Mel-O-Tones

After the release of the Yachts first album, in January 1980 Martin Dempsey left the band. He teamed up with Jayne Casey (they had already virtually met while occupying the two sides of the split single by Big in Japan and The Chuddy Nuddies) playing bass with the Pink Military on Do Animals Believe in God? (1981). After briefly joining the first formation of It’s Immaterial, with ex Yacht fellow member Henry Priestman, Dempsey was also a temporary/occasional member of Rebél Da Fé, with future It’s Immaterial JJ (Jarvis) Whitehead, ex members of the Liverpudlian punk act Psycamesh Gary Williams on bass and Mark Robson on drums, and Tomo on vocals. After these short-term musical experiences, Dempsey efinally joined the Mel-O-Tones.
The Mel-O-Tones was a five-piece band featuring, Marlyn Dempsey on guitars, David Dickie on piano, Bob Parker on bass, Jon Neesan on drums, and Frank Martin on vocals (the latter three to become the Walking Seeds). The music is possibly the weirdest thing to be heard among the musical product of the period, combining warped Captain Beefheart-esque vocals and acid lyrics to twisted rockabilly riffs choked in swirling echo effects - and the band itself is possibly the last Liverpool band to carry the torch for weirdness and psychedelia in mid 80's .

The first vinyl release by the group in is the mini-lp Bomb Sutra (1985)

Bomb Sutra
1. Bomb Sutra

2. Burton Buzz

3. Lice Age

4. Scaffold

5. 40 Nights

6. I Walked With A Bugs Bunny Bendy Toy

Later the same year a 12" was released under the title Melonheaded (1985)

Melonheaded
1. Mad Jesus

2. Seedy Lotion

3. Happy Hour

4. Happy Hour

5. Melonhead

Mel-o-Tones