If? - Saturday's Angels (12" Brain Mix)

If? - Saturday's Angels (Brain Mix) / 12 Inch Extended Remix (HQ Audio)

The big question with Saturday's Angels – how on earth was it not a hit?

It was adored in clubs across the UK in 1990, becoming an underground anthem that led to the band signing with MCA Records and gaining some airplay.

Yet none of If?'s four singles – nor their album English Boys on the Love Ranch – made the UK Top 40.

Paul Wells was the driving force behind the band, handling songwriting, vocals, bass, and synths. His album liner notes offer a glimpse into his life at the time: "MUFC, pills, discos, television, Mum & Dad, bed, Frank Worthington, flicks & books, alcohol, our kid & hers, Bubbles Mac D, LoveRanch Boys & my Jupiter 4".

MUFC, of course, stands for Manchester United Football Club, who also appears in Saturday's Angel's lyrics: "Guns and limousines / listening to Judy Teen / watching MUFC / winning the European".

If? was Wells' first major label project, but bandmates Sean McLusky (drums, machines, samples) and Rob Marche (guitar) had already been in the public eye. The duo played together in a late iteration of 1970s punk band Subway Sect and later formed JoBoxers, who scored two UK Top 10 hits in 1983.

McLusky was quite music industry empresario, running clubs across the UK for over four decades.

His first, the Brain Club on Wardour Street in Soho, London, only had a capacity of around 150 but attracted celebrities including Tom Cruise and Brigitte Nielsen, along with key figures of the scene such as Pete Tong, Andy Weatherall, Paul Oakenfold, and Graeme Park. The venue also hosted intimate early gigs by acts like Orbital and A Guy Called Gerald.

Saturday’s Angels was so popular at the Brain Club that this extended mix was named the Brain Mix. The track gained traction across the country, particularly within the Madchester scene in the northwest, becoming a regular feature on Stu Allan’s influential KEY103 dance music radio show and an anthem at Warrington’s famous Legends nightclub.

Perhaps part of the track’s appeal is that it hits hard while maintaining a deep groove, driven by hypnotic bass and lead synth lines. Paul's lyrics blend gritty realism with a sense of glamour rarely found in baggy tracks, or other dance music of the time.

This 12" version is longer than the album version, which in turn is longer than the single. A second 12" release features two remixes by Justin Robertson.

Despite its cult status, Saturday’s Angels – along with If?'s other releases – has left little trace. It’s not widely available on streaming platforms, and a YouTube search turns up only a single live performance from The Word on Channel 4.

A commercial failure, then – but a glorious one.

Saturday’s Angels may never have reached the audience it deserved, but perhaps its underground status means it holds an extra special nostalgia for those who connected with it at the time. And perhaps there's a little extra magic for those lucky enough to be discovering it for the first time, too.

Year: 1990 Label: MCA Cat no: MCAT1463