“WE HOPED WITH this project to be able to give those who weren’t able to experience the originals a taste of some of the ‘Bullshit Detector magic’,” explains Chris Wheelie Wilsher of The Bus Station Loonies, “and remind those who knew it of old how great much of it was in the first place.”

Released today (2 September 2022) as a ‘vinyl style’ CD, complete with fold-out poster sleeve, More Bullshit is The Bus Station Loonies’ celeberation of five of the band’s favourite tracks from across all three of the Bullshit Detector compilation albums released on Crass Records between 1980 and 1984. Made available by Ruptured Ambitions, More Bullshit can also be purchased as a digital download.

On More Bullshit, The Bus Station Loonies deliver new cover versions of the following Bullshit Detector tracks:

  • 1930s Pre-War Germany (Naked)
  • Cancer (Icon)
  • Girls Love Pop Stars (Reputations in Jeopardy)
  • Brutalised (Metro Youth)
  • Rubber Bullets (7th Plague)

A limited seven-inch vinyl version of More Bullshit (in black, white and ginger editions) already available for pre-order, will be released later in the year, along with a limited run of T-Shirts.

All materials can be bought through The Bus Station Loonies’ Bandcamp site.

The Bus Station Loonies tribute to the magic of Crass Records: More Bullshit EP – out as download and a ‘vinyl style’ CD (see pic) in a fold-out poster sleeve from 2nd Sept 2022. Follow us like some dodgy piped-pipers on https://loonies.bandcamp.com for updates ‘n’ orders (plus pre-orders for 7″ vinyl versions due out by the end o’ the year, and a limited batch o’ t-shirts).

A most welcome unwanted gift or an adequate beer mat.

The Bus Station Loonies

Chris Wheelie Wilsher of The Bus Station Loonies spoke to The Hippies Now Wear Black about the evolution of the More Bullshit project, the challenges of selecting tracks for inclusion, the delayed recording process – and the reception the band hopes the release might receive…

What was it that finally convinced the Loonies that the time had come to revisit the Bullshit Detector trilogy and give some of its old tunes a new spin?

We’ve always agreed that the Bullshit Detector series was a vital slice – and a timely reminder of the spirit – of DIY punk. Our first album Mad Franks’ Zonal Disco was an over-produced piece of tomfoolery, which, although we still love, didn’t really reflect us as a live band (i.e., rough ’n’ ready ‘n’ ropey!).

We went for a much more lo-fi approach come the second album Midget Gems, but decided to take it even further with, what was originally intended to be the third album, to give tribute to something that reeked of ‘real punk’ – yet, so far as we knew, had never been re-released since the initial pressings in the early ‘eighties.

We hoped with this project to be able to give those who weren’t able to experience the originals a taste of some of the ‘Bullshit Detector magic’, and remind those who knew it of old how great much of it was in the first place.

That’s a big corpus of work to choose from. How did you go about selecting a shortlist of candidates that the Loonies could cover?

The original plan was for it to be a full LP, so we made a short-list of around a dozen tracks we all particularly thought worthy of our attempts at adapting and covering. That was a pretty difficult task, as there were so many! The main aim was to have a fairly equal amount of tracks from each of the three Bullshit volumes.

We’ve always agreed that the Bullshit Detector series was a vital slice – and a timely reminder of the spirit – of DIY punk

We managed to narrow it down to a dozen, with four tracks from each. Although it could so easily have been a double LP with twice as many! In some ways, I would have loved to have done that. But just as we started working upon the first couple, the lockdowns began – so our get-togethers were scuppered.

How did you ultimately settle on the final five tracks included on the release?

As we weren’t able to get-together for something like 18 months, we eventually decided to go for an EP’s worth, rather than an album, as we were feeling we’d waited long enough already! So we settled on a couple of tracks we’d started trying out, plus others that we especially enjoyed covering and also felt were still very relevant to today.

Doing that, we managed to keep it so there was still at least one track from each of the three original volumes.

Were you able to contact members of each of the bands involved? Did you find that they were supportive of what you had planned?

We did – which was an adventure in itself – and were absolutely bowled over by the kindness, encouragement and support from each of the original members we managed to get hold of. That was more of an inspiration than I can say. Every one as true to their punk roots as they were 40 years ago! We’ve even performed our version of ‘Rubber Bullets’ on stage with original singer Borstal a coupla’ times now – something we never imagined happening !

The Loonies clearly wanted to do more than simply produce a ‘cover’ of the songs, and you found ways to bring something new and distinctive to each number. Was that the fun part or the hard bit?

It was a tricky route, but we really hoped it worked. We didn’t want to completely alter the original versions so that they became unrecognizable, but hoped they’d be adapted enough so as not to be carbon copies.

We were absolutely bowled over by the kindness, encouragement and support from each of the original members we managed to get hold of

What would be great if it inspired people to track down the originals where they may have missed them first time around! It was fun, that’s for sure. There were times when the others had to take me to task for getting too carried away and making perhaps too comedic cabaret versions of the original songs. I think they were absolutely right! 

The Loonies’ recording sessions would have been a world away – in terms of technical sophistication – than anything the original artists would have enjoyed. Did that affect how you approached the recording process?

It really did! Part of the intention was to take advantage of having the use of a modern day recording studio, but without going overboard and still trying to keep it real and down-to-earth. We used our good mate Jem’s studio in Plymouth, which we used to use as a place to rehearse before he turned it into a full-time studio.  We knew it was gonna keep things basic and raw, but well-recorded. Hopefully, job done!

How would you describe the finished results?

Much to my surprise, and contrary to other recordings in the past, the more I’ve listened to it, the more I’ve enjoyed it. My main hope is that we’ve managed to retain at least some part of the original spirit, without ruining other people’s favourites!

How significant a series of releases do you consider the Bullshit trilogy to be?

In a word, hugely. I think it really acted as a timely reminder that ANYONE can do it, and quality wasn’t just a two-dimensional aspect of sound, but also ideas and passion. I believe the trilogy really represented an open door and was massively influential over much of what was subsequently created throughout the 1980s and beyond.

What sort of reception are you hoping will greet the release?

When I first played a copy of the original Bullshit Detector the record of extra interest to me, as the then-Tavistock based Amebix had a track featured, and they were all a few years above me at school.

I remember being taken by what a genuine two-fingers to the then ‘music industry’ it all was, even within other supposed punk genres.

My main hope is that we’ve managed to retain at least some part of the original spirit, without ruining other people’s favourites!

I adored the raw energy and conviction and it was a definite nudge to me that I wanted to form a punk band myself. I would’ve been about 14, I think.

I had a special fondness for Reputation in Jeopardy’s ‘Girls Love Pop Stars’, and have wanted to pay tribute to that track ever since. So I am over-the-moon we managed to include that one. I hope what comes across is how much love we had for this particular project.

If, in turn, it influences anyone to do their own thing, their own way, then I can die happy.

Could you be persuaded to do an Even More Bullshit follow-up, or is this a guaranteed one-off?

As it had been originally intended to be a 12-track LP, I would LOVE to do a follow-up. We certainly have plenty more worthy tracks in mind. If people enjoy our attempt enough, I would be thrilled to try and cobble together a sequel, if folk would like to hear it!

But if one’s enough, I couldn’t be more grateful that we’ve had the opportunity. For that, we’d like to express our special thanks to Penny (Crass), Rich (Metro Youth), Borstal (7th Plague), Craig (Icon), Andy T (Reputations in Jeopardy), Tony (Naked), and John (Overground) for making it possible, and the punkers Johnny, Graeme, and Eddie for helping us make it an actual thing!