A Record Collector's Guide

Continuing from the end of the Tiger Trap era, this page covers another of Rose Melberg's projects: Go Sailor. Go Sailor's entire catalogue spans 14 songs, spread over three singles and two compilation appearances. Go Sailor was like Tiger Trap minus the occasional loud guitar moment. It was like the energy that had once been placed behind the electric guitar was suddenly funneled into lyrics. Go Sailor songs were either revoltingly sweet or delightfully bitter. Sometimes both. Good stuff.

Periscope

Yo Yo Recordings YOYO 3, released 1994

Contains the Go Sailor song "Last Year" and the Team Dresch song "Fake Fight"

Very soon after the demise of Tiger Trap, Go Sailor songs started appearing. This comp was the first of those appearances. Some great stuff on here, including a version of Team Dresch's "Fake Fight" that was different from the one that ended up on Personal Best. The comp came out on purple marble and black vinyl. The purple one is more of a blue-purple marble color than that of the Julep compilation. The record can go for a fair amount of money, presumably because of the Beck appearance.

This page was last updated on November 18, 2019.

Fine Day for Sailing/I'm Still Crying b/w I Just Do/Bigger Than an Ocean

Yo Yo Recordings YOYO 7-1, released 1994

The first of the three Go Sailor 7" EPs that came out in quick succession in 1994 was released on Yo Yo. It was on both mint blue-green marble and black vinyl.

This page was last updated on November 18, 2019.

V/A - A Slice of Lemon 2xLP

Lookout!/Kill Rock Stars KRS100, released 1995

Contains the Go Sailor song "Silly"

This was always an odd compilation. It was a joint release between Lookout! and Kill Rock Stars, and the bands on it were all over the map. Double LP, black vinyl.

This page was last updated on November 18, 2019.

Long Distance/Windy b/w Blue Sky/The Boy Who Sailed Around the World

Slumberland SLR 036, released 1995

Long Distance is one of the greatest sweet-sounding-but-actually-evil songs out there. Good stuff. Mail order copies of this record were on red marble vinyl. Those are pretty tough to find, but not impossible. The rest were on black.

This page was last updated on November 18, 2019.

Don't Go/Ray of Sunshine b/w Together Forever in Love/Every Day

Lookout! LK-137, released 1995

This was the abrupt end of the line for Go Sailor. 14 songs across two comps and three 7"s. I am fairly certain this one only came out on mint blue marble vinyl.

This page was last updated on November 18, 2019.

Go Sailor

Lookout! LK-153 CD, released 1996

Slumberland Record SLR-144 LP, released 2011

Wrapping up the Go Sailor recordings was this CD, released on Lookout! after all of the aforementioned vinyl had come out. It had all 14 of their songs on it, and the insert didn't fit into the tray correctly. That always bothered me. Many, many years later, Slumberland re-released this album on vinyl for the first time. It was on green marble and black vinyl - the green marble version was only available through Slumberland mail order, and has gotten expensive in the last couple of years. The black one is a bit easier to find, but is still fairly tough, and they have both gotten expensive. I think the vinyl ended up spiking the CD price as well, as that has appreciated a bit in recent years.

This page was last updated on November 18, 2019.

Long Distance (Alternate Mix)

Take a Day #4/I Wish I Was a Slumberland Record #14, released 2010

Wait...what?!? Yep - it's a new Go Sailor record, 15 years later. This one-sided single came out in 2010. When I saw it for sale, it completely threw me. I thought it was a test pressing. Not so...it was actually released in 2010 with a "Happy 20th Anniversary Slumberland Records!" message on the back of the sleeve. It's a solid alternate take, and it is getting difficult to find. Grey marble vinyl with plain white labels.

This page was last updated on November 18, 2019.