Godot - Extended Player (1981) [Re-Up]

"Dave Hughes is probably best-known in OMD circles as being a keyboard player for the band during the early part of 1980. But prior to this, Hughes had been a founder-member of Liverpool's pioneering synth outfit Dalek I Love You alongside Alan Gill [David Balfe and Chris Teepee, aka Chris Shaw].
Both Alan Gill and Dave Hughes had attempted to reactivate Dalek I Love You following the release of the band's 1980 debut album Compass Kum'pas. But both band members were by then pulling in different musical directions and the idea was shelved.” In fact in January 1980 Hughes left Dalek I Love You and began rehearsals with OMD for their first headline tour of the UK. Hughes remembers: "I hadn't really left Dalek when I joined the Orchs, but I'd known both Paul and Andy since The Id -- I went to watch them a few times, because we were checking out their equipment!".

Hughes (rigth, in th picture) then remained with OMD until November of that year, notably creating the backing tracks for Souvenir from layered tapes of a choir tuning up (this single went to number 3 in the UK charts). In November 1980, Dave Hughes teamed up with ex-Radio Blank and Dalek I band member Keith Hartley (left in the picture) to form Godot which gave Hughes a chance to experiment with new ideas.
In the meantime “Alan Gill had decided to relaunch Dalek I Love You and pulled in Keith Hartley to help him. Left without a band, Dave Hughes recruited some new musicians which included Ronnie Stone, Steve Byrne and Martin Cooper. With the addition of a drummer, this new line-up of Godot toured with Dalek I in the winter of 1981. But when Ronnie Stone decided to join China Crisis, the band split up.” Martin Cooper and Hughes in 1982 worked with Freeze Frame, the Cooper started working with OMD. In 1984 Keith Hartley teamed up with ex-Dalek Kenny Peers in Bamboo (later Sex Tribe).
The first release by the band was Extended Player (1981), recorded at Amazon Studios and self-financed, featured 4 songs written during Keith Hartey's time in the band and features Hartley's vocals on the tracks.

Extended Player (1981)
- Wait For...
- Teeth
- Love?
- Theme For Bureaucrats

(Martin Luther was an historical figure that Dave Hughes admired and the sleeve artwork features Lutherian print designs. )

Godot 1981

(Major thanks to our friend Endorphin)
(see also: http://www.omd.uk.com/discography/godot/html/ep.html
http://robinparmar.com/dalek-i-love-you.html#part5 )

The Precautions (1980-83)

The Precaution, form Ellesmere Port, formed in 1980 and included Ian Wilson (vocals, later Action Transfers, now running Whitby Studios), Steve Coughton (aka Steve Coughlan, guitars, later Lilac Trumpets), Neil Senior (bass, later Lilac Trumpets), Dave Cooil (drums). They started doing cover-versions of Joe Jackson and Tom Petty numbers, then started writing their own material (a shift which the band thought of signaling by a change of name, one possibility being Toga Party). They recorded demos at Cargo studio in Manchester and at Amazon in Liverpool and released a three-track tape in 1982 (including Modesty Blaise, Safe Inside, Leeks on Mount Fiji), and gigged all over the country (supported Afraid of Mice at the Wharehouse). Inevitable Records was interested in signing them and they were to be featured on a Skeleton compilation, but nothing came of both. 

The Precaution “established a slight reputation within the small confines of Ellesmere Port. Coach trips have been organized to watch them at the Moonlight Club in London, their logo appears in graffiti all over the town centre and record shops display publicity photos” (Merseysound #1, January 1982)

By 1983 things started to change. According to their manager A.N. Jones:

‘They were one of the most promising act I ever worked with but due to general disorganisation within the group it never went further. I managed to secure them support dates with Siouxsie and the Banshees (Devon, 83), Blue Rondo (Manchester, 83), Claire Hamill (London, 83) and Icicle Works (several dates).

