True to the 1980s independent ethos, BOB were not afraid to do-it-themselves. House of Teeth was the name of the label upon which they released the majority of their records.

 

It was a release upon House of Teeth that propelled BOB to worldwide fame and international stardom. Well, okay, radio play, sessions and general championing by legendary DJ John Peel.​ The first proper release was, perhaps inevitably, a flexi disc. It contained three brief but near perfect bursts of BOB in the form of 'Groove', 'Prune (Your Tree)' and 'Brian Wilson's Bed'. Three classics written and performed by Richard Blackborow and Simon Armstrong.It was this release that found its way into Peel's hands and from thereon the band didn't look back. It wasn't just Peel that liked what he heard: new label Sombrero Records also picked up on North London's finest, and gave a home to the band for the next couple of releases.

 

It wasn't too long before BOB were back on their own,however, and the resurrected House of Teeth presented to the world the classic we now know to be 'Convenience'. This was followed by a limited edition double-A-side single that combined long-standing favourite 'Esmerelda Brooklyn' with 'I Don't Know'. The single was perhaps too limited in quantity, however, so BOB re-released it. Hot on the heels of this came the 'Stride Up' ep and the 'Tired' single.

 

With every new release came a tour, and with every tour came a newsletter, and with every newsletter came tales of anticipated albums. It seemed as though money would never quite stretch far enough to get a long-player recorded, but the singles were enough to keep us going... Until finally, an album was recorded! Hooray! It was called 'Leave The Straight Life Behind', the title track being a renamed favourite from live performances and radio sessions ('It Was Kevin...', for the uninitiated).

 

Of course, this being BOB things were never going to go smoothly, and despite rave reviews it seemed nobody could actually get hold of the thing, largely down to the collapse of the Rough Trade distribution arm. But BOB ploughed on regardless, and continued to tour. A final single was released on House of Teeth in the form of 'Nothing For Something', featuring demos from earlier singles as its b-sides.

 

House of Teeth Discography:

 

H.O.T. 001 Groove/Prune(Your Tree)/Brian Wilson's Bed (Flexi disc)

 

H.O.T. 7002 Convenience/I Fall Upon The Thorns Of Life! I Bleed!! (7")

H.O.T. 12002 Convenience/Thinking Wishful/I Fall Upon The Thorns Of Life! I Bleed!!/So Far, So Good (12")

H.O.T. 7003 Esmerleda Brooklyn/I Don't Know (7")

H.O.T. 12003 Esmerelda Brooklyn/Sink/I Don't Know/Esmerelda Brooklyn (instrumental) (limited edition 12", re-released with red cover)

H.O.T. 12004 Stride Up ep: Flagpole/My Blood Is Drink/Daymaker/Rain (12")

H.O.T. 12005 Tired/Skylark/Tyred/Time and Again (12")

H.O.T. 12006 Nothing For Something/Many Strings/Convenience (demo)/My Blood Is Drink (writing demo)/Flagpole (demo)/Tired (demo)/Bocker Spammy (12") ​

 

H.O.T. 13013LP/13013CD Leave The Straight Life Behind: Dynamite/Skylark III/Nothing For Something/Who You Are/Old Jean Blues/Take Take Take/Skylark II/Trousercide/Saying Goodbye/95 Tears/The Belly/Leave The Straight Life Behind

 

Also released...

'No Mean Typist' - one of a few 'nearly albums', recorded by Richard and Simon and released on cassette: Just Like You/Groove All My Troubles Away/Smelly Summer/Julian and James/Brian Wilson's Bed/King Con/George Hamilton IV/Prune (Your Tree)/I Fall Upon The Thorns Of Life! I Bleed!/The Savage Pen/The Bit Between/It Was Kevin!!!/Memory Of A Free Lunch/'Anxious From Mars'/If I Needed Someone

Kirsty (demo)- flexi disc accompanying a fanzine ​

Daymaker Part 2 - part of the Airspace 2 compilation LP for a Bristol children's charity