Something I Learned Today

Punk Rock and Other Assorted Bullshit

Beefeater

February 01st, 2006 | Posted by: Eric | Category: 80's Hardcore, 80's Punk


Finding information on the Need A Job 12″ by DC’s Beefeater has proven to be difficult. The band released two LP’s of politically charged, funkified hardcore on Dischord during their short tenure. Sandwiched between was this 12″, released in 1986 on the Olive Tree imprint (also home to at least one HR release). Typical Beefeater - impassioned vocals from Tomas Squip, precision bass from Dug Bird, and fiery guitar from Fred Smith. (that I wish was mixed louder) Only six tracks on this one, which means mostly meat rather than filler. I’m not sure if I would go so far as to state Need A Job is better than Plays for Lovers or House Burning Down, but it’s a least on par.

Beefeater - In America.mp3
Beefeater - Need A Job.mp3
Beefeater - Laurel Grove.mp3
Beefeater - Apartheid.mp3
Beefeater - Gov’t Worker.mp3
Beefeater - Better ‘n Me.mp3

Notes:
> Vinyl Mine’s take on House Burning Down

11 Comments so far

  1. ROBERT February 1st, 2006 7:29 pm

    WOW,WOW,WOW,BEEN TRYIN’ LIKE HELL TO GET MY GRUBBY HANDS ON A COPY OF THIS FOR AGES,THESE GUYS REALLY KNOW
    HOW TO FUNK&ROLL,THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS AWESOME POST!!!IF THERE’S ANYTHING ON YER WISH I HAD LIST,SHOOT ME AN E-MAIL IF I’VE GOT WHAT YER LOOKIN’ FOR I’LL SEND IT ALONG WITH YER X-MAS CARD AS YOU’VE JUST EARNED YOURSELF A PERMANANT PLACE ON MY X-MAS CARD LIST!!!

  2. Michael February 2nd, 2006 12:14 am

    Eric –

    Thanks for posting this. What a great, lost record. I got it when it came out, and I wore it out playing it over and over again, trying to learn Fred Smith’s guitar lines. Never quite got ‘em right . . .

    I love all of Beefeater’s records, but this one (”Better ‘n Me” in particular) comes the closest to capturing just how intense and powerful they were live.

    Thanks again!

  3. malfeitor February 2nd, 2006 12:16 am

    I absolutely hated any funk edge in punk music (yep, even the Big Boys- I know- blasphemous) but for some reason there were always two bands I really loved. The Minutemen were one of them and Beefeater was the other. Thanks for the post, this is one of their records I never owned.

  4. Forrest February 2nd, 2006 12:38 am

    Wow!This is cool.I never knew this was even made.Beefeater is my Favorite Dischord band.I had the good fortune of seeing them perform a number of times.I remember catching them at a little club on H and 18th street in DC called the Hung Jury Pub.What an incredible live band.Fred Smith used to work at this Tee-Shirt shop on Wisconsin Ave. In Georgetown.He’s a really nice guy.I still have pictures of those Hung Jury Shows somewhere.Thanks for the great post.

  5. dave February 2nd, 2006 6:01 am

    One of the top 5 bands I’ve ever seen live. Holy shit, I saw them in a small basement of maybe 25-35 people . Thomas lit an incense stick and said “we stop playing when this goes out” and they fucking killed it. This was ‘86. They did a cover of “manic depression” that jumped out of the room. Simply hypnotizing band. Dug and Fred were electric.

  6. Chris February 4th, 2006 12:13 pm

    It so happens I’m searching ebay daily for affordable copies of Beefeater releases (been reading Dance of Days too recently). This will do as a temporary thing, ’till I’ve found a decent copy. Thanks!!

  7. bernard Ashbahian February 9th, 2006 6:18 pm

    Thanks for reminding me how great Beefeater were. I remember hanging out at a friend’s house in college listening to Plays for Lovers. Any chance of posting some tracks from that one.

  8. gary July 29th, 2006 10:45 am

    I loved this band for such a long time. I have the uk version of this 12″,it was released on a label called Wet Spots.

  9. Alex Holden November 22nd, 2006 12:36 pm

    Thanks for posting this! I was playing some records at a bar with my friend and I broke this out, but since I moved I have no record player at home and have been pining to hear the whole thing! Great choice! If I could make a request: Monorchid’s Gravity single is a vinyl only release that could use some digitizing…

    thanks again!

  10. Max August 20th, 2007 9:36 pm

    Definitely great stuff, and a shame that it didn’t make it to the CD re-release (I think). I’d love to see some “Fidelity Jones” get posted, too, since it never made it past vinyl!

  11. Jack January 19th, 2008 3:30 am

    Man… I’ve been looking for this album for over a decade!

    Thanks so much.

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