Birds with Ears ~ Prancing

Several years before he got a solo recording contract as The Vagabond King and unleashed such works of genius as The Funny G.I. on a bewildered public, Ian Smith was vocalist for Brighton band Birds with Ears. They released an album entitled 'Youth in Asia' in 1981 (a free download of which is available through the Punk Brighton website).  It's good (particularly 'Head in a Bag') and chock-a-block with wit and invention but some of the songs are marred by unsympathetic '80s over-production. For me, the band's finest hour came the following year with 'Prancing'. Be warned that if you watch the video below (shot in Brighton as part of the 'Something Else' programme), you will have this insanely catchy, half-sung, half-sneered masterpiece going round and round in your noggin for days.

B.R. 07/02/2014