Category Archives: New Wave

The Life And Times Of Terry Hall – R.I.P.

March 19, 1959 – December 18, 2022.

Terry Hall from Coventry, U.K. started his musical adventures in a punk band before getting drawn in to the Coventry Automatics, The Special AKA and then known as The Specials. 2 Tone – the label founded by Jerry Dammers and the Ska Revival in the late 70’s with The Selecter, The Beat, Madness, The Bodysnatchers, Bad Manners is well documented and researched. The orginal Specials broke up in 1981 after years of permanent touring and many great Songs and Singles.

Terry, co-Singer Neville Staples and Lynval Golding had prepared their first Fun Boy Three Single ‘The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum’ already and jumpstarted a new career while the remaining Specials fragmented and faded out with a final LP ‘In The Studio’ appearing after endless Studio Sessions in 1984.

The Fun Boy Three released a bunch of incredible singles plus two great Albums, 1982 and 1983 before Terry called them quits. The surprised Neville and Lynval – on vacation then tried a new project Sunday Best with Pauline Black, from the equally dissolved Selecter which fell on dumb ears and faded after one single.
Terry had started The Colour Field (or Colourfield) heading more into melancholic British Pop with Toby Lyons and Karl Shale. Today best known for the pretty blatant but successful ‘Thinking Of You’ single still most songs showed Terry’s with and sharp observational skills. Surfaced now has this Radio Show, hosted by him in early 1985:

After various line-up changes The Colour Field faded out in obscurity after an weak second Album in 1987, recorded by Hall & Lyons with the aid of guest musicians and an over the top sterile production. This left Terry Hall to pursue a new project featuring Blair Booth and Anouchka Grose, ‘Ultra Modern Nursery Rhymes’ before teaming up with Dave Stewart of Eurythmics as Vegas for one Album.
1994 finally saw his first solo LP ‘Home’, produced by Ian Broudie with whom he kept regularly working during the 90’s, appearing as co-writer and Singer on many of Lighting Seeds releases. 1997 he released ‘Laugh’, arranged and partly co-written with Craig Gannon and 2003 a collaborative Album with Mushtaq from Fun-Da-Mental ‘The Hour Of Two Lights’ which showed less Terry Hall as we knew him than any other release before besides on “A Tale Of Woe”.

Drawn back to Ska/Dance/House Music he appeared as guest of Junkie XL, Lautrec, Tricky and on many occasions live and on record with The Dub Pistols with the brilliant ‘Problem Is’ for example.

Finally he seemed at ease with his past success and roots and slowly the possibility of a Specials Reunion became real. In 2009 all the Specials (minus Jerry Dammers) got on the road again for a 30th Anniversary Tour and surprisingly stayed together for the following years, also touring ‘More Specials’.

With the core of Terry, Lynval and Horace (Neville Staples had to quit due Health issues and John Bradbury died in 2015, Roddy Radiation got lost again on the way) The Specials MK III released the Studio Album ‘Encore’ in 2019 which stayed true to the original spirit of The Specials, not shying away from any current issues. This was followed in 2021 with a cover album ‘Protest Songs 1924-2012’, an all new album was in preparation but this was not meant to be.

Terry Hall leaves three sons, two with his former wife and one with his later one. He fought depressions and traumas and was one of the first Patrons and supporters of Tonic, aiming to help people in the music industry fighting against mental illness.

The world lost a brilliant wordsmith and a unique voice of his generation.

Soft Cell – Forever The Same?

Soft Cell & Pet Shop Boys: “Purple Zone” (Extended Mix)
This 12″ Video Remix was edited by Myles Matisse.

Official video for “Purple Zone” see here.

“Purple Zone” is taken from Soft Cell’s forthcoming new album, *Happiness not included, out on May, 6th.

While the digital single is out since late March and already the most succesfull Soft Cell single since a very long time the physical
singles will be out as soon as May (CD) and November (12″).
Of course all with different mixes. The CD single even has an extra non-album track while the 12″ tracklist shows 2 exclusive Pet Shop Boys Remixes.

Pre-ordering now just in time for X-Mas is possible here.

Vor all den Jahren – Stahlnetz im Netz

In times where many thoughts lead back to what once was normal for each of us there is a little catchy ironic nostalgia as performed by Stahlnetz showing this is not really new in phases of change a pleasure to rediscover. I loved the single when it came out and was lucky enought to find the 12″ pretty soon afterwards in the bin’s when the NDW came to an bitter end and German sung pop music went English again or straight into oblivion.

Single (1981/82) aus dem Album Stahlnetz – “Wir sind glücklich” (BMG Ariola).
Produziert von Conny Plank. Musik & Text: Jochen Rausch.

