I had a request for The NY Citizens' discography, so here's what I was able to piece together by combing through my collection...
- "On the Move" LP, Moon Records, 1988 (also released in the UK as "Pounding the Pavement" LP on Ska Records, 1988)
- V/A "Ska Face: An All American Ska Compilation" LP, track: "D.A.N.C.E."; Moon Records, 1988 (also released in the UK as "Ska-ville USA, volume 3" CD on Skank Records/Dojo Records, 1995)
- V/A "Mashin' Up the Nation" LP, track: "Rude Girls"; Razorbeat Records, 1989 (also released in the UK on "Skaville USA (Volume 4)" LP, Ska Records, 1989)
- "Stranger Things Have Happened" cassette, Moon Records, 1989 (also released as a 12" vinyl EP in the UK, Revolver, 1990)
- V/A "The Rude Awakening" LP, track: "Rude Girls"; Beechwood Music, 1989, UK
- V/A "The Rude Awakening 2" LP, track: "Boxer Shorts"; Beechwood Music, 1990, UK
- V/A "NYC Ska Live" LP, track: "National Front"; Moon Records, 1990
- "Brooklyn's on Fire b/w "The Room Next Door" vinyl single, 1993, Nosho Records (same PO Box as Moon...)
- "The Truth About...The NY Citizens" CD, Moon Ska Records, 1995 (note: this compilation contains eight unreleased cuts; the majority of the "Stranger Things Have Happened" EP; a few alternate versions of some of their more popular tracks; too little of "On the Move"; and here's a big sticking point: the track listing is messed up!)
- V/A "Oi!/Skampilation, Volume 1" CD, live tracks: "Intro/Theme from the Palace Hotel" and "Boxer Shorts"; Radical Records, 1995
- V/A "Spawn of Skarmageddon" 2xCD, track: "Irish Opera Singer of Albee Square"; Moon Records, 1996
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments section...
I guess it wasn't an "official" release, but Chuck Wren used to do these cassette compilations based on various themes (US Post 2 Tone, Rare UK 2 Tone, Japanese, etc.) filled with rarities and and the NYC's had a couple tracks, the only one I remember was a live version of the Higgs & Wilson classic "There's A Reward". If you email Chuck he may have more information on where he got the track from. It was stuck out for me because I love the original and was just so obscure, even today it's a fairly unknown tune (mostly known by an acoustic version Joe did for a documentary in the 70s)
ReplyDeleteJon:
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip! I'll drop Chuck a line to see if he can unearth this collection and/or send me some info.
An amazing version of "There's a Reward" is on the recent re-issue of Joe Higgs' stunning "Life of Contradiction" album on Pressure Sounds (http://www.pressure.co.uk/item/PSCD58/), but you probably knew that...
Gotta track down the NY Citizens' cover of it!
Best,
Steve X
hey, a little question from Argentina...
ReplyDeletedid any member of the NYCitizens go on to play with any Third Wave band in the 90s? Do you know?
Daniel:
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting from Argentina! I don't think any of the NYCs went on to play in any other 3rd wave band, but I'll get in touch with them to find out and will let you know.
Best,
Steve X
thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm always curious about how people get in and "out" of a music scene, particulary this one (I mean ska)
As I was in High School, I was living in VA and kind of grew up seeing The Skunks, Checkered Cabs, Bim Skala Bim, Toasters, etc, and learning to love this music...
More than a decade later, I´m in Buenos Aires and still play in a ska band, for better or worse. And the point is that I just cannot picture myself NOT playing or some how actively involved in this little world...
I would have loved to see the New York Citizens live, even if it would have only been a whole set of "Pounding the pavement"...
jeremy's moon discography from the megalith board says that there was a 12" release of stranger things have happened too.
ReplyDeleteKJ:
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment. Yeah, I saw the 12" Stranger Things Have Happened release on Jeremy's list, too. I don't think it ever came to pass, though. I've never seen a copy and I've searched the 'net for it without any luck. I'll ask Chris Acosta about it...
