The Boy Hairdressers

Blake, McGinley, Lambie, McDonald and McAlinden

The Boy Hairdressers were a short lived band from Glasgow who counted Norman Blake, Raymond McGinley, Francis McDonald (all Teenage Fanclub), Joe McAlinden (Superstar/Linden) and Jim Lambie (contemporary artist) as their members. Paul Quinn (Teenage Fanclub) also played some shows.

Blake, McDonald, McAlinden 

The band released their only recordings via Stephen Pastel's seminal 53rd and 3rd label in January 1988. The 3-track 12-inch consisted of A; Golden Shower, B; Tidalwave, B2; The Assumption As An Elevator.

The Boy Hairdressers and their sole release have taken on something as a cult status - given what the members went on to achieve. The recordings (rough and raw, but made with love) are a glimpse of a band developing - not really quite there with their sound/style.

Golden Shower is easily the best song on the record and was shown some love and appreciation when Teenage Fanclub covered/revisited the song when they played The Barrowland in 2022. High pitched harmonies over sparse acoustic guitar start the song. Then, after a brief pause, bass, drums and keys/vibrophone/flute bring things to life. I'm pretty sure Raymond used some of his guitar work in other songs. 

Tidal Wave is like a mock English folk song. I imagine it might sound better as an Irish folk song. Although under two-minutes long, I'm pretty glad when it's finished. I'm not a fan of this one.

On the final song, The Assumption As An Elevator, I find myself asking who is singing. Is it Norman? I like the outro, with some nice guitar noodling from Raymond, while Jim Lambie creates Velvets-y effects.

When you read some quotes from interviews Norman gave following the break up of The Boy Hairdressers, it's no surprise to find him highlighting his relief that his new band (Teenage Fanclub) is just me ... being me. 

Teenage Fanclub cover an 80's band at the Barrowland

Given that The Boy Hairdressers brief existence was in a pre-internet, pre-mobiles and pre (easily available/affordable) video camera era, there is extremely limited information about the band online.

However ... I did some digging and uncovered interviews, fanzines, photos, (hazy) fan memories and stories from band members, those around the band and fans who caught The Boy Hairdressers and very early Teenage Fanclub.

Photos by Andrew Turner

Horse & Groom pub, Bedford, 17th October 1987

Norman and Raymond were interviewed in a Pastelism fanzine just after they started Teenage Fanclub. Perhaps this section of the Q&A between Stephen and Norman speaks volumes about why Blake broke away with Raymond to form Teenage Fanclub

Patelism: It seems The Boy Hairdressers were just getting a fair amount of interest and then you split up. So what happened?

Norman: The thing about The Boy Hairdressers was that no-one was really motivated to do anything. We were very badly organised ... it ended up that only me and Raymond were putting any effort in. ...

Pastelism (on the song Golden Shower): Do you think it was all a bit naive, all that sex and smutty innuendo stuff? 

Norman: Aye, I'm a bit embarrassed by it now. It was a bit stupid.

Later in the interview;

Norman: ... the new stuff (TFC) reflects more of what we are really about. We feel much more comfortable with Teenage Fanclub ... it's just (me) being me.

In 2021, Raymond and Norman spoke with Ed Nash for a brilliant interview, in The Line Of Best Fit reflecting back on pivotal moments in Teenage Fanclub.

Here is what they had to say about The Boy Hairdressers;

Norman: The Boy Hairdressers had fizzled out and Raymond and myself were the two people left standing. We'd put out a 12 inch on Stephen Pastel's label (53rd & 3rd), so we'd had a taste of what that was like. We wanted to move on and put an album out as soon as we could.

Raymond: People knew who the band were, but it wasn't like we did a lot. We put out one single and played a handful of shows. We were really frustrated by that and once the Boy Hairdressers finished we had this idea that we wanted to make a record before we started talking about what the band was.

Norman: We had a number of songs we planned to work on and that we'd played at the latter end of the Boy Hairdressers. We wanted to do stuff rather than talk about it, so we thought 'Let's put an album out, let's just go for it,' but we couldn't afford to do that. Now you've got Pro Tools on a computer, but a Portastudio was state of the art then. The embryonic part of A Catholic Education was us sat in Raymond's flat recording these very basic demos on a Portastudio. That's where it all started for Teenage Fanclub.