Unavailable since 38 years, except as expensive 2nd hand copy LP, now a digital reissue is available carefully transferred and remastered from the original Masters via various sources. Artwork and tracklisting was altered on this occasion so hold your breath if you paid a lot for the orginal album.

Besides – an unreleased track from the Conny Plank sessions was released a few years ago via Jochen’s Soundcloud.

In December 2020 they actually released a new album (!)

“Music For Smartphones” is (of course) digital only and accompanied with an (extended) single too. But most thrilling – 51 tracks, just arround 1 Minute in length and each accompanied by a video to be found on youtube….

See their YouTube Channel for all uploads.

In an interview posted on their homepage they go into the details –
Jochen Rausch and Det Cremer from Wuppertal use a the digital voice software they called Marta and their idea to work with the restrictions following the obversation of people scrolling through their timelines with a short affection span endlessly. Of course you can find them now on Instagram, FB alike with your smarthphone (…)

Quick Change World : Ric Ocasek (1944 – 2019)

Sad Song.

So, this is it. The final single by Ric Ocasek was by the reformed Cars’ from 2011. Richard Otcasek died now, aged 75 this September after a long and varied career from early psych-soft rock to The Cars, Producer of Suicide, Bad Brains, Alan Vega, Romeo Void involving mega-stardom at the height of the 80’s with a.o. “Drive”, co-starring on Live Aid 1985, working as A & R Man a few years besides releasing his own solo records.
He was a father to 6 sons (!), a genuine wordsmith and a songwriter par excellence. He lived a live between underground and stardom, 80’s fame including marriage with a model he met during music video shootings.. Paulina Porizkova. He was a guitarist, keyboardist and singer with a own voice. A typical American in the best way who enjoyed his personal freedom and individuality. Always interested in art, photography and life.
In 2012 he published his collected lyrics and prose in bookform, paired with some b/w photographs, had some exhibitions of his pop art influenced paintings over the years.
In 2018 The Cars where inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018 – 40 years after their debut and without Benjamin Orr who passed away in October 2000.
The Cars and Ric Ocasek always held a special place in my heart even if they where perhaps the most conventional ‘Rockers’ amongst the American New Wave – DEVO, The B-52’s, Talking Heads, Blondie.

The noise electric never stops…

Music & Elsewhere Twenty Five Years.02

Mick Did It Again !

After the 25 Years celebration compilation monster “The United World Underground” issued in 2017, he digged even deeper in his glorious tape label / DIY past to present you (as promised) digitized and mastered works of the dark past where nearly nothing was instantly available nor free nor digital.
This is meant to be the final collection celebrating the past before Mick Magic might make his words true and explore further territories in outer and inner space with a new album by his own Magic Moments At Twilight Time

See The Magic Net for more downloads and take the chance to get hold of the lovingly remastered reissue of M & E’s top selling CD Album ‘Creavolution’ (read all and more about it here) and get a decent hardcopy at TMR Records.

Click to go to the official info site. Official Release : 06/09/2019. Expect a Bang.

As expected this promises to be another wild sonic ride – from psychedelic, experimental, goth, electro to somewhere else with loads of shades in between. As a first glimpse a bonus virtual C90 is already out with some introducing words by Lord Litter (another survivor) over at the Electronic Cottage.

Novostj DsorDNE 1983-1988

ACC / A Colder Consciousness started as Radio Show via. Resonance FM by Fiona Pitrolo, all shows are archived on mixcloud. Basic themes are cold wave, extraordinary underground and eastern European alternative scenes as far as I can tell – all with a melancholy hint.
Last year they expanded their activities and started publishing music too. The first (re-)release was Jugoslavian’s Bastion debut LP / DL from 1984.

In due course of their label specials they interviewed Marco Pustianaz about HAX Materiali Per La Communicazanione and the Italian underground and experimental post-punk scene (still online here), got in touch with Marco Milanesio, one of the other driving forces behind the label collective and wow (now) here is actually an old / new release by DsorDNE and it’s preceeding incarnation Novostj:

(Limited Vinyl) LP & DL, remastered by Marco Milanesio himself from his old masters. Gracie !!!

A new video for DsorDNE’s signature song in it’s live version featuring New Noveta is here too.

Listen / buy / enjoy & find more details and lyrics at ACC’s bandcamp.

Additionally, released in February via Triple Void Records, Turin was a great electronic EP with two remixes by DsorDNE from the Italian postpunk darkwave electronic project Ginevra‘s latest album.

