Category: Missing In Action (Page 4 of 4)

Missing In Action: FATAL CHARM

Nottinghamshire’s FATAL CHARM were, like several bands during the post-punk era, on the cusp of the big time on several occasions during their career but never quite broke through despite opening for ULTRAVOX and OMD.

Despite the nucleus of Sarah Simmonds and Paul Arnall having recorded a number of outstanding singles, they never got the recognition they deserved.

First making waves on their local scene in 1979 as an all male new wave band, they made contributions to a Dead Good Records LP sampler ‘East’ which also included those great white synth hopes B-MOVIE who later featured on the legendary ‘Some Bizzare Album’. However, it was only when Arnall recruited Simmonds as lead vocalist that FATAL CHARM began to make real progress.

The fresh female fronted outlook impressed and eventually led to tours supporting ULTRAVOX and OMD in 1980. The excellent first single with the new line-up ‘Paris’ was issued on Double D Records in 1981 and produced by Midge Ure. Indicative of their potential, ‘Paris’ had been given a low key independent release in 1979 voiced by the band’s main songwriter Arnall. But with the lyrics unchanged and now embroiled in Simmonds’ feisty passion, it gave a freshly charged sexual ambiguity to the long distance love story written in the days before the Channel Tunnel.

This new version reflected the synth flavoured sound of the period and obliquely connected FATAL CHARM with the New Romantic movement. Meanwhile, its more guitar driven flip ‘Christine’ showcased the band’s punkier roots that had more of an affinity with BLONDIE and X-RAY SPEX.

However, line-up changes and label issues stalled any momentum gained on the ULTRAVOX and OMD tours via flexi-disc giveaway ‘Western Laughter’ / ‘Dark Eyes’.

It wasn’t until 1984 when FATAL CHARM released probably their best known song ‘Summer Spies’ that things started moving again. Issued on the Carrere label, the single was championed on BBC Radio 1 by Janice Long and even edited into a jingle for Long’s show. Crossing the sweeps of OMD with the classical resonance of ULTRAVOX, ‘Summer Spies’ featured Simmonds’ dramatically melancholic voice alongside her own serene whispers. The single’s popularity subsequently led to an appearance on Channel 4’s prestigious music show ‘The Tube’ but unfortunately, a hit was not forthcoming.

The follow-up single ‘King Of Comedy’ kept up the standard while its amusing B-side ‘We’ll Just Wait For Your First Hit’ reflected on the frustrations of trying to secure a record deal.

Indeed, record label politics were to be FATAL CHARM’s Achilles Heel. And with Carrere Records distracted by their surprise No1 ‘Move Closer’ by Phyllis Nelson in Summer of 1985, the debut album ‘Endangered Species’ slipped out largely unnoticed.

But 1986 saw the band sign to Native Records and the release of another excellent single ‘Images Of Fire’ saw them secure airplay during the crucial daytime slot on Radio1 from early afternoon DJ “woo” Gary Davies.

It made the UK Independent Charts and FATAL CHARM appeared to be on the ascent again. However, the next single ‘Lucille’ was not afforded such treatment and repeating history, the parent album ‘This Strange Attraction’ did not emerge until 1989 due to record label issues. Released on their own Really Great Records, Simmonds and Arnall were tiring of the label upheavals that were stalling FATAL CHARM’s progress.

So coinciding with the post-Second Summer Of Love environment in the wake of Acid House, the duo changed their name to STATE OF GRACE and signed to 3rd Stone while FATAL CHARM was placed in hiatus. They released ‘Pacific Motion’ in 1994 which led to a deal with RCA in the US for their 1996 album ‘Jamboree’. STATE OF GRACE continued until 1998 while Arnall also ran a parallel solo project UNDERGROUND HOUSE ORCHESTRA.

In 2005, FATAL CHARM relaunched and issued the self-released ‘Pop’ via their website. More rock orientated than their previous work and featuring new versions of material such as ‘Paris’ and ‘Western laughter’ alongside new compositions, for the first time FATAL CHARM appeared to be in step with the contemporary music scene, thanks to the success of acts such as CURVE and GARBAGE. ‘Pop’ reinvigorated interest in FATAL CHARM, leading to the self-released compilation CD ‘Plastic’ featuring all their singles and B-sides from back in the day including the free flexi-disc from the ULTRAVOX and OMD tours.

