The JAMMS – It’s Grim Up North (Part 1)
N. says
This record is ten minutes long (exactly). On it, Bill Drummond reads out the names of (approximately) 70 towns in Northern England over a beserk techno backing, containing bursts of train sounds and robotic squeaks. He explains that they are all in the North. For the final three minutes, this competes with a synthetic orchestra playing ‘Jerusalem’, and the track finishes with the cries of some crows.
It’s not a fucking joke. It’s the best British single of the 1990s. In my head I have a 26-year-old American man scoffing at this assessment. This man annoys me more than you can imagine.
This record rocks!
Bolton,
Barnsley,
Nelson,
Colne,
Burnley
Bradford,
Buxton,
Crewe,
Warrington,
Widnes,
Wigan,
Leeds,
Northwich,
Nantwich,
Knutsford,
Hull,
Sale,
Salford,
Southport,
Leigh,
Derby,
Kearsley
Keighley
Maghull,
Harrogate,
Huddersfield,
Oldham, Lancs,
Grimsby,
Glossop,
Hebden Bridge,
It’s Grim Up North,
It’s Grim Up North.
Brighouse,
Bootle,
Featherstone,
Speke,
Runcorn,
Rotherham,
Rochdale,
Barrow,
Morecambe,
Macclesfield,
Lytham St. Annes
Clitheroe,
Cleethorpes,
The M62,
It’s Grim Up North,
It’s Grim Up North.
Pendlebury,
Prestwich,
Preston,
York,
Skipton,
Scunthorpe,
Scarborough-on-Sea,
Chester,
Chorley,
Cheedle Hulme,
Ormskirk,
Accrington Stanley,
and Leigh,
Ossett,
Otley,
Ikley Moor,
Sheffield,
Manchester,
Castleford,
Skem,
Doncaster,
Dewsbury,
Hali-fax,
Bingley,
Bramall,
Are all in the North.
It’s Grim Up North,
two Leighs?
and surely Derby is not technically in the North (more east Midlands) and why does the North East get completely missed out?
For nearly 2 decades now, I have wondered to myself why THIS SONG is embedded in HERE *points to temple*. It’s a list song. I never liked list songs before IGUN(lazy songwriting), but have been obsessed with them since. Yes, even that Baz Luhrmann one!
Damn U Drummond and Cauty!
The Best British Single of the 90s? Who am I to disagree, if we were scoring it would be a 10/10 from me.