Iron Claw - Dismorphophobia fear of being ugly (1970) - Page 2

Sir Lord Doom · 12-19-2004, 03:55 AM

I just remember that I liked the album alot. Haven't listened to it since my CD player broke down in 2003 but now I have a new one and will surely give it a spin. By the way, I love some canadian bands, Spirit of Christmas and Warpig, next to the big ones like Rush of course. Especially Warpig was shredding stuff.

great_knuthulhu · 03-27-2005, 06:30 PM

It is quite likely that the band recording those songs did not use either of those names. Quite common thing to do, and I specifically suspect Audio Archives of it.

ironclaw · 03-30-2005, 04:39 PM

Hi to all fans of Iron Claw, this is the original bass player Alex contacting you all, the Iron Claw/ Antrobus CD's on sale are "bootlegs" both taken from a cassette made in 1974. The cassette was a compilation of some of the recordings made by the Claw between 1970-74. By the way, Antrobus is a figment of some bootlegger's imagination and the story given on the cd is sheer hokum from beginning to end... if you want the real story, either contact me via this board, or try finding www.ironclaw.net for a website with free downloads from the original master tapes, and other goodies... thanks for the comments, rock on everybody...

verminjones · 03-30-2005, 10:14 PM

Thanks for the link, Alex! I'm listening to "Crossrocker" right now - this is really good, and super heavy for it's time. I have the Dismorphophobia release, and the mp3 of "Claustrophobia" sounds much better than the bootleg cd. Are there any more tracks from the Clawstrophobia sessions? "Claustrophobia" was my favourite track from the cd, so I'd really like to hear more, if there is any.

edit: I notice the lyrics to War Pigs sound like the original pre-LP Sabbath lyrics - how'd you end up singing these ones?

Marc · 03-31-2005, 08:03 PM

Hey Alex, wow man, those mp3´s are great..waaaay better sound than the CD. Those unreleased songs from the Edinburgh demo sound like good studio recordings.. Hey why don´t you release/compile an OFFICIAL Iron Claw CD, with this way better sounding material, and some cool liner notes/photo´s?
I guess there´ll be enough underground labels who´d like to release it!

Monster · 03-31-2005, 08:48 PM

Hell yes! I'd like to release it and give it the full treatment...lyrics, liner notes, photos, remastering, etc. Contact me: dennis@monsterrecords.com

ironclaw · 04-09-2005, 04:24 PM

Thanks for the compliments Marc, sorry for the delay in replying, I had pressing business to attend to.. For all Iron Claw fans out there, here's a brief history of the band... Formed in the summer of '69 (honest!) in Dumfries, Scotland, by yours truly on bass gtr, I recruited Jimmy Ronnie, 15 years old, on lead gtr, and Ian McDougall, 15 years old, on drums. They were, quite simply, the best local musicians on their respective instruments even at that young age. We were heavily influenced by seeing Black Sabbath in November 1969 playing at Dumfries Youth Club, playing their, as yet, unreleased first LP. (By the way, it cost 12 pence admission to see them, that's approx. 20 cents!). I still have a tape recording of that evening, it's very rough but you can hear Sabbath's original style..... We decided to start writing our own songs, and recruited a vocalist, Mike Waller, 16 years old, in December 1969 who was also from Dumfries. Although we started by playing Sabbath covers (eg Warpigs, our live version recorded with the original Sabbath lyrics on 16th July 1970 at Moffat, Scotland), we realised we had to get our own material, and in Edinburgh, 17th September 1970 made our first attempt at a studio recording, 2 songs, "Mist Eye" and "Sabotage", recorded and mixed on the same night on a 4-track machine. Then on 5th December 1970, we travelled to London and recorded our first attempt at an LP, 8 songs recorded and mixed on a 4-track machine, again all in one day, with only one guitar overdub. This first LP, entitled "Clawstrophobia" featured a "heavy" side, and a side with what we hoped could be potential singles. The songs were called
"Clawstrophobia"
"Crossrocker"
"Skullcrusher"
"Mist Eye"
"Sabotage"
"Bright Future"
"Take Me To Your Leader"
"Saga"
Black Sabbath were touring with Curved Air in January 1971, and since we were still big fans, met them after their Edinburgh show. They remembered us from Dumfries and other shows we'd been to, and asked for a copy of the LP tape. We travelled to Newcastle the following night and gave them a copy of the tape to see if they could help us on our quest for a record company. The next thing we knew we were getting warned off with a threat of being sued for sounding too much like them!.... Mike Waller left mid-May 1971 and thus came to an end the first incarnation of Iron Claw... More info will follow if you wish.... Keep rocking, Alex.

great_knuthulhu · 04-09-2005, 06:55 PM

Thanks a mile for the info and the mp3s. I have to admit to owning the bootleg, but if Monster releases an official album where you actually get the royalties I will most certainly buy it.

