Artist: The Birthday Party
Title: Nick The Stripper
Format: 12" Single
Label: Missing Link
Catalogue Number: MSD479
Year of Release: 1981
Tracklisting
A Nick The Stripper (3:52)
B1 Blundertown (2:50)
B2 Kathy's Kisses (4:04)
Ever wondered what Nick Cave did before he was Nick Cave out of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds? The answer, especially if the only Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album you have is From Her to Eternity, is much the same kind of thing.
Originally called The Boys Next Door and formed in Australia in 1973, The Birthday Party (at this point Cave, Mick Harvey, Rowland S. Howard, Phill Calvert and Tracy Pew) moved to London in 1980, "launching into a period of innovative and aggressive music-making" (Wikipedia) of which these three songs form a part. Ironically, the single was released in Australia, and this copy was, like the band, an import.
Aggression is certainly a feature of Nick The Stripper, although the singer directs it at himself - he's a "fat little insect" apparently - but if you watch the video linked to below, you'll see he's anything but fat. The horn section really makes this song, which would otherwise just be so much bass-heavy post-punk.
Blundertown, written by Howard, is lyrically more interesting (lyrics at sing365) and shows a softer edge to both songwriting and delivery that only came into Cave's work much later. Still upbeat, but atmospheric.
Second B-side Kathy's Kisses is very similar to the A-side, but with the repetition building on the kisses of Kathy falling out of her mouth onto the floor, gather dust and get swept under the door. Drunken piano and sax accompany. Silly and fun. All three tracks are now available on the reissue of Prayers on Fire.
Video:
