Diodes, Curse, Raw/War single, picture sleeve, KBD, rare 1977 punk

	C$		399
	$		289

RAW/WAR by Amerigo Marras and Bruce Eves. 1977, Crash'n'Burn Records MINT condition. NEVER PLAYED. Picture Sleeve version.
Note: This appears to have been hand-glued and some of the glue has dried up.
There are THREE versions of this single in existence: 1. Gatefold sleeve with lyrics 2. Regular picture sleeve 3. White sleeve only

THIS IS THE REGULAR PICTURE SLEEVE VERSION. No lyrics. No gatefold..
Issued by the CEAC collective, Toronto, as an audio edition of their newsletter. This is more of a spoken word audio statement with music than a punk record per se. Regardless, it is one of the rarest punk era singles 
Features the first ever vinyl appearance by The Diodes
Side RAW - music by The Diodes (John Catto, Paul Robinson, Ian Mackay, John Hamilton, David Clarkson) - vocal statement by Amerigo Marras and Bruce Eves. Recorded live on the Crash'n'Burn club stage (in the afternoon, no audience)
Side WAR - Amerigo Marras and Bruce Eves read a statement while Mickey Skin, singer of The Curse, spews profanity at them

More Info:
Raw / WarAmerigo Marras / Bruce Eves 7" single Crash'n'Burn Records1977
Side A: 3:28 The inner groove says "Raw" and "Ceac" and "TXO"

Side B: 2:39 The inner groove says "War" and "Ceac" and "TXO"

MINT CONDITION. NEVER PLAYED.  Label is mint. Black ink on silver background.

Quite possibly the rarest canadian 77 punk single. Impossible to find with or without it's picture sleeve.

Recorded live on the Crash'n'Burn stage in 1977 by Amerigo Marras (deceased) and Bruce Eves, the two principles behind CEAC, the Centre for Experimental Art and Comunication, a radical arts group in whose building existedthe notorious Crash'n'Burn, Canada's first punk club.
  the label logo is by John Catto (Diodes guitarist)
  The single is notable because it features the first recorded appearance of The Diodes as backing band to Amerigo Marras.The B-side is the first recorded appearance of Mickey Skin, singer for the all-female Curse, doing a spoken word rant.

The Diodes line-up here is also the only recorded work with original bassist David Clarkson.  Paul Robinson - countdown vocals (literally)  John Catto - guitar  Ian Mackay - guitar  David Clarkson - bass  John Hamilton - drums


Here's a review by 
Michael Panontin
Easily the rarest punk artifact to come out of Canada, the 'Raw' / 'War' seven-inch was the brainchild of Toronto conceptual artists Amerigo Maras and Bruce Eves, who founded the Centre for Experimental Art and Communication, a sort of grittier alternative to General Idea's more glam/gay work. As Eves recalls in Treat Me Like Dirt , "There was the whole A Space, General Idea crowd and then there was the whole CEAC, leftist politics, gay liberation stuff at the other end, butting heads." Maras and Eves would eventually let the basement of their building on Duncan Street to the Diodes, who transformed the space into the by-now-mythical Crash 'n' Burn club in the summer of 1977. 

It was around this time that the band, along with singer Mickey Skin of the all-girl group the Curse, were sort of corralled by the artists into contributing to what was essentially an issue of the CEAC's newsletter. The Diodes' Paul Robinson: "They (the CEAC) wanted the Diodes and the Curse to be political, and manipulated 'Raw' / 'War' to this end. It all seems a bit contrived now, but it was interesting and very them." The 1:37 of 'Raw' finds Maras querying us with bits like "Does a repressive society reproduce repressive social models?", with Skin in the background snarling, as if in response, a litany of gems like "Stick it up your fucking ass!" and "You're the scum of the earth!". Over on the flip, the pair take what will become the first recorded sounds by the Diodes, and use them as punked-up backing music. 

Skin would go on to further infamy with the Curse's controversial 'Shoeshine Boy' single, while the more focused, careerist Diodes would stake out the fame side of the equation with their memorable 1978 punk/pop anthem 'Tired of Waking Up Tired'.

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This copy is from my personal collection.

Ralph Alfonso
Manager: The Crash'n'Burn