Care - Singles (1983-1984) [Re-Up]

Care formed in Liverpool, England, in 1983, when, after the split of the Wild Swans (with original members Jem Kelly and Ged Quinn forming the Lotus Eaters with Peter Coyle), singer Paul Simpson (also ex-keyboardist for the Teardrop Explodes) teamed up with guitarist Ian Broudie (previously of Big in Japan and Original Mirrors). The first single release came out in June 1983

My Boyish Days (Drink To Me) (1983)
- My Boyish Days (Drink To Me) (12" Version)
- An Evening In The Ray
- A Sad Day For England

The single well-represented the style of the band: shimmery guitar riffs and gleaming synthesizers (though ‘poppier’ and less elaborated then Kelly’s and Quinn’s) accompanying Simpson's dreamy and heartbroken crooning. Two more singles were to follow the first in October 1983, the second one in March 1984:

Flaming Sword (1983)
- Flaming Sword (12" Version)
- Misericorde
- White Cloud (alternative versions of the original ‘On The White Cloud’)

Whatever Possessed You (1984)
- Whatever Possessed You
- Besides (One And Two)

The duo was working on demos in view of an album (mainly with Ian Broudie on guitars, production and keyboards, with Paul Simpson on the keyboards and guitars, collaborating with Paul Sangster – formerly of Send No Flower together with Alan Wills and Ian Asbury – and Tony Wikelan), to be possibly titled Love Crowns and Crucifies, when divergences in the musical views of the two members – Broudie's taste for gleeful commercial pop vs. Simpson's penchant for darker more serious fare – caused the band to split. Simpson then re-formed the Wild Swans (with Jeremy Kelly and Alan Wills), while Broudie, some time later, would create the Lightning Seeds.

singles

(sse also http://www.flamingsword.co.uk/index.htm
http://www.lightning-seeds.co.uk/Care/history.htm )

La La Bam Bam (1982-85)

The band formed around 1982, under a name that was supposed to be perfectly appropriate for a band “who delighted and revelled in playing incessant melodious pop tunes” (Interview with James Scanlon 1988). The band featured Jeff Skellon (bass), Mark Kemp (vocals, later Empire), Mick Bulger (guitars, later Christians), Clive Gee (keyboards), and Mark Edmundson (drums, former Nadsad Fashion, Feathers & The Fire, Visual Aids, Royal Family, later Flock of Seagulls), soon replaced by John McQueen. The band recorded one single in October 1984:

The Colour of Your Eyes (1984)

- The Colour of Your Eyes

- I’m in Love with You

- Smiling

The Catalogue #20 wrote: ‘There’s something oddly attractive about The Colour of Your Eyes […]. Another 2 track 12” touching several bases with some nice details. One to watch, as they say’ (October 1984)

The band also performed on a Janice Long session, for her Saturday evening program on Radio One, playing The Colour of Your Eyes, Poisoned Umbrellas, Wearing Your Skin. The reaction to it was positive, and the session got repeated. LaLaBamBam also did a couple of sessions for the Radio Merseyside programme Streetlife.

In 1985 they provided the track Is it? For the compilation LP Blush on Black. Around the same time they played at a 36-hour gig at the Royal Court, a drug awareness gig. Perry Leach remembers:

‘In 85ish I remember being involved with Joey Musker and the drum marathon - a 36 hour gig at the Royal Court where the drumbeat couldn’t stop for 36 hours. All the top Liverpool bands played - Bunnymen, Pale Fountains, Icicle Works. It was a drugs awareness gig, although you needed to be aware of drugs to get you through 36 hours of drumming. I played with a host of bands as a second drummer which meant you had to keep a hi-hat beat between the bands’ songs; hence the 36 hours non-stop drumming. I did play a proper set at the show for La La Bam Bam with Jeff Skellon and Mark Kemp, who later I was to join up with on the People Get Ready project a few years later. I still keep in touch with Jeff who’s a fellow merchandiser with the same company.’

(http://noexit-thevow.co.uk/book/export/html/158 )

By the mid-eighties the members of the band went their separate ways, Kemp joining Empire, Bulger the Christians and Edmundson A Flock of Seagulls.

More of/by the band can be found here

Apologies for Innocence (1981-87)

Formby rock band formed in 1981 by Rob Jackson (aka Robin Jackson, vocals, synths), Graeme Lodge (bass, synths), and Richard Watts (guitars) and Mat Thomas (drums). This line-up recorded and release the fist and only band’s single in May 1982

Across the Wire (1982)

- Across the Wire (extended)

- Days Alone

- Is This Heaven?

In 1983 Watts left and was replaced first by Mark Caulfiled and, in 1984, by Paul Geraghty. In 1986 the band were still active and contributed the song Surrender for the Twist and Samba compilation.