SHRIEKBACK LIVE 2017

Photo:lahayefrans@gmail.com

A great shot showing Marsh / Andrews / Baker in full form performing at the Paradiso in Amsterdam 23 / 09 /2017.

The final gig of this year’s return to live performance with the aid of many old allies – Steve Halliwell (Keys) also in the background to be seen, The Syd’s i.e. Sarah and Wendy Patridge on Backing Vocals, Mike Cozzi (Gtr.) and on the Bass Scott Firth (PIL).

Shriekback used the Kickstarter Platform to make this possible and played many tracks from 1985’s ‘Oil And Gold’, a few from ‘Big Night Music’ and some classic singles like ‘My Spine Is The Bassline’, ‘All Lined Up’ in updated versions but only one song from their recent ‘Without Fish And Strings’ album; ‘Recessive Jean’ which is not the strongest imho but worked fine as a medley with the incredible groovy ‘Feelers’.

It was hard to tell who was more delighted that this happened, the band or the fans – a great night out in a great City. Thanks to modern tech nearly every move is documented somewhere but to have been there is actually still priceless.

Summer Of Song (Faraway In Time) – martha and the muffins

“2017 marks the 40th year since Martha and the Muffins was founded in Toronto by Ontario College of Art students David Millar and Mark Gane, along with Martha Johnson, Carl Finkle and Tim Gane. Several months later, the band was augmented by two more members, Andy Haas and Martha Ladly. ‘Summer of Song’ is a remembrance of the early days of the band, when we were young and everything seemed possible.”

A very dreamy and thoughtful ballad, well i guess only a few miss getting calmer while travelling through the decades.

On another note Echo Beach released a second Compilation of M&M Remixes in July, called ‘Where Blue Meets Green (balearic edits)’, Martha and the Muffins tracks re-edited, re-sampled and “focused” by DJ’s Sir Billy, TC Sunshine and Martin “ez” Fekl. See and hear the promo video to get an impression of the sunny spirit here:

Andhere’s a bonus remix of their brandmark single “Echo Beach” which is semi-surprisingly not included in the above mentioned Ibiza inspired DJ mixes and only available currently as a free promo download.
Semi-surprisingly indeed if you consider Echo Beach already released a limited CD full of remixes of this one song in 2010 at the 30th anniversary of the original Single release.

Of course not only Nicolai Beverungen (the label head) was caught by this catchy melancholic danceable working class lines, “Echo Beach” was rightfully a Canadian, Australian and British Top 10 Hit and is still remembered as one of the classic New Wave / Post Punk tunes of the 1980’s.

Finally their debut Album Metro Music will receive the deluxe treatment from Universal Music Canada and be reissued as CD / 2LP with bonus tracks unknown yet.

Hard to believe but this will be just the second CD issue of this classic Album at all (…).

Fay Ray Waiting For The Heatwave…

For me this is an classic since I heard it first and with raising temperatures outside it came to mind once again.

Fay Ray came from Bangor, Wales, U.K., evolved out of Hot Water and Dick Dick & the Dicks published one Single ‘Family Affairs’ on Nigel Gray (Most famous for Production and Recording work on eaarly Police stuff) before signing to WEA.
The single and the sole Album Contact You never took off for reasons beyond my understanding. A second fully recorded Album was not even issued by WEA (and remains unreleased) due to the commercial failure.
Well perhaps it would’ve helped if the invested a little more effort in the rather pointless sleeve design. This 1982 Video to their sole Single on WEA was uploaded by Tony Travis, the original bassist.
As a bonus for the curious – Where are they today ? How do they look today ? What happened ? – here is a rare re-union take from an instore gig 2010. ‘Family Affairs’ live at Cob Records, Bangor. Recorded on Saturday 17th April at 1:45pm. The Event was part of Independent Record Store Day.

Shriekback‘s Twisted Returns

After several re-formations and Barry Andrew’s near-solo efforts [Cormorant, Glory Bumbs and Life In The Loading Bay] via Malicious Damage Shriekback evolved once more into a more or less proper group with the ever reliable Martyn Barker and Carl Marsh back on board.
Well expectations hung high here after their last utterly brilliant 2010 Album I dedicated a whole post too on the first (now lost) version of this blog. Just in short : get it while stocks last.

life in the loading bay

For more details concerning their new release (also currently available with bonus disk Shriekback Vs. The Caretakers) “Without Real String Or Fish”

shriekback-wrsof-web

…and plenty of related in-deepth stories see their busy tumblr here and buy at shriekback.com direct from the band.

Here’s another current track in a live in the studio version, these official videos should give you a taste of what to expect. Well sort of…