RagnarokRadio · 04-10-2005, 11:27 AM

Yeah! I'd love to see a Monster Records "reissue" of the Iron Claw material. I own some of the MR releases... They do a bang-up good job! Hope things can be put in-order... Love to hear that stuff on fresh, virgin vinyl.

Marc · 04-11-2005, 12:36 PM

Yes, that´s a real interesting story Alex! Sabbath wanted to sue you guys? I mean, c´mon, Sabbath themselves also ´borrowed´ riffs from others. Maybe Sabbath even took some ideas from that Iron Claw tape, haha (well, you never know..).
It´s a pity Iron Claw (like so many others) never got a proper deal cuz these songs are better than 98% of everything that was released in those days on the bigger labels...
Anyway, yeah, Monster is a great label and I´d love to hear this stuff properly...so better late, than never right?
Keep rockin´ and keep the stories comin´

Bloodrock 1970 · 04-13-2005, 06:28 AM

"Claustrophobia" is a real kick ass track! Glad I never bought the bootleg... You guys aren't the first to be ripped off by one of those "labels". Can't wait for an official release!

BTW, it would be kick ass if you could share that Black Sabbath concert with us... There aren't any known live recordings of Sabbath from '69 in existance! I'd love to hear more of the Iron Claw story, too.

ironclaw · 04-19-2005, 05:10 PM

Thanks Bloodrock, because I still don't fancy getting sued by the Sabs, I'll stick just one track on the Claw site in the next few days and see what happens...

ironclaw · 04-19-2005, 05:14 PM

I have been in touch with Monster Records and am busy organising all the material so they can listen to it and see if they want to put it out, it will take a few weeks, but who cares how long it takes after waiting 30 years? Keep on rocking, Alex.

Bloodrock 1970 · 04-19-2005, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ironclaw

I have been in touch with Monster Records and am busy organising all the material so they can listen to it and see if they want to put it out, it will take a few weeks, but who cares how long it takes after waiting 30 years? Keep on rocking, Alex.

Awesome! What songs are you planning on putting on the official release?

As for the Sabbath stuff, I'm sure you could bypass any possibility of litigation by just sending the show to some people here to distribute/trade themselves.

ironclaw · 04-20-2005, 06:40 PM

Hi Bloodrock, how do I send the show to people on this site?

12-19-2004, 03:55 AM	#16
Sir Lord Doom Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Glückstadt, 65 kilometres north west from Hamburg! Holstein über alles!!!! Posts: 2,460	I just remember that I liked the album alot. Haven't listened to it since my CD player broke down in 2003 but now I have a new one and will surely give it a spin. By the way, I love some canadian bands, Spirit of Christmas and Warpig, next to the big ones like Rush of course. Especially Warpig was shredding stuff. __________________ I’m hungry, weary, but I cannot lay me downThe rain comes, dreary, but there’s no shelter I have foundIt will be a long time till I find my abodeHere I am on man’s road, walking man’s road

03-27-2005, 06:30 PM	#17
great_knuthulhu Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Norway Posts: 350	re: Antrobus/Iron Claw It is quite likely that the band recording those songs did not use either of those names. Quite common thing to do, and I specifically suspect Audio Archives of it. __________________ Vo skal føre våre runer om vi det ikke selv må?

03-30-2005, 10:14 PM	#19
verminjones Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Posts: 830	Thanks for the link, Alex! I'm listening to "Crossrocker" right now - this is really good, and super heavy for it's time. I have the Dismorphophobia release, and the mp3 of "Claustrophobia" sounds much better than the bootleg cd. Are there any more tracks from the Clawstrophobia sessions? "Claustrophobia" was my favourite track from the cd, so I'd really like to hear more, if there is any. edit: I notice the lyrics to War Pigs sound like the original pre-LP Sabbath lyrics - how'd you end up singing these ones? Last edited by verminjones; 03-30-2005 at 10:23 PM.

03-31-2005, 08:48 PM	#21
Monster Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 312	Hell yes! I'd like to release it and give it the full treatment...lyrics, liner notes, photos, remastering, etc. Contact me: dennis@monsterrecords.com __________________ There in the middle of the people he stands...

04-09-2005, 06:55 PM	#23
great_knuthulhu Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Norway Posts: 350	Thanks a mile for the info and the mp3s. I have to admit to owning the bootleg, but if Monster releases an official album where you actually get the royalties I will most certainly buy it. __________________ Vo skal føre våre runer om vi det ikke selv må?

03-30-2005, 04:39 PM	#18
ironclaw Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 11	Hi to all fans of Iron Claw, this is the original bass player Alex contacting you all, the Iron Claw/ Antrobus CD's on sale are "bootlegs" both taken from a cassette made in 1974. The cassette was a compilation of some of the recordings made by the Claw between 1970-74. By the way, Antrobus is a figment of some bootlegger's imagination and the story given on the cd is sheer hokum from beginning to end... if you want the real story, either contact me via this board, or try finding www.ironclaw.net for a website with free downloads from the original master tapes, and other goodies... thanks for the comments, rock on everybody...

