The Id (1977-79)

The Id formed in September 1977 and were active between 1977 and the summer 1978 as an eight-piece band, featuring young musicians coming from Wirral-based prog or hard rock and heavy metal acts such as Equinox and Pegasus. The Id consisted of three singers (Andy McCluskey, Julia Kneale (McCluskey's girlfriend), John Floyd), two guitarists (Neill Shenton and Gary Hodgson), bass (Steve Hollas), keyboard player (Paul Humphreys) and drummer (Malcolm Holmes) − a second drummer (Simon Bateman) was asked to join but declined the offer.

Before the Id, McCluskey was in Pegasus and Humphreys in Equinox, then they were together in Hitlerz Underpantz (with Clived Gee, later Afraid of Mice). When HU dissolved, McCluskey was at Wallasey Art College where he met Julia Kneale. Humphreys was instead at Riversdale College studying electronics and communications with Hodgson and Hollas. Humphreys invited Hogson and Hollas to team up with himself and McCluskey, who, in his turn, asked John Floyd, an old school friend, to join this new band. Holmes was also an acquaintance of McCluskey, and had worked with Dalek I Love You and Margox (with Margi Clark).

Once the line-up was established the Id started to gig around the Merseyside (in church halls rather than pubs!) also making it at Eric’s. At this stage they have started writing their own material (many of these numbers would become OMD classics, such as Radio Waves, Red Frame / White Light, and, most noticeably Electricity.

In 1978 things started to change. First, the line-up shrank down to a solid five-piece, after Shenton (who quit to join The Man From UNCLE, for which also Holmes did some drumming). The group began to gig regularly in the Merseyside area, performing original material mostly written by McCluskey and Humphreys, and developing quite a following on the scene. Second, following Roger Eagle’s suggestion the Id – McCluskey, Humphreys, Holmes, Hodgson and Hollas − decided to record some of their material, and produced a three-track demo at Open Eye (containing the McCluskey-Humphreys penned numbers Electricity and the acoustic Misunderstanding, plus a number with Kneale’s lyrics to it, hence the title Julia’s Song).

Despite having quite a following in the North, in August 1978, as the band was going to pieces, McCluskey quit to (briefly) join Dalek I Love You, whose use of baking tapes would be inspiring to him and influential for OMD musical style. In this period Humphreys was also experimenting with sounds and radio noises (he had been since his time in college), which were now the basic ingredients for the VCLXI, the first, provisional, name (from a detail on the cover of Kraftwerk’s Radioactivity) for a new project that consisted mainly of Humphreys, McCluskey, and ‘Winston’, a synth operated by Paul Collister. The duo continued as such until December 1979, when Holmes rejoined his bandmates and Dave Hughes (former Dalek I Love You) was added to the line-up especially for live performances.

At about the same time when OMD released their first single (a reworked version of the Id Electricity, whose original demo version appeared also on the Unearthed, Liverpool Cult Classics, Volume 3), another Id number (Julia’s Song) appeared on the compilation record Street to Street: A Liverpool Album (August 1979).

The Open Eye demo has been digitalized and made available in 2002.

(see also: http://www.omd-messages.co.uk/omd/?page_id=17 http://www.answers.com/topic/the-id-1 http://www.myspace.com/orchestralmanoeuvresdark )

Some Detergents… (1979-83)

Some Detergents were an electro/synth-pop act put together in 1979 by Chris Shaw (synths, one of the founding members of Dalek I Love You, alongside Alan Gill, Dave Balfe and David Hughes) with schoolfriend Chris Russell (vocals, also in the Games, later Sense of Vision), and, from 1981, Brendan Coyle (synths, also in the Games). Coyle remembers: ‘I met the two Chris’ at Bradys and we thought we had the same musical differences. I ahd my electronic moods and they had their sixties moods – and we though we could combine them. So when the Games split I approached the two Chris and, well it seems to blend’ (Breakout Mag, July 1982). Before Coyle the band went through phases where several musicians were tried out: ‘We’ve had other people who’ve past through, but we always seemed to find that our certain sound – which is for us Some Detergents – was being eroded, so it never really worked out with anyone else’ (Popeye Mag, March 1982).

When it comes to define their musical style they claim: ‘Well, we’re not really a synth band. We use guitars mainly and have synths as backing. We have rhythm units down on tape and mix this with live drums to give a good flavour’ (Breakout Mag, July 1982). The fact of having been in or around such bands as Dalek I Love You influenced a lot the band’s style, in terms of sounds and song structure. Shaw concedes: ‘Although the single is not simple, it’s complex actually, we’re moving towards simplified music. When we got the single and listened to it, we realised it was too complex − too much information in it’ (Breakout Mag, July 1982).

As to the origin of the name the band recalls: ‘We were all sitting around watching TV discussing a suitable name, when Chrissy [Russell]’s sister – during the adverts –said ‘Some detergents have nice names’ and that was it!’

The band first and only single was released in 1982:

Moderne Problem (1982)

- Colours

- Moderne Problem

- Wake Up

‘We’ve written the songs between us. We don’t make compromises – we’ve got to be one hundred percent sure about every note, sound, lyric. It’s obviously not easy but eventually we arrive at a satisfactory result. Each song is brought about like a kind of collage. Different textures of sounds are put together – the latest electronic sounds with the raw sixties moods, utilising acoustic instruments. The songs take modern problems, social human problems. We present them to the listener but we don’t try to make any particular statement or judgement’ (Popeye Mag, March 1982). As to the rather unusual cover of the single Russell concedes: ‘Well, me and Chris used to work in Hamburg and when we were in supermarkets we noticed the packaging was really nice so when we came home we brought some and because I went to art college I was interested in this and so I designed the cover.’ (Breakout Mag, July 1982)

Thanks to Janice Long (Radio Merseyside, Street Life), John Peel and Peter Powell, who played extensively their single, Some Detergents gained a remarkable reputation even before playing any gig. When they eventually did, they lived up to the expectations: ‘Some Detergents proved that what they were capable of in a studio could be reproduced, note-perfect, in a live situation – over a backing of rhythms, the group played bass, electric and acoustic guitar and synthesiser to create a full rich sound. Their music has, in the past, been described as using 60s moods, perhaps the main reason for this being their enviable ability to write memorable melodies coupled with thoughtful lyrics’ (Merseysound #26, October 1982). Live gigs, although quite infrequent, provided the occasion for playing new material, among which unrecorded songs like Don’t Go Out Tonight, What Romance and the instrumental I Want to Look at Pictures.

In 1983 Some Detergents disbanded, and Shaw and Russell formed Sense Of Vision, with former Games keyboardist Colin Hughes.

moderne problem

(see also: http://www.nexthomegeneration.com/Chris_Shaw_%28musician%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Shaw_%28musician%29 )

The Games - Some Recordings (1980-82) [Re-Up]

Wirral electronic dance band formed in 1980 by Brendan Coyle (synths, later Some Detergents), Colin Hughes (synths, later Sense of Vision) and Steve Knott (guitar and vocals), deeply influenced by the electronic pop so popular at the start of the decade (Roxy Music, Japan, and especially the Human League, from whom they also got the idea of female dancers for live performances). Their first single was released in 1980:

First Law of Games (1980)
- First Law of Games
- Childsplay

In 1981, the same line-up recorded a couple of songs (Unrest in the Real World and The Song) to be featured on the compilation Street to Street Vol. 2 (see below). In March of the same year a cassette compilation with some of their songs was privately released (that is, impossible to find!) with the title The Bogus Compendium.

In 1982, the line-up expanded with the inclusion of Chris Shaw (synths, former Dalek I Love You, at the time also with Some Detergents, and later with Sense of Vision). The four-piece act recorded and released the band’s second and final single in February 1982.

Dance This Way (1982)
- Dance This Way
- Love Canal

The Games disbanded by the end of the year.
In 1983 Steve Knott resurrected the band for one only gig at Pickwick’s. For the occasion he was joined on stage by Wayne Hussey (on guitar, at the time with Dead or Alive), Bran Jones (on drums, from A Selected Committee, later with Something French), and David Hughes (on keys, previously Dalek I Love You - with former Games’ member Chris Shaw – and later OMD, Godot, Thomas Lang Band).

This is how Merseysound (# 20, December 1981) reviewed one of the Games’ gigs: ‘The Games inhabit that electronic pop world so popular today. The singer lacks the coy sensuality of Ferry, Oakey or Sylvian, the female dancers a la Human League always seem out of time and self conscious, and the sound lacks any of the incisive or arresting qualities which only the very best of this electronic bunch seem able to create’

games

Funkmeister - War Dance (1984)

Funkmeister was a studio project consisting of Lee Marles (former Accelerators, Motion Pictures), Ian Lazlo and Jackson. The idea for the song was about putting together the voices of Goering, Hitler and Churchill, the ‘vocal’ track being underplayed with a heavy disco-beat. To avoid any problem due to the content of the speeches quoted the trio have to add on the cover of the vinyl the following disclaimer: 'This record is not intended to offend nor does it infer any political significance. It's content is purely historic. A donation is being made to a relevant British Charity from the proceeds of this record'.

War Dance (1984)

- War Dance

- Battle Beat

funkmeister

The Lawnmower (1981-1987)

The Lawnmower formed in 1981 as an impromptu band, put together by Roger Eagle and consisting of the duo Alan Peters (vocals, trumpet, harmonica, former Almost Blues, Supercharge, Opposition, 29th & Dearborn, Love Ponies, Beach Bastards, Faction) and Mick Hucknall (vocals, harmonica, former Frantic Elevators, later Simply Red). The band quickly evolved by the inclusion of former Accelerators Martin ‘Yorker’ Smith (guitars) and Tony Doyle (bass, later Adams Family, Cat Scratch Fever), and former The English / Z Victor 1, Tony Dalman (a.k.a. Tony Dalman, drums, percussion), further extended in 1983 with the addition of former The Systems Mike Nelson (sax). In 1984 Smith quit and was replaced by Kenny Roberts (former Opposition, 29th & Dearborn). With the help of George Newport (keyboards) and Angie Sammons (vocals), this line-up released the band’s debut release, a 7 track mini LP:

The Cat (1985)

- The Cat

- South American Cousin

- Jumpin’ High

- The Boys Are back in Town

- Smokin’ Joe

- Cry Cry Cry

- Hit the Road Jack

As to the origin of the band, Alan Peters recalls: ‘We were recording an album for Mick Hucknall’s band The Frantic Elevators, and he wanted the sound of Adam’s club. Roger [Eagle of Eric’s] put Bo Diddley on at Adam’s Club. […] Roger was working under the name of ‘Jukebox Johnson’, which he often did when he DJ-ed. He said he could do with a break and asked me and Mick Hucknall to get up [on stage] − just the two of us, no backing. Mick did ‘Gin House’ with me on harmonica and I did ‘Got My Mojo Working’with Mick playing harmonica. It went down well, a great night.

‘We continued recording Frantic Elevators live at Adam’s Club, and later I saw a poster on the wall that said ‘The Lawnmower’ and I asked Roger who the band was. He said ‘That’s you and Mick! You’ve got ten days to get a few musicians together!’ So we did, and The Lawnmower evolved. Originally the rhythm section had a stand-up drummer, Tony Dalman, and we had Tony Doyle on double-bass, Kenny Roberts on guitar, and Mike Nelson on tenor sax. Roger gave us the namr − it comes from a country music track, it’s got a line that goes ‘She’s got ways like a mowing machine / she’s known as The Lawnmower!’’(Florek / Whelan, Liverpool Eric’s, p. 74)

Mick Hucknall remembers: ‘As the Frantic Elevators were fizzling out, The Lawnmower was a way of getting me to get out and start playing with another band − that was with Alan Peters, and Martin on guitar, and Tony Doyle on double bass who I thought was a really good musician, and we initially approached him to play bass with Simply Red. […] As The Lawnmower we opened for Bo Diddley, Junior Walker and the Allstars, Sonny Terry and Brownie Maghee.’(Florek / Whelan, Liverpool Eric’s, p. 29-30)

lawnmower

In 1987 the band released the single Thin Man (you can listen to it here , thanks to Napomm).

( see also here )

The Motion Pictures (1982-84)

The Motion Pictures original line-up − Steve Emberon (vocals, bass former The Next), Gordon Longsworth (guitars, vocals, later Ponderosa Glee Boys, Foundation, Visual Aids), Chris Edwards (keyboards) and Tony Mckenna (drums, later Visual Aids, The English) − changed in 1982 when Longsworth and Mckenna quit to join the Visual Aids, and were replaced respectively by Lee Marles (guitars, former Accelerators) and by Ray Martin (a.k.a. Roy Martin), first, and Mark Armstrong, in late 1983, on drums. Jeff Kelly (bass) and Ray Jones (percussion) occasionally helped the band during sessions. Despite this personnel, the band’s success was on the decline. Here is how NME reviwed one of the band’s last gigs: ‘Motion Pictures have gaps in their chests where their hearts used to be. The reek of profit margins and steady careers pervades their music which seems to have been exorcised of all original identity, leaving only a flabby, anaemic exterior. The pieces have been photo-fitted together but do not make up an organic whole. In attempting to streamline and commercialise their sound they’ve inadvertently thrown the baby out with the bathwater’ (Robert Scott, 19 May 1984).

In 1984 Motion Pictures finally disbanded. Chris Edwards formed Manteau (with Brian Renwick, Bernie Daracott, Alan Pendergast), Lee Marles formed the studio band Funkmeister, and in 1985 Steve Emberton joined Dreamtime (with Paul Skillen).

Some Emberton/Longsworth-penned numbers were to appear on various synth-pop compilations, namely:

- Here to Eternity

- When Time Stood Still

- Daydream Domestic

Other audio material can be found on the band’s myspace page here .

motion pictures (comp)

(see also http://www.popmusic4synch.com/music/index.php?search_artist_id=58 )

The Motion Pictures (1978-1981)

The Motion Pictures was a powerpop band formed in 1978 by Steve Emberon (vocals, bass former The Next), Gordon Longsworth (guitars, vocals, later Ponderosa Glee Boys, Foundation, Visual Aids), Chris Edwards (keyboards) and Tony Mckenna (drums, later Visual Aids, The English). This line-up recorded the first single in October 1980:

Twisted Avenues (1980)

- Twisted Avenues

- Unknown Quantity

A few months later a second single followed:

Jon (1981)

- Jon

- Audio Scan

Boosted by the positive reaction of both the public and the music press the Motion Pictures went to New York for recording sessions and TV interviews. The press was still enthusiastic about the band when they returned. Here is how Rolling Thunder (Dec. 1982) welcomed their return: ‘After ten months in the doldrums, former Liverpool favourites Motion Pictures are once again playing live gigs on Merseyside […]. However do not expect to hear the commercial sounds they were producing more than twelve months ago. Their music and style has changed considerably since their disappointing visit to New York earlier this year. Inspirational vocalist Steve Emberton still writes most of the material, with a little help from talented keyboard player Chris ‘Look, no synths’ Edwards. The band’s music has matured noticeably and Steve quotes Hall & Oates, Barry Manilow, Simon & Garfunkel, Olivia Newton-John and the Rolling Stones as his main influence […] Motion Pictures are in a class of their own. It should not be too long before they get the recognition they undoubtedly deserve.’

motion pictures

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