A Head Full of Wishes

A Head Full of Wishes is a site for Galaxie 500, Luna, Damon & Naomi, Dean & Britta and Dean Wareham. With news, articles and lists of releases and past and future shows.

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Categories: damon & naomi my record collection

My record collection
[001] Pierre Etoile (12")

So, here’s the first random entry from my record collection and, in what will probably turn out to be an unusual turn of events, I can actually remember where I bought this one.

On 8th April 1991, three days after their last show Galaxie 500 split.

Pierre Etoile
Pierre Etoile

In June, just two months later, the Pierre Etoile EP was released by Rough Trade. The first post-Galaxie 500 release by any of the members. The EP was actually recorded before the split and contains three songs - all sung by Damon. It was a considered decision to not have Naomi sing, supposedly to distance the release from Galaxie 500.

We were conscious of trying not to undermine the band any further [… s]o we strived to make it as different as possible. That’s why we didn’t do it with Kramer and I didn’t sing, etc. etc
Naomi Yang - Ptolemaic Terrascope, July 1997

Shortly after its release I found myself in Vinyl Experience in Buck Street, Camden, paying £3.80 for a copy of the EP. I’ll have to assume that I must have been hunting it down since it’s not obvious from the front of the sleeve that it had anything to do with Galaxie 500 so I probably didn’t just luck upon it. Obviously, back then I was a very thorough reader of the music inkies so it’s not really a surprise that a heartbroken Galaxie 500 fan was looking for it!

Melody Maker article - Pierre Pressure - June 1991 (I assume)
Melody Maker article - Pierre Pressure - June 1991 (I assume)

Back then Vinyl Experience had a motorbike mounted through its window - you sort of remember that, which is why I’m surprised not to have found many pictures of it - you can just about see the wheel of the bike behind Wreckless Eric’s drummer in this picture from 1989.

  • In The Sun - this later got re-recorded with Naomi on vocals for D&N’s second album Playback Singers. I can’t help but love the Naomi version more!
  • Nineteen Sixty-Nine - an almost unbearably fragile song of strums and harmonies.

  • This Car Climbed Mt. Washington - this starts with more gentle fragility but at just after two minutes in things change. The whole EP changes. Damon & Naomi change. It was re-recorded for More Sad Hits and while I love both versions, I have a fondness for this and Damon’s “inept lead guitar” (Damon Krukowski - Ptolemaic Terrascope, July 1997)

  • Catalogue Number: AHFOW 12/007
  • Artist: Pierre Etoile
  • Title: Pierre Etoile
  • Notes:
  • Packaging:
  • Format: 12” single
  • Vinyl Experience, Camden - £3.80
  • Buy ‘Pierre Etoile’ on Bandcamp