Today, FATAL CHARM continue to play live in their home city of Nottingham and occasionally record. Paul Arnall and Sarah Simmonds kindly took time out to chat to look back at their career…

How did the FATAL CHARM sound come into being and who were your influences?

Paul: In the mid ’70s, I worked at a record shop called Select-A-Disc in Nottingham. As the concept of dividing artists by genre didn’t exist in those days, it was constantly a voyage of discovery; CAN sat next to CHIC, FUNKADELIC next to FREE etc… so my influences were many.

At the time of forming FATAL CHARM, I was probably listening to a lot of new wave stuff – WIRE, TELEVISION and TALKING HEADS along with CHIC and CAN.

When did you become interested in using synthesizers and what was your first synth?

Paul: In the early ’70s I played in a band with a very talented keyboard player, Paul Simons, he’s a bit of a boffin. Around ’73 he made his first synth, a couple of years later he reproduced his first Minimoog copy; you’d really have to look at it very closely to realise it wasn’t the real thing. It sounded amazing and even had the same tuning problems when it got hot. It was used on the first FATAL CHARM demos along with a Solina string machine, and the first keyboard I owned, a Hohner clavinet. Paul still dabbles making synths; the last time I saw him he was working on a Moog Modular 55 and still had some spare Minimoogs for sale, he can be contacted at svitch@ntlworld.com

How did Midge Ure become interested in producing you?

Paul: I’ve no idea; it was all handled by our then label Double D…

Sarah: Of course, we went on tour with ULTRAVOX before we recorded with him, but I think it was a package deal!

‘Paris’ in particular does have his stamp on it. What do you remember about recording it and how do you think it stands up now?

Paul: The version of ‘Paris’ produced by Midge is really no different an arrangement to the original, the major difference was we were able to use Midge’s Yamaha synth which gave it his sound. ‘Paris’ is a song of its time and not one of my favourites.

Sarah: Ha ha! Yes, it goes too fast for Paul these days! We have played it a couple of times in the last couple of years but Paul grumbles too much so we have to leave it out!

You toured with ULTRAVOX and OMD in 1980, how do you think FATAL CHARM went down with those audiences and what are your own favourite memories?

Paul: The response was fantastic, sadly we had no single to promote… not great planning from our record label. But very fond memories as it was the first time we’d played venues of that stature.

Sarah: I have a memory of wearing a leotard with a pale green and pink jacket over the top! Not one of my better fashion choices… I also remember playing at the Hammersmith Odeon in London and having to go onstage without a soundcheck. The audience were already coming in and we were frantically setting up, while roadies checked that everything worked. Seat of the pants stuff – character building!

‘Summer Spies’ is the song you are best remembered for. Can you remember its genesis and how the song’s expansive atmosphere developed in the studio?

Paul: Hmm, it was 30 years ago!!!! It was influenced bizarrely by HOT CHOCOLATE… I was having a post-gig pint and a HOT CHOCOLATE song was playing on the juke box. I noticed it had no fills in the drum track. It was something I’d always wanted to try so that was my starting point as I really liked the idea of a constant rhythm. I’d come up with this nice rhythm pattern and basically jammed around it with a Roland Jupiter 4.

Originally it was all Jupiter 4 and 606 drum box recorded at home on my old Akai 4000DS. We were able to get some studio time in Chappell Music 8 track studio, we replaced the 606 with the Linn Drum and added grand piano. My original intention was for it to have no guitar on it, but when I went down to do the 12″ version we needed to expand it. Our engineer suggested a guitar solo but I had no guitar with me. Eventually they searched around and found an old Yamaha guitar with no top E or B strings so the guitar solo was played just on the G string.

‘Summer Spies’ got a lot of radio play with Janice Long being a particular champion while you also appeared on the TV show ‘The Tube’. Do you have any thoughts in hindsight why it didn’t become a hit?

Paul: Our record label Carrere were a small label and to be honest, really didn’t understand us. I think ‘Summer Spies’ was released at the end of July, it picked up some nice airplay but had no tour to promote it. And in fact, it was Sarah that got us ‘The Tube’ appearance… by that time it was November. Even so, our chart position the next day after ‘The Tube’ was 97, I think it had dropped to around 130 by the time the chart was released as the shops had sold out.

Sadly there were no copies left in the warehouse to ship out to the shops. As it was coming up to Christmas, all the pressing plants were busy doing the Christmas runs. By the time they’d pressed more, it was mid-December and too late, c’est la vie…

Sarah: Carrere’s boss admitted later that the song should have been a hit, and apologised.

