Entertainment For Lively Minds
Long forgotten bands of the early 80's
Does anybody remember these criminally underrated bands from the early to mid 80's and let's get nostalgic (again) and remember other bands who had fine bodies of work and were utterly ignored by almost everybody outside of the NME indie chart compilers.
The Folk Devils who had a fantastic single called 'Hank Turns Blue', reputed to have been recorded with the bands combined dole money £180! Their later output was good but Hank... was their finest hour.
Easterhouse, a band formed by the Perry brothers (Andy & Ivor) in Stretford, Manchester. They had a magnificent single on Rough Trade called 'Whistling In The Dark' and a mighty fine album called 'Contenders' on the same label. Great music and great lyrics. Ignore their later album 'Waiting For The Redbird', it's rubbish.
Serious Drinking. A band from Norwich whose album 'The Revolution Starts At Closing Time' was an excellent collection of songs about drinking and obscure TV programmes and cultural references. They were like an East Anglian Half Man Half Biscuit who were formed before the Birkenhead legends.
If you haven't heard of these bands hunt them down. Besides Easterhouse it won't be easy.
Let's have some more long forgotten "alternative" - appalling pigeon hole - early 80's gems.
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Let Them Eat...
Bogshed!
Oh boy! Peely coined the
Oh boy! Peely coined the term shambling to describe that shower. I'd prefer to use another word beginning with 'sh', but hey, each to their own.
The Faith Brothers
were fantastic.
Ah, Easter Parade. For some
Ah, Easter Parade.
For some reason I've just been inspired to dig out my Men They Couldn't Hang albums, specifically to hear 'Green Fields Of France'.
And whilst I'm thinking of anti war songs I must find 'Remembrance Day' by B Movie. Superb.
Thanks for the reminder
I've just dug out my vinyl Night Of A Thousand Candles which is playing now.
Fantastic record. It's great
Fantastic record. It's great to be able to remember old favourites and play them again.
Does anyone remember the truly inspiring Band Of Holy Joy ?
Nearly all their 80's output was nothing less than excellent but my favourite track by them is called "Bitten Lips" from their album "Positively Spooked". Actually that came out in 1990 but it's still brilliant as is what came before it.
Band of Holy Joy
They're back together again in case you didn't know. Gigging around London a lot and new recordings are planned. They're still as wonderful as ever!
The Three Johns
Aah, English White Boy Engineer on The Tube...
Do the Square Thing, Death Of The European - wonderful stuff.
Faith Brothers
Were indeed fantastic and their frontman Billy Franks is still at it as a solo artist which I previously posted about.
He has a documentary coming out called Tribute This where he visits a few countries trying to get some superstars such as Springsteen, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello etc to record some of his songs for a tribute album to an unknown artist.
And a recent solo song
The Faith Brothers
are probably the big Lost band from the 80s.
Word article please
Billy Franks/Faith Brothers. I'll buy an extra copy if you do.
Seconded...
An article on his quest to get others recording his songs would be great. I emailed Billy a couple of years ago to see if the Faith Brothers albums would ever be released on CD and he replied saying no plans but he had the masters and if I sent him my address he would send me some cdr copies which he duly did...Top bloke.
The biggest 'lost' band of
The biggest 'lost' band of the 80's has surely got to be The Chameleons ? I'll have a Word article on them please and I challenge you to get an interview with the wonderful Mark Burgess to accompany it.
The Sound
More forgotten and even better, I would say, than The Chameleons.
Not a bad shout. The Sound's
Not a bad shout. The Sound's "From The Lions Mouth" is a petty damned good album.
As is...
...'Jeopardy', their first album.
Faith Brothers
Just to fill you in. Billy Franks and Lee Hirons have still been playing together for the last 20 years. They still do a regular-ish gig at The Troubadour down the Brompton Road on a Thursday. They are also playing The Shepherds Bush Empire on Saturday June 6th. Tickets 12.50 and 17.50. Supported by Tracie (yes her from Weller's old Respond Label). Billy has released 5 solo albums over the years and his latest, The Turtledove Boutique is probably his best. It well deserves a review in The Word. 50/50 America and The King And Queen Of Pop are as good as anything out there at the moment. Lee also has a fine recording studio in Surrey. Check them out at billyfranks.com and shorelinerecorfingstudio.com
Henry Tresize still plays keyboards with the boys. Still great live act and you won't be disappointed laying out 12 quid to see them at the Empire (they'll be playing plenty of old FB's tunes) . A live album is also due out soon. Hope that brings you up to date.
