Spacemen 3 – Spotting an Original First Edition 1989 T-Shirt

Buying an original T-shirt can be tricky, but nothing beats having in hand the original you bought at the time. This is particularly true if you bought it directly from the band via mail order, as is the case here.

Now, that might be an impossible bar to overcome for many, but for a T-shirt hoarder and folder like me, who tends to obsess, this is an easy one.

From the first time I saw them live, I loved Spacemen 3. So, in 1988/1989, I wrote to the address on the back of the record sleeve, and in return, I received a mail-order form for T-shirts and button badges (I bought two badges, which are in a box somewhere).

I’ve uncharacteristically misplaced the order form. I found one online via a Google search in the past, but it seems to have disappeared. Maybe you can have a look.

So, here’s a guide comparing my originals with the subsequent releases, or newer reproductions owned by Felicity, a younger, keen Spacemen 3 fan and the co-author of this article.

I wasn’t keen on black T-Shirts – too many Iron Maiden fans at my school (before they became ironic), and I wasn’t brave enough to have “fucked~up” on the front of my shirt, so I ordered the two you see below.

Style 1

• Front: Spacemen 3 logo with “3” pyramid and concentric (ish) circles.
• Back: “For all the Fucked~up Children we give you Spacemen 3”.
• Available in black or white cotton.

Style 2

• Front: “For all the Fucked~up Children we give you Spacemen 3”.
• Back: blank.
• Available in black or white cotton.

Style 3 (No photo avail)

• Front: Playing With Fire cover adaptation with the “3” pyramid centered.
• Back: blank.
• Available in white cotton only.

Those are the only designs I recall.

Over the last 35 years off and on these got a lot of wear but for most of that time they’ve been safely folded away in a drawer.

Then about five years ago I noted these things were becoming expensive. So, I fished them out to make sure they were still ok and gave them a launder.

Then these T shirts became *very* expensive. And then some T shirts that were clearly not original appeared with big price tags. At this point I started my Instagram account (@vintage_band_tshirts)  to provide a guide to spotting an original first edition T Shirt, or rather spotting a modern knock off or one that is perfectly legit but not a first edition.

So, here are the things to look for to make sure you are not buying a remake, which may be totally legit as I say.

Please note, this is not exhaustive – I’ve kept a few details up my sleeve so that bootleggers can’t knock up any full on reproductions.

1) They weren’t licensed

If your shirt has “Licensed to Popworld” on the lower right-hand side as you look at it, it isn’t a first edition. That doesn’t mean it’s fake, but it’s not a first edition, true original.

Btw, some also say “Spaceman 3. Attention to detail…

Yeah:

Nah:

2) There weren’t any color variations

If your shirt has “Love” in green rather than fluorescent yellow, think twice.

Yeah:

Nah:

3) The fonts are wrong

“For all the fucked~up” font is often too wide or too short (take your pick). Also: “SPACEMEN” font isn’t *quite* right – some widths and angles on the lettering aren’t the same; “For all the…” letters are often too close together and / or the “SPACEMEN” letters too close together.

Yeah:

Nah:

3) “Fucked-Up” should be ‘Fucked ~ Up”

It’s a tilde not a hyphen. And it’s spaced out.

Yeah:

Nah:

4) Lightning flashes on the logo should not be all the same length

Note: there are two different lengths on the original.

Respect Bassman’s original design, man.

Yeah:

Nah:

5) The tag should be knackered

No pristine tags, please. (Unless it’s deadstock, which is highly unlikely in this scenario)

One of mine has lost its one, the other has very faded lettering which can be read but only with significant magnification (I won’t put this detail here).

Yeah:

Nah:

As I say, there two or three other subtle differences which I won’t go into here to prevent knock-offs being made.

These are beautifully designed T Shirts and the modern reproductions are excellent so don’t get too fussed about originality if that’s not what’s important to you.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to DM me.  If you check out my IG below you’ll find a few Reels showing other original T Shirts from Nirvana , Shonen Knife, Sonic Youth etc.

However, just for the avoidance of doubt:

1) My T Shirts are not for sale.

2) Even if they were, I know the value of these things, so you’d be paying market.

C’mon, like all the best hippies I’m also an ex-investment banker.

Cheers!

Will (@vintage_band_tshirts) and Felicity (@eventsbycherrybombe)