The Vis Johnson Band

The Vis Johnson Band formed around 1985 in the Sefton area. The original five-piece act consisted of Tony Cannon (guitar), Tommy Pendelton (bass), Marty Bennett (guitar), Dave Hartley and Dave Selwood (drums and vocals). With some adjustments over time (the addition of Azzy on sax and Ste on vocals) the original line-up is still performing nowadays.
The band played a 70s flavoured pop rock, as can be hear in the band’s only song ever released (Lose All Control, on the Twist and Samba compilation in 1986) and in the numbers of the same period which can be found at the band’s official site.

http://visjohnson.com/

The Iconoclasts - Spotty Dog (1985)

The Iconoclast – Mandy Bendix (vocals, guitars, former A.T.A., later Mere Dead Men), Dibbie (a.k.a. Dib, vocals, guitars, ex Joyful Assault), another Mandy (a.k.a. Moge, bass, vocals, former Joyful Assault, later Decomposed) and Spekki (drums) – released their firs official maxi single in May 1985:


Spotty Dog (1985)
Side A:
- Bilge And Moans
- Nosferatu
- Chocolate Lime Junkies
Side B:
- Rainbow
- Sylvester Gridsporn
- The Eyelash Song- Spotty Dog


The press release accompanying the release reads as follows:

‘On Friday 10th May 1985, the combined efforts of all girl punk band The Iconoclasts, Station House Studios, Skysaw Records and Ryker Pressing plant made a successful attempt at seting a new World record for the fastest time from the band playing live to the finished 12” maxi single being on sale.

‘Up to date there is no officially recorded record breaking time, though previously 24 hours has been the unofficial time.

‘We have now set a new challenge of 10 hours and 22 minutes.

‘Once the recording had been completed, the tapes were flown by helicopter to London where lacquers were cut. Then to Leicester, by helicopter, where stampers were processed. On completion of the process, the helicopter returned o Wallasey, Merseyside, where Ryker commenced presing.
The first quantity of records were then flown over the Mersey to The Albert Dock Merseyside Alive ’85 Jamboree.
The first copies of the record were being sold before 11pm.
The first radio airplay was at Midnight on BBC Radio Merseyside, Friday 10th May 1985.

‘Merseyside Alive ’85 financed the single
Station House Studios recorded and edited the tapes
Ryker financed helicopter transport
Skysaw Records are looking after promotion and monitoring distribution
Probe/Cartel are distributors

‘TIMETABLE OF EVENTS
Friday May 10th 1985

12.10 Helicopter leaves Albert Dock, Liverpool, for London
13.18 Tapes arrive London and taken to cutting room
15.30 Helicopter leaves for Leicester
16.15 Arrive Leicester for lacquers to be mastered
21.25 Helicopter leaves for Ryker Pressing plant, Wallasey, Merseyside
22.10 First copy of record available
22.50 Box of records arrives, bu helicopter, at Albert Dock for sale
24.00 First Airplay on BBC Radio Merseyside

‘The whole operation was independently monitored and documented by Con McConville of BBC Radio Merseyside, and witnessed by representatives from Skysaw Records, Station House Studios and Ryker.’


spotty dog


(see also: http://uk82.150m.com/bands/iconoclasts.html
http://www.myspace.com/mandymdm/photos/albums/iconoclasts/1053699 )

Grown up Strange (1983-1986)

New Romantic band originally form Ulverston. After playing with punk acts the Spurts (1978) and the Hormones (1979), Chris ‘Mokka’ Hutchinson (guitars, vocals) and Mike Gaunt (drums) formed Grown up Strange in 1981 with Toby Wren (guitars), and Norman Scott (keyboards).

As to the origin of the band Hutchinson told ‘Blast Off’ Magazine:
‘I started off in a punk band. But that developed into Grown Up Strange. Mike was drumming in it, this was 78/79. Then Mike moved to Manchester, and I was just a bedroom guitarist for a couple of years. I spent a couple of years just growing up, starting to write my own stuff. In this punk band, The Spurts – and then we became The Hormones! – we used to do cover versions of about four Buzzcocks songs, and The Only Ones – and XTC. And then we, as I say, split up and when we came back it was with our own material.” (Blast Off, 1/1986)

In 1982, Wren and Scott were replaced respectively by Steve Wildgoose and Greg Shields. In 1985 the new recruits were substituted by Simon ‘Bendy’ Bennet (bass, former Hoi Polloi, Sonny & a Million) and David Williams (keyboards). Finally, in 1986 Bennet quit to be replaced by Roy Corckill (a.k.a. Roy Corckhill) former Here’s Johnny and Black) (ands the group was joined by Colin Vearncombe, from Black, for live work). This line-up recorded the band’s only single, released in August 1986:


A Wing and a Prayer (1986)
- A Wing and a Prayer
- When You Became That Summer
- Now Winter Lasts Forever


Here’s the band recording info (1987):

‘The seeds of Grown Up Strange were sown in Ulverston in the Lake District. It was there that Christopher Mark (Mokka) Hutchinson and Michael Gaunt decided to form a group together.. They have known each other since schooldays and played in various local punk bands back in 1977. Their partnership was interrupted for a while when Michael went to study in Manchester and then fell off his motor bike and spent nine months on crutches. In 1083 they adopted their current name and started to perform Mokka’s songs.

