Shop Assistants

The Shop Assistants formed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1984. Initially called "Buba & The Shop Assistants", the first line-up only recorded one 7" single prior to abbreviating their name and shedding some members. The personnel for that first single, Something To Do, consisted of David Keegan (guitar), Aggi (Annabel Wright, vocals), John Peutherer (bass), Moray Crawford (drums), and guitar/production by Stephen McRobbie (Stephen Pastel, from indie legends The Pastels).
After the first 7" single was released Pastel and Wright departed to focus on The Pastels. Keegan, Peutherer, and Crawford added vocalist Karen Parker (also heard on the Jesus & Mary Chain's "Just Like Honey"), later adding second vocalist Alex Taylor. Parker, Moray, and Peutherer were later replaced by Sarah Kneale (bass), and drummers Laura McPhail and Ann Donald, completing the best known Shop Assistants lineup in the spring of 1985.
The band began touring and released two EPs in 1985, Shopping Parade on the Subway Organization label and Safety Net on 53rd and 3rd, a label co-owned by David Keegan and Stephen Pastel. As their reputation began to grow the band were invited to record a number of sessions for influential UK radio hosts John Peel and Janice Long. In 1986 Chrysalis/Blue Guitar released the single I Don't Want To Be Friends With You and their only LP, The Shop Assistants, also called Will Anything Happen?
Singer Alex Taylor left the band in 1987 to form The Motorcycle Boy with David Scott on guitar, second guitarist Michael Kerr, Eddie Connelly on bass, and Paul McDermott on drums (the latter three all formerly members of Meat Whiplash). The Shop Assistants would be inactive for the next two years with a new lineup, but split up in 1990.
== Links to Peel ==
Peel first seemed to start playing the Shop Assistants in 1985 and would continue supporting them with 2 sessions on his show. Listeners on his show also voted several tracks of the Shop Assistants in the 1985 and 1986 Festive Fifty. When the Shop Assistants reformed with a new line up in 1989 and released new material, Peel never played any of them.
== Festive Fifty Entries ==
* 1985 Festive Fifty: All Day Long #50
* 1985 Festive Fifty: All That Ever Mattered #17
* 1986 Festive Fifty: I Don't Want To Be Friends With You #43
* 1986 Festive Fifty: Safety Net #08
== Sessions ==
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1. Recorded: 1985-10-08. Broadcast: 21 October 1985. Repeated: 05 November 1985, 02 December 1985, 23 December 1985
*Safety Net / All That Ever Mattered / Almost Made It / Somewhere In China
2. Recorded: 1986-11-11. Broadcast: 08 December 1986. Repeated: 07 January 1987, 26 January 1987
*Fixed Grin / I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You / Ace Of Spades / Before I Wake
== Other Shows Played ==
;1985
*thumb|330x330px14 August 1985: All Day Long (EP - Shopping Parade 7") Subway Organization
*19 August 1985 (BBC World Service): All That Ever Mattered (7" - Shopping Parade) Subway Organization
*26 August 1985 (BFBS): All That Ever Mattered (7" - Shopping Parade) Subway Organization
*02 September 1985: All That Ever Mattered (7" - Shopping Parade) Subway Organization
*10 September 1985: All That Ever Mattered (7" - Shopping Parade) Subway Organization
*30 September 1985: All Day Long (7" - Shopping Parade E.P.) Subway Organization
*16 December 1985: All Day Long (EP – Shopping Parade) Subway FF #50
*23 December 1985: All That Ever Mattered (7" - Shopping Parade) Subway Organization FF #17
;1986
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*29 January 1986: Safety Net (7") 53rd & 3rd
*29 January 1986 (VPRO): Safety Net (EP – Safety Net) 53rd & 3rd
*30 January 1986 (BFBS): 'Almost Made It (12"-Safety Net)' (53rd & 3rd)
*01 February 1986 (BFBS): 'Safety Net (12")' (53rd & 3rd)
*03 February 1986: Somewhere In China (7" - Safety Net) 53rd & 3rd (JP: 'I always wanted to go to China. The chances are I'll never will go. Perhaps, Radio One will send me though on some kind of pretext. Only if I didn't come back though') 
*04 February 1986: Almost Made It (7" - Safety Net) 53rd & 3rd
*08 February 1986 (BFBS): Almost Made It (7" - Safety Net) 53rd & 3rd
*10 February 1986 (BBC World Service): Somewhere In China (7" - Safety Net) 53rd & 3rd
*12 February 1986: Home Again (shared 7" flexi with The Chesterf!elds - Home Again / Nose Out Of Joint) The Golden Pathway
*15 February 1986 (BFBS): Safety Net (7") 53rd & 3rd
*18 February 1986: Safety Net (7") 53rd & 3rd
*03 March 1986: Safety Net (7") 53rd & 3rd
*05 March 1986: Safety Net (7") 53rd & 3rd
*12 March 1986: Somewhere In China (7" - Safety Net) 53rd & 3rd
*17 March 1986: Safety Net (7") 53rd & 3rd
*02 April 1986: Safety Net (7") 53rd & 3rd
*04 June 1986: It's Up To YouIt's Up To You (v/a promo album - C86) New Musical Express NME PRO 1
*07 June 1986 (BFBS): It's Up To YouIt's Up To You (v/a promo album - C86) New Musical Express NME PRO 1
*thumb|330x330px23 September 1986: I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You (7") Blue Guitar AZUR 2
*24 September 1986 (VPRO): I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You (7") Blue Guitar AZUR 2
*07 October 1986: I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You (7") Blue Guitar AZUR 2
*12 October 1986 (BFBS): I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You (7") Blue Guitar AZUR 2
*19 November 1986: What A Way To Die (album - Shop Assistants) Blue Guitar
*24 November 1986: What A Way To Die (album - Shop Assistants) Blue Guitar (Peel was supposed to play Home Again and admitted a wrong track moment)
*25 November 1986: Home Again (LP - Shop Assistants) Blue Guitar
*29 November 1986 (BFBS): 'What A Way To Die (LP-Shop Assistants)' (Blue Guitar)
*03 December 1986: Caledonian Road (LP - Shop Assistants) Blue Guitar
*13 December 1986 (BFBS): 'After Dark (LP-Shop Assistants)' (Blue Guitar)
*17 December 1986: Nature Lover (LP - Shop Assistants) Blue Guitar
*22 December 1986: 'I Don't Want To Be Friends With You (7 inch)' (Blue Guitar) FF #43
*30 December 1986: 'Safety Net (7")' (53rd & 3rd) FF #08
;1987
*09 January 1987 (BFBS): 'Train From Kansas City (LP-Shop Assistants)' (Blue Guitar)
*09 January 1987 (BFBS): Nature Lover (LP - Shop Assistants) Blue Guitar
*13 January 1987: Nature Lover (LP - Shop Assistants) Blue Guitar
;1990
*09 June 1990 (BFBS): 'Train From Kansas City (LP-Shop Assistants)' (Blue Guitar)
== See Also ==
* C86
== External Links ==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
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