Both of these interviews, although short, probably tell you all you need to know about The Boy Hairdressers. They had fun and a bit of a laugh, played a few gigs, got some attention, put out a record but didn't quite gel and different members of the band perhaps had other priorities/options. 

Raymond and Norman took a few songs into Teenage Fanclub, including Don't Need A Drum and Too Involved, with Raymond funding the recording of debut album A Catholic Education after being left some kitchen appliances (including a fridge) by a neighbour. Check a previous blog on the Fanclub debut HERE

You can listen to The Boy Hairdressers 4-track demo of Don't Need A Drum below. You can instantly hear the move away from the sound of the debut EP - this is cooler and more assured - even as a 4-track recording. This, as highlighted in Norman's interview above, is really a Teenage Fanclub demo. 

Other demos that fans have mentioned (but are currently unavailable online) include Saliva (that went on to become Too Involved) a song called either Flying Helmet or Magic Helmet and a Norman song that BMX Bandits recorded - Let Mother Nature Be Your Guide - LISTEN

I asked a few people in, involved with or around The Boy Hairdressers for some information and (hazy) memories. 

Photo by Kaori Laird

Paul Quinn: It wasn't until I turned up to do the first gig I played with them that I realised Joe McAlinden and Jim Lambie were also in the band! That show was at The Volcano at the bottom of Byres Road where the club scene was filmed for Trainspotting. The 2nd show was at Fury Murry's. After the show, I was asked by Raymond and Norman about what I was planning to do and I stupidly said I was going to continue playing with the guys from Bellshill I was in a band with. I had my reasons for that decision. However, it was a stupid decision as The Boy Hairdressers didn't last long after that. They both went on to form Teenage Fanclub. 

Andrew Turner: It was my brother Nigel who promoted the Bedford (photos from the Horse & Groom above) gig way back in 1987. Norman still remembers the occasion with a certain amount of fondness - he even held up a photo of said gig during the recent (August 2025) Teenage Fanclub show in Bedford.

Duncan Birrell

Pretty sure I caught them live, I think one time may have been on a two-night charity gig for Shelter in Glasgow around 1987 at the old Volcano, at the end of Byres Road. I think the Groovy Little Numbers and The Bandits played one of those nights too - using a lager can as a guitar slide. Heady days!

Joe McAlinden

A review from our first gig. Raymond hadn't joined but was watching in the audience.

Photos from Joe's personal collection

Kevin Francis

Saw them at ULU bottom of the bill below Dinosaur Jr and Primal Scream. All I remember is that someone was sitting down, possibly Norman and there was one song that started with A Capella Beach Boys style harmonies. I loved it!

Brendan O'Hare

They were all from another planet.

Kaori Laird: The voice saying Boy Hairdresser in Japanese at the beginning of the Teenage Fanclub song Speeder - is my voice! It was recorded at Norman's Granny's house. 

After Boy Hairdressers there were rumours circulating that Norman was already working on a new band - who would become Teenage Fanclub. I asked Norman what they would be called and he said Black Watch or Old Grandfather Clock. I knew he was not serious, but it was so Norman (isn't it?).

Fraser Gillespie

The Boy Hairdresser was a terrible novel by Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell. I saw them at least twice in Glasgow and also Norman's previous band The Faith Healers. Their keyboard player, Jim Lambie, did posters and filmed for Splash 1. He went on to become a very successful artist. I have a demo of Saliva which became the TFC song Too Involved - was that The Boy Hairdressers? I saw the very first TFC London gig at the Camden Falcon. It was obvious that they were going to be successful.

Graeme Williams

I saw them live supporting The Pastels at The Boardwalk in Manchester - was a great night, quite the shambolic gig to use a well worn trope, but you could tell they had something special. I have the ticket stub still somewhere.

Steph Wood

I put them on once and they slept on my floor - I still occasionally find one of those round blue Golden Showers stickers when I pull a random record out of it's sleeve ...

