These recordings are copyright © The Defendants. All rights are reserved. All songs are published by Meals Music™.
If you simply click the MP3 links on this page your web browser will probably play the track for you. This depends upon which browser you use and how you have installed it. Avoid Microsoft Internet Explorer and maybe install Firefox and then the free Apple QuickTime player. Everything should just work fine - let me know if you have problems.
A better approach is to right click the link and save the file to your hard disk for future enjoyment, transfer to your iPod and so on. If you are stuck for a suitable media player we recommend the totally free and excellent WinAmp.
The Defendants' one and only vinyl release. Recording and production on 4 track by John Rivers at his original Woodbine Studios in Woodbine Street, Leamington Spa, 1978.
Available here as mp3 downloads, or you may be able to pick up a copy on 7 inch vinyl. I do have a few copies if you are interested. Or you can buy the Messthetics #103 CD.
The following tracks are digitally recovered from dust encrusted cassette tapes. They leave much to be desired and at some point I may re-process them using 24bit sampling. I also have some old Ampex 2 inch studio masters but they may well crumble to dust if they are ever spooled.
Recorded on the old 4 track system in Woodbine Street
Possibly a 16 track recording with Rob Townsend (Family: The Blues Band etc.) on drums
The Defendants lived in a squat on Highbury Hill overlooking the old Arsenal football ground. The following were recorded on a 4 Track which was something to do with Ron Francois Probably circa summer '80 as Something's Burning is about the St Paul's riots which were April 1980.
The following was recovered from a Dindy C90 which has stood the test of time remarkably well. What a pity more of the Peel show wasn't recorded. While Peel was a living legend we clearly took him for granted. I suppose we thought he would always be there for us.
Strictly speaking I do not have permission to make the rest of the tracks from the show available to you. I just hope that if I don't list who is on the recording then the copyright owners will be none the wiser. If they do rumble me then I keep my fingers crossed that they realise that this recording is released in the interest of popular music history.
What a remarkable discovery!! A TDK AD-C90 recording of The Defendants third gig at the Boogie House. An intimate little club with an small disco bar and a stage one size up from The Hope and Anchor. This recording documents The Defendants playing an away game without the benefit of any rent-a-crowd fans (it's a long way from Leamington to Norwich) in an almost empty little dive and by the end of the 40 minute set the crowd, all 30 or so of them, were shouting for more. Pity I don't have a recording of the encore.
This high fidelity 60 MBytes recording is encoded at 192kbps providing 42 minutes of magic for only £2.50 including taxes - what a bargain! Please be patient when downloading, it could take about an hour to fully arrive.
.
.
