This was released as a US 12" -

Sunny Day b/w Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag & Whoops (Goes My Body!!),
Stiff Records TEES 12-051981.
all decryption codes in comments

Feeling that he had created & lost control of a 'monster' with too many egos to contend with, Hamlyn abandoned the band.

Although never hugely commercially successful, Pigbag left a trail of innovation behind them. Members of the band went on to record with many other bands, with some still active today. The band are now considered an early part of the pop world's rediscovery of jazz. By the end of the decade it had given birth to a new genre: Acid jazz, however, Pigbag remained individual even within the jazz & funk scenes, due to their rough tough mix of jazz, funk & tribal music.



UPDATE: I have re-upped the link to Sunny Day as requested & have added two more releases, 1982s Dr. Heckle & Mr. Jive & 1983s Pigbag (live).

Pigbag - Dr Heckle & Mr Jive, Y Records Y17, 1982.
Sleeve painting by Ralph Petty.

Side A -

Getting Up
Big Bag
Dozo Don
Brian the Snail

Side B -

Wiggling
Brazil Nuts
Orangutango
As it Will Be

BMG Records 74321 789532, re-release CD, 2000.

Plus 4 bonus tracks -

Whoops Goes my Body
Sunny Day (12″ version)
Another Orangutango (remix)
Papa’s Got a Brand New Pigbag (7″ version)

Ram’s Horn Records RHR 3419, Netherlands, 12“ vinyl, 1985.

Plus from NØ hisself - 2 more bonus tracks:

Side A -
Papa’s Got a Brand New Pigbag (Paul Hardcastle’s Electrofunk version)

Side B -
Yet another Papa’s Got a Brand New Pigbag 12“ single

Pigbag - Pigbag (live [mostly]), Y Records YMP 1001, 1983.
Sleeve Design by Mark Harrington

Side A -

Shack Of Scraps (Berlin Latin Quarter – 5th April 1983)
Smiling Faces (Berlin Latin Quarter – 5th April 1983)
Sunny Day (Birmingham Locarno – 17th March 1982)
Papa’s Got A Brand New Pigbag (Hammersmith Palais – 16th March 1982)

Side B -

Jump The Line (remix ) (Jacobs Studio – December 1982)
Global Terrain (Berlin Latin Quarter – 5th April 1983)
End Of Ubud (Munich Alabama Hall – 6th April 1983)
Can’t See For Looking (Tokyo Sun Plaza – July 1982)

Enjoy,
NØ