Re-post: Peter Coyle - A Slap In The Face For Public Taste

This is a noise reduced version of Peter Coyle’s album A Slap In The Face for Public Taste, the same album posted here some while ago. I do not perform miracles, I simply like ‘better’ over ‘ok’. For die-hard fans or sound purists only.

Part 1

Part 2

And here you may also listen to a song from the Lotus Eaters’ forthcoming album.

Zoo Records (Dave Balfe, Bill Drummond) - To The Shores of Lake Placid (1982) - The Zoo Uncaged (1995)

What happened to Bill Drummond and Dave Balfe, after Big in Japan? They formed Zoo record and collaborated with many of the artists who released stuff through their record company.

Zoo Records was a British independent record label formed by Bill Drummond and David Balfe in 1978. Zoo was launched in order to release the work of the perennially struggling Liverpool band, Big in Japan (the label's first release being the From Y To Z and Never Again EP). The label went on to release early work from The Teardrop Explodes and Echo & the Bunnymen.
Part of the label's philosophy was to only release singles and never albums - the only album ever released on Zoo was the 1982 compilation of all the singles To the Shores of Lake Placid: The Zoo Uncaged 1978-1982, which was re-released in 1995 with extra tracks as simply The Zoo Uncaged 1978-1982.

Besides soon-to-be major bands like the Teardrop Explodes, the Bunnymen, and then cult status acts like Big in Japan, in these compilations it is possible to find obscure bands like Lori & The Chameleons (punk techno pop sung by Lori Larty, a female vocalist, and masterminded by ex Big in Japan Bill Drummond and David Balfe), Expelaires (Craig Adams – future bassist with Sisters of Mecy - David Wolfenden – then with Red Lorry Yellow Lorry - Mark Copson, Carl Harper, see http://www.discogs.com/artist/Expelaires ), Those Naughty Lumps (early New Wave band from Liverpool sporting Kevin Wilkinson on drums, Tony Mitchell on guitar, P.M. Hart on vocals, Martin 'Armadillo' Cooper on bass, Peter 'Kid' Younger on guitar, see http://www.btinternet.com/~kev.wilkinson/nlumps.htm ), and the mighty Wild Swans (a Liverpool-based electro pop band related to Lotus Eaters and Teardrop Explodes, featuring Paul Simpson on vocals, Jerry Kelly on guitars, Gerald Quinn on keyboards, Phil Lucking on bass, and Alan Mills on drums, see http://www.renascent.co.uk/pageswswans/wswans2.html ).

To The Shore of Lake Placid (1982)

1. Big In Japan - Society For Cutting Up Men (SCUM) - previously unreleased. Recorded T.W. Studios October 1977.
2. Those Naughty Lumps - Iggy Pop's Jacket - previously released as single (Zoo Cage 002) January 1979. Recorded Open Eye Studios, Liverpool.

3. The Teardrop Explodes - When I Dream - the original version, taken from the never released album 'Everybody Wants To Shag The Teardrop Explodes' (Zoo 1). Recorded Rockfield Studios March 1980.

4. Echo And The Bunnymen - Pictures On My Wall - original version featuring Echo, released as single (Zoo Cage 004) March 1979. Recorded August Studios, Liverpool March 1979.

5. Echo And The Bunnymen - Read It In Books - b-side of Track A4, not the version on American copies of 'Crocodiles' or Korova Special Offer Version.

6. Lori And The Chameleons - Lonely Spy - originally released by Zoo Records through Korova Records. Recorded Rockfield Studios January 1980.

7. The Turqoise Swimming Pools - The Winds - previously unreleased. Recorded Rockfield Studios February 1981.

8. Whopper - Kwalo Klobinsky's Lullaby - from the unreleased album 'The Fuel Of The Big Machine',

9. Dalek (I Love You) - A Suicide - originally released on Back Door. Recorded Rockfield Studios early 1979.

10. The Turquoise Swimming Pools - Burst Balloons - previously unreleased. Recorded Rockfield Studios February 1981.

11. The Teardrop Explodes - Camera, Camera - previously released as b-side of 'Sleeping Gas' (Zoo Cage 003). Recorded Open Eye Studios, Liverpool November 1978.

12. Big In Japan - Suicide A Go Go - previously released on 'From Y To Z And Never Again' (Zoo Cage 001). Licensed from Warner Bros. Music Ltd.