The single can be found here (thanks to our friend Vinyl Obscurity)

(see also: http://www.myspace.com/apologiesforinnocence )

The Whiskey Priests - Live in Studio Demo (1986)

Four piece punk band formed in late 1985 by Peter Hurst (guitars, former Marshmallow Overcoat), Paul Scott (bass, former Marshmallow Overcoat, Western Diplomats), Pete Pulford (bass, vocals and tapes), Jon Sharples (drums). They released a self-named 6 track demo in 1986. They played in the Liverpool area (about ten gigs, supporting such acts like Crikey it’s the Cromptons and Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus). After a gig Faith in Pleasure Magazine (1986) commented: ‘There is the singer Pete, the guitarist Pete, a bass player playing his bass with his back to the audience and a drummer who kicks fuck out of his drums. […] the racket is harsh & angry & kicks you on the knees. William Burroughs provides a running commentary cut up throughout. […] The racket though is very, very good. […] They did seem very self destructive.’ Here is how the band sounds:

Live in the Studio Demo (ca. 1986)

- My God Is My Gun

- Ghost Rooms

- Smokestack Lightning

- Cigarette Movies

- Forget It All

Before splitting in Summer 1986 they offered the track Forget It All (a cover of a Hoi Polloi song) for the compilation Bugs On The Wire (1987, see relevant post).

wp – studio live

(Major thanks to Pete Hurst himself, who made this post possible!)

Pete Hurst (pre-Whiskey Priests)

After the split of Dementia, Pete Hurst (the drummer with the band, formerly with Dance Ritual, Green Cube, Patterns, Marshmallow Overcoat) spent some time with Mr. Toad and The Naughty Majorcans. During his time with the band Hurts worked on some solo material, which saw the light of day on the Compilation Ways to Wear Coats (the numbers Through The Binoculars Of The People and End (with, Brian N. Smithers) see relevant post). In the same period Hurts worked with Pete Pulford on some demos.

Pre-Whiskey Priests Demo (ca. 1985)

- Witchcraft and Communism

- Woman in Red 24

Soon after came the Whiskey Priests.

demo

(Major thanks to Pete Hurst himself, who made this post possible!)

Dementia (1983-85)

This punk act originated in late 1983 when Jimmy McVeigh (vocals, former Reiner Chaos) and Tudor (guitar, vocals, former Public Disgrace, later Gone to Earth, Mr. Toad & the Naught Majorcans, Suicide Stars) − both from Das Reiner − were joined by Pete Hurst (drums, former Dance Ritual, Green Cube, Patterns, later Mr. Toad & the Naught Majorcans) and Mike Poole (bass, later Suicide Stars).

Here is how Breakthrough Magazine described the band:

‘Whilst all four members of the band share the standard punk philosophy, they are by no means the standard band playing 1-2-3-4 Thrash, thrash, thrash. […]. In late ’83 Dementia (named after the 50’s slasher movie DEMENTIA VIII) experimented with two drummers to achieve that wonderful, full heavy drum sound made famous by Gary Glitter but they soon found that Hursty could provide the required sound on his own. As well as Gary Glitter, Dementia are influenced by the New York Dolls, and even pay homage with their own version of ‘Mystery Girls’. […] Dementia hope to be a force to be reckoned with in their own area of music − not just punk, but rock as well. In fact, punk-rock.’

‘Live Dementia provide a visual good show […] The songs are meaty and played well by all the band members.’ (March 1985)

In March 1985 the band released their first and only official record, an eponymous Mini-Lp on Skysaw.

Dementia (1985)

Side A.

- Easy Way Out - Fear - I’m Gonna

Side B.

- Written in Blood - Embarkation - Basic Feelings - Back in the States

Later the same year Skysaw released a tape (also called Dementia) containing all the tracks of the Mini-Lp plus three extra tracks. By early 1986, Dementia were no more: after having sessioned for the folk-punk act Gone to Earth in 1985, Tudor joined them for good; Poole (and later Tudor) joined Suicide Star; Hurst spent some time (again with Tudor ) in Mr. Toad & The Naughy Majorcans.

Dementia

(Major thanks to Pete Hurst himself, who made this post possible!)

(see also http://uk82.150m.com/bands/dementia.html )

Das Reiner - Demo (1982)

Das Reiner came about when Tudor (guitar, vocals) left Public Disgrace, the first Liverpool hardocre punk act (see relevant post), to join Reiner Chaos. This was a punk band (originally called Great British Mistake Part 2) formed in 1982 and consisting of Chris Dollar (vocals), Chris McGuire (guitar), Dave Hughes (guitar, vocals, later Danse Macabre), Jimmy McVeigh (bass, also later Danse Macabre), Oz (aka Ozzy, guitar), and Dave Bellamy (drums). As to their beginnings the band recalls: ‘The first gig we’ve ever done was at the Everyman Bistro and we were known as the Great British Mistake Part 2, and we were asked to leave after 3 minutes. It was a fun gig and it was our start in life’. As to their recorded material Oz concedes: ‘‘The best thing we ever had was a cassette recording made in my living room in early 1982, I think, which was accidentally recorded over late one night by an out of brain Dave H and was never heard again. Shame coz it was really rather good.’ Towards the end of the year Hughes quit and was replaced by Tudor (later Dementia, Gone To Earth, Mr Toad & The Naughty Majorcans), this line-up changed their name to Das Reiner and released their demo in late 1982.

Demo (1982)

- Funny Farm
- Problem in My Head
- Love for Sale

demo