Early promo-only version of their later commercial version which featured Pete Wylie on vocals instead of Bill Drummond.
We went to this rave and the sound system was broken. All you could hear was this kind of screeching top-end and a really low bass drum and we thought, ‘Wow, this is what the kids are into’.<span class="su-quote-cite">Jimmy Cauty, Record Mirror</span>
According to the same article the track took only 45 minutes to record.
While we were doing the [White Room] album, we went into another part of the studio for light relief. We started recording some stuff in a different style. There is no structure to it, just noise – it’s horrible! It’s definitely not a chartbound sound!<span class="su-quote-cite"><strong>The JAMs</strong> (Rage, 8 Jan 1991)</span>
While the latter statement might definitely be true for the original version the re-recorded 1991 version would net the duo another Top Ten entry in the UK only ten months later.
Reviews
The JAMS’ new track is one mind-blowing mental onslaught of what they call “Turbo reality for the bleep generation” [but] could be a bit too manic for the disco dollies to handle.
Richie Blackmore, Record Mirror, 1990
Tracks & Formats
JAMS 28T
| 12″ Single / 17 Dec 1990 | ||
| A | It’s Grim Up North | 8:38 |
According to the KLF Info Sheets only 350 copies of the single have been pressed.
I think this is possibly my favourite item in my KLF collection, the slab of grey vinyl looks and sounds like nothing else, I wish I could recall where I got it from back in the day, sometime in ’91 I suspect, but from where I know not. Saw one sell on ebay recently for a ludicrous sum of money, was half tempted to get mine on there (complete with comms sheet), but decided against it, some things are best held on to 🙂
Don’t – you would just fume at yourself and try to find another copy on eBay for ages. 😉
Don’t worry, my other half talked me out of it ‘memories are more important than money’ was her thinking, think I’ve only ever seen that one on ebay, straight bid of £250 for it, bonkers!
If anyone is interested, another one popped up on ebay, an absolute steal at buy it now price of £500, or if you wanna start bidding at £299, crazy days…. not mine by the way!