Steve Mitchell is a leading authority on UK punk and twee pop, and he wrote all of your favorite Pooh Sticks songs. Those things along make him very popular here in the Little Hits mansion, but if those weren't enough, today we examine his collaboration with Michel von der Woude, International Language. The duo has thus far produced one LP, a delightful concept piece about groupies and fandomania entitled Where the Bands Are. WTBA spun off a couple of singles; the one presented here was pressed up as a promo-only sort of device with blank labels.

Unfortunaltely, International Language had their record released by SFTRI, which made it sort of inevitable that it would get lost in the shuffle. The same week this CD came out, for instance, SFTRI also released records by the Devil Whores, the Demon Prostitutes, the High School Cheerleader Sluts, God Scum, Scum God, and three different Billy Childish records, all of which, unlike Where the Bands Are, had sleeves portraying horned women with large pointy breasts.

Steve is rather good-natured about the fact that Where the Bands Are did not make him a household name, but lately, as he relaxes with his lovely wife, his cats, and many, many punk rock 45s, he is plotting another IntLang record. We'll keep you posted.