Zoom "Sweet Desperation" LP

Side A: Subway Surfin, Massacre At Central High, Schoolgirl Hitchhiker, They Only Come Out At Night, I Hate You, Hollywood Babylon

Side B: Sweet Desperation, Young And Alive, Vampire Heat, Nowheresville, My Baby's Got No Brains, Slowdown, Where Have All The Good Times Gone?

Bored of cover bands and Toronto's stagnant bar scene, Chris Haight and John Hamilton formed ZOOM in 1976, inspired by such pre-punk touchstones as the Velvet Underground, Roxy Music, Bowie and Sparks. The band quickly set to gigging locally, but were soon caught up in the punk scene that exploded to life around them. An obscure but seminal 1977 45 -- arguably Toronto's first punk record-- was their sole release before the band dissolved as Haight joined the Viletones and Hamilton began drumming for the Diodes.

Despite their duties in two of Canada's leading punk bands, however, the pair didn't want great songs like "Schoolgirl Hitch Hiker", "My Baby's Got No Brains" and "They Only Come Out At Night" to go undocumented, so they entered the studio to get this stuff on tape. Produced by Bob Segarini and BB Gabor, and with musical contributions from members of The Ugly, The B-Girls and The Curse, the session captured a pretty special time in Toronto music history. It seems especially poignant that it would then remain unheard for decades.

In 2014, Hamilton, who had gone on to an illustrious career of his own but had never entirely forgotten Zoom, located the tapes and had them professionally baked and restored. A trove of photographs, flyers and graphics was similarly uncovered, and now Ugly Pop is very pleased to announce this 13-track LP. Superb pressing with full insert featuring new liner notes and unseen pictures, and this one won't be staying in print.