THE NUNS Self-Titled - 1980 LP BOMP BLP 4010 - 1st US Pressing - PUNK VG+/VG

$

33

The Nuns, the album, is the debut studio album by American rock band The Nuns, released in 1980 on record label Bomp!.  The story goes like this:  The Nuns, the group, was formed in Marin County, California (north of SF) in 1975, by Alejandro Escovedo and Jeff Olener.  They wanted to make a low-budget film about a strung-out rock singer and a band that could not play its instruments, and decided to play the part themselves. That project evolved into The Nuns.  Early on, Jennifer Miro, who wasn’t happy in a Doobie Brothers cover band that practiced in the same Terre Linda, CA, warehouse, jumped at Jeff Olener’s invitation to join the band. Through the latter half of the 1970s, the band’s fame grew.  In 1977, Edwin Heaven “discovered” them opening for the Ramones and became their manager.  Within half a year, he had created a worldwide buzz for the band, designed most of their now-classic posters and got them booked in larger venues like Bill Graham’s Winterland in SF, and LA’s The Wiskey.  In January 1978, together with The Avengers they opened for the Sex Pistols at their final concert at San Francisco’s Winterland.

The Nuns split in 1979 soon after the band was on tour in New York City. Escovedo decided to stay behind in New York, living at the Chelsea Hotel; the rest of the band returned to San Francisco, where the remaining members of the band soon split as well.  By that time, they had only managed to produce a few poorly-recorded demo tapes and failed to secure a deal with CBS Records to release a major label album.  (In 1978-1979, they did release several singles, and a self-titled 1979 7" EP - not to be confused with their self-titled LP a year later).  Post breakup, Olener, who successfully produced master tapes at Leon Russell’s Paradise studio, had no trouble persuading Posh Boy Records's Robbie Fields to finance the recording of an album by a group that no longer existed based upon Jennifer Miro's participation. The band reunited but for a single week in late April 1980 and recorded their first LP. The self-titled The Nuns album was released in late 1980 (albeit on BOMP! Records, who licensed it from Posh Boy for the US).  AllMusic called it "a minor classic of the late-'70s punk era".

IMHO: Favorite cuts:  "Walkin' the Beat" & "Suicide Child".

THIS COPY is one of those 1980 1st pressings on the BOMP! label (see Notes, below).

The vinyl may have a few marks, but per a test listen, none of them affect playback.  There is some background crackle I only heard in between songs (when there's no music).  It is in Very Good Plus [VG+] condition.  NOTE:  The side with the song titles (for both sides) printed on the label is Side A; the side with only a picture on the label, that's Side B. (c.f. Photos)

The original cover is old enough that if you look closely, the edges of the white cover seem to be fading to brown (just lightly!).  There is also very light ring wear and the upper right corner of the cover viewed from the front has a corner cut (used to denote a copy that was sold as a "cut out").  In this case, the cut was kept pretty small - nice of whoever did the cutting to try to maintain the integrity of the cover as much as possible.  (Thanks, unknown person!)  Overall, with no splits or writing or other major flaws, the cover is in Very Good [VG} or better condition.

The inner sleeve may not be original. I think it is, but don't know for sure and wouldn't want to mislead. It is plain white, with square corners and a center label hole.  It's made of slighty "waxy", which is nice. Overall, with only about a 3 or 4 inch split on the bottom seam, this inner sleeve is in Very Good Plus [VG+] condition.

 Notes

Recorded May 1980 at Brian Elliot Recording, North Hollywood
1980 ℗ Posh Boy Services
1980 © Bomp Records, Inc.

[Publishers]
- A1, A4, B1, B2, B6: Copyright Control.
- A2, A3, A5, B2 to B5: Walkin' Beat Music (ASCAP).

 Barcode and Other Identifiers

Rights Society (A2, A3, A5, B2 to B5): ASCAP

Matrix / Runout (Runout, side A): BLP 4010 A S - 7899

Matrix / Runout (Runout, side B): BLP 4010 B S - 7900

ENJOY!