Paul Browne

Before you go, check out Paul's review on Neil Taylor's Web site it is different than the "family" version you see here!

Tales From The Nucleus...

Taking time off from compiling the forthcoming Best Of OMD II, Andy McCluskey is turning his hand to all manner of projects. For instance, he spent last Sunday (12/10/97) DJing on radio station XFM playing a selection of indie faves. Telegraph was not very likely to have turned up on the playlist...

On hearing that Junior Messerschmitt was a big Sleeper fan, and that said band were signing copies of their new album at Virgin Megastore, London, Captain Telegraph (aka Paul B) flew out of work at 7:30pm in a desperate bid to secure a personally signed copy of the album from the delightful Louise Weiner. Unfortunately the band turned up half an hour late according to a disgruntled Virgin employee - and then proceeding to shoot off half an hour early. Pop stars! Doh!

Echo & The Bunnymen have been blazing their trail across the UK with some octane fuelled live sets. Witness Paul B, Junior Messerschmitt and the ubiquitous Chi at the Cambridge gig: As well as instigating the Nucleus dance during 'The Cutter' the trio had to be strapped down during the more lively numbers. "Play the early stuff, yer dickheads!" they cried - and the Bunnymen did! Even Echo the legendary drum machine appeared to have rejoined the band at one point. This led to musings on the long running rumour that Echo was originally owned by Paul Collister. Then the Bunnymen play 'Do It Clean' and the crowd go wild, apart from the cast of Trainspotting who have decided to take up camp in front of our three heroes - and they're not going to enjoy themselves come hell or high water! Blimey!

The rumours of the 12" Telegraph at the OMD Convention persist. One lucky fan was reckoned to have laid claim to this Holy Grail on the very night. But more recent gossip has the relic in the possession of none other than Neil Taylor, Convention co-organiser, himself. Tales of him framing the picture in his flat and baiting the Telegraphless Kevin Pretlove (of Compiled fame) have yet to be substantiated. Watch out for more stories of the legendary vinyl in the next Indiana Jones movie while the vital 12" also appears as a hidden treasure for Lara Croft in Tomb Raider 2.

And on the subject of the seminal OMD song, Convention hosts Neil T and Paul B managed to settle a long running argument over the lyrics to Telegraph. Neil threatened Mr Browne with loaded Uzis that it was "words on paper, written in sound", whilst Bleach Boy Paul B ordered a nuclear strike on Manchester unless the Boy Taylor would accept that it was "written in sand". It took a visit to Andy McCluskey himself on the Friday prior to the Convention to get to the truth. Bleach Boy was the winner on this one, and scored bonus points when Andy concurred with Paul's verdict that Concrete Hands features the line "The Boy saw the Girl" and not "The voice of a Girl" as demanded by Neil T. The ruler!