Your debut album ‘Endangered Species’ finally appeared in 1985. Why did it take so long for it to be completed and how did it affect the band’s momentum?

Paul: This was a quick release if you compare it to RCA who took over 2 years to release the STATE OF GRACE album. The album was recorded over 2 weeks, early ’85 I think. It took so long because as mentioned, Carrere didn’t understand us… on one occasion when listening to a batch of demos, the
A&R guy stopped the tape and asked us why the song was so slow! I looked at Sarah, she looked at me and we both knew we were doomed… ‘Hold On’ was later released on ‘This Strange Attraction’.

1986’s ‘Images of Fire’ was another great single of yours which appeared to cross KATE BUSH with ULTRAVOX?

Paul: I loved Kate Bush and loved the first 3 ULTRAVOX albums; I can’t say either of them influenced ‘Images of Fire’.

Why did the parallel STATE OF GRACE and UNDERGROUND HOUSE ORCHESTRA projects emerge alongside FATAL CHARM?

Paul: STATE OF GRACE was a forced name change; our label 3rd Stone believed, and rightly so, that the FATAL CHARM name had been around for too long to be able to get interest from major record labels. They were proved right as we were signed to RCA New York in ’93.

UNDERGROUND HOUSE ORCHESTRA is just a platform for me to release my own recordings. I originally planned to do one off albums under different guises across different genres of music. My first recording was as Space Harriers in Transit (trash pop), followed by Projectile (trance) released on Native Records, Fantastic The Feedback (pop) and Bombshell (homage to CAN)… but even I got confused so I decided to cover the lot under tUHO.

FATAL CHARM returned in 2005 with the album ‘Pop’ and you seemed to be in synch with the scene at the time with acts like GARBAGE and CURVE?

Paul: As my main instrument is guitar, I just fancied re-recording some of the old songs with just guitars and minimal keyboards, as I can never leave anything alone. Some more keyboards were added when I remastered the CDs in 2010.

Despite all the upheavals, the core of FATAL CHARM remains Paul Arnall and Sarah Simmonds. What has enabled you both to still be able record and perform together after all these years?

Paul: Ever since 1981 when the original line-up split, it’s just been the two of us, whether as FATAL CHARM or STATE OF GRACE, what can be better than recording and performing with your best friend.

Sarah: Ah, thanks Arnie! And we always have a lovely cream cake or other tasty snack when we meet J.

FATAL CHARM still play live occasionally in the Nottinghamshire locality. Are there any future plans?

Paul: This spring or early summer we’ll be playing again as STATE OF GRACE (we fancied a change)… we’ll be playing songs from all decades.

Is there anything you would have liked to have done differently back in the day?

Paul: Get a decent manager!!!!


ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to FATAL CHARM

Their singles including ‘Paris’, ‘Summer Spies’ and ‘Images Of Fire’ are all collected on a CD entitled ‘Plastic’ which is available from their website along with their debut album ‘Endangered Species’, 2005’s comeback ‘Pop’ and all the STATE OF GRACE material.

A selection of FATAL CHARM’s music is available via Amazon and iTunes including their most recent collection ‘April 13’ and a reworked 2010 version of ‘Summer Spies’

http://www.fatalcharm.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fatal-Charm/248572655153406


Text by Chi Ming Lai
30th January 2014

Missing In Action: FIAT LUX

Named after the Latin phrase meaning “let there be light”, FIAT LUX were one of the most promising of the new synthesizer based acts that emerged following the success of DEPECHE MODE and SOFT CELL in 1981.

Founded in 1982 by drama graduates Steve Wright (lead vocals) and David Crickmore (guitars, bass, keyboards, backing vocals), the pair had met at college in Wakefield.

They formed JUVENILES, a new wave band that had two songs on a 1980 independent compilation called ‘Household Shocks’; Crickmore was the more flamboyant of the pair, wearing make-up and dying his hair regularly although Wright was no less outrageous, with the visual persona of a more butch Marc Almond!

Still intent on pursuing an acting career after his studies, Wright joined the Yorkshire Actors theatre company where he met noted musician Bill Nelson who had been the leader of cult prog rock band BE BOP DELUXE and scored a UK Top 10 solo album called ‘Quit Dreaming & Get On The Beam’ in 1981.

