VA - Where Were You? (Independent Music from Leeds 1978-1989)

68 track 3CD box set celebrating the Leeds’ independent scene of the 1980s. Featuring Soft Cell, Sisters Of Mercy, Gang Of Four, The Wedding Present, Scritti Politti, The Mission, and many more. Including The Mekons, CUD, Delta 5, The Pale Saints, Girls At Our Best, Age Of Chance, The Bridewell Taxis who all stamped their mark on the indie charts and were regulars/favourites on John Peel’s radio show. Like many Northern cities, Leeds enjoyed an explosion of music triggered by the big bang of punk rock in 1977. Indie labels sprung up to cater for a new wave of bands, who carved their own identity as the 80s dawned. ‘Where Were You’ is the first comprehensive anthology of Leeds’ independent music from that period, through to the end of the 1980s. From punk to goth, indie pop to industrial dancefloor, out-and-out pop to underground psychedelia, the four hours’ worth of recordings here are a celebration of the musical diversity emanating from the city’s studios and clubs.

Co-compiled by Benoit Farvak (Salvation) and Richard Rouska (Rouska Records), ‘Where Were You’ also boasts numerous obscurities which make their debut on CD – including many tracks taken from records now worth a small fortune on the collector’s scene. Overall, this is a fitting tribute to the legacy from one of the UK’s finest northern musical cities.

Tracklist
CD1
01. The Mekons - Where Were You?
02. Rouge - Have You Seen Gene
03. The Jerks - Cool
04. Rats and Delicious - No Time
05. Agony Column - (I Had It) All Worked Out
06. The Neat - Hormones in Action (In My Heart)
07. Gang of Four - Damaged Goods (LP Version)
08. Scritti Politti - Messthetics
09. The City Limits - Morse-Code Messages
10. Expelaires - Sympathy (Don't Be Taken In)
11. Alwoodley Jets - Crash N' Burn
12. Girls At Our Best! - Getting Nowhere Fast
13. Shake Appeal - My Own Way
14. Delta 5 - You
15. Knife Edge - Favourite Girl
16. Music for Pleasure - The Human Factor
17. The Squares - Buddy Holly
18. Mirror Boys - At Tiffanys
19. Dance Chapter - Anonymity
20. The Boys - Let It Rain
21. Soft Cell - A Man Can Get Lost
22. Abrasive Wheels - Army Song
23. Icon A.D. - Fight For Peace
24. The Expelled - Government Policy
25. The Underdogs - East of Dachau

CD2
01. The Sisters of Mercy - Temple of Love
02. The March Violets - Religious As Hell
03. Red Lorry Yellow Lorry - Beating My Head
04. Anabas - Barricades
05. The Three Johns - Do The Square Thing[7' Version]
06. Vicious Pink - Cccan't You See
07. Tom Fazzini - 16 Vessels
08. Annie Hogan - Executioners Song (Kickabye)
09. Déjà Vu - Cut the Cross
10. Flowers For Agatha - Presentation
11. Xero Slingsby And The Works - Hurricane Damage in Leeds (Live)
12. The Hollow Men - Late Flowering Lust
13. The Rose of Avalanche - Goddess
14. The Cassandra Complex - Moscow Idaho
15. Surfin Dave and the Absent Legends - Stateside Centre
16. Age of Chance - I Don't Know And I Don't Care
17. Third Circle - Last Night Was The Best Night Of My Life
18. The Wedding Present - You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends
19. Pink Peg Slax - Boy From Leeds
20. Dustdevils - Seeds In The Spoil
21. The Mission - Wasteland
22. Salvation - Thunderbird

CD3
01. The Rhythm Sisters - Saturday/Sunday Lazy Leeds Afternoons
02. Ritzun Ratzun Rotzer - Noodleman
03. The Sinister Cleaners - Longing For Next Year
04. The Prowlers - Life's A Mystery
05. Son Of Sam - Goodbye Junkie Jim…
06. Len Liggins - Life In Leeds City
07. Good Shepherds - Wallpaper Man
08. WMTID - Go Big Red
09. MDMA - Evidence
10. Drug Free America - Day-Glo Pussycat
11. The Vaynes - Lick the Dirt
12. Bazooka Joe - Hometown
13. Cud - I've Had It With Blondes
14. The Snapdragons - The Things You Want
15. Groovin' With Lucy - Lennys' Lament
16. Purple Eternal - Trip #67
17. Bridewell Taxis - Wild Boar
18. Ghost Dance - Celebrate
19. Pale Saints - Sight Of You
20. Gold Frankincense & Disk Drive - Character Assassinator
21. The Edsel Auctioneer - Our New Skin