The Reverb Brothers (1982-1987)

In 1980 Colin Free (vocals, sax, former Pegasus) formed with James Rae (guitars, vocals) and Austin Quinn (bass) the Wirral-based act The Check, with Charlie Chapman, first and Stuart Valentine (future Electric morning), later (1981-1982), on drums. When Quinn and Valentine left the Check, Free and Rae continued writing and performing as a duo under the name of the Reverb Brothers, first with the aid of a drum machine and subsequently with session musicians (i.e. the brass section with OMD).

‘The Reverb Brothers songs of everyday suburban life on the Wirral, along with their Everly Brothers-style quiffs and harmonies, and the (then still avant garde) use of backing tracks that pounded out of an original 1960's Jukebox set them apart from many other Merseyside bands of that era. From 1982 to 1987 they performed at numerous venues around Liverpool and the Northwest including Brady's, the Masonic, the Everyman Bistro, the Warehouse, the Pyramid Club, Liverpool University, the Royal Court, and the Factory (Manchester).’
(http://www.myspace.com/reverbbrothers )

The first vinyl released was Ain’t So Sorry (b/w Another Teenage Bride) in June 1984. The band also worked on a possible follow-up single (Our Little Secret) which did not materialise.

In October 1985 You’re The Only One (b/w In the Nightclub) was issued, and in August 1986 Someone’s Selling Off the Country (b/w Next Big Thing, Far Away) also saw the light of day, both of which received national and international airplay.

The band split in 1987 during a UK tour supporting the Working Week.

More info and songs can be found here

Blue Nose B - Forever Passing Trains (1985)

Blue Nose B, from Seaforh, formed in 1984 when ex Indadais members Dave Billows (vocals), John Briody (guitars) and Mick Lawson (drums) teamed up with former Bneco Stephen Lawson (bass). The band played quite regularly and recorded a couple of demos in 1984 (the first in July 1984 featuring the songs Summer Girl, When I Love; the second in October 1984 featuring The Loneliest Dogs, Physically Satisfied, Escape, The Dream, Summer Girl, When I Love), collaborating with people such as Pete Wylie, Henry Priestman, Dave Hughes and Ian McNabb. They were mainly know as a live band and played quite extensively. Their song Summer Girl was voted best song of 1986 by Sounds and NME. At the end of 1985 the band’s first single was released:


Forever Passing Trains (1985)
- Forever Passing Trains
- Burning Up
- Maybe



By the end of 1986 the band boiled down to only Stephen Lawson, who kept the name and, after the release of a second single (My Diary b/w My Beautiful City, Hold Me I’m Alive) worked with session musicians on new material. The personnel included John Murphy on guitars, Jay Naughton on keyboards, Paul Thomas on sax, Gary Gilmurray on drums, Dave Reilly on percussions, besides Dave Billows on vocals and Michael Lawson on backing vocals). In late 1987 the line-up boiled down to a three piece including Danny Woods (guitars, formerly with Marianne Camilla) and Paul Denners (drums, former Marianne Camilla, also played with Emily’s Suitcase, It’s Immaterial, Orange Juice, Blackmange). This line-up recorded the song Why Do I NeecYou on the compilation Modesty Kills.

forever passing trains

Adams Family - Sometimes I Wonder

The Adams Family formed in 1984 when Jaki Florek (vocals, former Shattered Dolls, Sharon & The Slobz) joined Bill Freeman (guitars, formerly with the cabaret band Quicksilver), Brian Harcombe (a.k.a. Brain Damage, drums, former Accelerators) and Tim Scott (guitars). This line-up was alternatively and temporarily completed by Tony Doyle (ex Accelerators, Lawnmower) and Glynn on bass, until Bob Davies (form Change to the East) eventually took up bass duties in 1985. In late 1985 he was replaced by Jim Free and Berry Han (a.k.a. Bazhan or Baz Han, former Giant Spacebats) joined on second guitar and Jaki Florek’s sister Lisa on keyboards. Alison Haggarty played viola. For a short period of time (1985-1986) Chris Martin (former Accelerators) was on vocals and Harcombe was replaced by Barry Cox, but by the end of 1986 the Adams Family line-up established as a six-piece unit, featuring the Floreks, Freeman, Harcombe, Free, Han.
The band’s first gig was at the Venue on January 30th 1985 and form that moment on they started gigging quite regularly. The band released three demotapes: in 1985 Florek, Freeman, Harcombe, Scott and Davies issued a five track demo (featuring Alone in the crowd, So Sorry, Here’s Laughing at You Kid, Suicide, You Know What I Mean); in April 1986 Florek, Florek, Freeman, Han, Free, Cox released a six track cassette (Hey Hey Hey, Memories, She Strange, You Can Dream, Meanwhile Back in the Real World, Self Destroyer) and in August a three track demo (featuring The Doll, She Don’t Look Back, Someday). In 1987 Free left to join Crawl and was replaced by Tony ‘Rocco’ Doyle (former Accelerators, Lawnmower). This line-up recorded the band’s first vinyl product, the mini-lp Sometimes I Wonder:

