Hard to believe, but today’s cover star not only inspired an indie song, several cover versions, I but also an entire LP containing nothing but cover versions of that song!

I will explain.

On their 1978 second LP entitled “Chairs Missing”, the band WIRE 🇬🇧 included a song entitled “Outdoor Miner.” The song was written by bass player GRAHAM LEWIS. It evolved from his keen interest in the life cycle of larvae of a fly called Liriomyza Brassicae, more commonly known as the “Serpentine Leaf Miner.”

I will leave further details about this creature for your own research.

“Outdoor Miner” was such a curious pop masterpiece-chronicling the life cycle of this creature.

The song motivated many indie artists to record cover versions.

Among those from artists in my collection were LUSH 🇬🇧 (1992), FLYING SAUCER ATTACK (1994), LIGHTNING SEEDS 🇬🇧 (famed producer IAN BROUDIE’S band)(1996) LUNA 🇺🇸 (1998), BLUE AEROPLANES 🇬🇧 (2007).

Incredibly, the choice American label Words-On-Music released a 19 track LP in 2004 that contained nothing but cover versions of this song!

Here is the list of contributing artists:

(My favourite is by TYPEWRITER- the band founded by ex LUCY SHOW member MARK BANDOLA but I can’t locate in a format to add to this post.)

Here is a link to a number of the cover versions.

https://www.coldwarnightlife.com/2018/03/13/the-ten-best-covers-of-wires-outdoor-miner/

Here is the original WIRE version.

https://m.youtube.com/results?sp=mAEA&search_query=wire+outdoor+miner&ra=m

SPOTIFY-

https://open.spotify.com/track/45cPDq4BPDvpXA8X0VQ0sN?si=GHANshvESgmyvQwTpDcpKQ&utm_source=copy-link

Finally, a live version by WIRE where COLIN NEWMAN references the LP of covers and states that “no one got the chords right.”

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ03ndZPz9g&pp=ygUSd2lyZSBvdXRkb29yIG1pbmVy&ra=m

(SONG 1726)

Play Loud or Perish

8/14/2026