Documentation

A biography of the band written by Bernard Maier

The booklet supplied with the recent vinyl boxed set Adenoids covers the period 1979 to 1985.

An analysis of Volition Records by Ross Harley written around the time of the label's success in the early 1990's.

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Frequently asked questions collected by Kevin Busby and Tom Ellard.

Band Duration

Severed Heads was formed in late 1979 by Richard Fielding & Tom Ellard. It was euthanised early in 2008, as it no longer brought happiness.

Band Members chronological

• Richard Fielding is now in Loop Orchestra
• Andrew Wright
• Tom Ellard is now a lecturer at UNSW
• Garry Bradbury records as Bradbury
• Simon Knuckey has died
• Paul Deering
• Stephen R Jones is now a computing museum curator
• Robert Racic has died
• Stephen M Jones is still in Red Martian
• Kriv Stenders has a new film out Lucky Country

Band Live Members chronological

• Matthew Ellard played guitar on Ear Bitten
• John Laidler played guitar live at Exiles and the Filmmakers Co-op
• Pete Carnac was the keyboardist for much of the 1986 tour
• Paul Mac was in many shows in the 1990's & now is paulmac
• Ben Suthers played at Perth shows and runs The Boiler Room at Big Day Out
• Stewart Lawler is now a computer guy at UNSW
• Stacy Glasier is retired
• Alison Cole continues to produce soundtracks
• Chris Cobb did a few shows in the late 90's

(Cassettes) Terse Tapes

The cassette label Terse Tapes ran from 1978 to about 1983 releasing all kinds of things. Relevant to Severed Heads:-

• Noise - The Sound of the 00's was a compilation of schoolyard proportions
• Mysterious Kitchens compilation C90 in 1980
• One Stop Shopping 1981 (3 Cassette set and booklet - over 60 bands)
• Clean Side 3 cassette 1981 was found and is on Adenoids
• Tom Ellard Eighties Cheesecake and Snappy Carrion C60s - the two 1982 tapes became the CD available at sevcom
• Since The Accident C60 in a folder in 1983 - about 250 of these exist
• A Vita Nova compilation in France 1982 had tracks from Blubberknife
• Blubberknife C90 in TV innards, later in calculators 1982 - about 250 all up
  Re-issued by Ink Records in 1985.

Cliffords

If you loved the first single but only on vinyl, if you thought "they" went downhill after the first album, if your record collection is centered around the year you turned 16, congratulations - you're a Clifford. Time will change but your listening choice won't. It comes from the album Clifford Darling Please Don't Live In The Past - and basically that's what we're saying. This "insult" has spread to mean anybody who was on the Severed Heads Mailing List (now defunct), although it means no harm. People are proud to be Cliffords and will attend Clifffests world wide.

Clifford Harper is reminded of his mom's waffles in a foxhole, or is it vice versa? You see, knowing which movie a sample comes from is very important if you are listening to Front Line Assembly. Severed Heads, we don't give a shit. So we say all our samples come from Lassie Come Home. If you don't catch it the first time around, watch it again.

Compact Discs & Downloads

The vast majority of Severed Heads releases are available as CD-R on this site. They are distributed worldwide by Rocket, copies have been spotted at Amazon.com, Amoeba and HMV stores but they are cheapest direct from the site. A growing number of Severed Heads releases are manufactured in the UK by LTM. You can also buy downloads at sevcom and through iTunes.

Why use CD-Rs?

1. We have too many different titles for it to be economic for us to press them all without record company payola. Therefore we make them as needed.
2. Our happiest times were in the early cassette days before it went normal. We would rather be happy than normal.
3. We are stubborn and just won't listen to reason.

Dead Eyes Opened

Edgar Lustgarten had a TV show in England, called Scales of Justice, in which crimes would be re-enacted. This story was from an episode recorded for a cassette which might not have been on the TV series.

This is the story.

It was released on K-Tel?

You bet your sweet bippy. On an industrial compilation. This is a crowning glory for a band invented to mock industrial music. Oh the humanity.

Where can I find it?

Latest release of the 1983 version is on the ComMerz compilation through LTM & myriad other 'retro dance' compilations. Latest release of the 1994 version on the Triple J Hot 100 boxed set, or the 1994 individual volume.

Can I license it?

Yes you can license 'Dead Eyes Opened' for your record label, however due to our poor experiences with European labels you may be required to pay an advance. If you cannot afford an advance, our sympathy, but please don't ask.

Ethel Schwug signed my CD?

That's right. Tom Ellard doesn't usually sign CDs etc. but leaves it to Ethel to do. Ethel is 102 years old and likes knitting.

Goodbye Tonsils - who is the narrator?

If you went to school in America and you do not recognise this poem then be ashamed. It is Walt Whitman's Song of Myself. The recording is a secret.

Movie soundtrack?

Yes two. The 2004 soundtrack of The Illustrated Family Doctor. This is based upon the CD series Music Server. This is the tale of Gary Kelp, office worker at the Info Digest. The Digest produces condensed books, Garry is in non-fiction - he rips off other people's books and gives them a new title. He's working on The Illustrated Family Doctor, and the book is making him fell a bit unwell. But when his dad dies and the hospital harvests the bone marrow, Gary starts to lose it. From the book by David Snell.

It received an ARIA award for best soundtrack album 2005.

In 2007 Tom Ellard recorded music for Boxing Day, also by Kriv Stenders.

Video - where can I find videos?

Many thumbnail versions of our videos are appearing on YouTube. The last DVD was Showbag.

Vinyl - rarities?

• A flexidisc put out by Art Network Magazine in 1981 included Get Down On Your Knees and Thank God. 300 points.
• An original copy of Ear Bitten (actually, popular due to both sides, Rhythmyx Chymx being early freeform noise.) 500 points.
• A 7 inch of Petrol with 5 lock grooves. 250 points.
• A 7 inch of Dead Eyes Opened 83 [released 1984] on Virgin. 500 points.
• The Spanish "Spooky Remix" of the above. Never seen this. 400 points.
• Petrol 12" on Normal. You're not really trying. 10 points.
• Gashing The Old Mae West 12" on Ink. The worst record cover ever devised by man. 200 points.
• The Thesis Album 2008. Ten copies on clear vinyl. 1000 points.

Vinyl - can I buy?

See www.vinyl-on-demand.com for the Adenoids 5-disc set.