The Moderates (1979-1981)

The Moderates formed in late 1979, when Bobby Carr (guitars, keyboards, former Those Naughty Lumps, Tontrix, later Surreal Estate), Martin Cooper (bass, former Those Naughty Lumps) and Phil Allen (drums, former Big in Japan, later Love Look Away) joined John Brady (a.k.a. Brady, vocals), Heidi Kure (a.k.a. Heidi Cure, vocals), and Tom Gould (guitars). With their rough guitar sound – somehow influenced by the guitar pop of Big in Japan – the Moderates were on of the main attraction of the Liverpool club scene.

Pete Burns recalls ‘The Moderates, an arts band. They did Tulips from Amsterdam and they used to get this lady out of a mental asylum, Dame Looney [in the picture], she was called, and she did a long version – probably over an hour – of Mull of Kintye – Oh Mull of Kintrye, oh mist rolling into a… Mull of Kintrye, oh mist rolling into a… Mull of Kintrye – they were the only two phrases she knew. She wore crocheted hot pants, a pair of clogs and smelled of urine. She’d talk like Pam Ayres and she used to think Jimmy Savile was talking to her through the TV. People thought it was a bit cruel, but it was entertainment none the less.' (Pete Burns, Freak Unique, 81-82)

Interest in the band was such that they were offered a slot in the Liverpool Street to Street compilation Vol. 1 (I Don’t Want to Go Bald). In 1980 the group recorded at Open Eye 4 Track Studio four of the songs written by Brady, engineered by Roy White.

Fetishes (1980)
- High Hell Shoes
- Yes to the Neutron Bomb
- Don’t Be Silly
- Suntan

Bob Morten played sax on the opening track. Paul Müllen is responsible for the cover, apparently inspired by Miss Lester.
In 1980 Cooper left the band, and was replaced by Mike Percy (a.k.a. Mike Pursey, former Front Room, later Dead or Alive). In April 1981 the group released their second single:

- Yes to the Neutron Bomb (b/w Bus Girl)

In the same period the group recorded a Peel Session (recorded on 25 March and broadcast 4 April) featuring new numbers (Housewife for Life, Nightlife, What’s That’s Sound (For What It’s Worth), Emile), among which two appearing on the band’s third single in February 1982:

- Emile (b/w For What It’s Worth)

About the single Merseysound (18, September 1981): ‘The B-side is crisp and zingy with a repetitive hook that happily reminds you of the band’s show-stopping early number Suntan, but Emile itself is wonderfully inventive and mature, turning neat touches of violin, piano and percussion over a nagging little beat which suddenly disappears. There’s drama in the music and the song becomes a sophisticated dance in a room full of echoes. Music’s loss may be fashion’s gain but Heidi’s voice is so full of potential you could feel sad. The Moderates were innocent of rock-cliches and the result enjoyment.
When the single was released the Moderates were already history. Despite having completed some demos for a future release (cf. Nightlife, in the attached folder) Carr (and temporarily also Brady) joined the Surreal Estate, Percy the Dead or Alive, and Allen Love Look Away.

moderates