Photo By Doug Humiski
In 1985, underground rock was staunchly divided. At the heart of it was the crossover movement, which was the confounding middle ground between the longhairs and their arch enemies, the punks and hardcore kids. While each style had their version to the punk-meets-thrash approach, which in itself confronted norms to their respective scenes, hardcore punk had its own disruptor in SNFU, who bucked all the rules by making their own, creating a singular document that proved frenetic hardcore pacing and genuine catchiness were not mutually exclusive.
Today, Trust Records is proud to announce the reissue of the bonafide classic, SNFU’s debut full-length …And No One Else Wanted to Play. The release marks the 40th anniversary for the pivotal release and will be available in stores and across digital retailers this Friday, December 5. The physical edition includes two versions – a standard repress of the original LP and a limited deluxe edition which comes housed in a box with an additional rarities LP featuring all new artwork with elements from the original seminal release and an accompanying 104 page book of the band from 1981-1985. The book includes unseen early photos, original fanzine interviews, flyers, letters, and miscellaneous assorted ephemera in addition to Ty Stranglehold’s oral history of SNFU (1981–1985), plus vocalist Chi Pig’s original yearbook photo. Both versions are available in several color variants – see below for release specifications and tracklists.
…And No One Else Wanted to Play is a cornerstone of skate punk and monument to punk rock writ large– helping to usher in the burgeoning genre of melodic hardcore. With the sung vocals of Mr. Chi Pig, dueling guitars of the Belke brothers and the pummeling rhythm section able to drive it all with blinding velocity and an ability to switch course on a dime, …And No One Else Wanted to Play accomplishes the rare feat of doing it all with a deep-rooted rooted sense of melody and an ear for well-honed songwriting. Across fourteen classic tracks, …And No One Else Wanted to Play show that SNFU can sit comfortably beside similarly classic acts like Bad Religion, 7 Seconds, Descendents, and others, influencing countless others and causing a shift that is felt today across all modern music.
SNFU began in 1981 in Edmonton, Alberta with the core members of Mr. Chi Pig (Ken Chinn) on vocals and the brothers Muc (Marc Belke) and Bunt (Brent Belke) on guitar, bonding over the love of skateboarding and punk. Originally naming the band Society’s NFU (shorthand for No F*cking Use), SNFU recorded their debut LP across two hectic days at Track Record Studios in Hollywood, CA in December 1984 with BYO Records honchos Mark and Shawn Stern as producers. Bassist Jimmy Schmitz and drummer Evan C. “Tadpole” Jones filled out the rhythm section, and left soon after the sessions. “It wasn’t the first time [in a recording studio] but it may as well have been,” recalls Marc Belke. “We weren’t well-versed in anything like over-dubs or anything like that. It was pretty much a whole new experience… I think about where we were at in terms of experience and things like that at that time, and we were very naïve. We were just learning how to write songs and things like that. It was exciting when we first heard the recording… [but] we were also just excited to be in California as much as we were interested in being in the studio, honestly.”
Upon its release, SNFU hit the road for a tour in support of …And No One Else Wanted to Play, spreading those then-new classics live and gaining cult success from coast to coast at 48 North American dates. With the record’s release and SNFU corresponding live dates, those cities, and the world of punk, would never be the same. And now after decades of being out of print, neither will your turntable.
In anticipation of Friday’s release, SNFU are pleased to share their new official music video for album centerpiece “Cannibal Cafe”. The video was compiled by Nathan Drillot and features unseen live footage with a special feature of Mike Belke. This Friday, SNFU’s Belke Brothers will celebrate the release at the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas. The two will partake in a round table discussion with special guests, in addition to a very special documentary premiere… stay updated HERE.
