V.A. Bare Faced Hypocrisy Sells Records - The Anti-Chumbawamba EP (1998)

When Chumbawamba singed to EMI, after a career of attacking that arms-dealing label (Fuck EMI, anyone?) it was considered the anarcho-punk equivalent of the Nazi-Soviet pact.

So while the volte-face of the Nazi-Soviet Pact inspired perhaps the greatest book of thr 20th Century, George Orwell's 1984, this anti-Chumbawamba EP is a bit of a damp squib. There are those of us who'd prefer the Technicolor rave-punk of "Amnesia", "The Good Ship Lifestyle" and even the played-to-death "Tubthumping to this dour bit of vinyl posturing. Well, okay, there's a bit of dour Crass-like posturing here but really this is pretty amusing slab of satire, as all the titles nicely demonstrate. (Plus the Bus Station Loonies song is pretty fun.)

Tracklist

A1     Riot/Clone –    Chumbawanka        
A2     Anxiety Society  –     Always Tell The Punter...        
B1     Oi Polloi  –     Shhh-it        
B2     Bus Station Loonies  –     Give Me Charlie Harper        

Notes

On the 7" sleeve the tracklisting is:
A1 The Chineapple Punx - Grateful
A2 Riot/Clone - Chumbawanka
A3 Love, Chips & Peace - We Wish You'd Give Up
B1 Oi Polloi - Shhh-it
B2 The Bus Station Loonies - Charlie Harper
B3 Wat Tyler - New Labour New Chumbawamba

Tracks A1, A3 & B3 were removed before release, but were secretly made available for free by returning a coupon inside the sleeve to Ruptured Ambitions Records (or Propa Git Records fort this release).

So, readers, do tell.

What do you make of this facet of the Chumba backlash?

Feel free to vent in the COMMENTS section