Suitably impressed by a demo Wright had given to him, Nelson produced two tracks ‘Feels Like Winter Again’ and ‘This Illness’ for release on his Cocteau Records label in November 1982. This was an important symbol of recognition as only the year before, Nelson had produced A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS ‘(It’s Not Me) Talking’ and its release on Cocteau had brought the Liverpool quartet to the attention of Jive Records. The subsequent deal eventually led to them breaking America with hits such as ‘I Ran’, ‘Space Age Love Song’ and ‘Wishing (I Had A Photograph Of You)’

As a calling card, ‘Feels Like Winter Again’ was musical triumph. Driven by Nelson’s resonant drum machine, the cutting mix of synth and treated guitar over an electronic pulse juxtaposed with real bass guitar made an emotive statement, even without Wright’s sombre tale of broken love affairs. The song didn’t just feel like winter, it sounded like winter… chilling and resigned but simultaneously pretty with a glint of light in the darkness. The B-side ‘This Illness’ was more moody and featured Bill Nelson’s distinctive E-bowed infinite guitar alongside some sparkling synth work.

Wright and Crickmore had been performing live as a duo under the name HE’S DEAD HERMAN but had wanted to expand their line-up as FIAT LUX. The musician they enlisted was Bill Nelson’s sax and keyboard playing brother Ian who they had met independently on the Wakefield gig circuit.

The bolstered line-up was timely as ‘Feels Like Winter Again’ had gained radio airplay from notable DJs on BBC Radio1 such as Peter Powell, Kid Jensen and Janice Long. This attention also got them a support tour with BLANCMANGE and led to them signing to Polydor Records in March 1983.

With a £60,000 advance for the first year, among the new equipment purchased were a Roland Jupiter 8 and a Roland TR808 drum machine while the next recording sessions were produced again by Bill Nelson. However, Polydor’s A&R were unhappy with his take on ‘Photography’ which had been agreed as the band’s first major label release. This was a particularly unfortunate period for Bill Nelson as later in the year, he had his cutting, trebly mixes rejected by GARY NUMAN for his ‘Warriors’ album. However, Numan later admitted in hindsight that Bill Nelson’s production vision may well have been “ahead of his time”.

A brand new version of ‘Photography’ produced by Hugh Jones, who had worked with SIMPLE MINDS, THE TEARDROP EXPLODES and ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN, was issued that summer. Less immediate than ‘Feels Like Winter Again’, ‘Photography’ took several listens to appreciate as its structure was unconventional.

But the interplay between Wright’s crooning lead vocal and Crickmore’s repeat staccato harmony was a total delight. The song’s climax was led by a bursting lift from Nelson’s sax but despite its steadfast power, ‘Photography’ lacked an obvious hook for it to be a hit and didn’t chart.

In a softening of the blow, FIAT LUX went on a well received tour opening for HOWARD JONES in December 1983. On a crest of momentum from that particular success, a new single ‘Secrets’ was readied for the start of 1984. This beautifully haunting ballad was bolstered by what appeared to be a violin solo; it was actually performed using a Yamaha CS80 by Mike Timoney, a musician who had played on ‘Are We A Worker?’ from CHINA CRISIS’ first album. ‘Secrets’ reached No.65 in the UK so progress was gradually being made.

In Spring 1984, the band issued their outstanding fourth single ‘Blue Emotion’. In an age of greed and “self help – help yourself”, the song was, like BUCKS FIZZ’s ‘Land Of Make Believe’, a veiled warning on the dangers of Thatcherism! Musically, this was their most accessible offering yet with a fabulous sweeping ‘2001’ theme from Ian Nelson via a MemoryMoog and the now trademark Wright/Crickmore Vox Matrimonium. Unfortunately, the rousing tune and the political sentiment went over the heads of most. It only reached the heady heights of No. 59 in the UK singles chart despite an appearance on an Old Grey Whistle Test synth special also featuring KRAFTWERK, JEAN MICHE JARRE and HOWARD JONES.

hired-historySensing stagnation and with the debut album still not ready, Polydor swiftly issued a six track EP ‘Hired History’ containing ‘Photography’, ‘Secrets’ and ‘Blue Emotion’ plus their corresponding B-Sides as a stop-gap.

All the singles were sequenced onto the first side thus exposing the trio’s penchant for less accessible theatrics on the second side. ‘Sleepless Nightmare’ in particular sounded like Bertolt Brecht gone electro although the funky ‘Aqua Vitae’ (which ironically sounded like something from GARY NUMAN’s ‘Warriors’) showed some promise for the upcoming album.

