Well, here it is.

I’m sure you know all about this film, but if you don’t (shame on you), here’s a quick synopsis. ‘Spooktime’ is a fifteen minute short film inspired by characters who appear on the album ‘A Happy Pocket’. It was written and conceived by Scottish director, John McFarlane, along with Paolo Hewitt and Tony Crean. The Trashcans provide a musical backdrop to the film which is crammed full of drugs, violence, sex and murder – just a normal night out in Glasgow then.

The cassette also includes the ‘To Sir, With Love’ video, and some copies came with a 6 question contest to “Win a luxury two night stay in Scotland”. Questions included easy ones like ‘Which songs are featured in “Spooktime”?’ to more difficult ones like ‘What was the number plate of the taxi?’.

Until recently, you could view ‘Spooktime’ online at John McFarlane’s website, but it seems to have been removed. Maybe someone doesn’t want you all to see it.

Spooky eh?

1996 Go Discs Ltd in association with MTP

The cassette is quite different from the regular UK release, as you’d expect, but the inner J-card is much the same.

Delightful, don’t you think?

1996 Go! Discs Ltd/Polygram/RaksMusik 828696-4 (Turkey)

In a world of DVD, Blu-Ray, Super duper hi res HDTV et al, isn’t it great once in a while to dust down the old VCR and watch an old wonky video cassette.

Here we have the Trashcans looking very dapper in their suits – Savile Row I imagine – for the video of their cover of Don Black and Mark London’s ‘To Sir, With Love’ – made famous by fellow Scot, Marie Lawrie.

The promo for this single included – as you well know – snippets from the Trashcans very own blockbuster movie ‘Spooktime’ – a fifteen minute alcadelic trip through Glaswegian low-life.

1996 Go! Discs Ltd

Although bought in the UK on the day of release, my copy of third album ‘A Happy Pocket’ comes from Germany. This may well have been the norm for labels to manufacturer their CDs overseas (cheap labour) as I have other CDs, Cassettes etc which are made in Europe, but I would have thought a UK release would be made in the UK – or am I being stupid.

The official TCS discography has a separate listing for the UK version – so it does exist. Does it? Surely?

I think I need to lie down.

Update: I finally came across the UK version. A Happy Pocket = An Empty Pocket.

I never liked the design on the CD – could never read the writing – but it’s still my favourite album

Some copies – like this one – had promo information included, although it’s not a promo CD.

1996 Go! Discs Ltd 828696-2

1996 Go! Discs Ltd GOD141

Not one, but two cover versions on this release.

When you look back at the cover versions the Trashcans have done – they could probably release an album.

1996 Go! Discs Ltd GODCD157 850-775-2

Scott Walker wrote ‘Little Things…’, and here the Trashcans give it a right good t(h)rashing. All excellent stuff.

Some promo copies, like this one, included a small press sticker…

1996 Go! Discs Ltd GODCD151 850-651-2

The cover has the words “Engaged” instead of “Vacant”, which was on the 7-inch single cover, but you’ll know that, won’t you?

1996 Go! Discs Ltd GODCD141 850-477-2

The Japanese approach to CD packaging is elaborate and sometimes excessive – but you do get your money’s worth. This CD includes the famous ‘obi-strip’. The term is derived from the name of the piece of wide fabric – the obi – that a geisha woman would wear around her waist over the traditional Kimono dress (you learn something every day).

On the CD itself, it is marked ‘sample’ – which seems to be quite common in Japan – although this is not a promo. This release includes a fold-out lyric booklet which is printed in the ~kana script – which are syllabic Japanese scripts commonly used to write words of foreign origin.

I’m not quite fluent in Japanese, but I’m sure there are some wonderful mis-translations in the lyrics.

1996 Polydor Records POCD-1223 (Japan)