13. Echo And The Bunnymen - Villiers Terrace - recorded for John Peel Session May 1979. With kind permission of the BBC.

14. The Teardrop Explodes - Take A Chance - previously unreleased. Recorded Cargo, Rochdale November 1979.




The Zoo Uncaged 1978-1982 [1990]
This is the only place you'll find a CD version of "Love on the Ganges" by Lori and the Chameleons.

01. Big In Japan: Suicide A Go Go

02. Big In Japan: Nothing Special

03. Those Naughty Lumps: Iggy Pop's Jacket

04. Those Naughty Lumps: Pure And Innocent

05. The Teardrop Explodes: Sleeping Gas

06. The Teardrop Explodes: Camera Camera

07. Echo And The Bunnymen: The Pictures On My Wall

08. The Teardrop Explodes: Bouncing Babies

09. Lori & The Chameleon: Touch

10. Lori & The Chameleon: Love On The Ganges

11. Expelaires: To See You

12. Expelaires: Frequency

13. The Teardrop Explodes: Treason

14. The Teardrop Explodes: Books

15. The Wild Swans: Revolutionary Spirit

16. The Wild Swans: God Forbid

17. Big In Japan: Society For Cutting Up Men

18. Big In Japan: Taxi

19. Big In Japan: Cindy And The Barbi Dolls

Nightmares in Wax (a.k.a. Rainbows over Nagasaki), and early Dead or Alive

The 24/2/79 issue of the NME features an article about the Liverpool scene, mainly dedicated to the Pink Military (then Pink Military Stand Alone), but also mentioning other ‘promising’ bands like Echo and the Bunnymen, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, A Teardrop Never Explodes (sic!) and Rainbows over Nagasaki. On the top left of the page campaigns a picture of the leader of the latter band: Pete, aka Peter Burns.
In the mid-seventies Pete Burns was a local cult figure in the Liverpudlian post punk scene: he ran a series of boutiques in Liverpool and was quite popular for his eccentricities (dyed red hair and thoroughly shaved-off eyebrows, green foundation, bouffant wigs, black contact lenses, and pink latex costumes). In the fall of 1977, mainly due to his outrageous looks and blossoming cult status, Burns was recruited by Pete Wylie to form the Mystery Girl (with Wylie on guitars, Julian Cope on bass, Phil Hurst on drums), a band which lasted the time span of a gig, supporting Sham 69, and played mainly cover songs (I Can See for Miles, Wild Thing, Someone like Me, The Night Time Is the Right Time, etc.), with a couple of original songs thrown in, among which Julian Cope's "Bouncing Babies', later a hit for Teardrop Explodes.
It was through the experience of rehearsing with the group that Burns realized he did have a powerful, rough and throaty singing voice (not unlike Jim Morrison’s).
In 1979 he put together a new band, the post-punk and proto-Goth act Nightmares in Wax featuring Mick Reid on guitars, Martin Healy on keyboards, Pete Lloyd on bass, and former Mystery Girl Phil Hurst on drums. (Nightmares in Wax frequently played with their name, one of them being Rainbows over Nagasaki.)
Nightmares in Wax released one only recording, a three-track 7" EP titled Birth of a Nation in 1979/1980, featuring a gothic sound and blatantly homosexual lyrics.

Birth of a Nation - EP
Black Leather
Girl Song
Shangri-La
.


One year late Burns and keyboardist Marty Healey remodeled the band. Along the road of evolution to DOA, short-lived membership was given to Ambrose, who, thogether with Phil Hurst, joined Holly Johnson of Frankie Goes To Hollywood in his early group, Hollycaust, befor joinin forces with Wayne Casey in Pink Industry. Then, Bursn recruited guitarist Mitch (Adrian Mitchell) and bassist Sue James (both ex-Upset), drummer Joe Musker (ex-Fourmost), and renamed the band Dead or Alive, debuting in 1980 with the Ian Broudie-produced Doors soundalike I'm Falling (b/w Flowers)

I’m Falling - single



.
A few months later, in 1981, the same formation recorded their first Peel session.

Some nice articles about the band at this stage can be found here
http://www.deadoralive.net/newsite/press/articles/greene.html
http://franck.cnudde.free.fr/doa.fr/glamour.htm
http://franck.cnudde.free.fr/doa.fr/mortouvif.htm
http://franck.cnudde.free.fr/doa.fr/bop_eye.htm

The Original Mirrors - Recordings 1979-81

Let’s see now what happened to the other members of Big in Japan, starting from the guitar player, Ian Broudie, who formed the Original Mirrors.


