HOUSEMARTINS: “London 0 Hull 4” LP

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HOUSEMARTINS: “London 0 Hull 4” LP

London 0 Hull 4 is the debut album by The Housemartins, released in June 1986. It contains the singles “Flag Day” (#124 UK), “Sheep” (#54 UK), “Happy Hour” (#3 UK) and “Think for a Minute” (#18 UK).

The title refers to the band’s home city of Kingston upon Hull and is in the format of a football score. It also refers to singer Paul Heaton’s assertion that the Housemartins were only the fourth best band in Hull, suggesting London had no great bands at all. The other three Hull bands in question were Red Guitars, Everything but the Girl and The Gargoyles.The title “London 0 Hull 4” was used by various newspapers as a headline in October 2008 after the city’s newly promoted football team, Hull City, beat West Ham United to take a fourth win out of four against London-based clubs (having previously beaten Fulham, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur).

The liner notes and lyrics reflect Heaton’s interest at that time in Christianity and Marxism. For example, the back cover of the album contains the message, “Take Jesus – Take Marx – Take Hope”.

“Happy Hour”
“Get Up Off Our Knees” (Paul Heaton, Stan Cullimore, Ted Key)
“Flag Day” (Paul Heaton, Stan Cullimore, Ted Key)
“Anxious”
“Reverends Revenge” (instrumental)
“Sitting on a Fence”
“Sheep”
“Over There”
“Think for a Minute”
“We’re Not Deep”
“Lean on Me” (Paul Heaton, Pete Wingfield)
“Freedom” (Paul Heaton, Stan Cullimore, Ted Key)