“Where The Traffic Goes” taken from the double single ‘Janice Long session 24/11/86’ (Precious PRE 002) March 2021
The Jasmine Minks | Where The Traffic Goes | (Janice Long session) 1986 | Other Creation bands were cooler, but the Jasmine Minks knew the fastest way to your heart. Tunes and tenderness to the fore. Combine that with the auto of youth and it’s still an unbeatable formula. (Pete Paphides)
In the summer of 1986, as a long-haired, fresh-faced young boy, I followed a trumpet player called Derek to London and joined a band with some familiar faces from my time in Aberdeen.
Adam had left, I wanted in and after four Stella’s and a jam with Jim and the onlooking Tom, I was in . . . someone quite rightly asked me, “What’s happening?”!
Fast forward a couple of months to a balmy night in South Norwood — we had a demo tape and discussion over a couple of pints where I uttered the immortal words “gies the tape I’ll get a Janice Long session sorted”.
I really was young and foolish, but at the time I was keen to impress the boys and Alan McGee. The band had become a gang. All it took was a call to the BBC whilst Janice was on air and a wee bit of blagging between records.
It didn’t seem that hard to me; she invited me in the next day. So I met Janice, who was lovely and excited about us, she introduced me to Peel, Kershaw and John Walters.
The Jasmine Minks | Where The Traffic Goes | (Janice Long session) 1986
Janice asked John Walters if she could get us to do a session, to which he replied: “It’s your show, you choose whoever you want.”
Janice and I then looked at a wall-chart scheduler for Maida Vale and she pencilled us in. The trumpet player had followed me this time but decided to wait in the pub across the road while all this was going on.
McGee later remarked to me: “Wattie, I pay pluggers money and they can’t get in the door, you walk in aff the street and demand a session and it’s done, I’ll hae tae sack somebody!”
Before we went to Maida Vale the trumpet player almost kiboshed things. He worked at a lab and made a couple of the boys breakfast ahead of the session. He admitted that he used eggs nicked from the lab —panic ensued over radioactive omelettes and time was spent in the bathroom afterwards, though probably it was nerves.
The Jasmine Minks were a South London-based band from Scotland. We loved cafes and pubs like the Pride of Venice, the Ship, the Robin Hood and Crooked Billet, we had Beanos in Croydon for records and the command post of Selhurst Road where magic music was made.
Three new songs
You hear that time in these songs. The recordings are magical, without the FM hiss which for so long was all that’s been available.
You feel our youth, our aspiration and understanding of what’s around us, the togetherness of how we were in 1986. We were mature in some ways, though, and knew these were strong songs that would stand the test of time.
Indeed there are three new songs on this session, which in retrospect was a decision that was both brave and bold. Each could and should have been a single in its own right. (Wattie Mink)
Line-up:
Jim Shepherd (vocals / guitar)
Adam Sanderson (guitar / vocals)
Martin Keena (bass)
Tom Reid (drums / backing vocals)
Derek Christie (trumpet)
Other details:
Produced for the BBC by Andre Jacquemin
Recorded 15/10/86 at Maida Vale Studio 4
First broadcast 24/11/86
Released on Precious Recordings of London
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