“Original Mirrors formed in Liverpool, England, in 1980 [actually, in 1978, ndr] when Ian Broudie – a former member of Big in Japan joined forces with Steve Allen after the collapse of the latter 's art rock group, the Deaf School in 1978. Including Broudie on guitar, the band also featured Peter Kircher (drums), Jonathan Perkins (keyboards), and Phil Spalding (bass). Recalling glam and power pop, Original Mirrors didn't even resemble Broudie's later '60s influenced work. The group's self-titled first album was released in 1980 with no commercial success; a similarly bleak fate met their next full-length, Heart Twango & Raw Beat, in 1981. The band then split up. Broudie became a producer for Echo & the Bunnymen and the Fall before joining vocalist Paul Simpson in Care in 1983 and then planting the Lightning Seeds in 1989." (credits to Michael Sutton, All Music Guide)

Members:
Ian Broudie (guitar), Steve Allen (vocals), Phil Spalding (bass), Peter Kircher (drums), Jonathan Perkins (keyboards)

Discography:

Could This Be Heaven? (b/w Night Of The Angels, 1979)
Boys Cry (b/w Chains Of Love, 1980)

Original Mirrors (1980): 1 Sharp Words 2 Reflections 3 Boys the Boys 4 Flying5 Chains of Love 6 Could This Be Heaven? 7 Boys Cry 8 Nights of the Angels 9 Panic in the Night 10 Feel Like a Train

Heart Twango & Raw Beat (1981): 1 Heart, Twango and Raw Beat 2 Dancing With the Rebels 3 Teen Beat 4 When You're Young 5 Things to Come 6 Darling .... In London 7 Don't Cry Baby 8 Please Don't Wear Red 9 Swing Together 10 Time Has Come

20,000 Dreamers (b/w Time Has Come and Dancing With The Rebels, 1981)

Pink Military - Do Animals Believe in God? (1980)

“Jayne Casey's post-Big in Japan endeavor, Pink Military, was quickly snapped up by Virgin after critical accolades showered their 1979 single "Blood and Lipstick." Nearly a year later, and sporting a new rhythm section, Pink Military released the wonderfully moody Do Animals Believe in God?. The LP would become both their debut effort and swan song. Alternative beats which border on darkwave inform much of this set, and Casey keeps the mood sweet and melancholy, but imbues the songs with an edge that barely conceals her sharper points. This works to wonderful effect on many of the songs, but most especially on "I Cry," which crossed U.K. post-punk ethics with a smidgen of Nico and a little Rocky Horror Picture Show thrown in for kicks. "Did You See Her?," the album's lone single, keeps the vocal range low but brightens the vibe with some lighthearted synth. Elsewhere, the band continues to shine on "Back on the London Stage," as well as on the dramatic title track -- sung, incidentally, by an unidentified bandmember. Pink Military only falters when they step into the more experimental waters of "Living in a Jungle" and "War Games." Sadly, this wonderful album fared poorly, leaving Casey to regroup and redefine the band's dimension, burying Pink Military and giving birth to the new era of Pink Industry in 1982.” Amy Hanson, All Music Guide

This is how Jayne Casey describes her time with the band:

There were several line-up changes in Pink Military before the first LP. Tell us about that.
JC: “I can't even remember. Pink Military was a bit of a dry period really. I met a girl recently who was sort of talking to me about it, and I didn't know any of the songs she was talking about, so I said, "Honest to god, I'm sorry, I can't talk about it because I haven't heard any of the stuff for years." So she found me an LP in a second-hand shop and gave it to me as a present. It was funny listening to it, because of everything that I knew wasn't gonna work at the time. I was saying to the musicians, "You know, this is not right." Still listening to it now, I was totally right to have that view. It was quite a difficult time, because the whole music scene was very rock-oriented, and the technology hadn't moved at that point to easily encompass what you were doing on a street level, so it was dead difficult. It was the hardest time I ever had you know, dealing with a rock drummer and saying "Oh, just kill those rolls." I wanted to be like an electronic Edith Piaf or something, but it just wasn't happening, I had these "rock drummers" (laughs). At the beginning of Pink Military, it was just like I wanted to do something that everyone would hate, because I'd had so much hassle for years. I wanted to do something that was so uncool. So I found the weirdest-looking kind of New York Dolly hippie types and just put them all together, and just went "fuck off!" So it sort of went through different phases. I think that's my most hateful period, Pink Military.”
(interviewed for Caught In Flux #2, 1993 interview by Lin Sangster)

Do Animals Believe in God? (1980 LP Virgin / Godnull)
A1 Degenerated Man
A2 I Cry
A3 Did You See Her
A4 Wild West
A5 Back On The London Stage
A6 After Hiroshima
B1 Living In The Jungle
B2 Dreamtime
B3 War Games
B4 Heaven / Hell
B5 Do Animals Believe In God?

