Change to the East - Demos (1985-86)

Change to the East originated for the ashes of Plants from the East. Stuart Wood, the unquestioned leader of the band recollects:

“Change to the East was a strange old affair really. It lasted from 1982 til March 1987 when I think we'd all had enough. I certainly had hahaha. It started as "Plants from The East" which was a trio of me, Dave Newbold and Les Boyd. I was on a YTS called Liverpool Youth Music Project and met Dave there who introduced me to Les. Les introduced me to some weird stuff recorded in a pyramid, I was heavily influenced by Penetration and the 70's wave of punk bands and Dave was into all sorts of Psychedelic stuff. We smoked lots of dope and jammed for hours in the rehearsal room on Prescot Road. Hence the whole Eastern thing came about. I loved the "Moving Targets" album by Penetration and the track "Stone Heroes" had a real Eastern flavour to it. Images of Pyramids, Cleopatra queens of the deserts etc were whizzing around in my head. That went on for about 6 months I think, but we ended up remaining friends but parted company musically.”

At about the same time (1982) another popular Liverpool act, the Ponderosa Glee Boys did split for good (living few traces, among which one Peel session recorded in 1981). Tomo, the original vocalists had already left (1981) to join Rebel da Fe, Gordon Longsworth (guitar) would later (1985) join Foundation, Steve Coy (drums) joined Dead or Alive, Carl Eaton (vocals, bass) joined Always the Now, and Bob Davies (bass) teamed up with Stuart Wood in a his band the name of Change to the East, replacing original bass-player Andy Thompson. This line-up included also Gary Cooke (drums, later Hi-Tech) and Dave Stinson (from Twisted Nervez) on vocals, later replaced by Gareth Davies. Neil Tilley manage the band from late 1983 to 1984

In 1984 was a quite hectic year: Cooke was replaced by Colin Morris and then Sean Butler (later Western Promise), Gareth Davis was substituted by Dave Ball first and Dave Inelli then, and also Bob Davies left to join Adams Family.

As Wood recollects: “A settled line up came about in summer 1985 with the Chesworth [Mark, vocals] / Wood [Stuart, guitars] / Baker [Ian, bas] / Benson [Paul, drums] set up and we moved forward wearing […] funny clothes and make up. By this time, the bubble I was living in was pure 60's. Donovan, Traffic, Soft Machine, Caravan, Hendrix etc. It made for an interesting influence on our music. My brother had played a lot of this stuff when I was a kid and it was like rediscovering something from your childhood. It all fell apart when we got a record deal in the states in late 1986. […] It was all a bit late in the day really for what we were churning out and certainly the way we looked […] I think something was telling us our time was up.”

Change to the East disbanded in 1987 after recording their first Ep for the California based label Victoria Recs (Victoria Street, Wide Awake b/w Never Again, White Gates) that had remained unreleased until recently.

Wood: “We were an odd lot as I recall, but the recollections are very hazy. The 80’s were an odd time… I think we were a sort of bizarre mix of Glam rock fused with Psychedelia and punkiness trying desperately not to appear New Romantic, but failing! Still, it was a fun time and those few years in the 80’s were like our own 60’s. We had a go, pretended to be pop stars, and moved on.”

Demos (1985-86)
- Guilty
- I Want You / Wide Awake
- Love in the City
- Strange Love
- Victoria Street

change to the east - demos

(see also: www.myspace.com/changetotheeast
www.myspace.com/ctteliverpool
www.link2wales.co.uk/liverpool/liverpool-a-m/liverpool-c/
http://www.youtube.com/user/ChangetotheEast#p/u )

Twisted Nervez - The Return of Faith, Hope & Charity (1982)

Twisted Nervez were formed back in 1978 by Mark Nunnen (vocals) Paul Allen (bass, later Ministry of Love mk II), Dave Stinson (guitar, later Change to the East) and Pete Fitzmaurice (drums, later Phantasee). This line-up gigged regularly in the North with a powerful, energetic and Joy Division + Killing Joke + Damned -flavoured live set which included numbers like Always Alone, Will You See Tomorrow, I Want You, Youth and Test Tube Babies. Over the years the band’s music style changed from neckbreaking fast to more articulated and pop-rock oriented, developing a different identity far from the die-hard punk that was distinctive of the band in their early days. In October 1982 Twisted Nervez released their first EP:

The Return of Faith, Hope & Charity (1982)
a. Youth
b1. Opportunity Knocks
b2. Always Alone

At about the same time of this release Fitzmaurice left and was replaced by Steve Degrunck (formerly with Stun the Guard). Despite this change in the line-up Twisted Nervez disbanded in 1983.

twisted nervez – faith, hope, charity

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