Crikey, it’s the Cromptons! - Mouthing Off (1988)

Crikey, it’s the Cromptons! formed in 1985. The earliest line-up included Ian Travis and Dave Morgan of the Jades (later Jactars), along with Tony Crompton (aka Tony Crompton Vest, Tony Chesnut) and Huw Williams (later Jactars). Tony Lonorgan, of the Jactars, suggested Midi (with whom he was in the gospel band Pieces of Glass)  and Karen (with him co-member of La Voix Celeste) to join the Cromptons. 

This is how Tony Crompton described the band in 1985: ‘We have a powerful jazzy-pop-dischord-new sound-crazy sax-sound. We’re not the typical Mersey band. The band is a result of many years of different experiments and ideas I’ve had musically’. At the time (1985-86) the line-up was indicated as consisting of Tony Crompton Vest (guitar, vocals), Midi the Magnanimous (bass), Di Wagstaff (sax, trumpet, vocals), Reg Crikey (drums), Henry Spencer (former Jactars, guitars). Apparently this line-up is responsible for the band’s first six-track self-titled demo (May 1985).

‘The early bands of Tony, Trav, Dave, and Co. were different from the Jactars and Crikey it’s the Cromptons! They comprised a group of friends with a common interest in music who had been influenced by ‘punk rock’ and its ‘do-it-yourself’ philosophy and began making music together in each other’s houses in groups of fluctuating membership that went under a variety of different names. Their music-making was thus unstructured, experimental, improvisational, and was taken less seriously than that of later years. It was a preoccupation − or ‘self-indulgence’ as Tony described it − rather than an occupation, and their few public performances were usually relaxed, taking place in church halls or youth clubs. Unlike many young people living on the Wirral whose bands dissolved when they went to college or got married, members of the Jactars and Crikey it’s the Cromptons! progressed from band to band, gaining more experience with each and becoming gradually more committed and ambitious about their music-making, moving on to bands with fixed membership and name’ (Sarah Cohen, Rock Culture in Liverpool, 27)

The first stable line-up included Tony Crompton (vocals, rhythm guitar, former Cardboard Cutouts, Zyloids, Crompton Vest Band, Jades), Dave Treble (lead guitar), Pete McPartland (bass, former Pieces of Glass, Third Man, later Jactars, Rash), Huw Williams (drums, The Big I Am, Jactars). This line-up recorded the track (Food for Feet)  the band provided for the Vulcan compilation Ways to Wear Coats (1987) and is responsible for the band’s first vinyl release, a six track 12″ EP Mouthing Off (1988)

 

 Mouthing OFF (1988)

- Nicely Smelling

- Starfish (on Seagrass)

- Hey it's the Chicks

- Mad Geek / Magique the Magnanimous

- Colder Parts

- Vegetable

The songs were recorded at Out of the Blue Studio, Manchester, and was produced by Nick Garside. Soon after the release of the first record, the band split up for some time.

mouthing off

(Thanks to our friend Tony, Roger and Jane)