Pink Military - 1978-80 Recordings

Personel over the years:
- Jayne Casey (vocals 1978-1980),
- Roy White (gtr 1978, later WHITE & TORCH, ROY WHITE BAND)
- Steve Torch (bass 1978, later WHITE & TORCH, BAMBOO FRINGE, VICTIMS OF ROMANCE)
- Nicky Cool (keyboard, guitar 1978)
- Tim Whittaker (drums, 1978 ex DEAF SCHOOL 1974-78)
- Neil Innes (percussion)
- John Higham (guitar)
- Martin Dempsey (bass ex YACHTS 1977-79, later IT’S IMMATERIAL) - Chris Joyce (drums ex DURUTTI COLUMN 1978, next SIMPLY RED 1984-89)
- Paul Hornby (drums)
- Wayne Wadden (bass)
- Holly Johnson (bass, 1978-79, later FGTH)
- Peter Lloyd (bass, 1979, later NIGHTMARES IN WAX)
- Charlie ‘Gruff’ Griffiths (keyboard later WAH! HEAT)
- Colm Redmond (ex WAH! HEAT, PSYCAMESH)
- Dave Baynton-Power (dr, later JAMES)
- Baby Dobs (drums, 1980)

The history:
“After the breakup of Big in Japan, Jayne Casey formed Pink Military Stand Alone with keyboardist/guitarist Nicky Cool; the remainder of the group membership commonly changed from release to release. Within a couple months of their first gig, the live EP Buddha Waking Disney Sleeping was self-released on Last Trumpet. A 12" by the title of Blood and Lipstick was out by October of the same year, released on Eric's, the label affiliated with the Liverpool club. Shortening the group's name to Pink Military, the LP Do Animals Believe in God? was issued in June of 1980. The group -- which at the time of the album's release included the nucleus of Casey and Cool, along with keyboardist Charlie Griffiths, ex-Yachts bassist Martin Dempsey, future Simply Red drummer Chris Joyce, and percussionist Neil Innes -- dissolved soon after. Casey continued in the longer running Pink Industry." Andy Kellman, All Music Guide

The discography

1979 EP Buddha Walking Disney Sleeping (Live at Eric’s) (as Pink Military Stand Alone)
A1 Degenerated Man
A2 Sanjo Kantaro
B1 Clown Town
B2 Heaven/Hell
Main Performer: John Higham (Guitar), Tony Bowers (Producer), Bob Harding (Producer), Paul Hornby (Drums), Jayne Casey (Vocals), Nicky Cool (Keyboards), Wayne Wadden (Bass)

1979 12” Blood & Lipstick
A1 Spell Bound
A2 Blood & Lipstick
B1 Clown Town
B2 I Cry
Main Performer: Roy White (Producer), Tim Whittaker (Drums), Jayne Casey (Vocals), Nicky Cool (Synthesizer), Nicky Cool (Guitar), Steve Torch (Bass), Noddy Knowler (Producer) - (credits: Casey / Cool – arrangements Whittaker)

1980 Single Did you see her? / Everyday
A1 Did You See Her?
B1 Everyday

BBC RADIO 1 SESSIONS (1979-80)

26/11/1979 PEEL SESSIONS
01.Wild West
02.Did you see her?
03.Stand alone
LINE UP: Jayne Casey (Lead Vocals) Roy White (Guitar, Vocals, Percussion), Steve Torch (Bass, Vocals), Nicky (Synthesiser, Vocals) Budgie (Drums), Jackie (Vocals)

27/05/1980 PEEL SESSIONS
04. Everyday –
05. Pilgrim Forest –
06. Dance Of The Waning Moon
LINE UP: Jayne Casey (Lead Vocals) Nicky (Synthesiser, Vocals) Martin Dempsey (Bass) Charlie Griffiths (Keyboards) Neil (Percussion) Dave Baynton-Power (Drums)

For more info on the band, visit the webpage http://www.cromar.org/pink.htm

Big in Japan - 1977-78 Recordings

We started off in Liverpool, and in Liverpool we stay.
A large part of what happened there in the post-punk era gravitated around Eric’s Club, and a lot of what originated from there, in a way or another, had to do with a least one of the members of the seminal group Big in Japan. Just take a look at the personal of the band, to have an idea:

