A Secret Liverpool (compilation, 1984) [Re-Up]

The compilation was the brainchild of Carl Davies (former Go-Thongs), released by on his own label Davies Records. ‘The only really known band on the Lp are Expost Facto and the High V, who appear courtesy of Probe Plus’(Breakout, Feb. 1985). The first five hundred copies of this Album only had one side of music contained on them, all the sleeves where hand cut from re-cycled cardboard. The second pressing later became a proper two-sided album with gatefold sleeve and inserts –1000 of which were pressed.

Mike Badger (founder member of La’s and a major contributor in various forms to this compilation, with Lee Mavers in the pic): ‘A lot of people don’t know it was actually funded in part by Carl’s brother, the actor Ian Hart and it did actually remain very much a ‘secret’ until 1996 when a guy from Australia called Terry Banks contacted MOJO magazine because the first ever La’s release a song called ‘ I Don’t Like Hanging Around’ was on side two’.
(see: http://www.whisperinandhollerin.com/chat/chat.asp?id=5294
http://www.geocities.com/the_las/lascratch.html. )

A Secret Liverpool
a1. Unknown Artist: Silence
a2. The Kindergarden Paint Set: Secret Life
a3. Ellagaru: Banana Skin
a4. The Riotous Hues: Lessonless Rainbows
a5. The Harts: Please Believe Me
a6. The Cranes: It's That Expression
a7. Roy Gbiv: The Time Grew Forever
b1. The La's: I Don't Like Hanging
b2. Ex Post Facto: Enchanted Ground
b3. Ellagaru: Mother Mother
b4. The High Five: Turning
b5. The Harts: Near The End Of Love
b6. The Riotous Hues: She Left
b7. The Kindergarden Paint Set: Oh Baby
b8. Esprit!: For You
b9. Holiday For Strings: The Greatest Myth

The opening track was three minutes of complete silence (the ‘empty’ mp3 file is not included in the folder). Mike Badger recalls: ‘In the tradition of Crass and John Cage, the opening track was three minutes of silence, though that just confused people.’
(see also: http://www.mikebadger.co.uk/musicdisc.htm )

Kindergarden Paint Set: First musical venture of Mike Badger, whose life span was between 1981-1982. At the time defined as Bananarama imitators (for no apparent reason). Mike Badger featured on percussion on both tracks of the album, recalls: ‘It was my first real musical venture,” admits Mike. “3 guys and 3 girls doing a kind of Rip, Rig & Panic-style percussive, Doo-wop thing, mainly students, who decided to remain students and get proper work. I cried like a little whipped pup when it broke up and moved to London for 18 months in May 1983. During KPS’ lifetime, Roger Eagle got us some gigs at the Adams Club (Eagle’s post-Eric’s venue) with The Frantic Elevators (Mick Hucknall’s pre-Simply Red art-rock outfit – Ed). All in all, it was a case of youthful exuberance versus harsh reality!’
(see: http://www.whisperinandhollerin.com/chat/chat.asp?id=5294 )
(see also: http://www.mikebadger.co.uk/musicdisc.htm )

Harts: Under this name Carl Davies (of Davies Records) recorded two songs for this album, and insisted that they should be released backwards.

La’s: The tracks on this compilation were by the first line-up of La’s, featuring Mike Badgers. Actually, the number I Don't like Hanging Around is Mike Badger with backing band the Modernaires performing a two minute ramshackle swing. Lee Mavers (bass-player with Neuklon) joined the group soon after the release of this compilation. A drummer, Tony Russell and a bassist were recruited and the band started playing parties and local pubs.
(see also: http://www.link2wales.co.uk/lpool/las.htm
http://www.geocities.com/the_las/lascratch.html.)

Roy Gbiv: Under this pseudonym, the song is Mike Badgers (later La’s) first official release on vinyl. Badgers describes the song as ‘a poem set to ‘The Syncopated Clock’ by Leroy Anderson played at 45rpm instead of 33rpm – Alice in Wonderland territory’.
(see: http://www.whisperinandhollerin.com/chat/chat.asp?id=5294 )

Esprit!: Originally called Carnaval, the band included Kevin Wright (vocals, guitars), Steve Boyle (guitars, vocals, later with Honey), Ian Fradgley (bass player, later with Tony Velasco, ex Carry On Spying), Mike Ward (drums), and Paul Roberts (sax). Boyle’s remembers: ‘For some reason, Kevin – who was Paul Simpson’s cousin (Wild Swans) didn’t want to use the name Carnaval on the compilation LP and also we used just about the worst song we had. The guy pulling together the LP, David something [Carl Davies, ndr.], was a mate of Kevin’s so we went along with this. We should have put a good song on as over the years I have discussed this LP with a variety of people and I sold my spare copy to a bloke in Japan a few years back.’ The band, after recording three Radio One sessions, split just before a showcase gig at Kirklands because of a row over the potential use of a drum machine. Nathan McGeogh was their manager for a month. Julie (sax) who replaced Paul Roberts who went off to art college was the girlfriend of now famous Liverpudlian actor Ian Hart.
(see: http://link2wales.co.uk/liverpool/liverpool-a/liverpool-h/ )

Cranes: Pop band fronted by Carl Reynolds (vocals).

Holidays fro Strings: Power-pop group formed in 1983 by Andrew Schofield (vocals, later featured on the soundtrack of the BBC thriller serial Marksmen), Jimmy Hughes (drums, former Madame, later Foundation), Jay Naughton (keyboard, later Jojo & the Real People).

Riotous Hues also appeared on the Elegance, Charm and Deadly Danger compilation (1985, see relevant post). (For Ex Post Fact and High Five, see relevant posts.)

 

 

a secret liverpool