Autumn 1984 saw the release of the disappointing ‘House Of Thorns’ but this blip was nicely overcome by the brilliantly superior pop of ‘Solitary Lovers’ not long after. However, neither made an impact on the charts and the album shelved by Polydor. Disillusioned, Crickmore departed FIAT LUX shortly after. Wright and Nelson soldiered on briefly but without the chemistry of the founding Wright/Crickmore axis, FIAT LUX were not the same and they quietly disbanded.

But there was a belated 1986 release of a VHS video and Laser Disc ‘Commercial Breakdown’ which was actually a Channel 4 TV showcase broadcast in 1984 that contained specially filmed sequences and live versions of tracks that were to be included on their debut album. Interestingly, one of the unreleased numbers ‘The Moment’ possessed hints of Colin Verncombe’s BLACK who were soon to find fame and fortune with ‘Wonderful Life’ while the more percussive ‘No More Proud’ was reminiscent of FIAT LUX’s own B-sides like ‘Three’s Company’ and ‘Aqua Vitae’.

commercial1After FIAT LUX, Crickmore rediscovered his love of folk music and founded THE DURBERVILLES. The combo went on to present a folk show on BBC Radio Leeds and still tour regularly. Meanwhile, Steve Wright joined cult electronic act CAMERA OBSCURA (not the Glaswegian hipster faves) but eventually left music altogether to work in television. Ian Nelson continued to work with his brother Bill. However, he sadly died in April 2006 on his 50th birthday.

But with the accessibility of the internet, in around 2008 several music bloggers were offering a FIAT LUX compilation entitled ‘Fact Ut Vivas’ for free download… this turned out to be a high quality rip from master tapes of their shelved debut album, allegedly leaked by FIAT LUX themselves after their contract with Polydor ended.

From it, the brooding uptempo North European melancholy of ‘Breaking The Boundary’ was easily as good as BLACK’s ‘Everything’s Coming Up Roses’ while ‘Embers’ came over like a distant cousin of PINK FLOYD’s ‘Wish You Were Here’. FIAT LUX were always keen to combine electronics with real instruments such as sax, marimbas, drums, bass and guitars so here they were going virtually the whole acoustic hog. Featuring all the Polydor singles minus ‘House Of Thorns’, ‘Fact Ut Vivas’ would have made an impressive debut flaunting FIAT LUX’s instrumental versatility and diversity. Alas, this missing album is why FIAT LUX are still one of the forgotten acts of the Synth Britannia era.

Apparently, discussions between reissue label Cherry Red and Universal Music (who now own the FIAT LUX tapes) to release ‘Fact Ut Vivas’ began in 2009 but have so far come to nought. The band only officially released 13 songs in their recorded career and none are presently available even digitally! However, anything is still possible; but until a formal release is sanctioned, make Google your friend… there could a nice surprise 😉


Dedicated to the memory of Ian Nelson 1956-2006

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK acknowledges the vast archive available on Dave Sewell’s FIAT LUX fan site www.hiredhistory.co.uk, without which, this article would not have been quite as detailed

http://www.fiat-lux.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/Fiatluxofficial/

https://twitter.com/fiatluxofficial


Text by Chi Ming Lai
7th September 2013, updated 16th December 2016

Missing In Action: MIRRORS

Broken By Silence

Photo by David Ellis

In 2013, it would appear electronic pop music is as popular as ever with classic acts such as OMD and PET SHOP BOYS producing some of their best work since their heyday. And with them come many new acts who have been inspired by the innovators.

But one comment often keeps being repeated whenever ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK discusses particularly the new all-male synth acts on the scene with its colleagues and friends: “They’re not MIRRORS!”

Founded by James New (lead vocals and synthesizer) and Ally Young (synthesizer and backing vocals) in 2008, the pair were soon joined by James ‘Tate’ Arguile (synthesizer) and then Josef Page (electronic percussion) a few months later.

New and Arguile had actually been members of one-time indie hopefuls MUMM-RA who were signed to Columbia Records and had supported THE KILLERS in 2007; their best known song ‘She’s Got You High’ was used in a Waitrose advert and an episode of ‘The Inbetweeners’.

