Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Purchasable with gift card
$2USD or more
7" Vinyl - Original Press w/ Original Jacket
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Original 1981 pressing of "Prisoners / Hour of Light" 7" with the original paper jacket. Includes a lyric insert that wasn't a part of the initial release.
If you purchase, contact FMR for a download code to November's 10-song release ("Breaking News" by The Antelopes and The Class of '76).
Includes unlimited streaming of Prisoners / Hour of Light
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Sold Out
7" Vinyl - Original Press w/ Modern Jacket
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Original 1981 pressing of "Prisoners / Hour of Light" 7" with a freshly printed jacket assembled by FMR. Also includes a lyric insert that wasn't a part of the initial release.
Includes unlimited streaming of Prisoners / Hour of Light
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
You stand and look through the space
Of a grey stone square
And cry in the bedroom
For the wind in your hair
The windows are cloudy.
Outside there is mist
But for you the difference
Is the strength of your fist
In the dark of a nightclub
You wish you could see,
In the back of your mind
You want to be free
You want to be free
Ha!
The passage of time
Is an elegant race -
For you it is hard,
You can’t stand the pace.
The mirrors are blushing,
The coal is down low -
The room is so cold,
On the floor there is snow.
A tighter grip on the wheel
As you try to flee
Sitting in the car
You want to be free
You want to be free
Ha!
The man in the moon
Has his stare fixed on you,
In the warmth of the sky
You wish you were there too.
The shadows are gone,
The streetlights are out,
Now you are lost,
Now you can doubt.
There’s a knife in your hand,
Stones in the sea -
Waves all around you,
You want to be free
You want to be free
Ha!
[Repeat]
She’s in the shadow of night
And the sound of the whistle in the trees is the fire in her eyes.
Her hero is calling,
But she dare not speak for the fear of an error in her voice.
She hears footsteps creaking,
And the finger on the trigger of her life squeezes, squeezes,
squeezes tight.
She closes her eyes,
She knows she’ll be safe when it comes to the hour of light.
Hour of light.
Her flesh is creeping,
The ring on her finger strangles blood rushing quickly in her heart.
Laying in the kitchen,
She takes a knife from the drawer that she’s chained to
for the rest of her life
Her hero is calling
And he opens the door to the room he’s only seen on TV.
Then she opens her eyes –
She knows she’ll be safe when it comes to the hour of light.
Hour of light.
Hour of light.
Ah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
about
Floating Mill Records, FMR.002
Originally formed by three braille translators (Glenn Dallender, Martin O’Keefe-Liddard, and Steve Empson) in London in 1980, Nudge Gambler and the Alcoholics soon added Tilly Vosburgh and Vince Brown and changed their name to something that didn’t let on how much time they spent at the pub after work. The resulting five-piece, The Antelopes, were an all-too-shortly lived band. Only together for 8 months during their original stint (they reunited for a few songs during the 2010s), this is The Antelopes’ lone 1980s release. It features two fantastically dark and groovy post-punk songs, and although a few thousand of these awesome singles sold at the time, the band had a box of original pressings that never did. So Floating Mill has dusted off the (sometimes literal) cobwebs, added an insert, and called it a “reissue” despite that word not quite capturing how cool it is to drop a needle on this 40 year-old artifact.
As you tap your feet, it is easy to understand why a few prominent tastemakers of the time took notice—but none more revered than BBC Radio’s John Peel. Initially hearing a demo tape that included rough versions of these two songs (and more demos of what's coming from Floating Mill’s November release from The Antelopes), Peel encouraged the group to press their music onto vinyl (in an occasionally legible letter that comes in the album download—if you can translate that sucker, please let us know, it might as well be braille to us). And yeah, The Antelopes were already going to press vinyl—but the extra encouragement from Peel didn’t hurt. Word on the street is that Peel liked the final vinyl product so much he selected it as his ‘record of the week.’
All such evidence of that cool title has been lost to time. But Glenn’s memories of the inspiration and influences behind the songs haven't.
About “Prisoners,” Glenn writes: “[It] was inspired by an article in the Guardian about a young lad, doing well in the city, walked into the sea with loads of stones in his pockets, but when they found him in what was basically a calm sea, he had drowned, but for some reason he had a knife that he never used. What was the knife for? He was wearing a really expensive suit and shoes. His fancy car had the window smashed, and he left a note that he had had enough. By all accounts, he was a bit of a party animal. I wanted to know what was going on in his mind. I just wrote about how I envisaged his state of mind - plus adding a little anti-capitalism message in there as well. It was very influenced by ‘A Forest’ by The Cure. There’s a bit of a Doors influence in the vocals and a superb Arabic scale by Steve.”
And about the b-side, "Hour of Light": “Taken from another story from the news, this one about domestic violence. A woman was found badly beaten in her kitchen, but her husband was found dead beside her with a carving knife in his chest, but also several other stab wounds that would have been enough for his death. I imagined her terrified mind as he came into the room. I also wanted to leave my ending ambiguous - who died, her or him? The funky nature of it evolved over a few rehearsals - it started off as another Cure-inspired track, but Steve wanted to get some ‘Funkytown’ influences in there. Tilly’s remarkable scream was recorded in one take, as she had an acting job later and didn’t want to ruin her voice.”
In part drawing on Glenn’s tendency to take inspiration from news stories, a 10-song release title "Breaking News" featuring The Antelopes and Glenn and Vince’s subsequent never-before-released band, The Class of ‘76, will be released on November 5, 2021. For more information about The Antelopes, please check out Breaking News in their Bandcamp discography.
credits
released October 1, 2021
"Prisoners"
Written by: Glenn Dallender
Glenn Dallender - Guitar, Keys, Vocals
Martin O’Keefe-Liddard - Bass
Steve Empson - Lead Guitar
Tilly Vosburgh - Backing Vocals
Vince Brown - Drums
"Hour of Light"
Written by: Glenn Dallender
Glenn Dallender - Guitar, Keys, Vocals
Martin O’Keefe-Liddard - Bass
Steve Empson - Lead Guitar
Tilly Vosburgh - Vocals (and epic scream!!)
Vince Brown - Drums
Martin Daly - Extra Keys
Recorded & Produced at Starforce Studios by Martin Daly
Both songs recorded & produced at Starforce Studios (London, UK) by Martin Daly in 1981.