03-31-2005, 08:03 PM	#20
Marc Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Amsterdam Posts: 14	Hey Alex, wow man, those mp3´s are great..waaaay better sound than the CD. Those unreleased songs from the Edinburgh demo sound like good studio recordings.. Hey why don´t you release/compile an OFFICIAL Iron Claw CD, with this way better sounding material, and some cool liner notes/photo´s? I guess there´ll be enough underground labels who´d like to release it!

04-09-2005, 04:24 PM	#22
ironclaw Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 11	Thanks for the compliments Marc, sorry for the delay in replying, I had pressing business to attend to.. For all Iron Claw fans out there, here's a brief history of the band... Formed in the summer of '69 (honest!) in Dumfries, Scotland, by yours truly on bass gtr, I recruited Jimmy Ronnie, 15 years old, on lead gtr, and Ian McDougall, 15 years old, on drums. They were, quite simply, the best local musicians on their respective instruments even at that young age. We were heavily influenced by seeing Black Sabbath in November 1969 playing at Dumfries Youth Club, playing their, as yet, unreleased first LP. (By the way, it cost 12 pence admission to see them, that's approx. 20 cents!). I still have a tape recording of that evening, it's very rough but you can hear Sabbath's original style..... We decided to start writing our own songs, and recruited a vocalist, Mike Waller, 16 years old, in December 1969 who was also from Dumfries. Although we started by playing Sabbath covers (eg Warpigs, our live version recorded with the original Sabbath lyrics on 16th July 1970 at Moffat, Scotland), we realised we had to get our own material, and in Edinburgh, 17th September 1970 made our first attempt at a studio recording, 2 songs, "Mist Eye" and "Sabotage", recorded and mixed on the same night on a 4-track machine. Then on 5th December 1970, we travelled to London and recorded our first attempt at an LP, 8 songs recorded and mixed on a 4-track machine, again all in one day, with only one guitar overdub. This first LP, entitled "Clawstrophobia" featured a "heavy" side, and a side with what we hoped could be potential singles. The songs were called "Clawstrophobia" "Crossrocker" "Skullcrusher" "Mist Eye" "Sabotage" "Bright Future" "Take Me To Your Leader" "Saga" Black Sabbath were touring with Curved Air in January 1971, and since we were still big fans, met them after their Edinburgh show. They remembered us from Dumfries and other shows we'd been to, and asked for a copy of the LP tape. We travelled to Newcastle the following night and gave them a copy of the tape to see if they could help us on our quest for a record company. The next thing we knew we were getting warned off with a threat of being sued for sounding too much like them!.... Mike Waller left mid-May 1971 and thus came to an end the first incarnation of Iron Claw... More info will follow if you wish.... Keep rocking, Alex.

04-10-2005, 11:27 AM	#24
RagnarokRadio Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Elm City!!! Posts: 105	Yeah! I'd love to see a Monster Records "reissue" of the Iron Claw material. I own some of the MR releases... They do a bang-up good job! Hope things can be put in-order... Love to hear that stuff on fresh, virgin vinyl.

04-11-2005, 12:36 PM	#25
Marc Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Amsterdam Posts: 14	Yes, that´s a real interesting story Alex! Sabbath wanted to sue you guys? I mean, c´mon, Sabbath themselves also ´borrowed´ riffs from others. Maybe Sabbath even took some ideas from that Iron Claw tape, haha (well, you never know..). It´s a pity Iron Claw (like so many others) never got a proper deal cuz these songs are better than 98% of everything that was released in those days on the bigger labels... Anyway, yeah, Monster is a great label and I´d love to hear this stuff properly...so better late, than never right? Keep rockin´ and keep the stories comin´

04-13-2005, 06:28 AM	#26
Bloodrock 1970 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 147	"Claustrophobia" is a real kick ass track! Glad I never bought the bootleg... You guys aren't the first to be ripped off by one of those "labels". Can't wait for an official release! BTW, it would be kick ass if you could share that Black Sabbath concert with us... There aren't any known live recordings of Sabbath from '69 in existance! I'd love to hear more of the Iron Claw story, too. Last edited by Bloodrock 1970; 04-13-2005 at 06:44 AM.

04-19-2005, 05:10 PM	#27
ironclaw Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 11	Thanks Bloodrock, because I still don't fancy getting sued by the Sabs, I'll stick just one track on the Claw site in the next few days and see what happens...

04-19-2005, 05:14 PM	#28
ironclaw Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 11	I have been in touch with Monster Records and am busy organising all the material so they can listen to it and see if they want to put it out, it will take a few weeks, but who cares how long it takes after waiting 30 years? Keep on rocking, Alex.

04-20-2005, 06:40 PM	#30
ironclaw Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 11	Hi Bloodrock, how do I send the show to people on this site?

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