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Prats Way Up High is a compilation of tracks by The Prats, featuring demos and songs from their John Peel session recorded in 1979. It was 1978 in Edinburgh and the spirit of punk had hit high school as four friends got together to form The Prats. Paul McLaughlin, Dave Maguire, Greg Maguire and Tom Robinson were then aged between 12 and 14, and while their instruments were basic - including a cardboard drum kit - their enthusiasm carried them through.
The band quickly produced a demo tape and sent it to Edinburgh's legendary indie label Fast Product (early home of the Human League). This led to the band's debut on the Fast Product EP Earcom 1. A series of singles then followed, including "General Davis" - which featured in the opening titles of Hollywood blockbuster The Manchurian Candidate - and "Die Todten Reyten Schnell," which was released on German indie label Da Da Records. A number of line-up changes then saw Elspeth McLeod joining to provide additional guitar (including on the single "General Davis") with Jeff Maguire taking over bass duties from Tom Robinson.
The late John Peel was a fan and long time supporter of The Prats. In 1979 the band recorded a Peel session, which the broadcaster played with considerable enthusiasm. As he said at the time: "... this session has put me in a good mood for the rest of the weekend... it's terrific...a great session!" The legendary broadcaster also offered his fee from a DJing appearance to finance a single release. 1980 saw the release of The 1990s Pop EP on Rough Trade. The seminal EP contained four tracks - "Disco Pope," "Nothing," "TV Set" and "Nobody Noticed." "Disco Pope" received significant airplay, particularly from Peel and is still a college radio favorite in the US. The end of school in 1981 meant the end of the Prats. "Bands are like marriages between four people," Paul reflects. "You just stop getting on with each other."
The band quickly produced a demo tape and sent it to Edinburgh's legendary indie label Fast Product (early home of the Human League). This led to the band's debut on the Fast Product EP Earcom 1. A series of singles then followed, including "General Davis" - which featured in the opening titles of Hollywood blockbuster The Manchurian Candidate - and "Die Todten Reyten Schnell," which was released on German indie label Da Da Records. A number of line-up changes then saw Elspeth McLeod joining to provide additional guitar (including on the single "General Davis") with Jeff Maguire taking over bass duties from Tom Robinson.
The late John Peel was a fan and long time supporter of The Prats. In 1979 the band recorded a Peel session, which the broadcaster played with considerable enthusiasm. As he said at the time: "... this session has put me in a good mood for the rest of the weekend... it's terrific...a great session!" The legendary broadcaster also offered his fee from a DJing appearance to finance a single release. 1980 saw the release of The 1990s Pop EP on Rough Trade. The seminal EP contained four tracks - "Disco Pope," "Nothing," "TV Set" and "Nobody Noticed." "Disco Pope" received significant airplay, particularly from Peel and is still a college radio favorite in the US. The end of school in 1981 meant the end of the Prats. "Bands are like marriages between four people," Paul reflects. "You just stop getting on with each other."