THE old adage of music and fashion being cyclical has been taken to the extreme by an Isle of Wight band enjoying acclaim for a single 38 years after its original release.
Formed on the Island in 1978, four-piece Cassie — originally known as Flirt — was a punk band comprised of guitarist Nigel Hayles, singer Debbie Barker, bassist Eric Biggs and Hugh Kim Lewis on drums.
The quartet released the single Change My Image, backed-with b-side Will You, through London's A.K.A. Records in 1982 to a low-key reception, and went their separate ways in 1985. That seemed to be that.
Decades passed, coiffures became more manageable, and astonishingly, among a rebellious backdrop of 2020 bratty bubblegum-punk resurgence, New York's Reminder Records re-released the track on seven inch vinyl.
Drummer Hugh said: "It’s fantastically exciting for this to be happening 38 years after the single was first released.
“You could have knocked me down with a feather when I listened to a voicemail and it was a record company from New York City saying they loved the song — I thought it was one of my mates on a wind-up to start with.
“I think the record sounds really fresh and snappy, and it would be great to actually make a couple of quid this time around!”
Andy Barding of Newport's AAA Records, which is set to stock the single, said: "It was a complete flop at the time, but has since gone on to enjoy cult status.
"It was only when a customer got in touch looking for a copy I discovered Reminder Records were about to re-release it, so I arranged to import a small box full of the records.
"It's exciting to bring this perfect little record back home to the Island. We have a limited quantity available and I expect them to sell out, sharpish."
Anybody wanting to pre-order a copy — a limited edition heavyweight import pressing —should contact AAA Records through Facebook or on 07530 690442.
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