‘They made occasional forays to play gigs around the North but found it difficult operating from Ulverston, so in 1984 they decided to move. They chose Liverpool, having visited the city regularly to see gigs at Eric’s. They found themselves a manager, Dave G who has been heavily involved in the local music scene for longer than many people can remember (but is still only 28). They also found a new bass player Bendy and keyboard player Dave Williams and started to take the group seriously.

‘After a solid grounding in the clubs and colleges of Merseyside, they toured properly for the first time in the autumn of 1985 as support to the Icicle Works. They went down well to be asked back to some of the same venues in their own right. Colin Vearncombe joined the group for live work to fill out the sound and in return Mokka plays guitars at Black gigs.

‘Grown Up Strange haven’t been as active as they would like to have been in 1986 for several reasons. Firstly Bendy left the band to live in London to be replaced by Roy Corckill who as played in many groups in Liverpool including Here’s Johnny and Black. Secondly, the local club scene for up and coming groups has all but disappeared and finally, hardly anybody outside Liverpool is prepared to book a group without any records out. Consequently their live work in the last year has been restricted to several supports around Liverpool and gigs in their own right in Blackburn, London, Barrow And Manchester. Hopefully the release of their first single ‘A Wing and a Prayer’ on Uglyman Records will enable them to travel more widely as it is live that the group shines.’


grown up strange

French Lessons (1979-1984)

Wirral based pop rock band, formed in 1979 by Rob Cross (keyboards), Doug Halligan (bass and vocals), Ron Roberts (guitar) - both former members of Cops in Dieguise - and Tony Hall (vocals). Colin Roberts, the band’s original drummer was replaced by Keith Butler (former Fallen Heroes) in 1981. The band were regulars on the local music scene and winners or runners up of various local and national competitions, developing quite a large local following.
French Lessons privately released two cassette albums. Homework was recorded at SOS Studios, in Liverpool, between August 1981 and March 1982 and produced by Pete Coleman.

Homework (1982)
Side 1:
- Anytown
- Poor Little Rich Girl
- Social Insecurity
- Planet 3
- Nursery Crimes
Side 2:
- Timebomb
- Willie the Kid
- Don't believe in rainbows
- Badlands

Reel Music is the band’s second album. Side one of was recorded at Corndon House Studios in December 1982. Side two was recorded at Amazon Studios, Liverpool, in November 1982. All tracks where mixed and mastered at Corndon House Studios, in December 1982.

Reel Music (1983)
Side 1:
- Only a broken heart
- Return of the kid
- The jogger
- Midnight cabaret
- Don't believe in rainbows
Side 2:
- Protect and survive
- Mr. Zero
- Anonymous
- Dream Street

In 1984 the band released their first single (the double A-sided Red Light Girls/Ticket to nowhere).

More information about the band and audio files can be found here
(see also: http://www.frenchlessons.org.uk/ )

Doof - Exist (1982)

In 1982 Philip Johnson (see relevant post) collaborated with Paul Platypus (Exhibit A, Twelve Cubic Feet) on the project Doof, releasing the 10" mini-LP Exist:

Doof / Exist (1982)

- Treat Me Like (The Man I Am)
- Brighton, Pt.1
- Nine Years Old
- Brighton, Pt.2
- On It In It
- Treat Me Like (The Man I Am)

Abouth his music, in 1985 Johnson says:
‘My music is an uncommon mixture of musical styles – I didn’t deliberately make it that way, I just like different things andit seems natural to me to put them together, but I’ve always been identified with the ‘experimental’ end of things, like most people who release cassettes. I find what I do hard to describe, and I don’t really want to describe it, I want to surprise listeners, and I want to be able to annoy or amuse or excite or move or confuse them, or create several feelings at once’

doof

Philip Johnson

Philip Johnson is an avantgarde artist who started making music in autumn 1978 and released his first cassette (54 Minutes of P. Johnson) in 1979, one of the earliest participants in the British independent cassette scene. Between 1979 and 1981 he released about 20 cassettes, until 1981 when Johnson became a partner in Namedrop, a short-lived independent record label (which also released Johnson full-fledge Lp ‘1982 – Youth the Morning’). When Namedrop collapsed Johnson went back to releasing cassettes and providing tracks for compilations, mostly cassette compilation (among which Blues Vol. 2, released by Alan Gill’s Bopadub records). In 1981 Johnson released material also under various pseudonyms such as Ancient Regime, the Barringtons, Flower Perverts.

In the folder:
From the compilation We Couldn’t Agree on the Title (1982):
- The Bridewell
- Anaesthetic

From Three Minute Symphony (1984):
- Always Behind You

here

Surreal Estate - Midas Touch (1985)

Surreal Estate formed in 1984 when Bob Carr (guitars, former Those Naughty Lumps, Tontrix, Moderates) joined John Potter (keyboards, vocals). The duo recorded and released their first single in June 1985, with (what the press defined as) a distinctive ‘new psychedelia’ guitar sound.

Midas Touch (1985)
A1. Midas Touch
A2. Incidentally
B1. The Messenger
B2. Inciclub

The single features also Marjie Mayers (vocals), and Bunnymen Will Sergeant (guitars) and Les Pattinson (bass).
In 1986 Carr quit and the band with a new line-up (featuring, besides Potter, Rob Eagle on guitars, Anthony Wilding on bass, Peter Higgins on keyboard, and Alan McLaughlin on drums) released another single (Curtain Call b/w Without + Peppermint And Ivory Towers)

surreal estate - midas