Sometimes I Wonder (1987)

- Sometimes I Wonder
- She Don't Look Back
- Of You
- Back Street City Life
- Memories
- Someday Someday

The pop-oriented music in the lp gained enthusiastic reviews in the music press (The Melody Maker). By the late eighties the band the band stripped down to a 4 piece.

adams family

(see also http://www.myspace.com/theadamsfamilyliverpool )

Hell Fire Sermon - Freak Storm (1987)

In 1987 the Decemberists became the Hellfire Sermons. The same line-up – featuring Colin Pennington (vocals, guitars, keyboards, former Tunnel Users), Andrew Deevey (vocals, guitars), Andrew Ford (bass) and Chris Harrison (drums, former Jenny Lind) – worked on and released the band’s self-financed fist single:


Freak Storm (1987)
- Freak Storm
- Rachel Clean


The single also received enthusiastic reviews in the national music press (NME). While working on the follow-up single the band lost both Harrison and Deevry, respectively replaced, if temporarily, by Roger McLoughlin and Neal Carr (former Jenny Lind) (as credited on the second single’s cover - H.O.N.E.Y.M.O.O.N. b/w Quicksand, Penny Pinching Cathy)

hellfire sermons 1987

(see also: http://www.hellfiresermons.fsnet.co.uk/ )

The Mogodons (a.k.a. Mogadons, Mogodonz) (1981-1982)

Goth act formed in 1981 by Adrian Mitchel (guitars, former Upsets, Dead or Alive and later Love Look Away), Paul Curran (bass, former And the Dance, Knopov’s Political Package and It’s Immaterial, later Love Look Away), Nina Guido (a.k.a. Nina Guido, vocals), Kris Guidio (a.k.a. Kris Guido, vocals) and Paul Barlow (drums, ex And the Dance, sessions with Wah! It’s Immaterial). In 1982 they released an E.P.

Zuvembie (1982)


- Plague In E-Minor
- Zuvembie

- (New) Shadows
- Plague In E-Minor Reprise



The quite ironic review in Merseysound 25 read like this: ‘They sound a bit like a bunch of session-men with spare time on their hands and a studio to play with. At least they are honest (Shadows revisited is pretty accurate to their big man). Quite good fun all the same, especially the spirited and quite uplifting” (Merseysound 25, July 1982). According to sources they also worked on a second single (Are You Dead?), but no trace of it seemed to be left.

zuvembie

The Decemberists (1984-87)

The band formed in 1984 when Colin Pennington (vocals, guitars, ex Tunnel Users) joined Andrew Deevey (guitars, vocals), Andrew Ford (bass), Chris Harrison (aka Chris Hamson, drums, former Jenny Lind) and Karen Jones (vocals). The group became a four-piece in 1985 , when Jones left to pursue a solo career. “An interesting combination of earnest young pop and jazz influenced musicians” (Jamming Magazine, June 1986), playing “limpid melodies with gnashing, low-fi semi-acoustic guitas in time-honoured/well-worn fashion” (NME, December 1985) The Decemberists got as far as supporting James before they become huge. The band recorded several demos, buth only very few of their numbers were released on vinyl. One of them, Gift Horse, was in the track-list of the Merseysound compilation Ways To Wear Coats (see relevant post). A second track, James Is (Still the Same), originally appeared on the Rorschach Testing’s cassette compilation Discreet Campaings in 1985 (along with Cocteau Twins, Durutti Column, Dif Juz and James), and re-released much later on the Sound of Leamington compilation. By the end of 1986 the Decemberists became the Hell Fire Sermons.

decemberists

The Yachts - Live at Hurrah (NYC, 11 October 1979)

In 1979 The Yachts toured the US and Europe (supporting Joe Jackson and the Who) to promote their self-titled album issued earlier the same year. On Thursday, 11 October 1979, the four-piece (Henry Priestman, Martin Watson, Martin Dempsey, and Bob Bellis) played the Hurrah club in NYC (the Yacths also recorded their album in New York with producer Richard Gottehrer).

Yachts: Live at Hurrah (11 October 1979)

- Intro
- Semaphore Love
- In A Second
- Tantamount To Bribery
- Look Back In Love (Not In Anger)
- Instrumental
- Band Intro
- I Can't Stay Long
- Love You Love You
- Heads Will Turn
- Mantovani's Hits
- Yachting Type


Hurrah (1979)

Thanks to our friend Chris for the files and the covers (courtesy of CKY production) on my part and on behalf of this blog users.