Faith Brothers
Just to fill you in. Billy Franks and Lee Hirons have still been playing together for the last 20 years. They still do a regular-ish gig at The Troubadour down the Brompton Road on a Thursday. They are also playing The Shepherds Bush Empire on Saturday June 6th. Tickets 12.50 and 17.50. Supported by Tracie (yes her from Weller's old Respond Label). Billy has released 5 solo albums over the years and his latest, The Turtledove Boutique is probably his best. It well deserves a review in The Word. 50/50 America and The King And Queen Of Pop are as good as anything out there at the moment. Lee also has a fine recording studio in Surrey. Check them out at billyfranks.com and shorelinerecorfingstudio.com
Henry Tresize the Faith Brothers keyboard player also still plays with the boys. They're still a great live act and you won't be disappointed laying out 12 quid to see them at the Empire (they'll be playing plenty of old FB's tunes) . A live album is also due out soon. Hope that brings you up to date.
Faith Brothers
Should have made it clear that the Shepherd's Bush Empire gig is billed as Billy Franks.
Remember Stump?
What a great band they were.
"And Charlton Heston Put His Vest On."
You were spot on with The Chameleons and The Sound. To them I would add the recently reformed Comsat Angels.
Beermat
Several bands spring to mind immediately
The Waitresses brilliant - back catalogue should be available soon
The Screaming Blue Messiahs - Why is it sooo hard to get any CDs? (Amazon has one listed at £109!!!)
Jane Aire & The Belvederes - More top pop that is still very listenable today and gives people like Duffer and Whiner something to think about.
The Modettes - OK not really that brilliant but very easy on the eye live!
The Records - Why weren't they massive.. at least in America? Virgin Records were always better at signing people than promoting them.
Back to Serious Drinking, I still have my "Revolution Starts At Closing Time" beermat that came free with the first album.
Oh yes!
Jesus Chrysler Drives A Dodge. Genius.
Expensive one
That'll be £40 plus p&p from the US!
I've got the vinyl
so I think I feel a transfer session coming on for the weekend. Fancy a copy of Bikini Red on CD-R?
The Swell Maps
Monochrome Set
The Seers
Crazyhead
The Godfathers
Screaming Blue Messiahs
Three Johns
Are probably the only ones I can still listen to now.
The Dream Syndicate
http://open.spotify.com/track/1bFctDNO1lrXvME9Xq3zsD
The Au Pairs
What a rediscovery!
That used to be on our turntable so much in the early 80's and I'd totally forgotten it. Good to hear it again.
I'm surprised no one's mentioned The Rain Parade.
The albums 'Emergency Third Rail Power Trip' and 'Explosions In The Glass Palace' are rather superb. Even 'Crashing Dream', the swansong, has great moments.
James King & The Lone Wolves
Certainly one of the best bands I ever saw, great songs, great attitude.
http://www.myspace.com/jameskingandthelonewolves
23 Skidoo
a block rockin beat band if ever there was
A Certain Ratio
Good grief!
I'm reading this and finding I have at least one single by almost everyone mentioned here. I think I'll dig them all out take a day off from work and crank up the turntable tomorrow! I'll throw in some Thin White Rope, Guadalcanal Diary, some Let's Active and some Game Theory, with a sprinkling of Goodbye Mr McKenzie (if I can remember what their one great single was),The Bathers, Danny Wilson, The Colourfield, We've Got A Fuzzbox...oh damn, I'll have to take the rest of the week off.
Guadalcanal Diary
There's a band I haven't heard in a while. A mate had at least one album.
Were they one of those bands on the Zippo label, which was notorious for cheap quality vinyl / bad pressings?
even more obscure
The Blood Uncles
The Very Things
Kill Ugly Pop
The Cateran
not too obscure
The Gun Club
Gaye Bykers on Acid
Play Dead
Propaganda