The Flaming Stars
A Walk on the Wired Side
Vinyl Japan, 2000Every worthwhile record store employee can smugly relate to the scene in High Fidelity when Rob (John Cusack) confidently announces to co-worker Dick (Todd Louiso), "I will now sell five copies of The Three E.P.'s by The Beta Band."
Speaking from experience, there were few record store thrills greater than selling something directly off the stereo. I found it so exciting to turn a customer onto their new favorite band. More often than just about anybody else, the Flaming Stars were my Beta Band.
Formed in the mid-nineties by journalist, author, and ex-Gallon Drunk drummer Max Décharné, the Flaming Stars released four albums, a boatload of singles, and were favorites of legendary BBC DJ John Peel before any of their material made it to the USA. Alternative Tentacles, in hindsight, was an odd label to release a compilation (Ginmill Perfume) of highlights from the Flaming Stars first half-decade. At the time, Alternative Tentacles was typically issuing political hardcore, crust-punk, and Jello Biafra spoken-word albums. Little else on the label hinted at the suave garage rock/spaghetti western/torch song fireball of hipness that Décharné and crew provided. I thought they were the coolest band I had heard, and sought out the complete back catalog.
There's of course no way to gauge, but I have to wonder if I personally sold more Flaming Stars records per capita than any other record slinger in the Western Hemisphere. I played them constantly. When I played them, I sold them. I was a one-man marketing team. At least until we hired one of our favorite customers Neil to pick up some part-time hours.
Of everyone I turned onto the Flaming Stars, Neil bit the hardest. When I tracked down remaining UK import vinyl stock of their albums from fringe distributors, he and I were the two who bought them all. He played them in the store almost as often as I did, and probably sold a good number of their records himself.
Around the time I was exiting record store life, Neil was selling all of his belongings and leaving Minneapolis to live on a boat in the Florida Keys. This included all of his vinyl. I was seriously considering starting a record store of my own and figured I could use the inventory, so I bought his remaining collection. My record store dream never happened (or hasn't yet), but I did manage to unload most of what I bought from Neil.
With Neil at his going-away party in 2014. |
Over the years, Neil has occasionally returned to Minneapolis for quick visits, and has typically sent out last-minute Facebook group messages (like some sadist) to the old store crew to see if anyone wants to get beers and play pinball. I think in all that time I had seen him once, when his visit happened to coincide with a Dexateens show at Grumpy's.
Two months ago, he sent out another such message. "I'm going to be in town for a day if anyone wants to hang." This time, it worked out. I met him at the C.C. Club for some day beers. We swapped war stories, each talked about our new loves, and I found out that he's been buying vinyl again. I genuinely love the guy. Reconnecting felt great.
A week later, I remembered that I still had all of Neil's Flaming Stars records. Now that he has records again, this seemed like a huge injustice that I could make right. While they're not terribly valuable, they are very hard to find -- especially in the States. I texted him for his address. I mailed him five Flaming Stars records.
This is a feeling far greater than selling something off the turntable at the record store. This is guiding sacred artifacts back to their proper home.
About my copy:
ASKLP121
Ordered for the store I used to manage after a long search to find a US distributor who carried Vinyl Japan titles. I bought a copy. Neil bought a copy. Not sure who else bought copies. But this one is mine. This is my favorite of the Flaming Stars seven studio albums.