Best,
Steve
KJ:
ReplyDeleteI just checked in with Chris Acosta and he tells me that Moon never released "Stranger Things Have Happened" on vinyl. He does recall that Revolver released it as an LP in the UK...
Also, I'm a such a dope. The NYCs also appeared on "Spawn of Skarmageddon," a compilation that I produced at Moon! You think I would remember something like that (but I don't!).
Steve
Robert Tierney went on to form The Atwood 9, they put out a 5 song EP on CD around 1998. The band contained some future members of The Rudie Crew on the horn section. Here's a small quote from Robert through email about The Atwood 9
ReplyDelete"I'm, actually happier with the ATwood 9 and live NYC's stuff than the New York Citizens' studio material, 'cos I was older and understood the workings of a studio more than when I was a young punk...
just ask Bucket."
a 12" test pressing of Stranger Things Have Happened just slipped through my fingers on ebay today. the price just went too high. but the sleeve in the picture says moon records on it. so even if a 12" never happened on moon, theres a test pressing floating around out there.
ReplyDeleteI have a copy of Stranger Things Have Happened that was released on Moon Ska and it's not a test pressing
ReplyDeleteSasha:
ReplyDeleteReally?! I only have a cassette of it...and don't remember ever seeing a Moon vinyl copy of it. It must have had a small print run or was swallowed up by a distributor failure.
Hang on to it!
Thanks for sharing.
Steve
Does anyone know if it was the NY Citizens who did a cover of the Phantom Of The Opera Overture or which ska band performed this?
ReplyDeleteI have a test pressing that SHOULD be The NY Citizens "Stranger Things Have Happened" 12inch EP on Mayking Records. Catalog number MR 020. It's dated 27/04/1990. If you want to see pictures of the labels you can check http://digilander.libero.it/AllMyRecords
ReplyDeleteN.Y. CITIZENS "Stranger Things Have Happened" 12" 5 tracks TEST PRESSING http://digilander.libero.it/AllMyRecords/
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anonymous! I actually did track down a copy of "Stranger Things" on vinyl that was released in the UK...
ReplyDeleteHi Steve!
ReplyDeleteso my test pressing should be for the English press on Revolver Records....? For what I've read here, Moon Records has pressed it in U.S.A. as tape only: right?
Anyway, my test pressing is dated 27/04/1990, so I don't understand how is it possible that the English regular press is dated 1989...
Thanx!
there are more than one English press??
ReplyDeleteAnon:
ReplyDeleteAll of this happened just before I came on board with Moon, so I'm not totally sure how things transpired. I do know that "Stranger Things" was a cassette-only release on Moon in the US. Perhaps the deal to release it in the UK was done in '89, but the EP wasn't pressed until later in 1990? I'll have to check with Buck...
I have the "Stranger Things Have Happened" record that was licensed by Moon to Revolver in the UK for pressing and distribution there (since Moon had limited funds, it was also a way to have LPs of this EP manufactured for the US market--Moon just imported them to sell through their mail-order). I also have a test pressing of this EP done by Mayking, but I forgot to write down the date and details (I'm not home right now, so I'll have to get back to you about this).
Anon:
ReplyDeleteBucket confirms that "Stranger Things Have Happened" was a cassette-only release in the US on Moon and a vinyl-only release in the UK on Revolver.
More importantly, he states that the cassette came out first in 1989 and the UK vinyl EP was released later in 1990. (So I will correct this on the DGTS entry on the topic.)
Thanks.
Steve
Hi Steve!
ReplyDeletethanks a lot for the information! So there's only one English press and is dated 1990: right?
Do you know how many test pressing have been printed for this 12"?
THANKS!!
My test pressing has got generic white sleeve. It came without picture sleeve?
ReplyDeleteAnon: Yep, there was only one UK pressing on Revolver.
ReplyDeleteMy test press copy (which I think I bought on eBay) came in a white sleeve, but included a one-sheet from Revolver that was sent out to distributors and record stores to encourage advanced sales of the EP.
