Rightly regarded as one of the greatest Punk outfits of them all, Belfast's STIFF LITTLE FINGERS remain loud, proud and relevant to this day. Strange Fruit Records have recently re-issued an expanded version of the band's "John Peel Sessions" which reinforces the fact that while most of the supposedly bored teenagers in the UK thought they were railing against apathy, SLF really DID have desperate problems to rail against in their divided Northern Irish homeland. TIM PEACOCK was overjoyed that SLF leader JAKE BURNS was up for a chat about these incendiary sessions and what the band are currently up to.
Jake Burns has always been someone to believe in round these parts. Anyone who doesn't own the legendary "Inflammable Material" album through to the recent SLF material really ought to rectify this situation, as SLF'S defiantly positive stance never ceases to inspire. When the man himself turns out to be absolutely charming and fascinating to talk to, well your correspondent can only say we're delighted to print his insights.
Jake, let's turn to those legendary John Peel Sessions. The new re-issue also includes your first Radio 1 6-track session which your then-manager Gordon Ogilvie (unusually) posted to Peel from Belfast. What can you remember about it?
"I remember it being new and exciting," replies Jake.
"It was recorded at the same radio station studio where we'd done (debut single) "Suspect Device," so this was only our second venture into a recording studio. Actually, they used that place to record radio jingles (laughs)."
"It was all done in one afternoon, which was a method we maintained until after "Inflammable Material." The songs sound very rough, but you must remember we thought overdubs were anathema."
"At the time it seemed otherworldly," Jake continues. "John Peel was this mythical figure on the wireless. We gathered round a radio in the local pub and heard the songs beamed back to us. John's enthusiasm was vital to us and so heartening as you must remember that the whole music scene was totally stagnant in Northern Ireland in the mid to late 1970s."
Certainly the songs are all pretty much in place at that first Spring '78 session (it features the likes of "Alternative Ulster" and "State Of Emergency"), but the September 1978 Session - this time recorded at Radio 1's Maida Vale Studios in London show a great leap forward in the band's playing. Were you gigging constantly at the time?
"Yeah, well we'd been across for shows in London," confirms Jake.
"We' also toured Ireland and finished the Tom Robinson tour and that was a 30 date affair, so yeah you could say we'd had a lot of practice by then."
This session includes that awesome take of Bob Marley's "Johnny Was" thrown into a Northern Irish context. That song really suited what SLF were about, didn't it?
"Yeah, it was Gordon(Ogilvie)'s idea for us to cover it originally," reveals Jake.
"I was interested in anything Jamaican by this time and when Gordon came back from the mainland (England) with armfuls of records, he suggested this song and showed me the lyric."
"We were sceptical we could do it, actually," he continues. "But then I looked at the way THE CLASH covered "Police And Thieves," by changing the guitar and basslines around. We did a similar kind of thing, though I think we changed things the other way round (laughs). When we got the military drum beat it took off. Even playing it these days it takes on a life of its' own, especially as we don't do it on every tour."
At a (slightly) more lighthearted tangent, I've always loved the song "Barbed Wire Love,". It introduces some humour into a desperate situation, but is this taken from personal experience at all?
"Well, it was more our attempt to take the piss out of ourselves before someone else did," says Jake, thinking back.
"Because of our background and the songs we were worried people would think we were too serious and went around reading Marx and so on. "Barbed Wire Love" was so funny, because it took all the cliches in our situation and royally took the piss. The Beach Boys doo-wop bit made me fall off the sofa laughing when we first did it."
"It's funny, though, that some people still got the wrong impression anyway," Jake finishes.
"When we were in LA., this girl came up to me and said she thought it was about heroin because of the "You set my arm alight" line...which of course is actually about a rifle. Oh well."
Of course, may of the earlier SLF songs had lyric credits to your friend/ manager Gordon Ogilvie. How did you meet Gordon and are you still involved with him at all now?
"We first got in touch when I was desperately trying to get publicity for the band in the early days," laughs Jake.
"We'd been hassling this bloke from the Daily Express (he did a Sunday column) to see us live and when he came to see us, his mate - Gordon - also a journalist came with him."
