Our good friends over at Caught By The River are releasing one of the oddest 7" you’re going to hear this year. The A-side is a Dylan Thomas narrated by Richard Burton over King Tubby dub, with a b-side rewiring by Mr Richard ‘Wizard’s Sleeve’ Norris. One suspects that CBTR came up with the idea after a psychedelic session – last time we did a do with them, at The Flask in Hampstead last year, the pub ran out of ale. You can listen to the track below, and find out about the single and what Caught By The River have
So what made you decide to form a label? Wasn’t Caught By The River an escape from such things? Or are you all a bunch of mad nutters addicted to putting out good music?
Robin Turner: We haven’t really started a label, although I believe that’s what Jeff said back in 1990. We are putting this out ‘cos it’s fun and we really like it. Seemed a very ‘us’ thing to do (i.e. the very thing we’ve been trying to avoid the whole time!)
What are you going to be looking for in the music you put out on Rivertones? How might it reflect what the site and books do?
RT: The first single is Dylan Thomas meets King Tubby Uptown on one side and a piece of riverine freakbeat psych on the flip. I doubt we can ever find that sort of combination again… so, i suppose the only solid idea is ‘anything goes’.
You said it! How did you come up with the release?>
RT: Our mate in Manchester, Dave Rofe (manager of Cherry Ghost and Doves) was inspired by our ‘Nature Disco’ collaborations with Richard Norris and came up with ‘Under Dubwood’. We played it out a load at festivals and events we were doing and – dependent on the time of day and the amount of beer sunk – it seemed to go down brilliantly. The other side is a psych re-edit by Richard Norris himself, he of Time and Space Machine and Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve. Again, it sounded fantastic against a Cornish sunset with a pint of Tribute on the go.
What are your future plans for the label?
RT: there aren’t really any firm plans for next release though we do have one idea..
Intriguing! What else have CBTR been up to lately? What are your forthcoming things, work and pleasure?
RT: Work wise, as well as festival appearances at Port Eliot, Festival No 6 in Portmeirion and Dinefwr in Carmarthenshire, we’re self-publishing a paperback of our first book – Words on Water – in May to coincide with our fifth birthday. That book features amazing pieces by the likes of Irvine Welsh, Jarvis Cocker, Bill Drummond, Chris Yates, Karl Hyde, Bon Stanley and Roger Deakin (among many others). We’re also putting on a Variety Show/birthday bash at the Purcell Rooms on the Southbank on May 25th. We’ve got one of our best line ups ever – everyone from Tim Burgess to Chris Yates will be talking, Diagrams will be playing live (we all really love that LP round here). Oh, and a brand new Caught by the River fanzine to celebrate Independent Label Market on May 19th. That’s got exclusive pieces from Richard King (How Soon Is Now) and Andrew Loog Oldham and has been illustrated by Kavel Rafferty, who is all manner of absolutely ace. Pleasure wise – Breaking Bad, the Wales coastal path, the Kite Brewery (check ’em out) and the new Hot Chip record all floating our boats.
