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strawfansite.bsky.social
Strawberry Switchblade fansite
@strawfansite.bsky.social
440 followers 98 following 1.1K posts
The comprehensive online archive of all things #StrawberrySwitchblade since 2003. Posting about the band, nattering about music in general.

https://strawberryswitchblade.net
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Happy birthday to Jill Bryson, born this day 1961!

The voice, the melodies, the songs, the style, always inventive in her myriad forms of creative expression.
Jill Bryson in 1983. She's looking at the camera, heavy eye make-up, hair backcombed, a headband trails long ribbons. Jill Bryson, photogra[phed by Paul Cox, 1984. A monochrome photo, she looks at the camera, a hand with Indian finger jewellery is raised and holds ribbons trailing from a headband. The image has a high contrast, her facial features are barely defined. Jill Bryson as a young child, yet wearing a very Strawberry Switchblade outfit - polka dot pinny and a big matching bow in her hair. Jill Bryson in 2023, in her painting studio
February 11, 2026 at 11:46 AM
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WTF is going on here? Strawberry Switchblade are depicted on the picture sleeve for a 1985 single by comedian Russ Abbot! 🧵
The cover of All Night Holiday by Russ Abbot - a painting of a beach scene with pop stars as descrivbed in the post.
February 10, 2026 at 4:57 PM
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On this day in 1985, Strawberry Switchblade recorded their 5th & final BBC radio session. Although Since Yesterday was still in the top 10 & the album was imminent, the band recorded 4 new songs. Here's Nothing Changes, written & sung by Jill Bryson. 🧵

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXnj...
Strawberry Switchblade - Nothing Changes (John Peel session 1985)
YouTube video by Strawberry Switchblade
www.youtube.com
February 5, 2026 at 3:35 PM
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Strawberry Switchblade photos from the session for the cover of debut single Trees and Flowers, 1983

📸©️Peter McArthur, used with permission
February 4, 2026 at 3:31 PM
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Wonderful find from Robin Rimbaud on X - a 1984 flier for gigs promoted by Bliss, inc Strawberry Switchblade supporting Farmers Boys at Camden Electric Ballroom. It also has Nick Cave when the Bad Seeds were The Cavemen, between the recording & release of From Her To Eternity 🧵
Slightly tatty leaflet listing gigs in March, April and May 1984, including Allen Ginsberg at the Albert Hall, Cocteau Twins at the Royal Festival Hall, and Strawberry Switchblade and Nick Cave at the Electric Ballroom.
January 27, 2026 at 5:04 PM
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On this day in 1985, Strawberry Switchblade had their second #topofthepops appearance as Since Yesterday peaked at number 5 in the UK charts

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCXF...
Strawberry Switchblade - Since Yesterday (second TOTP performance, 24 January 1985)
YouTube video by Strawberry Switchblade
www.youtube.com
January 24, 2026 at 5:16 PM
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On this day in 1984, Strawberry Switchblade recorded their first BBC radio session for Janice Long, with their 5-piece indie guitar line-up, a few months before they decided to go for electro arrangements instead (forgive the quality, taped off the radio at the time!)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPFS...
Strawberry Switchblade - Deep Water (Janice Long session January 1984)
YouTube video by Strawberry Switchblade
www.youtube.com
January 23, 2026 at 5:06 PM
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Something odd just happened - Go Away is now Strawberry Switchblade's second most streamed track on Spotify, overtaking Since Yesterday. 🧵
Screenshot os Strawberry Switchblade's listenrership on Spotify. Trees and Flowers is top with over 39 million streams. Go Away is second with 6 million, 734 thousand, one hundred and twelve streams. Since Yesterday is third with 6 million, 731 thousand, five hundred and twenty two streams.
January 22, 2026 at 5:06 PM
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On this day in 1985, it finally happened - Strawberry Switchblade's Since Yesterday had entered the top 40 singles chart and they were featured in the iconic Top of the Pops show.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=otrR...
Strawberry Switchblade - Since Yesterday (first TOTP performance, 10 January 1985)
YouTube video by Strawberry Switchblade
www.youtube.com
January 10, 2026 at 12:50 PM
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Rose McDowall's polka dot fixation way preceded Strawberry Switchblade! Here she is with her earlier band, The Poems. The photo shows Rose at the left, Ian sitting next to her, her daughter Keri, and Drew McDowall in a Poems T shirt (plus unidentified person standing).
Black and white photo of five young people. Rose McDowall is leaning against a wall in two-piece trouser suit of sorts with large black polka dots.
January 7, 2026 at 8:21 AM
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Happy birthday Phil Thornalley, 66 today! As Strawberry Switchblade were finishing their album, Thornalley was recruited to produce Let Her Go & the proto-dreampop Who Knows What Love Is. Here's the video for the latter, directed by another Cure collaborator, Tim Pope.
youtu.be/l-WwKeT3Pvw
Strawberry Switchblade - Who Knows What Love Is [High Quality]
YouTube video by Strawberry Switchblade
youtu.be
January 5, 2026 at 11:30 AM
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41 years ago this week the UK saw TV ads for Strawberry Switchblade's Since Yesterday. The single had bobbed about in the low end of the charts since Oct. The record label thought with a bit of a push it could get through the Christmas charts & be a big hit in the new year. They were right.
December 29, 2025 at 2:53 PM
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Not your traditional festive tune. Here's Rose McDowall singing Christmas Time Is Drawing Near, from Coil's 1999 EP 'Winter Solstice: North'

www.youtube.com/watch?v=faGE...
Coil - Christmas Is Now Drawing Near
YouTube video by Virgil Pink
www.youtube.com
December 23, 2025 at 2:47 PM
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Happy birthday Robin Millar, 74 today! Producer of Sade & Fine Young Cannibals he also made 2 tracks with Strawberry Switchblade that were supposed to be the start of the album. The indie guitar sound's very different to where the songs ended up. Here's Secrets:
🧵

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfgM...
Strawberry Switchblade - Secrets (Robin Millar version)
YouTube video by Strawberry Switchblade
www.youtube.com
December 18, 2025 at 2:57 PM
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Unused photos from the session for Strawberry Switchblade's debut album cover, 1984.

