Whether it's true or not, Gerard Cosloy of Matador records got much of the blame for the 3 year delay in the release of the Teenbeat 50 compilation and Unrest's Fuck Pussy Galore (& All Her Friends) (TB 67 / OLE-024).

Neither of these releases may have seen the light had not Unrest had the good fortune of signing with 4AD earlier that year and their album Imperial FFRR (TB 77) being listed at number 8 in Spin Magazines "Best of 1992" list.

By the time Teenbeat 50 was released several of the then current bands had broken up (Bastro, Autoclave, etc.) and the direction that the label had taken by 1993 was somewhat misrepresented by the late release.

1993 had been a defining year for the label (if not the defining year - that would be 1994) with releases by Unrest, Grenadine, Blast Off Country Style, Eggs, Grenadine, Jonny Cohen and Gastr Del Sol and of the 24 artists (on the CD release) only 7 bands were actively part of the Teenbeat roster: Vomit Launch, Bells Of, Unrest, Jonny Cohen, Sexual Milkshake, Eggs and Butch Willis.

Yet, for all of its release problems the CD itself holds up suprisingly well and as a companion to the Teenbeat 100 7" released earlier that year (far more representative of the label) and would have given many of Teenbeat's lesser known artists their largest exposure to date.

By 1993, cassettes were already heading to their grave (Teenbeats last cassettes were likely issued in 1995 or 1996) and in an effort to keep the cassette alive labels were offering slightly different tracklistings for CDs, LPs and Cassettes. Though "Teenbeat Theme 1985 / Teenbeat Epilogue" has been mentioned as appearing only on the CD, it in fact appears the same on both,

Justin Chearno's "Ninetyonesixtyfive" appears on the cassette only and is an instrumental piece by the one-time Unrest member (he played bass on "Teenage Suicide") and then full-time member of DC's Pitchblende.

Jayne Mansfield, date and photographer unknown.

The main image from the cover artwork from the cassette and CD is a February centerfold from what appears to be a Playboy magazine. In the inner artwork of the CD the word February appears (as part of the original image) and the other words are odscured by Pantone™ chips. My best guess is that it is Jayne Mansfield (who appeared as the February 1955 centerfold), but without owning the issue (the link is safe to click on) , it's difficult to be sure.

If you can confirm the image source, please .