At the end of 1977, following a number of high-profile support slots on the university and London gig scene, Gags were courted by Valer Records, a local Manchester start-up, to sign a recording deal.

Unimpressed with Valer’s new wave credentials – the label had captured The Drones as their first signing - Gags demurred and decided instead to record their own album. This indie spirit saw the release of the LP Death In Buzzards’ Gulch in the spring of 1978.

Of the album’s eight tracks, six were composed by a combination of Kelly, McLaughlin and Gore. These included the up-tempo Easy Lay and Mr Stiletto but otherwise the LP was dominated by softer, expansive tracks such as It Doesn’t Matter and Rocks of Old. Light Another Cigarette by Nick Cornall also made the cut. The sole cover song on the album, Savoy Brown’s driving Tell Mama, gave the truest indication of the band’s stage sound at the time.

‘Death In Buzzards’ Gulch bore little resemblance to our live act at the time,’ admits Kelly, who also reveals that the band had spoken to Martin Hannett, later of Joy Division, Buzzcocks and New Order fame, about producing it. ‘We turned him down,’ says John, ‘because he said we only had enough material for an EP.’

The LP sold well among the band’s existing fan base, but didn’t move mountains anywhere else, despite John Peel featuring Moneymakers on his BBC radio show a couple of times.