The Fallon brothers, John and David, had a habit of popping back and forth from Dublin to Los Angeles throughout the 1980s. In 1982 they teamed up with John's former bandmate from Chicago, Eddie Grzyb. John and David had been furiously writing songs since before Easter and by July '82 they were in the studio recording a 5 song EP as THE BLUE MACS in Los Angeles. They also did several shows around town and were involved in the Southern Californian neo-Mod scene. The self released EP was pressed in Chicago that autumn under the banner, "Blue Mac Records" (only 200 pressed). These copies were only given out to magazines, record companies, and collage radio stations. The record was never released commercially.

John and David went back to Dublin in early '83 and immediately received that fantastic review in the March 5, 1983 issue of MELODY MAKER in London. Their sound was compared to Paul Weller, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, and The Undertones. Paul Weller even sent them a personal note praising the band. Slash Records in L.A. quickly got in touch and invited them back and set them up with producer Ron Fair (who later went on to produce Christina Aguilera!). Things turns out that, at this point the brothers became THE STEPPES and recorded 4 songs with Ron Fair that became the A side of their debut mini LP on Hollywood’s Mystic Records.

Now, the Blue Macs record, itself, is a very special artifact. Besides being impossibly rare and expensive, it captures the very beginning of 2 songwriters that went on to an artistically lauded career in the US and throughout Europe. It isn't a strickly pop record, but rather the unleashing of 2 songwriters on a mission...elements of power pop, garage beat, inklings of psychedelia, British Mod revival, and even an element of what was later called introspective showgaze musings. Quite an accomplishment for a brand new band with a bucket of tunes in 1982. All of this was fleshed out to greater effect in the coming years. The Steppes did many LPs for Bomp/Voxx Records in L.A. and were licensed to many records labels all across Europe from England to Greece. The Steppes also marched their way across Europe on 2 major tours in 1988 and 1989...

The journey has not ended. John Fallon formed a new band a few years ago called THE LAISSEZ FAIRS with several release critically acclaimed in the USA and Europe. The pop/mod/psych mission is in full flight....it started in 1982 with The Blue Macs. Now almost 40 years later, Meanbean is bringing you back this piece of wax of what we like to describe as « Paisley Power Pop » back on the shelves. Limited to 350 copies and cut at 45rpm for better sound! Don’t Snooze on this one