LTM is pleased to make available the entire recorded works of Miaow, the cult indie guitar band lead by Cath Carroll.

Alerted to their talents by a demo of their first single, Tony Wilson brought the group to Factory Records, which lead to the release of two unabashed pop singles in 1987: When It All Comes Down and Break the Code. As well as all the single sides and all eight tracks recorded for both Peel sessions (six of them otherwise unrecorded), this compilation also includes all compilation tracks, and two previously unheard demos (Carnal Drag and Fear of the Sun) for the never-completed Miaow album, Priceless Innuendo.

After the band splintered, Cath recorded her acclaimed solo debut for Factory, England Made Me (1991), itself recently re-released by LTM. Included in the extensive sleeve notes is a frank memoir by La Carroll herself.

Cath spent her teenage years in Manchester and co-edited the vitriolic scene sheet City Fun. After moving to London in 1984 she wrote for the NME and fronted Miaow, then relocated to Chicago in 1990. To date Cath has released four solo albums.  -James Nice / LTM Records

Miaow arrived in London on January 2, 1984 as the Gay Animals; Liz Naylor, Chris Fenner Jon Fell and myself, plus Stanley the cat, all bound for a newly-claimed squat. Our destination was on Rotherhithe Street, in an unwelcoming area of the Docklands. We had managed to inspire both vexation and indifference in the audiences of Manchester so it was time to seek fresh ears.

Although she would leave within 48 hours of arriving in London, La Naylor certainly left her imprint on the soon-to-be Miaow. We first met through a newspaper ad in 1979 when she was 16 and I was 18 and arranged to meet outside Debenhams, Stockport, one Sunday afternoon. I waited in the doorway for over half an hour. The only other person in sight that day was a ten year old delinquent of indeterminate gender who stood about two feet away from me in the same doorway. How odd that we should both be waiting for someone at the very same time in this godforsaken spot on this unforgiving March day!

Luckily we figured it out before the pubs closed and thus began a fine tradition of hiding Liz from the barman and getting chased out of the Ladies toilets (and sometimes the pub itself). We spent the next four years in a strange parallel universe, cloistered in our council flat, up to our elbows in Tippex and Copydex as we foisted out somewhat 19th Century world view on the local arts scene via the fanzine we had monopolized, City Fun.

Gay Animals began life as Glass Animals with bass player Cilla and drummer Pip Nicholls (the Distractions' bass player), and rehearsed determinedly. We were very kindly indulged by Kay Carroll and Mark Smith of  The Fall, and appeared with the band in several support slots across the north of England. Anxious to improve our stage presence, we used to perform behind a white sheet, I think Liz and I intended to eventually show ourselves when we felt we had sufficiently incubated our mystique. However, the affectation was short-lived as gig-goers found that they could just lift the sheet and look underneath.

In 1982, encouraged by New Hormones maestro Richard Boon, we began to manage Manchester-based messy art/messy jazz act, Ludus. It was most unconventional but utterly enchanting few months. We exacted our toll from Linder and Ian by opening for them on a variety of nationwide dates.

Gay Animals were variously augmented by Lynn Howe (bass), Adam Lesser (drums) and Kingsley (bass) and were equally influenced by the Fall and Vesta Tilley. Failing to hold on to a rhythm section, we bought a £20.00 rhythm unit, featuring six presets (five bossa novas and a march) and continued with the preset Latin thing until we met Chris and Jon. Fate is the only GA's song to survive here, and although the bossa box was long gone by the time we recorded this version, on a clear night you can still hear the ghostly yet relentless meter of preset #5: March. -Cath Carroll