In 2009, MIRRORS released two self-produced singles ‘Look At Me’ and ‘Into The Heart’ which showcased an updated post-punk electronic sound. With New’s majestic vocals over their surreal, cinematic atmospheres, MIRRORS designated their music pop noir. After a few false starts image wise, MIRRORS settled on a look based around 20th Century European Modernism.

mirrors13_early

James New told ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK: “We were fed up with how everything looked around us and we were definitely fed up with this celebration of scruffy indie rock music”. Relocating to Brighton, they impressed with their live shows locally and were eventually signed by FAT BOY SLIM’s label Skint Records with a tour supporting DELPHIC following not long after.

The quartet had a distinct vision and after aborted sessions with noted producers Richard X and Ed Bueller, their debut album was recorded and self-produced in a rural Sussex farmhouse before being mixed in New York by Jonathan Kreinik of DFA fame.

The resultant long player ‘Lights & Offerings’ was a wonderfully cohesive, seamless body of work that expressed the hopes and fears of young manhood. Following the philosophy of the Bauhaus movement’s founder Walter Gropius in uniting art and technology, the album crucially possessed an intelligent balance between precise electronic beats and emotive vintage synthesizer melodies.

James New had certainly kept his promise when he described the album as a collection of “really great pop songs” that contained “very densely produced, heavily layered, emotional, soulful electronic music”. Epic tracks such as ‘Fear Of Drowning’, ‘Somewhere Strange’ and the sub-11 minute ‘Secrets’ showed depth and ambition while there was accessible but cerebral synthpop in ‘Searching In The Wilderness’, ‘Hide & Seek’ and ‘Ways To An End’. And to show off their versatility, there was the beautiful electro cover of cult Country & Western number ‘Something On Your Mind’.

Despite delivering a fine debut album, MIRRORS didn’t get the recognition they deserved. There were several possible reasons for this. By the start of 2011, there appeared to be a synthpop backlash following the success of LA ROUX, LITTLE BOOTS and even LADY GAGA during 2009-2010.

Certainly the music press only seemed to embrace bands with a rogue electronic element if there was an obvious guitar backdrop (see THE KILLERS, LCD SOUNDSYSTEM and WHITE LIES). But ultimately, they wanted combos with beards, guitars and preferably no synthesizers at all (see KINGS OF LEON and MUMFORD & SONS!)

mirrors

It would be fair to say that MIRRORS probably also suffered from being compared to HURTS, particularly in Germany, the one market where MIRRORS were expected to prosper and the only country where the quartet undertook a full headline tour.

HURTS’ ‘Wonderful Life’ had been a No2 hit there and while the arthouse monochromatics of both acts indicated they each had a common goal to subvert the perception that bands needed to wear jeans and be hairy in order to attain any kind of credibility, musically the two acts were kilometres apart.

HURTS were more TAKE THAT and SAVAGE GARDEN cleverly dressed as ULTRAVOX, while MIRRORS really were the illegitimate offspring of OMD and DEPECHE MODE! But even the European public didn’t quite see it like that and certainly HURTS were able to attain more promotional momentum thanks to the weight of the Sony Corporation behind them!

While it could be expected that the real music brigade would be resistant to MIRRORS and their thoughtful aspirations, there was a surprising refusal to accept them within the electronic community itself. Electronic music didn’t die post-grunge but had mutated into numerous sub-genres and cottage industries.

But there was many a petty jealously embroiling as this band seemingly appeared out of nowhere and picked up on the distinctly European legacy that had been left behind back in the day to satisfy the synthobic territory of the USA with the advent of MTV. Comments like “Synth Britannia throwbacks”, “credit crunch KRAFTWERK” and “OMD tribute act” were among those banded about.

Photo by David Ellis

Then there was OMD’s drummer Mal Holmes’ amusing quip that “MIRRORS do OMD better than OMD do OMD…” – although complimentary, the comment may have inadvertently had an adverse effect. It was known to have got up the backs of several OMD fans who felt that OMD could do no wrong, despite them delivering a disappointing comeback album in ‘History Of Modern’! Ultimately, it was as if some wanted MIRRORS to fail.

Of course, OMD were one of MIRRORS many influences. The invitation to support the band on their 2010 European tour proved to be a blessing and a curse. While opening for OMD put MIRRORS firmly in front of an audience who were most likely to embrace them, it also drew comparisons due to the shared musical and sartorial roots of both bands.

The tour was a great success and enabled MIRRORS to undertake a headlining sojourn of Deutschland but the decisions to accept invitations to open for OMD in June and September of 2011 may have been ill-advised in hindsight.

