These Things Happen: The Sarah Records Story
Sarah Records was a label that signed the acts no major label would touch but who you wanted to hear. Sarah put out a board game, produced cut'n'paste fanzines and stuck two fingers up to the mainstream music industry. Sarah was your secret world and it was located in the heart of Bristol. Sarah Records lasted for seven years, nine months and 11 days.
In These Things Happen, those who were there at the beating heart of the indie-pop world reveal the deepest, darkest secrets of what really went into making Sarah’s pop masterpieces. Featuring almost 130 interviews, including at least one member of every single band (as well as the world exclusive first interview with Christine of Christine’s Cat fame), this book is an oral history of a defining moment in pop history.
Who stripped naked on stage to another band’s drum solo? Why did Julian Knowles sleep with his boots on his stomach in Hull? Whatever happened to Mr James C Urchin? All of these burning questions and more will be answered in this book. With no tatty old gig flyer left unturned in the pursuit of exposing the true political pop pandemonium that went on in the wonderful world of Sarah Records.
“Hugely evocative of the Sarah Records scene and its political and cultural context. It’s also great fun!”
Amelia Fletcher - Talulah Gosh, Heavenly
“To my great regret, I never recorded for Sarah Records. Having read Jane's book, I feel as though I have. Immersive, imperial and impassioned.”
Stephen Duffy - The Lilac Time
“There were millions of labels who you'd get a record from and go, 'I don't know what this is going to sound like because this label means nothing to me’. Whereas with a Sarah record, you only had to look at it to have an opinion of it, rightly or wrongly.”
David Quantick - former NME writer
Book portrait photo by Andreas Hagman.
“This book has everything you could wish for as a fan or music lover ... Sarah Records’ legacy is one which continues to grow and grow, and this book is essential in capturing this.”