Antonio Navarro Ros

In Pastelism fanzine appears the first Teenage Fanclub interview ever and Norman and Raymond talk about the disband of The Boy Hairdressers. Here is the link (also see above)

Slip Inside This House

Cover of the month #4 - Slip Inside This House

Primal Scream cover The Thirteenth Floor Elevators

Not so much a cover - a total transformation!

Track 2 on the legendary Screamadelica album, Slip Inside This House goes off on a total tangent from the Stone-sy opener of Movin' On Up and brings the listener slap bang into 1991 and Acid House.

Only, this isn't a Primal Scream song, it was originally released by The Thirteenth Floor Elevators back in 1967 - the original summer of love. So there was some kind of neat synergy that it was being updated by the Scream during the second summer of love and it was a nice nod to their love of 60's garage psychedelia.

Of course, being a 15-year old I had no idea it was a cover at the time. It was probably a few years later through reading interviews/reviews or the sleeve notes that I noticed it wasn't written by the band.

Primal Scream, like a lot of bands I fell for in the early 90's, introduced me to loads of good music. Bobby Gillespie is a walking, talking music Encyclopedia and would use interviews to highlight his impeccable taste and knowledge.

So I bought a re-release of The Thirteenth Floor Elevators Easter Everywhere album on vinyl, interested to hear the original. The Scream remain pretty true to the vocal melody, but everything else is transformed. The original has loads of verses and lasts for 8-minutes while the Scream version is just over 5-minutes and concentrates on beats and grooves for much of it before taking the listener on a delicious trip - especially when the bass kicks in.

Screamadelica was (and remains to this date) an important album for me. I remember one crazy night with my good friend Reddy where we listened to it about 7 times in a row when we came in from a night out.

It does sound like Bobby Gillespie, although he has said in interviews that he was so wasted that it was Robert 'Throb' Young that sang on it.

Slip Inside This House by The Thirteenth Floor Elevators is urgent, persistent and the searing guitar just lifts it higher. Primal Scream take it not only to another level, but to another dimension. Exceptional!

Check this live version from the first Screamadelica shows with Jim Lambie's psychedelic artwork only adding to the trippy feel. The original is below.

Primal Scream live at the Poetry Club

I was sworn to secrecy. I can't remember when and where I found out, but I was sworn to secrecy in case it never happened....It did; Primal Scream played under an old Railway Arch in Glasgow that has been taken over by the artist Jim Lambie and named the Poetry Club.

I had been to the Poetry Club, a disued Railway Arch in the West End of Glasgow that has been taken over (and named) by the artist Jim Lambie, on a few previous occasions thanks to my sisters band TeenCanteen playing a couple of times and the fact that Carla's boyfriend Michael runs a fantastic night there (and in Edinburgh) called Neu! Reekie. 

Michael strongly advised that I buy tickets for Friday 14th June as there may be some very special guests who might just be in town the night before the Roses. I knew it wasn't the Roses as they had another show, Primal Scream were the obvious choice given it was a hometown show and Lambie had designed their artwork for the Screamadelica tour and latest album.

The fact that Michael couldn't even guarantee me a guest pass was more than enough of a nod and a wink to send me scurrying off to Brown Paper Tickets to snap up 4 for the night.

Who would I take? I know loads of people who would love to see Primal Scream in such an intimate setting.

The fact that my wife, brother and best friend were all busy with babysitting, a 30th and Sonar meant that I asked 3 bass players and huge music fans that I knew would really appreciate the night; Gordon, Craig and Neal certainly did appreciate it!

We met for drinks in the Merchant City to go and see the Ian Tilton 'Set In Stone' exhibition of classic and rare Roses photographs. From there it was on to outside Tuts and then to the Poetry Club.

There was a real buzz about the place as we handed over out tickets and got our silver wristbands for the evening. 

John Giorno, a father figure to the New York City underground scene in the 60's, was flown over by Jim Lambie especially for the evening, a father figure to the New York underground scene. John's NYC accent sounded glorious as he used his extensive vocabulary to hold the room in his spell.

But anyway....on to Primal Scream.

