Mainly Spaniards

Andrew Schmidt

21 May 2013

Richard James was a familiar sight at punk-friendly Christchurch venues in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a member of Stanley Wrench and The Monkey Brothers and guest horn blower in popular new wave rockers The Vauxhalls.

His best group was Mainly Spaniards with guitarist Michael Jeffries, bass player Nick Strong and drummer David Swift (replaced by Tony Green), whose 1982 single for Flying Nun Records is an early label highpoint. The topside has James’ wryly observed ‘That’s What Your Friends Are For’ (drinking and cruising with a little advice sometimes) backed with the stunning bass pulse ‘Problems’ and the corrupted pop of ‘Secretaries Lunch Break’.

One of four cover variations on the only single from Mainly Spaniards

Richard James was in an early version of The Pterodactyls who recorded his song ‘Everytime It Rains’ for bFM’s Outnumbered By Sheep compilation in 1986, and later, The Letter Five, who released an EP on Flying Nun Records in 1991.

David Swift was a writer for the NME in the UK in the 1980s.

Richard James - vocals

Nick Strong - bass

David Swift - drums

Michael Jeffries - guitar

Tony Green - drums

Wikipedia

Mainly Spaniards artwork variations

Flying Nun

AudioCulture

Mainly Spaniards