During their short, five-year existence, Paisley's The Church Grims had just one tune released on vinyl: "Mr Watt Said," which appeared on Egg Records' 1989 A Lighthouse in the Desert compilation. Only three other Church Grims tracks ever saw the light of day, all on cassette comps: "Plaster Saint" and "Seen It All" on Positively Teenage!!; "Plaster Saint" on St. Johnstoun vs. The Rest Of The World; and "Hardman" on Heol. Five years, four released songs -- no wonder they were uniformly forgotten.However, thanks to re-issues from Egg Records, as well as The Sound Of Leamington Spa series (see Volume 4), eighties guitar pop bands with brief lifespans are receiving a much deserved second look.
The Church Grims -- who formed in 1986 and lifted their name from British folklore -- were the beneficiaries of two recent Egg Records' re-issues. Two years ago, there was Plaster Saint, a six-song EP showcasing the band's output from 1986 to 1989: the aforementioned four tracks, as well as "Can't Laugh Anymore" and "Think Like A Girls."
Last year, Egg released Bruised Lips, which featured the last material The Church Grims ever recorded (Remember Fun guitarist John Eslick was on board at this point). The EP consisted of three live songs, as well as two tracks recorded at the studio frequented by Trash Can Sinatras (Kilmarnock's Shabby Road) and mixed by one of their noted producers (Larry Primrose).
Hear it for yourself. Download: "Plaster Saint" by The Church Grims. C86-inspired guitar pop, spruced up with a bit of trumpet -- hyper and infectious.