"Gordon's great, because he has so many ideas about songwriting and we hit it off. It became a very fruitful partnership and though he also co-managed the band, it wasn't a traditional manager thing."
"Sadly, we lost touch a bit after 1984 and we've not worked together. The great thing is, though, is that he's been along to our London shows recently and the last time I pulled him aside and asked if he'd be up for helping on some new songs and he's up for it, so who knows?"
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By the time of the third Peel Session (September 1979), SLF had their Chryalis Records deal and this session features the band's two best known hits, "At The Edge" and "Nobody's Hero." Even this early, Jake, you sound wary of the adulation with "Nobody's Hero." What did you feel at the time?
"It was a strange time," Jake muses.
"Everything took off very quickly and I remember someone saying that suddenly we seemed to be the name on every leather jacket. It's probably as well we'd relocated to London by then, but I didn't like the way people suddenly reacted differently to us."
How do you mean?
"Well, suddenly I was JAKE BURNS (capitals) from the front of the NME and y'know, we;d go out an I'd crack a limp joke and suddenly everyone fell about laughing. It felt contrived and it was disconcerting, because we'd deliberately tried not to have a barrier between us and our audience. Early on, we'd literally invite everyone in the audience backstage with us! (laughs)"
The fourth and final Peel Session to be included on CD is the February 1980 one after SLF had recorded the "Nobody's Heroes" album. Both the LP and the Peel Sessions include SLF'S cracking take on Jerry Dammers' (from The Specials) "Doesn't Make It Alright." I would imagine the whole 2-Tone/ Ska thing affected SLF positively?
"Yeah, definitely," enthuses Jake. "Chrysalis bought up a lot of it. I was friends with Brad, the Specials drummer and I loved the song, but I thought it was a bit light and I felt we could give it a kick up the arse. We'd set a cover versions precedent with "Johnny Was" and this one also seemed to fit."
"Actually, I never asked Jerry if he liked our version," Jake continues, "though I know some of the other lads from The Specials certainly did."
Before I ask Jake some things about his and SLF'S current activities, I have to ask him about what really prompted SLF to split the first time, as I always loved the "Now Then " LP from 1983. In retrospect, would you say you were mistaken, Jake?
"No, because there were a lot of factors involved," he replies.
"It was wrong to call it acrimonious, but people were pulling in different directions. If arguments came up they festered and ended up in fist fights and horrible stuff. Besides, you must remember guitar bands were being ghettoised from the mainstream by the mid 1980s.We could have ridden it out, but only if we were still enjoying it and at that time we weren't."
After a spell with his band THE BIG WHEEL and time working with Radio One, Jake put SLF back together in 1987 and are still making exciting albums to this day. Talking of which, is there a new album due?
"Yes, there is," Jake reveals. "We're inches from signing with EMI for a new album around next August (2003) and we'll be doing our usual tour in March next year as well as the Christmas dates. So it's all going ahead, providing I finish the songs (laughs)."
Finally, Jake, what about your project MEN IN BLACK with Pauline Black from THE SELECTER and THE STRANGLERS' JJ Burnel. How's that going?
"It's great because it's such a different approach to SLF," responds Jake.
"We got the idea after DEAD MEN WALKING started their project, involving Mike Peters, Glen Matlock, Kirk Brandon etc (see live review on W&H). They pestered me to get involved, but I didn't want to."
"I've known JJ and Pauline for years, though, and originally Steve Diggle (Buzzcocks ) was gonna be involved until he had a bad bike crash during 2000."
"It's a totally different atmosphere, sitting on a stage doing songs acoustically and telling anecdotes, I tell you, " laughs Jake.
"It's great, though, because it's allowed me to rediscover the noisier things again with SLF. Now I've got my love of touring back I'm ready to jump around on stage again. Not a bad feeling at 44."
For more information, go direct to the band's own official website: www.slf.com - a fantastic site with just about everything (and more) you'll want to know about this terrific band. SLF are currently on a UK/ Irish tour, so check the site for details of dates.
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