With MIRRORS also playing events such as Back To The Future – Tomorrow Is Today with Gary Numan and John Foxx plus Godiva Festival with HEAVEN 17 and BLANCMANGE as well, MIRRORS were now being perceived as a Synth Britannia support act! James New later admitted: “I think we’ve made without realising it, maybe a record that was slightly more derivative than we hoped to make. We can be honest about that!”

This must have been preying on the band’s mind because prior to the Autumn batch of OMD dates and a slot at Bestival sharing the bill with SANTIGOLD and ONETWO, MIRRORS cancelled their appearances to “write new material”. Many followers of the band sensed all was not well and this was confirmed in a statement a few weeks later when Ally Young announced he was leaving.

The reason appeared to be good old fashioned musical differences; “We were coming to the point where writing the second record had begun. I felt like I’d taken it as far as I could perhaps emotionally as I wanted to” Young said in December 2012, “we were writing things that were good but I didn’t feel like I wanted to be part of it anymore. I didn’t know what I wanted to do at the point but I did know it wasn’t that!”

MIRRORS parted ways with Skint Records although a belated remix album ‘Deconstructed’ was issued before Christmas 2011. But it appeared as though MIRRORS were done and dusted.

Then at the start of 2012, the remaining threesome announced the release of an EP ‘This Year, Next Year, Sometime…?’ which featured two newly recorded songs ‘Dust’ and ‘Shooting Stars’; the remaining songs were various works-in-progress or demos.

While it appeared to be nothing more than a stop-gap, it showed that Messrs New, Arguile and Page were still determined to pursue their artistic ideals just as DEPECHE MODE had with ‘A Broken Frame’ back in 1982 after Vince Clarke left. Using a wider palette of possibilities including more prominent guitar and conventional bass, the sparser direction still retained their essential melodic components. It proved if nothing, that MIRRORS were in still business although between premises and working from home.

Meanwhile after producing an aborted second album for Britpop influenced rockers VIVA BROTHER, Ally Young teamed up with their singer Lee Newell to form LOVELIFE and uprooted to New York. While still very much synth and sample led, the duo developed a sound based more around R’n’B grooves which were very much influenced by their new urban surroundings. Appropriately enough, they toured North America supporting THE NEIGHBOURHOOD while their first two EPs ‘El Regreso’ and ‘The Fourth Floor’ were well received; from the former, the HARD-FI meets OMD template of ‘Brave Face’ was a particular highlight.

On the MIRRORS front, things have been slightly less clear. Although a single ‘Hourglass’ backed with the superb ‘Between Four Walls’ was issued via Bandcamp in Summer 2012, New and Arguile reformed MUMM-RA for a one-off show later that Autumn. Fast forward to April 2013 and MUMM-RA have released a new download only EP. Other than a low-key gig in the Czech Republic at the FIS Ski Flying World Cup in February 2013, MIRRORS have remained silent. However, it is understood the band’s management have been answering enquiries for live bookings from various parties in 2013, although none of these have actually come to fruition.

Meanwhile, New has contributed vocals to two songs with production duo FOTONOVELA, best known for their work with MARSHEAUX and co-writing the OMD song ‘Helen Of Troy’. The vibrant first song from the sessions was ‘Romeo & Juliet’ while the magnificent second number ‘Sorrow’ is still to be aired publically. Whatever happens, MIRRORS are greatly missed and one wonders what the reaction to ‘Lights & Offerings’ might have been had it been released in the more sympathetic climate of 2013, a year which has seen KRAFTWERK headline Latitude and synthpop trio CHVRCHES get signed to Virgin Records.

Photo by David Ellis

After two and half years, what remains is the music and it is only after some distance that there can be an objective reassessment. Thus ‘Lights & Offerings’, with its associated bonuses, remains an impressive body of work. OMD’s Andy McCluskey once said MIRRORS had the potential to become “the DURAN DURAN of modern synthpop”. Even if that prospect is to remain unfulfilled, it really would be shame if there was to be no more great music from MIRRORS.


‘Lights & Offerings’ is still available via Skint Records

The EP ‘This Year, Next Year, Sometime…?’ and single ‘Hourglass’ are available as downloads via Bandcamp from http://mirrorsofficial.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/theworldofmirrors

http://theworldofmirrors.blogspot.com/


Text by Chi Ming Lai
26th August 2013

Missing In Action: CHRIS PAYNE

Best known as a member of Gary Numan’s band between 1979-89 and for co-writing VISAGE’s ‘Fade To Grey’, Cornishman Chris Payne was also DEAD OR ALIVE’s musical director when the band were touring their ‘Youthquake’ album.

