The Planets (Part 2, 1980-1981)

To accompany their first Lp release, the Planets also issued a couple of singles: Iron for the Iron (b/w Ball and Chain – both songs included on the Lp) and Break It To Me Gently: curiously the last single put together two songs which belonged to Lindsey’s previous lives: as a matter of fact the a-side (Break It To Me Gently) had been released by Lindsey’s alter ego Steve Tempo in January 1979, whereas the b-side (A Minute Ago) was a re-working of a song by the Deaf School (Darling). In April 1980 an ep was also released collecting the a-sides from the band’s three singles and another album track (Too Late, Lines b/w Break It To Me Gently, Iron for the Iron).

At this point in the band’s history some major changes occurred. Budgie had left for the Slits, Duncan and Wimshurst also left (to collaborate with Jane Kennaway), replaced respectively by Larry Tollfree (a.kj.a. Tolfree, drums), Barry Lines (guitars) and keyboard player Chris Skornia joined the line-up. This formation released the band’s second album, in November 1980:

SPOT (1980):
- I Can't Stop
- Let Me Fall
- Intensive Care
- You Gave Your Love (Back to Me)
- I Want to Touch You
- Don't Look Down
- Earth
- Follow the Leader
- Foregone Conclusion
- C.R.A.Z.Y.

In 1981, two more singles were released (Intensive Care (single remix) b/w Earth, Let Me Fall b/w Follow the Leader) sporting songs from the second album.
By June 1982, The Planets were already history, and Steve Lindsey-Tempo went back to his (quite obscure) solo career (releasing the single She's Locked up My Life in Her Suitcase b/w Kick It Out).

As to the end of The Planets here’s an entry by Barry Lines found in an interesting forum:

”My name is Barry Lines and I was a member of the Planets back then.

Firstly I am afraid I can't shed much light on your queries about Steve as We were 'left in the dark' at the time. From what I remember back then we had finished a tour of colleges in UK. Larry (drums)and I shared a flat with our then wives. Several months passed with little to no contact re the band and then one day our roadie appeared at our door and claimed he was to take the gear that we had that was owned by the band. Then any money we were being paid was stopped and we never ever heard anymore. I cant remember why we were unable to contact anyone but that was the last of the band. Very strange as I'm sure you can agree.

Anyway Steve I believe started working for a record company (dont know which). Larry went on to play for Joe Jackson and Peter Green, I ended up getting a 'proper' job and now teach music in a college and I dont know what happened to Chris (Skornia).

Anyway, a short period in my life but certainly the best! We had great times.”

(found here: http://www.yoliverpool.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4727
Thank you Tony, hope you don’t mind)

planets - spot

(See also: http://www.discog.info/planets.html )

The Planets (Part 1, 1978-1979)

After the split of Deaf School, bass player Steve Lindsey, besides sporadically collaborating with Big in Japan, released a couple of singles as Steve Tempo / Mr. Average (see relevant post below). In 1978, together with Dave Hughes (of Dalek) and ex Big in Japan members Ian Broudie and Budgie he formed the Secrets. This band never recorded any songs and gradually transformed in The Planets (1979). Started as a group of loose connections (including John Turnbull and Charlie Charles of the Blockheads), it became a proper group when Broudie left to form Original Mirrors, replaced by Tony Wimshurst (a.k.a. Antony Wimshurst, formerly with Nasty Pop), and Hughes went back to Dalek, replaced by Andy Duncan. This line-up released the band’s first single in July 1979 (Lines b/w Further Down), followed by a full-length Lp in October of the same year:

Goon Hilly Down (1979)
- Iron for the Iron
- Mile High
- A Minute Ago [version of Deaf School's 'Darling']
- Lines
- Break It To Me Gently
- Too Late
- Secret
- Ball and Chain
- I'm on Fire

All songs were written by Steve Lindsey. The album is credited to the following personnel:
Lead vocals: Steve Lindsey. Guitars: Tony Wimshurst, John Turnbull, Steve Lindsey, Paul Madden, Danny Kustow. Keyboards: John Ward, Mickey Gallagher, Steve Lindsey. Bass: Steve Lindsey. Drums: Budgie, Charlie Charles, Steve Lindsey. Percussion: Andy Duncan, Charlie Charles.

planets – goon hilly down

( see also: http://www.discog.info/planets.html )

The Original Mirrors - Singles (1981)

