Here’s how Third Man Records’ Dave Buick describes his reaction to first hearing the music of Magic Roundabout:

“I walk in to the studio, Warren [Defever] is working away. Feedback, hypnotizing bass line, perfect female vocal harmonies and a drummer so minimal you just know they are standing coming out of the speakers. All I could see was stripes and paisleys. I became instantly obsessed with tracking down this mystery band’s complete discography. ‘They don’t have a discography you say?’ Just like that my obsession had become dangerous and unhealthy.”

The footprint left behind by Manchester’s Magic Roundabout was a small one. During the band’s incarnation in the later part of the 1980s, they released just one song. “She’s a Waterfall (Parts 1 and 2)” was included on a 1987 fanzine cassette compilation titled Oozing Through The Ozone Layer that was put together by Mark Webber of Pulp, which also included two Pulp numbers as well as songs by Spacemen 3 and the Television Personalities. They were in good company, clearly. The Magic Roundabout was supposed to put out a flexi-disc, but that never happened and the band—who opened for the likes of The Pastels, Blue Aeroplanes, Spacemen 3, Loop, My Bloody Valentine, and Inspiral Carpets—broke up.

The tapes of several songs they’d recorded were thought to be lost, but were recently unearthed by former Pale Saint Ian Masters and restored by Warren Defever (His Name Is Alive) for a full-length Magic Roundabout archival compilation that will come out later in the year.

For now, feast your eyes and ears on “Sneaky Feelin” which is now available—backed with “Song For Gerard Langley” (he of Blue Airplanes fame)—on a 7” vinyl single from Third Man Records.

Ian Masters wondered “How did the music industry miss these talented teenagers? They were fucking idiots, that’s how.” He’s not wrong.