‘All these dates apart from one with the Icicle Works were blown out due to Dave Cooil deciding he wanted to leave just one week before the Siouxsie date. The biggest tragedy was that he never gave us a reason as to why he was leaving and it was just too short notice to get a replacement! It was eventually found in Tony Elson from the System, but this only lasted for one gig – Ellesmere Port. For this date the group also had the group also had a keyboard player called Ian [Lewis (keyboards, later Lilac Trumpets, Alternative Radio)]. That date was pretty shambolic and it could be seen that this lineup would not last and slowly the band crumbled.

‘A long period of inactivity followed until late ’83, when Ian Wilson went on to join the Action Transfers as second vocalist to Dave Whibberley and Neil and Steve went on to form the Lilac Trumpets’

No audio material seems to have survived.

Big In Japan - Cindy And The Barbi Dolls

Sons of Egypt - Shake Shake

Ellery Bop - Torn Apart

 

Thanks to Jamie and Thud

Western Promise - Justice (1985) [Re-Up]

Western Promise formed during the summer 1983 when four Birkenhead lads coming from different musical experiences met. John McGlone, previously with Fingerprint File and Tears of Joy, would front the band on vocals and guitars. Dave King, formerly with Choir Boys, Ulterior Motive and Five Play Dutch, joined on bass. Mick Clarke, former Frets, Harmonics, Fourmers, Forgotten Image, Second to None, Suspected Greenhouse, and also Five Play Dutch, would play the drums. Phil Fowler (later Thomas Lang) would be the second guitar and keyboard player. The group started off by writing and playing punk and hard rock -oriented numbers, performed in way heavily influenced by the Psychedelic Furs and Pil, and established their identity as a political band. In 1983 Phil Morton wrote about them: “Each member is a committed socialist dedicated to spreading their message through the power and passion of their music. Each member comes from the poorest and roughest places on both sides of the river Mersey”. This line-up only release a demo tape (featuring Uncle Joe / I’ve Been Waiting / Katyn Wood / The Hot Rain / Steelyard). In 1984 Clarke left the band for Shell Collectors (then would join Jenny Lind and Fallen People) and, in December 1984, his place was taken by Sean Butler (formerly with Change to the East). The band released its first single in April 1985.

Justice (1985)
- Promise Land
- Justice
- All Souls Day
- Uncle Joe

here

Where's the Beach - Peel Sessions (1989-92)

After the release of the track Tripping the LUV Fantastic for the Freak Beats compilation, John Peel got in touch and booked Where's the Beach - Peter Jones and Adam Marshall - for a first session, which was recorded on August 1st 1989 at Maida Vale Studios, with Dale Griffin producin and Mick Robinson engineering. Chloe Mac was on vocals. At the time the band only had three number, which clashed with the four-number format of a Radio One Session. Jones and Marshall wanted to record a version of the Cabaret Voltaire classic Nag Nag Nag but Dale Griffin cut the session short and only three tracks were recorded, namely the two songs from Freak Beats (Tripping The Love Fantastic, Deliciously Deranged) and a version of their soon-to-be first single Suakin (pronounced Sue-R-Kin). Peel loved the session and played it three times once being in his best-of-the-year round-up in December. Rumours have it that WTB never regained the raw energy that was captured on that session, mainly due to the equipment not being very good and slack midi timings caused by connecting things up incorrectly. The session aired on Augusr 31st, 1989.

Exactly one year later, after the release of the band's first single (Suakin), John Peel booked again the band for a second session (of which he said: "I can't understand why this band aren't what you kids call MEGA"). Marshall, Jones and vocalist Angie Summons on August 19th recorded three tracks (Feed The Fire, Chaos At The Axe Factory (Inst),Mega Armagedron Death / Yankamantra) which then aired on September 26th.

The third session for John Peel was recorded after the release of their third single (Sex Slave Zombie), in 1992. On October 11th Jones and Marshall gathered ay Maida Vale Studios, this time with Mike Engles producing and Andrew Rogers angineering, and recorded four new tracks (Unstoppable, Sex Slave Zombie Part Two, Oasis, Pop Killer). This session was finally aired on December 4th 1992.

trippin the luv fantastic (peel)

third peel

(Thanks to Angie for the pic!!)