Budgie - later of The Slits and then Siouxsie & the Banshees
Ian Broudie - later of Original Mirrors, Care, The Lightning Seeds and a respected producer
Bill Drummond - later of Lori & the Chameleons, the Zoo record label, the JAMMS, and The KLF
David Balfe - later also of Lori & the Chameleons, and The Teardrop Explodes and the Food record label
Jayne Casey - later of Pink Military and Pink Industry and then leading light in the Liverpool club and arts scenes
Holly Johnson - later of Frankie Goes to Hollywood and solo artist
Kev Ward and Phil Allen - no further musical activity

Quite impressive.

Now, the history:

“Big in Japan formed in late 1977. They started off playing gigs around Liverpool, most notably at the seminal Eric's Club. Their stage show was unique: lead singer Jayne Casey would perform with a lampshade over her shaved head, guitarist Bill Drummond played in a kilt and bassist Holly Johnson performed in a flamboyant manner which he would later take further in Frankie Goes to Hollywood. […]
Ian Broudie said that "It was more performance art than rock'n'roll. But it gave me a healthy disregard for musicianship. It's ideas that are important, not proficiency." […]
Hatred of the band reached such a level that a petition calling on them to split up was launched by a jealous young Julian Cope. Displayed in local shop Probe Records the petition gathered 2000 signatures including those of the band themselves. Shortly afterwards the band did split up although this was due to personal differences rather than the petition. […]
Their music ranged from punk paeans to the life of prostitution on Suicide a Go-Go, to goofy 50's pastiches complete with high-pitched chipmunk type vocals on Cindy and the Barbi Dolls.
The band broke up in 1978, but recorded From Y To Z and Never Again afterwards to pay off debts. The unintentional consequence of the E.P. was the formation of the seminal Zoo label, which went on to release early material by Echo & the Bunnymen and The Teardrop Explodes, amongst others.”

(From Wikipedia)

The songs:
In the folder here you find all the songs authored by the band in the years 1977-78:

1. "Big in Japan" (from the split single "Brutality, Religion and a dance beat (e.g., Big in Japan & the Chuddy Nuddies)" backed by "Do the Chud" by the Chuddy Nuddies - fellow Liverpool band Yachts recording under a pseudonym) - Sept. '77, 7", Eric's 0001.

02-05 From Y To Z and Never Again - EP, (first ever release on the Zoo Label,1978, 7")
- 02. "Nothing Special" (recorded at the M.V.C.U. 4 track studio (Teac 3340S), Liverpool, July '78. Produced by Noddy Knowler. Musicians: Jayne, vocals; Ian Broudie, guitar; Bill Drummond, guitar; Dave Balfe, bass; Budgie, drums)
- 03. "Cindy and the Barbi Dolls" (recorded at the M.V.C.U. 4 track studio (Teac 3340S), Liverpool, August '78. Produced by Noddy Knowler. Musicians: Ian Broudie, guitar; Bill Drummond, guitar; Dave Balfe, bass).
- 04. "Suicide a GoGo" (recorded at T.W. studios, London, November' 77. Produced by Rob Dickens. Musicians: Jayne, vocals; Kev Ward, vocals; Ian Broudie, guitar; Bill Drummond, guitar; Holly, bass; Phil Allen, drums)
- 05. "Taxi" (recorded at Amazon studios, Liverpool, May '78. Produced by the band. Musicians: Jayne, vocals; Ian Broudie, guitar; Bill Drummond, guitar; Holly, bass; Budgie, drums)

06. S.C.U.M (Society For Cutting Up Men) - Recorded T.W. Studios October 1977. Licensed from Warner Bros. Music Ltd. Musicians: Bass - Holly Drums - Phil Allan Guitar - Bill Drummond , Ian Broudie Vocals - Jayne Casey , Kevin Ward Engineer - Alan Winstanley Producer - Rob Dickins. Features on Zoo Records compilation album To The Shores Of Lake Placid (1982).

07. Match Of The Day (featured on Street To Street: A Liverpoool Album - 1978, Open Eye Records)

08-10 John Peel session of 6th March 1979 (Musicians: Vocals - Jayne Casey. Guitar / Organ / B. Vocals -Ian Broudie; Bass / B. Vocals - Holly; Drums / B. Vocals - Budgie)
- 08. Suicide High Life
- 09. Goodbye
- 10. Don't Bomb China

Big in Japan