The Tapes Have Been Found!

Throughout the 1970's, as Britain succumbed to the likes of The Wurzels and The Brotherhood of Man, somewhere in Brighton a loose collective known as The BPA was hosting 48 hour warehouse parties and producing a series of tracks with passing musicians that became a part of musical legend.

Within the seafront HQ of The Brighton Port Authority, (originally styled the Brighton Phonographic Authority) chairman Norman Cook, later to find international fame under a variety of guises (incl Fatboy Slim), and cohort Simon Thornton were at the hub of a set of recordings that inadvertently created the roots of punk, acid house, trip hop and many other now accepted genres.

Watch video: "He's Frank (Slight Return)" featuring Iggy Pop (March 9th release):

The BPA on amazon.co.uk

The BPA on amazon.com

That this underground gang never achieved recognition for their efforts is as much to do with the lack of focus in those heady days as the somewhat puzzling situation whereby Jamie T recorded a track before his conception and Iggy Pop, on a stop over from recordings in Berlin with the Thin White Duke, covered The Monochrome Set's 'He's Frank' a full four years before the band actually wrote it.

As for the creation of the artist known as Martha Wainwright, originally found on a beach and taught to speak English with an American accent by the chairman in exchange for her contribution, well, things just get weird at that point...

So, many years on and following the slow disbandment throughout the 80's of the BPA in a series of half remembered recriminations and long forgotten fall-outs, 2008 saw the tapes re-appear during construction of luxury flats on the Brighton sea front.

What is revealed is an album that was and still is light years ahead of not just its time but the times in which we now live.

Across the 12 tracks now immediately recognisable names such as David Byrne, Dizzee Rascal, Ashley Beedle and Justin Robertson join a host of new up and comers (from the later sessions) to create an album bursting with diversity but held together by a sheer exuberance in the joy of creating and a willingness to discard the straightjackets of genre in order to achieve musical nirvana.

Collecting the twelve so far unearthed tracks together and taking it's title from a much used phrase within the BPA when things got too much and escape by sea seemed the only option, 'I Think We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat' will be the debut from the Brighton Port Authority over 30 years since the original recording sessions.

Sure to interest both music historians for whom the band have entered the annals of rock myth and anyone who knows a good tune when they hear one, the album is not the only BPA material to have recently come to light.

'I Think We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat' is released 2nd March 2009.

(The BPA with Iggy Pop, Pete York, Connan, Ashley Beedle, Justin Robertson, Jamie T, Emmy The Great, Martha Wainwright, Simon Thornton, Cagedbaby, David Byrne, Dizzee Rascal, Olly Hite)

More music, photographs and images are being collated and all that has been found to date can be seen at:

The BPA MySpace
The Brighton Port Authority Official Website

'XFM Debut Sessions' is a 2CD collection direct from XFM's archives of session recordings and live performances, including Jack Penate, Jamie T, Kate Nash, Bloc Party and many others.

Focusing on debut albums, this album features some of the hottest UK acts to release their first longplayers in 2007, alongside classic British artists of the last 10 years. Each of the 36 tracks will be a version of a cut from the artist's debut album recorded exclusively for XFM. These recordings have never been available before and is a must have album for fans of cutting edge new artists and of some of the biggest acts to come out of the UK in the last decade.

The album coincides with the inaugural XFM New Music Awards, which rivals the Mercury Awards for championing great British music.

Here's a message about the album from our friends at XFM:

"Since XFM first hit the airwaves in 1997, we have lived and breathed new music - breaking bands, putting on gigs, recording some amazing sessions and being at the heart of the alternative music scene. During this time, hundreds of bands have performed for us, and everytime we hit the record button to capture these moments. Now it's 2008 and we thought it was about time to pull together a compilation of the best tracks that have been recorded exclusively for XFM.

Listening to these recordings has brought back some incredible memories - whether it be an early session from an artist who has gone on to be a big name, or jaw-dropping performances at an intimate money-can't-buy XFM gig from one of the world's biggest bands - and we've captured as many as we could on this album.

It's taken us ages to decide the tracklisting as there have been so many stunning songs to choose from but after listening to hundreds of tracks and arguing for ages, we managed to whittle it down...

As 2007 was such a strong year for new music, we decided to devote the first CD to bands that emerged last year, and the second CD contains classic tracks from the last ten years.

On The Class of 2007, you'll hear exclusive songs from some of2007's hottest new bands including Jack Penate, Calvin Harris and Jamie T.

This year we also launch the XFM New Music Award which recognises the best UK debut album of 2007. Enjoy tracks from award nominees The Pigeon Detectives, The View, The Enemy, Kate Nash, The Twang, The Maccabees, and The Wombats."

XFM The Debut Sessions on amazon.co.uk

XFM Online