Fairly recently I was contacted by Colin McClelland, who is a sort of unsung hero in the SLF story. Colin has inspired me to add to my SLF pages more information and some incredible stuff that he has sent me. I have compiled with his kind permission some of his take on the history of Stiff Little Fingers. Where in the discography I say about Gordon Ogilvie, "who could really have said it any better anyway?", add Colin to that statement.


And now, may I present a brief history of Stiff Little Fingers....

On November 14, 1977, Daily Express reporter Gordon Ogilvie saw Stiff Little Fingers play for the first time at the Glenmachan Stables, outside of Belfast, N. Ireland. A week later, Ogilvie was encouraging Jake Burns (vocalist, lead guitarist, and main song writer) to write about life in his home town of Belfast, well-known for its political problems. Soon after, Jake came up with punk classics Suspect Device and Wasted Life, which were later released as the only single ever by Rigid Digits alone. SLF started to really gain exposure when infamous BBC Radio One DJ John Peel started to play the Suspect Device single every day. Soon after, they were picked up by Rough Trade, a then huge independent label. In February 1979, they released their first LP, Inflammable Material, which quickly went to No. 14 on the album charts. By this point they had already started to show their strong reggae influence with their brilliant eight-minute cover of Bob Marley's Johnny Was. By the time their second LP, Nobody's Heroes, came out, SLF had already signed to Chrysalis, despite being called sell-outs by many fans. In late 1982, soon after the release of Now Then..., their fourth studio LP (and probably least known and hardest to find), Jake Burns decided to end SLF, most likely due to their declining popularity. The following January, the double album All The Best was released, compiling of every single and b-side ever released by them.

After the break-up, Jake released a few singles in 1985, 86, and 87 under the name Jake Burns & The Big Wheel, which included Nick Muir on keyboards, Sean Martin on bass, and Steve Grantley on drums. This music had a more traditional sound.

Then, in 1987, SLF re-united for the Go For It Again reunion tour, reminiscent of the 1981 Go For It Tour in support of the third LP of the same name. According to people who had also seen them way back when, the songs may have been a bit slower, but the energy was still there 100%. In March 1991, Bruce Foxton (The Jam) joined the band on bass, and the following October, they released Flags And Emblems. Get A Life was later released in February 1994.

Many older fans say that the last two albums are weak or boring, but I simply say that they have matured. It is 1998, after all, and Punk Rock really has not been around for many years. I think I would consider it stagnant for them to be doing exactly the same thing they were almost 20 years ago. Keeping this in mind, I think you will enjoy the newer albums as much as I. Though I could have seen them live on the Flags And Emblems tour, I was unfortuantely in Brazil at the time, so I finally got to see them live for the first time on September 22, 1995, at Tramps in NYC. I will definitely say that it was well worth the wait, and one of the best shows I have ever seen. After that night, I really could not imagine them more energetic.

For the first single, Suspect Device, a demo cassette was sent out made to look like a cassette incendiary bomb, resembling those used by the IRA at the time. The package included this press release.

Included with the Suspect Device promo package sent to Mike Smith at Decca Records was this cover letter. Complete with original Rigid Digits letterhead!

For SLF's first press reception, this invitation was sent out. It was held back at the Glenmachan Stables, and the invitation was made to look like the kind that people sent out for chamber music recitals. The Glenmachan Stables, right on the outskirts of Belfast, was called that because it had actually been stables, converted into performance and dance areas.