“Small Wonder Small Wonder bonka bonk bonk. Small Wonder bonka bonk bonk”. Wonderful tom tom sound and one hell of a catchy punk rock song. One of the best Carpettes releases along with the “I Don’t Mean It” 7inch. The Carpettes are one of those bands that made some really really bad tracks and then all of a sudden some killer songs poped out. Like their first LP for example.
“As a band, The Carpettes were hamstrung by not having an image, or a scene into which they might fit.They were really firing on all cylinders when they were expected to fit into the birth of indie scenes everywhere, and it wasn’t easy for them. The songs can’t be faulted . . .” They’re still around so check them out: The Carpettes.
Country: UK
Year: 1978
Label: Small Wonder
Format: 7″
Songs:
Small Wonder.mp3
2 ne 1.mp3
Not sure what you mean by really bad tracks? both Small Wonder 7″s are excellent, but their two albums are patchy.
this record is a killer. one of my UK faves. and compared to this single, everything else they did SUCKED!!! it was CRAP!!! hahaha. seriously, this rules, and the rest dosent, im sorry. thank you for posting this!
ok, after further listening…. this is one of the best punk records from anywhere in the world at any time, fully deserving of the 250 bucks++ its fetching, which is sad, becasuse everyone should be hearing and owning this record!!!
Hey, this stuff is great! ps. Have you heard The Registrators when they cover “Small Wonder”?
Wonderful post. I really appreciate you upping the b-side too, this is a fantastic single!
James, I was thinking about some tracks on their albums.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvUt7yeAepw
Not that great, but maybe worth a view
$250?? I just got this on Ebay for about $40. Which is probably the most I’ve ever paid for a single, but totally worth it for this one.
I think their 1st album is great. Never heard the 2nd one though.
I saw these guys play a Small Wonder Records night with The Wall and Crass back in the late 70’s. If you want to hear some stuff from their second album there is a Best of the Carpettes that you can get via Captain Oi (on Anagram Records CDPUNK80). Small Wonder was one of my favourite tracks of theirs.
Question for Doug from Scotland if you are still reading?
Where was the Small Wonder Night?
I went to a few :walthamstow youth club,maybe the upstairs of that funny little Greek or Italian(?)restaurant on Hoe St where it got closed cos the floor was gonna collapse.. superb
Small Wonder Record Shop:The Best Shop EVER.
Rough Trade? It was crap in there. Snobs.
The Small Wonder night was at The Music Machine. It was organised by Final Solution and there were five bands on. Patrik Fitzgerald headlined. Also on the bill were The Wall (RIP Ian Lowery) and Crass. The Carpettes were hanging around in the audience but didn’t play.
Their Best Record period.They did some great records but this is the BEST thing they ever did.Their first Small Wonder EP(also listed on this blog)is also worthy of investigation
Hey Neil Thompson
If you are reading this,could you(or for that matter anybody)tell me whatever happened to Pete Stennet who ran the Small Wonder /Shop label.I am interested in doing some kind of project on the label.What exactly,I havent decided yet but its about high time someone acknowledged this label and its importance to the early scence both for the great music it produced and the influence that it had on the indie label scene that has florished since. I have been trying to track Pete Stennett down but to no avail and have also emailed Colin Faver who used to organize the Final Solution gigs but I have not heard back from him.If you or anyone knows how to contact him please drop me a line at groundhogfan@shaw.ca and please include the Subject matter Pete Stennett or Small Wonder so I know I am not recieving spoof mail.Thank you in advance to you and/or anyone who can or is willing to help me out in this matter,it will be greatly appreciated
Best Regards
Johnny Depressor(Former Manic Depressors Guitarist)
P.S:Hey Neil,The Carpettes Rock!!!
hey neil,we need that re union with the original members maybe some future neat neat neat??c mon u now it makes sense !!
so good…
Hello, this is Wag of Insane Society, please can you supply good quality scans of any 45 I have missing from my site at ww.45sleeves.co.uk
I’m desperate for all the Carpettes releases after giving my collection away with the invention of the CD
Hi Wag! Would love to but I just don’t have the time to do it.
hi folks
well,,Small Wonder was the only good record the band ever did,and everything else sucked badly eh? ;-) oh dear,how delueded is that?
thanks very much for the support,and i hope your hearing reecovers before its too late to enjoy everything else the band ever did! ;-)
also ,,genuinley thanks for the positive comments!
cheers
JimmyD( Guitarist-The Carpettes)
i´d say “how ´bout me and you” is as great as this one.
all the young punx… blablabla,, we all sent our mail order stuff to pete and his charming other, and going to walthamstow was just another world in 79! but what has happened to steve and ..mary(/was it?) please tell
Anybody know anything about the Victorian family featured on the Small Wonder labels etc or they( Pete and co.) got the the image?
Too many typos in first post… I try again : (
Anybody know anything about the Victorian family featured on the Small Wonder labels etc or where Pete and co. got the photo?
“Frustration Paradise” by The Carpettes was a great Indie Punk track, a B-Side twice over, once in studio and once live. This blog, and this thread, was mentioned 24/06/2011 by Mickey Bradley (Undertones) on BBC Radio Ulster, by the way. (-: