“Inside Mind” / “Hour Of Degradation” (Flicknife FLS 207) February 1982

The Barracudas have been firm favourites of mine since the early eighties and I remember being genuinely upset when I read in Sounds that they had broken up because I had lost my chance to see them live. This must have been around 1984.

At the start of ’82 The Barracudas were no longer with EMI but had secured a deal with small label Flicknife Records, and “Inside Mind” was their one and only single for them, released at the back end of February 1982.

“Inside Mind” is a punchy guitar rocker most likely inspired by The Flamin’ Groovies and hinted at the sound they’d employ on the album “Mean Time”, released on Closer Records in 1983.

Interim new drummer Graeme Potter (ex Tom Robinson Band and The Spectres) bangs away neatly in the background and the Rickenbacker’s shine. The background harmonies are much deeper in the mix than during their surf-punk heyday. The song outro is vaguely psychedelic.

The record was co-produced by Frenchy Gloder, the in-house Flicknife technical leader. Engineer Steve Dewey had mainstream success with a slew of records by The Thompson Twins.