This Final Frame - Recodings 1982-85

In 1978 Paul Skillen, Pete McAsey, Carl Henry and Paul Den Heyer (the latter two then to join Politburo at different times) were in a pop reggae band called TV12. When they disbanded in 1979, Skillen -- influenced by the post punk renaissance of music in Liverpool --decided to form a new band from the nucleus of TV12, this time without reggae rhythm and without the singer Den Heyer (aka Denheyer). Skillen (on guitar and vocals), McAsey (on bass) and Henry (on drums) were joined by Eamonn Sale (on keyboards) and Jim Short (on trumpet, quite a bizarre instrument in post-ponk and new wave music, but a distinctive feature of TFF sound). In 1980, the band made their first demo at Open Eye studios in Liverpool, whose constant playing on local radios eventually led to the band being signed by RCA/Scratch records. In 1981-82 TFF released their first single:
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The Diary (1982)
a. The Diary
b. Discontent


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The single received sustained national radio airplay and excellent reviews, and the band recorded a radio 1 session for Dave Jensen and a Granada TV appearance on Exchange Flags. In 1983 TFF recorded and released their second single:
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The Mask (Falls Away) (1983)
a. The Mask (Falls Away)
b. Memories Are Stone


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This single, too, sold well locally and reached the top 20 of the local charts, receiving strong regional airplay and a place in John Peel’s festive fifty. The band headlined the “Larks In The Park” music festival in Liverpool in the summer of 1984 and received further strong airplay for their track Monday’s Child on the well received Liverpool compilation album Jobs For The Boys (1984). The band recorded another Radio 1 session for Janice Long. In 1985 TFF released another single:
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Take No Prisoners (1985)
a. Take No Prisoners
b. Eden


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In the meantime Carl Henry had left the band due to health problems. The pressures of work saw the band starting to fragment. While Dave Reilly (China Crisis) took over on drums for live work, McAsey started to play with The Farm and The Balcony whilst Short was guesting on recordings for China Crisis and Black. The single started to go very well making several regional charts and the national top 100, which lead to the release of a fourth single:
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Stories (1985)
a. Stories
b. Blue and Grey


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The band split the same year, following a Granada TV appearance.

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This final frame (82-85)

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