Downloads

all MP3s are 128kbps quality

If you have any rare Strawberry Switchblade tracks not included here, please contact us.

BBC sessions

BBC John Peel Session, recorded 4 October 1982

Recorded 4 October 1982, broadcast 5 October 1982. Both the 1982 BBC sessions feature James Kirk from Orange Juice on bass and Shahid Sarwar from The Recognitions on drums. More info here

BBC David Jensen session, 7 October 1982

BBC Janice Long session, 11 February 1984

Recorded with the backing band used for touring and the Robin Millar sessions. Dodgy recording quality. If you have a better quality copy, please contact us.

BBC Janice Long session, 24 October 1984

Recroded 24 October 1984, broadcast 10 January 1985. Dodgy recording quality. If you have a better quality copy, please contact us.

The other three tracks recorded for this session (Beautiful End, Michael Who Walks By Night and Black Taxi) aren't for download as they're currently available on CD

BBC John Peel Session, 5 February 1985

Recorded at BBC Maida Vale studios 5 Feb 85, broadcast 15 April. Rose and Jill both play guitar and sing, David Balfe plays synthesisers (more info here). By this time Rose and Jill had started to write separately, and the delicacy of earlier work is being left behind, but still some tracks (like Sixty Cowboys) have the trademark beautiful harmonies. Sixty Cowboys and Cut With The Cake Knife are from considerably better quality sources than most of the MP3s previously available

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Unreleased studio recordings

Demo by 4-piece band, mid 1982

Earliest studio recording when the band were still a 4-piece. Recorded in a studio in a squatted tenement building in Glasgow.

Robin Millar sessions, early 1984

Millar was the first choice of producer for the album. These two tracks were recorded, but although the band liked them, they changed producers and these versions remain unreleased. Recorded with Simon Booth (guitar), John Cook (or possibly Phil Moxon) (bass), Roy Dodds (drums).

Alternate version, David Motion sessions, mid 1984

David Motion produced the album, but the record company felt some of his production was too spiky, so two tracks (Let Her Go and Who Knows What Love Is?) were re-recorded with Phil Thornalley producing. This is Motion's original version of Who Knows What Love Is?, more percussive than the released version, and only previously released as an instrumental snippet 'reprise' on the Strawberry Switchblade album.

Home demos

Three beautiful unreleased songs recorded at home. The first features Rose on guitar and voice, showing the song to Jill. The other two feature both of them, and have loads of the gorgeous trademark harmonies. It's not clear when these tracks were recorded; the fact of Crystal Nights being here implies it's at least late 1984, quite possibly a lot later.

Post-album demos, 1985

Demos from near the end of the band. Cut With The Cake Knife is a different version to the Peel session. That song was written by Rose, Dark 7 by Jill.

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Released but deleted music

All the Strawberry Switchblade tracks not included on the currently available CDs

Trees And Flowers

Trees And Flowers (Just Music)

Go Away

Sunday Morning

By The Sea

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Strawberry Switchblade live recordings

Live at The Venue, Glasgow, 15 June 1982

A 'lost' song, dropped from the set even before the group had pared down to a two-piece and were yet to define their identity away from the mass of indie music. Jill says of this recording, 'It's utterly appalling! Jeez! It's so bad. It's really REALLY bad. I can't even listen to it so I don't see why anybody else should listen to it'.

Live in Stirling, 20 October 1983
(venue unknown, probably the University)

Like the gig at The Venue on the same tour (see below), this was at the time when they'd just signed to WEA and played and recorded with a rhythm section, lending the songs a pop-jazz air.

Live at The Venue, London, 23 November 1983

From the same tour as the Stirling gig (see above)

Live at Brockwell Park, London, 4 August 1984

Big open air GLC benefit gig, see this review for more info

If you'd like a CD of these gigs in full, email us

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Strawberry Switchblade related music

The Pastels - I Wonder Why

1983 debut single from this band of Strawberry Switchblade's friends, it features Rose and Jill on backing vocals.

David Bedford - Rigel 9 funeral procession

In 1985 David Bedford released Rigel 9, an album setting to music an Ursula Le Guin short story about some astronauts encounters with aliens. Strawberry Switchblade did the lead voices of the alien funeral procession, backed by Barnet Schools Choir. The album doesn't have tracks as such, but there are four defined scenes.

cover versions

Rose McDowall live versions

Bob Carolgees - North London Chemical Zone Troopers

Sibelius - 5th symphony, 3rd movement

Jill afterwards

These three tracks are the only things Jill has released since Strawberry Switchblade.

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Strawberry Switchblade videos

Note that these are massive files, they will take a while to download. It may be helpful to install a download manager for things like this. They not only speed up downloads but enable you to resume at a later date without messing up the file. The free version (trial version but it isn't restricted or advert-tastic) of getright is good.

Because of bandwidth issues we can't put up all the Strawberry Switchblade video we have for download. However, we've compiled a DVD of all the UK TV appearances - over two and a half hours, featuring interviews and several performances of each of the singles. If you'd like a copy please email us

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Strawberry Switchblade interview

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