(📸©️ Peter McArthur, used with permission)
Monochrome photo of Jull and Rose in white dresses with black polka dots. Jill leans away, eyes closed while Rose in the foreground looks in the other direction. Monochrome photo of Jull and Rose in white dresses with black polka dots. Jill and Rose both looking to the left, in different directions Monochrome photo of Jull and Rose in white dresses with black polka dots. Jill leans backwards with eyes closed while Rose in the foreground faces right but has her head turned to look into the camera The cover of Strawberry Switchblade's eponymous debut album. A monochrome photo of Jull and Rose in white dresses with black polka dotshas been coloured so their lips are red and the plastic flowered headbands trailing ribbons are all in colour.
December 17, 2025 at 9:20 AM
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Strawberry Switchblade - Hyde Park, London, summer 1983

(📸©️ Peter McArthur, used with permission)
Jill and Rose lie on the grass in the sunshine wearing polka dots and shades
December 16, 2025 at 8:45 AM
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Strawberry Switchblade - Since Yesterday performed on Japanese TV, 1985.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-2S...
Strawberry Switchblade - Since Yesterday (Japanese TV 1985)
YouTube video by Strawberry Switchblade
www.youtube.com
December 14, 2025 at 11:28 AM
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41 years ago this week, December 1984, if you were rushing out to buy the latest Smash Hits you'd have found Strawberry Switchblade on their first ever national magazine cover.
Cover of Smash Hits magazine featuring Strawberry Switchblade in all their ribboned, backcombed polka dot finery, looking at the camera
December 7, 2025 at 3:10 PM
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5 years after Stephen Lawrence's murder there was a public inquiry. It was supposed to be the Met coming clean. But they didn't reveal #spycops had been spying on the Lawrence family. Whistleblower officer Peter Francis wanted to tell but was overruled.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Spycops whistleblower says bosses stopped him revealing surveillance of Stephen Lawrence family
Peter Francis says he had ‘hostile’ exchanges over telling 1990s Macpherson inquiry into racist murder about covert operation
www.theguardian.com
December 5, 2025 at 10:37 PM
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Strawberry Switchblade in the studio during the recording of their album, mid 1984. As befits a practical, work-focused day they are underdressed by their standards (though still flamboyant by anyone else's).
Four people stand in a room against a wall, smiling for the camera. Rose McDowall and Jill Bryson are in the middle in short dresses and hairbands with plastic flowers and long trailing ribbons. They are flanked by two casually dressed men of a comparable age. The walls have pictures of musicians, it appears to be one of Ringo Starr just behind Jill.
November 26, 2025 at 8:06 AM
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44 years ago today, 22 November 1981, an indie quartet called Strawberry Switchblade went to record a demo at the Hellfire Club, a 4-track studio in Glasgow. The 4 young women made a 3 song tape to help them get their first gigs. 🧵
Page from the Hellfire Club ledger dated Sunday 22 November 1981, listing the three songs and which instrument goes on each of the four tracks on the master tape. Page from the Hellfire Club ledger listing the Strawbery Switchblade songs recorded and the instruments used.
November 22, 2025 at 11:23 AM
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Strawberry Switchblade's Trees & Flowers (Just Music), the instrumental bonus track from the 1983 12" single with a gorgeous pastoral arrangement. Never been reissued & online versions were iffy quality so we just had it digitised from our treasured vinyl. Enjoy!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6-6...
Strawberry Switchblade - Trees and Flowers (Just Music) (high quality)
YouTube video by Strawberry Switchblade
www.youtube.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:32 PM
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New Trees and Flowers cover version just dropped! Madeline Goldstein did this beautiful rendition with Faith-era Cure vibes (and authentic sartorial choices) on 30 October at the Empty Bottle in Chicago.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=s85Y...
Madeline Goldstein - Trees and Flowers (Strawberry Switchblade live cover) Chicago 2025
YouTube video by Von Gehenna
www.youtube.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:30 PM
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Strawberry Switchblade backstage at Reading University, 42 years ago today, 12 Nov 1983.

Jill: ‘That was our dressing room – we had to get ready in the public toilets! There we are with a table of beer & crisps in the toilet. The glamour!’

(📸©️Peter McArthur, used with permission)
Rose and Jill sit wearing black polka dot flamenco dresses and large headbands with colourful plastic flowers. in front of them are numerous open beer bottles on a table, beside and behind them are hand basins.
November 12, 2025 at 4:30 PM
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If you were rushing out to buy the new Smash Hits this week in 1984 you'd find future Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant was reviewing the new singles. He declared Strawberry Switchblade's Since Yesterday to be 'one of the few records this week which isn't trying to sound like something else'.
Scan of a section of a page of Smash Hits. It reads: Singles reviewed by Neil Tennant STRAWBERRY SWITCHBLADE Since Yesterday (Korova) This begins, if I’m not mistaken, with a snatch of something famous by the composer Sibelius, and then ventures into a wistful melody, sung in brittle harmonies which touches the heart. One of the few records this week which isn’t trying to sound like something else.
November 9, 2025 at 1:00 PM