The band entered the small stage via the fire escape to a somewhat surreal vibe - we couldn't actually believe this was happening. The band started with 'Out Of The Void', a song that really fitted in well with the vibe that the Poetry Club creates. It sounded fantastic.

They picked up the pace with '2013', the opening track from their latest album, sounding as vital and as fresh as anything from their lengthy career. 'Burning Wheel' was trippy and blissful, Simone Butler looking and sounding like she will have no problems fitting into the considerable sized shows left by one Gary 'Mani' Mountfield.

It was on the closing trio of 'It's Alright (It's OK)', 'Hit Void' and a ferocious 'Rocks' that the abnd and crowd really started to gel. Gillespie was the ultimate pro, commanding attention from the room and getting the crowd going. I got the sense that he was enjoying the underground vibe of the night. 'Rocks' was fast and furious and just as the crowd had been whipped up into a storm then the band exited via the fire escape - the same way they had come in.

I can only imagine what an encore of 'Loaded' and 'Come Together' would have been like!

Still, this was a bit of a dream gig. Primal Scream playing to about 70 people in a converted railway arch in Glasgow. Superb.

Linden - Bleached Highlights

Linden is Joe McAlinden, formerly of Superstar, guest on Teenage Fanclub records and very formerly of The Boy Hairdressers.

Linden's debut album 'Bleached Highlights' has just been released on Edwyn Collins new label AED Records. 

The album is already receiving some excellent reviews;

• Album of the Week - Scotland On Sunday
• “A beautiful record” 4/5 - Q Magazine
• Album of the Week - Alexis Petridis The Guardian
• “Beautifully assured” - The Scotsman
• “This album is stunning” - Daily Record
• Album of the Week - Vic Galloway BBC Radio Scotland
• Album of the Week - Tom Morton BBC Radio Scotland
• “Perfect pop moment” 4/5 - Sunday Express
• “Glorious… A prime contender for Scottish Album of The Year” - The Sun

If I was to add something from this blog to the section above it would be;

• "Immediate guitar pop with hooks and harmonies. Simple at times, always beautiful." everythingflowsglasgow

 The first four tracks on this album are sublime, as good as anything you will hear all year, or any year. McAlinden has an effortlessly pure voice and he splices it perfectly with chiming and warm fuzzy guitars.

Opener 'Brown Bird Singing' has been released as a limited 7-inch via AED. Upon listening, it is easy to understand why it was chosen as the lead single, although there are a load of potential follow ups.

It is the sound of sunshine, beautifully produced by Edwyn Collins and Sebastian Lewsley. Check out the DIY video below.

The opening four tracks on the album grabbed me; immediate guitar pop with hooks and harmonies. Simple at times, always beautiful.

'I Just Wanna Be Here (When I'm Somewhere Else)' and the title track 'Bleached Highlights' flow beautifully, leaving me wonder if they were written around the same time. 

'Thank You' has a chorus that just lifts the whole song;

I'm never gonna let you down girl, take my hand and welcome me back home

Hey, I'm always gonna be around girl, understand that you're my way back home

The CD (resplendent Jim Lambie print) comes with a lyric book and looking over the lyrics as I listen it is clearly evident that 'Bleached Highlights' is an out and out love album. 

That is hammered home by 'If I Had Wings' which (on only a few listens) is a song that stands out, brilliant guitar work and McAlinden sounding particularly angelic and soulful. At only 2 minutes and 20 seconds long, you'll be playing it several times in a row.

I finally found you

My senses around you

I finally found you

People in love experience all kinds of emotions and 'Written' and 'Hear My Name' highlight insecurities, maintaining the flow of the album but just slowing it down ever so slightly.

'Something Wonderful' is acoustic based until the chorus with McAlinden sounding almost breathless as he is singing his hear out.

Somethings wonderful just got better

And I think of you every day

The album closes with 'Hide Away' with a melody that reminds me of something else but I just can't place it. However that is one of Linden's (and indeed McAlinden's) clear strengths - immediately accessible and understandable guitar pop with melodies and hooks. It is simple and pure, this is not an album that will take you a dozen listens to get into, you either like it and get it or it isn't for you.

I like it and I've got it!