The promotional copy reads:
"First domestic release from top New York based ska label. A mini album from The N.Y. Citizens whose Jamaican and soul influences create a melting pot of upbeat urban dance rhythms. Constant touring has well established the band throughout the U.S.A., Canada, and Europe, they are also featured on the Rude Awakening Vol. 2 compilation."
The UK release date on the one-sheet is 6/8/90. So that confirms what Bucket told me...
Oh, and my test pressing has a date of 4/27/90, too. So, we know that there were at least two copies manufactured by Mayking Records for Revolver!
Hi Steve!
ReplyDeletethanks a lot: now I've it more clear.
It would be great if you can send me a scan of the Revolver promotional sheet enclosed with your test pressing copy. Is it possible? If yes, please send it to me here tradevinyl@gmail.com
I can receive big files (but not bigger than 25 megabyte), so you could send me a scan in very high quality (dpi) and I could print it to enclose with my copy.
I hope you'll be able to help me!
Thanks again!
Francesco
Francesco:
ReplyDeleteThanks! I will make a high-resolution scan of the one-sheet and will e-mail it to you!
Best,
Steve
Hi Steve!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks in advance!
I'm not into Ska music: this is the only one ska record I've bought in my life and I've got about other 20 ska records as gift from a friend of mine, so I can't help you for other ska titles.
But if you need something in punk/hc/oi! titles, maybe I can help you.
Thanks again!
Cheers,
Francesco
Hi Steve!
ReplyDeletewhen you've got the time, please remember me for the promotional sheet.
Thanks in advance!
Cheers,
Francesco
tradevinyl@gmail.com
I went to college with the Citizens. They originally billed themselves as "Legal Gender." After signing with a label, the briefly went under the nomiker "The Paisleys," reportedly out of concerns for a potential conflict with another band at the time calling themselves "Legal Tender."
ReplyDeleteThat billing was brief before they settled on the name by which they would conquer the world, but I thought I'd note those prior identities in case there's some reccordings floating around under those names.
Thanks for this. Another track not on your discography: "Shut Up and Listen," from Stay SHARP Vol.3. Love this song. Tierney was a great songwriter -- I always thought these guys were the cream of the late-80s NYC Ska crop (along w/ Second Step).
ReplyDeleteAlso, the NYC Ska Live CD issue had a live version of "Sticky Situation," but not the LP.
What Moon catalog number was assigned to this release?
ReplyDelete"Stranger Things Have Happened" cassette, Moon Records, 1989.
Charlie,
ReplyDeleteMy cassette of "Stranger Things Have Happened" has MR020 printed on it.
Thanks.
Steve
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI am trying to remember the name of the Bass Player circa 1992/93-I believe his first name is "Jim"-I met him after nearly passing out from the heat of the pit during a show at "Nightbreed" in autumn 92-he was awesome about it, he and the guys tended to me, getting me ice for the back of my neck etc. We exchanged numbers but I lost his at some point although he did call me once o see if I could meet up with them at a New Haven show-I was explaining this recently and I couldn't recall his last name except that I believe it was Italian. I was always so grateful for their kindness that night to a silly girl who learned wearing a hippy heavy wool sweater in a cramped venure and dancing hard-is NOT a good idea-please help jolt my memory if possible! :) Thank You-Christine
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI am trying to remember the name of the Bass Player circa 1992/93-I believe his first name is "Jim"-I met him after nearly passing out from the heat of the pit during a show at "Nightbreed" in autumn 92-he was awesome about it, he and the guys tended to me, getting me ice for the back of my neck etc. We exchanged numbers but I lost his at some point although he did call me once o see if I could meet up with them at a New Haven show-I was explaining this recently and I couldn't recall his last name except that I believe it was Italian. I was always so grateful for their kindness that night to a silly girl who learned wearing a hippy heavy wool sweater in a cramped venure and dancing hard-is NOT a good idea-please help jolt my memory if possible! :) Thank You-Christine