Exploding The Teardrops

When I published my post on Strange House In The Snow last week, Dave Balfe got in touch to say it was one of his favourite Teardrop Explodes songs and a few days later wrote a message to me detailing the genesis and creation of the song, alongside other thoughts on the Teardrop Explodes. With his permission I am publishing that message here - it's a fascinating insight into the creative tensions in the band which produced such remarkable and imaginative music.  STRANGE HOUSE IN THE SNOW Dave Balfe memories October 2022  Somewhere in the latter half of 1980, having already recorded Reward we (The Teardrop Explodes) went down to Rockfield Studios, near Monmouth in S.Wales to record its B-side in a single day. A slight indulgence as it could have been recorded more cheaply and simply in Liverpool. Though I'm sure the band would have been in full agreement, we always loved recording in Rockfield. I was 23, or maybe 24 With our previous b-side, Kilimanjaro, we'd set a precedent

Version One recorded November 1980, released as b-side of "Reward", January 1981 Julian Cope - vocals, viola David Balfe - keyboards Alan Gill - guitars Gary Dwyer - drums Version Two recorded November 1980, remix of version one, released on "Everybody wants to shag the Teardrop Explodes" album. Spring 1990. Julian Cope - vocals, viola David Balfe - keyboards Alan Gill - guitars Gary Dwyer - drums Written by David Balfe and Julian Cope Has there ever been such a wild disparity between an A side and a B side than "Reward" and "Strange house in the snow"? On the one side of the single a three minute blast of pure pop, on the other side a discordant blast of seemingly incoherent noise. The fans who bought the A side must have been shocked to hear the B side. Or maybe that was the point. It's difficult to describe how "Strange House In The Snow" proceeds without sounding like a nutcase. I mean, there is a song there, it's just perfo