Music Maps

Released in June 1995 on Ankst Records, Super Furry Animals’ debut extended player Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (In Space) (unfortunately abbreviated to Llanfairpwllgwyngyll in the title above because its full name wouldn’t actually fit on the page) holds a Guinness World Record for the longest EP title, which isn’t the band’s only record breaker - the 2004 live version of The Man Don’t Give A Fuck featured more f bombs than any other Top 40 hit, beating the original release from 1996 which only contained 52 of them.

The EP is named after Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, located on the island of Anglesey in Wales. The village a world record breaker itself, not for the planet’s longest place name (which is another name that won’t fit on the page, so click here if you’re itching to find out) but for lending its name to the internet’s longest URL: www.llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.co.uk.

Originally Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll, the village was given its long form name (which translates into English as St Mary’s Church In The Hollow Of The White Hazel To The Rapid Whirlpool Of Llantysilio Of The Red Cave) in the 1860s as a publicity stunt to attract more visitors to the area. It worked, and tourists still reguarly travel there to pose for photographs in front of the sign at the town’s station.

And the EP itself is a solid debut. Opening with Organ Yn Dy Geg (shambolic live video from the era below) and also containing Fix Idris, Crys Ti and Blerwytirhwng?, it’s a fine example of the Super Furries’ early work. Long deleted and super rare, eil.com has a couple of copies on 7″ vinyl for sale (search for “Llanfairpwl”), although half of its tracks appear on the band’s b-sides and rarities collection Out Spaced, available on Amazon for less than a fiver.