Long-lost 80s Manchester group Magic Roundabout salvage debut LP from the vaults

Pulp and Noel Gallagher number among the lost indie hopefuls’ fans

Magic Roundabout, whose music was previously thought to have been completely lost to time, have announced their debut LP, Up, released on September 24 via Third Man Records.

Ahead of the album comes the lead single ‘She’s A Waterfall’, with an accompanying music video:

Magic Roundabout are described by their label as a ‘criminally-unheard’ fixture of the ‘80s Manchester scene. Expanding on their air of mystery and word-of-mouth staying power, Third Man label boss Dave Buick tells of his introduction to the group.

“I walk in to the studio, Warren [Defever] is working away. Feedback, hypnotizing bass line, perfect female vocal harmonies and a drummer so minimal you just know they are standing coming out of the speakers. All I could see was stripes and paisleys. I became instantly obsessed with tracking down this mystery band’s complete discography. ‘They don’t have a discography you say?’ Just like that my obsession had become dangerous and unhealthy.”

The new collection marks the first ever album from the ‘80s noisemakers, whose standing in the Manchester scene was informed by childhood disenfranchisement, make-do musical instruments from charity shops, singles by The Fall and Buzzcocks, and psychedelia.

Influenced by early Jesus and Mary Chain and Shop Assistants gigs, the Magic Roundabouts – or ‘The Roundies’, as they became known – were noted for their revolutionary aesthetic and their will to change the world with their music. Founded in a clubhouse in early 1986, they began rehearsing, recording and gigging that same year. Playing ‘legendary’ shows with fellow bands The Pastels, The Blue Aeroplanes, Spacemen 3, Loop, My Bloody Valentine, and Inspiral Carpets. Noel Gallagher is rumoured to have roadied their final show. 

However, only one of their songs was released: ‘She’s A Waterfall’ Parts 1 and 2, which both came out on Mark Webber’s Oozing Through The Ozone Layer cassette compilation. The only other item resembling a release was a flexi-disc (that, in reality, may have only been a rumour].

By the end of the 80s, the band had separated, and their recordings and other related media were thought to be lost forever. However, Pale Saints’ Ian Masters recently managed to unearth the 1987 recordings for ‘Up’; they were instantly seized and given the remastering “treatment” by Warren Defever. 

Since their inception and live debut, the band have been lavished with praise from fellow scenesters. Mark Webber of Pulp said: “Imagine you’re growing up in England in the mid-1980s. Not much to hope for, but at least we had music. In towns all across the country, isolated pockets of teenagers are discovering The Velvet Underground. Searching for radical role models in the present, some of us devotees of Spacemen 3; others align with The Jesus and Mary Chain. Something was happening. We all formed bands, and Magic Roundabout are one of those that showed so much promise. We all had dreams. Some dreams take longer to come true.”

Similarly, Ian Masters sung their praises: “Magic Roundabout: The mysterious missing link between The Velvet Underground and pragVEC. How did the music industry miss these talented teenagers? They were fucking idiots, that’s how. From super-catchy pop songs to ambitious 20-minute improvisations, the band had everything but a recording deal. Ambitious live performances where friends were satisfied with spitting out fluff often forgotten in 2 and a half minutes. Finally, the tape that was thought to have been lost was discovered during a search for a lost newborn in Manchester’s slums, is now being remastered and presented for everyone to hear. You lucky lucky mofo’s…”

‘Up’ is scheduled for release on September 24. Pre-order it here: