Request (again)

I posted this last night but Blogger went offline for maintenance purposes and it disappeared. Fortunately I had a back-up.

I may not be the fastest blogger in the west but I get there in the end. These two are for Kaggsy who requested them way back in April when I posted another song from the same LP.

There’s not a lot of information on the web about Eddie Maelov & Sunshine Patterson. They were previously in Gloria Mundi and…that’s about it. Couldn’t find a decent picture either.

As with a lot of their contemporaries there seems to be a Velvet Underground influence at work on these songs.

Eddie Maelov & Sunshine - Patterson Man For Sale (1981)
Eddie Maelov & Sunshine - Patterson Echo (1981)

Both from Fools Rush In Where Angels Dare To Tread recorded live at Cabaret Futura in spring 1981.

At least before it vanished Kaggsy downloaded the songs and sent thanks.

This week I have been mostly listening to…Fashion

As I’ve mentioned before I was sure in the early 80s that Fashion were going to cross over and be huge. With hindsight I should have known it wasn’t going to happen by the time today’s tune was released. If the excellent Move On and Streetplayer couldn’t crack the singles chart there was little hope for this, the 3rd or 4th choice single from the Fabrique LP.

This is the 7.30min 12-inch version which possibly stretches things too far. You can hear the original on the re-issue of Fabrique (plus bonus tracks) called The Height Of Fashion available from the usual outlets. I’ve been grooving to it all week in my car.

Fashion - Something In Your Picture (Motor Drive) (1982)

Bonus Saturday post because I missed Friday

Belatedly got a copy of the Hicks From The Sticks sampler today (about 30 years too late as it happens) so you’re likely to see the odd song from that LP popping up here over the next few months.

For starters how about this lovely XTC sound-a-like from Airkraft. I believe they only ever released one single and I can’t find any pictures of them on the internet to illustrate this post.

Airkraft - Move In Rhythm (1980)

Depeche Mode with balls

There’s not a lot of information about Makaton Chat on the internet. The best place to look is this site written by a former member (and where I got the picture). The best description I’ve read of them is “Depeche Mode with balls.”

These three songs are from the same 12-inch single. Federal State Chance was the A-side but I’m not sure if that would have been my choice. There’s not a lot to choose between them.

Makaton Chat - Federal State Chance (1982)
Makaton Chat - It’s His Life Story (Hail The Wild!) (1982)
Makaton Chat - Communicate (1982)

Anthony Lindo – keyboards, lead vocal
John Hodgson – keyboards, backing vocal
Paul Fowler – drums
Richard Holmes – bass guitar

This band was from Teeside. Did you know I lived in Teeside from 1988 to 1990? I’ll tell you about it one day

Forgot I had this...

Found today’s song on the ‘Fools Rush In Where Angels Dare To Tread’ compilation LP which mostly consists of live performances of varying quality recorded at the Cabaret Futura club in spring 1981. The sort of thing you would expect to find on this blog in fact. The main reason I haven’t featured this LP before is I’ve hardly played it in the 30 years I’ve had it. I think when I bought it I was expecting more of a ‘Some Bizarre Album’ compilation. I know some of the songs weren’t ‘electronic’ enough for me at the time.

The only studio track is Don’t Hide In The Shadows by Kissing The Pink which was also their debut single. I’ve no idea if this differs from the single version but I suspect it’s the same mix as it’s produced my Martin Hannett.

Kissing The Pink - Don’t Hide In The Shadows (1981)

As always all comments are welcome.

Two from Bethnal

I get a fair few hits on this blog from people searching for Bethnal LPs Dangerous Times and Crash Landing. Google brings them here because I featured their fantastic Don’t Do It single back in 2007. Those LPs are on my shopping list but I still haven’t got them. Until then in a blatant attempt to increase my hit rate and court popularity I’ve decided to re-up that record and Nothing New.

Bethnal had been around since 1972 and by all accounts (e.g. BrotheRay’s) were a formidable and energetic live act. They were signed to Vertigo in the late 70s and promoted as a punk band, which they clearly weren’t. An otherwise excellent article here suggests they were more of a hard rock band who should have been promoted on the back of the NWOBHM scene but I can’t agree with that either. It seems to me they were caught in that nether region between new and old wave. This wasn’t necessarily terminal, Don’t Do It for example is in the same musical sphere as Dr Feelgood or The Pirates and they did alright, but they never found their audience. Nothing New is nowhere near as energetic as Don’t Do It but it does feature the violin playing of singer George Csapo, which separated them from the crowd or perhaps alienated people. I hold the former view, Csapo suspects the latter.

Bethnal - Dont Do It (1978) From Dangerous Times

Bethnal - Nothing New (1978) From Crash Landing

Any lurkers out there who enjoy this post please leave a comment. I love hearing from all the regulars but it would be nice hear some other voices. C’mon, don’t be shy.

Last Man In Europe

Another from my seemingly, and in fact almost literally, endless pile of early 80s New Wave/postpunk/synthpop/electronic records.

This is another Bill Nelson production I was saving for the Cocteau Records feature that never happened. This was Coq 2 (Coq 1 being the magnificent Do You Dream In Colour?).

The main influence here appears to be The Cure (or maybe it’s coincidence), especially A Certain Bridge which like many early Cure records gets into a groove and doesn’t really go anywhere, so if you don’t like the first minute you might want to hit the stop button. Complications reminds me more of Bill Nelson’s Red Noise and is worth sticking with for the synth wig out in the last minute.

Last Man In Europe - A Certain Bridge (1981)

Last Man In Europe - T.V. Addict (1981)

Last Man In Europe - Complications (1981)