The Pooh Sticks

The Pooh Sticks were an indie pop band from Swansea, Wales recording between 1988 and 1995. They were notable for their jangly melodiousness and lyrics gently mocking the indie scene of the time such as on "On Tape", "Indiepop Ain't Noise Pollution" and "I Know Someone Who Knows Someone Who Knows Alan McGee Quite Well". The band changed direction on their 1991 U.S breakthrough The Great White Wonder, eschewing the 'twee' British indie pop sound for a more American-styled power pop sound, akin to bands like Jellyfish and Redd Kross. Subsequent albums Million Seller, considered by some power pop fans to be the band's best work, and Optimistic Fool followed in this style.

Line-up

• Steve Gregory - Producer, songwriter
• Huw Williams - Vocals

Gregory and Williams invented a fictitious line-up which included:

• Trudi Tangerine - tambourine/piano
• Paul - Guitar
• Stephanie Bass-Drum - Drums
• Alison - Bass

Guests

• Amelia Fletcher - Vocals Orgasm, The Great White Wonder and Million Seller.

Discography

Albums

• 1988: Orgasm (53rd & 3rd Records)
  • 19.Dec 1988
• 1990: Formula One Generation (Fierce Recordings & Sympathy for the Record Industry)
• 1991: The Great White Wonder (Cheree Records & Sympathy for the Record Industry)
• 1993: Million Seller (Zoo Entertainment)
• 1995: Optimistic Fool (Seed Records)
• 2014: Think Bubble (record in 1995)

Lives and compilations

• 1989: Trademark of Quality (Live album, reissued by Fierce Recordings in 1991)
• 1991: Multiple Orgasm (Reissue of Orgasm, Fierce Recordings)
• 1988: The Pooh Sticks (Fierce Recordings)
  • 1st press in black/white sleeve, 2nd press in pink/white sleeve

Extended Plays

• 1988: The Encore EP (Anonymous Records)

Singles

• 1988: "Heartbreak" (Fierce Recordings)
• 1988: "I Know Someone Who Knows Someone Who Knows Alan McGee Quite Well" (Fierce Recordings)
• 1988: "Indiepop Ain't Noise Pollution" (Fierce Recordings)
• 1988: "1-2-3 Red Light" (Fierce Recordings)
• 1988: "On Tape" (Fierce Recordings)
• 1989: "Hard On Love" (Woosh Records)
• 1989: "The Pure Styx" (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
• 1989: "Dying for It" (Fierce Recordings)
  • (1st issue - group sleeve; 2nd issue - "Altamont" sleeve)
• 1989: "Go Go Girl" (Cheree Records)
• 1989: "Tonight" (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
  • on Sympathy for the Record Industry
• 1991: "Who Loves You" (Cheree Records / Sympathy for the Record Industry)
• 1991: "Young People" (Cheree Records / Sympathy for the Record Industry) - A-side written by Andrew Griffiths and Hywel James of The Love Nazis
• 1991: "Who Loves You" (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
• 1991: "The Little White Wonder" (Fierce Recordings)
• 1991: "Who Loves You" (Fierce Recordings)
• 1992: "Could a Heart" (Sympathy for the Record Industry) (this 7" was entitled "Stickboy Contest Winners" and the track on the other side of the disc was by Gila Monsters entitled "Stickbastard")
• 1992: "The World Is Turning On" (Zoo Entertainment)
• 1995: "Cool in a Crisis" (Seed Records)
• 2012: "Formula One Generation" (Formosa Punk Records)

Compilations Appearances

• 1990: "Time to Time" Becket House (Becket House)
• 1991: "Young People" Indie Top 20 Volume 13 (Beechwood Music)
• 1991: "Who Loves You" My Cheree Amour (Cheree Records)
• 1991: "True Life Hero" Revolution No. 9 (Pax Records)
• 1993: "Jelly on a Plate" Lime Lizard (Lime Lizard)
• 1993: "On Tape" Teenbeat 50 (Matador)
• 1993: "Milion Seller" The Alternative Way - Everything Is Beautiful (Ariola Benelux)
• 1994: "Who Loves You" I Like It If You Feel Lucky (Beekeeper)
• 1995: "When the Night Falls" WTAG Radio Club - A Tag Recordings Sampler (Tag Recordings)
• 1998: "Soft Beds, Hard Battles" Their Sympathetic Majesties Request - A Decade of Obscurity and Obsoletes 1988-1998 (Sympathy for the Record Industry)
• 2000: "Indiepop Ain't Noise Pollution" The Sound of Leamington Spa, Volume 1 (Co-production between: TweeNet Communications, Bilberry Records, Firestation Tower Records) **23-Oct-2000
• 2004: "I Know Someone Who Knows Someone Who Knows Alan McGee Quite Well" Rough Trade Shops - Indiepop 1 (Mute Records Ltd.)
• 2006: "On Tape" CD86 - 48 Tracks from the Birth of Indie Pop (Castle Music)
• 2010: "Roll Over Easy" Indietracks - Indiepop Compilation 2010 (Make Do and Mend Records)

Radio Sessions

• 1988: John Peel Session
• 1989: John Peel Session
• 1991: Mark Goodier Session

External links

• Fansite
• Pooh Sticks biography on BBC Wales
• twee.net/Bands/ Discography
• Million Seller videos
• The Pooh Sticks discography at Discogs