After the split of Big in Japan, in December 1978, Ian Broudie joined for a short period of time the Secrets (the group formed by ex-Deaf School Steve Lindsey, with Dave Hughes – later Dalek – and Budgie), after which he teamed up with former Deaf School Steve Allen to form a new band. The name of the new act was the Original Mirrors and the line-up included also Jonathan Perkins (on keyboards, formerly with Starpark – later to be know as XTC – and Stadium Dogs), Peter Kircher (on drums, formerly with Honeybus and Shangai) and Phil Spalding. This line-up released their first single in 1979 (Could This Be Heaven? b/w Night of the Angels). In 1980 the first album followed (the Original Mirrors, see relevant post below) accompanied by the single Boys Cry (b/w Chains of Love). In 1981 Spalding left the band to be replaced by Jimmy hughes (formerly with the International Cowboys, later sessions with the Wild Swans). This second line-up released the band’s second album in 1981 (Heart Twango & Raw Beat), and a couple of other singles:

Dancing with the Rebels (1981)
- Dancing with the Rebels
- Sure Yeah

20.000 Dreamers (1981)
- 20.000 Dreamers
- Time Has Come

After the split of the Original Mirrors, Ian Broudie collaborated with the Wild Swans, and later formed Care with the Swans’ leader Paul Simpson.

original mirrors – singles (1981)

The Walkie Talkies - Rich & Nasty (1979)

In 1976 one of the earliest Liverpool cult band was formed under the name of O’Boogie Brothers (1976-1977, a.k.a. O’Boogie Boys). It included Ian Broudie (guitars, later Big in Japan, Original Mirrors), Frazer Henry (guitar, later engineer at Amazon Studio), Jon Moss (drums), David Knvopov (vocals, later Hambi & the Dance, Knopov’s Political Package, also collaborated with ex Teardrop Explodes’ Mick Finkler), and Nathan McGough (vocals, later Royal Family and The Poor, Pale Fountains) and Ambrose Reynolds (later Big in Japan, Nightmare in Wax, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Pink Military, Pink Industry). Another minor act was alive in those days: Fox Glove, consisting of Colin Frost (vocal, guitars, later Eat at Joe’s, Tutors, Supercharge, Circus Circus, Laughing Freeman), Les Rodgers (bass, later Eat at Joe’s and Tutors, with Frost) and Wayne Hussey (guitars, later Hambi and the Dance, Knopov’s Political Package, Invisible Girls, Dead or Alive, Sisters of Mercy, Mission). After the split of both bands, Hussey joined Reynolds, Moss and Knopov’s, and together with Denise D’Arcy (a.k.a. Denyze D’Arcy, vocals, sax, later Zale Out, Fragile Friends, Dee Dee & the Dots) and Dave Wibley (a.k.a. Dave Wibberley, guitar, later Fire, Evad-Flab) they formed the Deed Byrds. In June 1978 the band changed their name to Walkie Talkies. In September 1979 the band released their first and only vinyl release:

Rich & Nasty (1979)
a. Rich and Nasty
b. Summer in Russia

In November 1979 the band split and all its members found (relative) fame and fortune in other Liverpool-based acts.
One of the many spin-offs was represented by Evadflab (a.k.a. Evad Flab, curiously enough similar to the reverse spelling of Balfe Dave) formed by Dave Whibberley, Ambrose Reynolds, Dave Dickie and Cozzy in 1981 specially for the ATV-documentary Jay Walking (April 12, 1981). The group only performed two songs (See the Light, and Start Smiling) at Whibberley’s old school. None of the songs was to be released on vinyl.

walkie talkies – rich & nasty

(Thanks to our friend Bas for the audio files)

Walking Seeds - Skullfuck (1987)

After releasing their second single (Marque Chapman), the Walking Seeds (who used to be known as The Corinthians in their pre-vinyl days) issued their first Lp for Probe in 1987:

Skullfuck (1987)

a1 Kill, Kill, Kill, For Inner Peace
a2 Obeying The Law
a3 St. Albans
a4 Blathering Out
a5 Run D.M.T.
b1 Iron Man ( Written By - Butler , Iommi , Osbourne , Ward )
b2 Doom Patrol
b3 666 Squadron
b4 When Girls Ruled The World
b5 Life Vs. Filth
b6 Blue Cheer


walking seeds- skullfuck