Lucy Over Lancashire
45 RPM 12″ red vinyl single, 16 mins, 2007.
Tracks:
A. Blank
B. Lucy Over Lancashire (16.27)
The ‘vocalist’ of the track is Lucy, a ‘spryte of the air’ who is possessing the grooves of the vinyl record itself. Above and amidst 16 minutes of righteous dub reggae and Lancastrian-tinged post-punk, Lucy tells of how she is damned to endlessly repeat Satanic stories about the English county of Lancashire that she has been told by the evil and shadowy figure of ‘Alan’.
The track was first broadcast on 18th November 2006 on the Radio Lancashire programme On the Wire, whose longstanding commitment to dub reggae provided one of the inspirations for the piece. The original red vinyl 12″ was released by SueMi Records, Berlin, in April 2007. It notably reached the top 5 of the Dandelion Radio Festive Fifty of that year and received enthusiastic support from Huw Stephens (Radio 1), Marc Riley (6 Music) and Steve Barker (Radio Lancashire) amongst others. A CD re-issue on Owd Scrat Records came out in 2014, and a CD remastered version in 2017. Originally commissioned by Touchstones, Rochdale.
Buy via Owd Scrat Records.
Buy via Owd Scrat Records Bandcamp.
“…Owd Scrat… a label that put out Lucy Over Lancashire, which was one of the stand out tracks of the last few years”. Roger Hill, PMS (BBC Radio Merseyside). 12/3/2018 radio broadcast.
“Paul Rooney’s magnificent 16-minute opus Lucy Over Lancashire… has become something of a cult classic, and would certainly be one of my eight Desert Island Discs choices.” Bryan Biggs (Bido Lito magazine). September 2017 review of the work.
“A re-issue of Lucy Over Lancashire… that was a fine, fine thing, it still is…” Michael Fenton (Fenny), On the Wire (BBC Radio Lancashire). 20/8/2017 radio broadcast of the work.
“The [Festive Fifty] chart has also continued to recognise great bands and tunes so cruelly overlooked by the mainstream: …a top five spot for Paul Rooney’s brilliant, under-recognised Lucy Over Lancashire in 2007 one of many others”. Mark Whitby (Louder Than War website). 15/11/2014 interview.
The 50 best reissues of 2014. FACT (FACT website). 2/12/2014.
“Rich in comic irony, the narration is nonetheless as deeply rooted as a folk ballad… [a] thought provoking 16 minute gem.” Julian Cowley (The Wire magazine). Oct. 2014 review of the work.
“It’s a masterpiece, is it not?… It is quite magnificent.” Marc Riley (BBC 6 Music). 28/5/2014 radio broadcast of the work.
“…heavy dub that could easily come from the studios of Kingston”. Calum Craig (Is This Music? website). 5/11/2007 review of the work.
“…this magnificently chewy and utterly surreal 12” single”. Neil Cooper (MAP magazine #10). June 2007 review of the work.
“Don’t be scared, even though we in the studio are absolutely petrified after listening to that. Lucy Over Lancashire… Brilliant stuff from Paul Rooney, one of the most talked about tracks that we’ve played on this show…” Huw Stephens (BBC Radio 1 FM). 3/5/2007 radio broadcast of the work.