They visited pals and chums, hats in hand, asking for donations. "We're recording a single on our own," they said. "Anything you can spare would be grand."Some friends forked over a few quid; others likely chortled at their autonomous, seemingly delusional approach to making it in the music business. "But you no longer need London or the major labels," they informed the doubters. "It's 1980 and it's all about D.I.Y. It's easy, it's cheap -- go and do it!"
In the end, The Scrotum Poles collected 500 pounds and put it towards recording the single "Revelation" at Wilf Smarties' studio in Edinburgh. However, the band began to bicker over which track would be included as the B-side and reached a compromise by expanding the single to a five-song EP of the same name. In typical D.I.Y. fashion, the record's sleeve was photocopied and then glued together in band member Craig Methven's kitchen.
One thousand were made and like all do-it-yourselfers, The Scrotum Poles handled the distribution duties, sending copies out to places like Rough Trade, as well as hawking them at gigs.
Hear it for yourself. Download: "Pick The Cat's Eyes Out" by The Scrotum Poles. A pleasing, three-chord ditty that draws its lyrics from a bit of Brittish slang, as "cat's eyes" are a common name for the tiny orange reflectors found embedded in highways. Regardless, the catchy chorus is bound to raise a few eyebrows when sung aloud.