A graduate of Medieval music, he even mastered a reed instrument called a Cornamuse.

Now domiciled in Normandy, he happily chatted about his period with Gary Numan, the genesis of ‘Fade To Grey’ during soundchecks on ‘The Touring Principle’ in 1979 and his post-Numan band DRAMATIS.

Can you remember much about your audition for Mr Numan? 

Oh yeah. I remember as if it was yesterday. I had finished Music College and was taking some time out working for our local council taking down trees. I turned up in my ‘chain saw’ gear ie workman’s jacket, large boots and sporting a very bad moustache with hair like King Charles II. All that was missing was the chain saw!

Is it true you hadn’t ever played a synthesizer before that?

I had never played a synth before. Bluffed my way through the audition pushing every note under the sun and making it look as if I had a clue. The real bonus for me was playing the viola and Gary, being a big fan of stringed instruments, loved the sound.

After the audition I remember events moving very swiftly, and before I knew it we were in Shepperton rehearsing for the ‘Old Grey Whistle Test’, a live BBC TV music show that used to broadcast every Tuesday night.

Later that evening, we were told that a spot had come up for us on ‘Top Of The Pops’, which at the time was the ‘God’ show for music as MTV etc didn’t exist. Four weeks later ‘Are ‘Friends’ Electric?’ was at No1. Was it hard work? No, not at all. I loved every minute of it.

From September 1979 we were just continually touring and recording, were all young at the time, and had plenty of energy and enthusiasm. I won’t mention names but I remember hearing on Radio 1, a well known band being asked about life on tour and they complained about how tough it was, and how people didn’t realise what they had to go through. I just thought… OK!!!!

You don’t realise how lucky you are to be in your position, after all what’s better, a world tour when you’re 23 years old or working in a factory making car batteries (a job I did as a student)?

Did you have any inkling that something was about to happen when you were on Old Grey Whistle Test and Top Of The Pops doing ‘Are ‘Friends’ Electric?’ in the same week?

It was a frantic few days and as it was happening, I think we all sensed that something was about to happen. Not only did it happen but at such a pace!

I didn’t realise at the time but Numan’s label Beggars Banquet were on the brink of bankruptcy and Gary’s success not only made his own career take off but also saved the label. Imagine if Beggars had gone under. They’ve a lot to thank him for.

You appeared on a number of Gary Numan albums including ‘The Pleasure Principle’ and ‘Telekon’, usually playing viola, but would be called on to play keyboards occasionally. What would you normally be asked to do as it would appear Gary handled many of the synth parts himself in the studio?

Actually Gary was extremely generous letting me play a lot of parts on ‘The Pleasure Principle’. We shared the workload, although he had created all of the parts. It was interesting as the main synths were a Minimoog and Polymoog.

No guitars, just drums, bass, synths and viola of course! My only issue was trying to stay awake, as these were all night recording sessions after the pubs had shut. You’re correct, by the time ‘Telekon’ came along Gary played most of the keyboard parts.

What are your overriding memories of the first two Gary Numan tours?

Well they were both phenomenal, and bear in mind nothing had ever been seen like it before with these great futuristic sets and lighting effects etc. Far too many great memories of these days, you’ll have to come and see me and I’ll spend a few hours chatting about it… we did two world tours with both of these sets and my regret is we didn’t tour abroad with ‘Warriors’, which also looked amazing.

Which Gary Numan songs were your favourites, either because of your contributions or from playing them live?

It’s no secret that my favourite track was ‘Down In The Park’. It was truly spine tingling to play with its anthemic power, and I loved playing the piano intro to it before launching into the thunderous Polymoog chords.

With VISAGE’s hit single ‘Fade To Grey’, what inspired you and Billy Currie to recording togther?

It just sort of happened and became our soundcheck song during the first tour back in 1979, with Ced Sharpley adding some drums. That’s basically how it developed. As Billy was intending to leave and rejoin ULTRAVOX after the tour, he wanted to record it as a kind of souvenir of the time spent with Gary Numan and myself as the other keyboard player. He organised the recording at the late Martin Rushent’s studio, and we (Billy, Ced and myself) went in and recorded it the day after the tour finished.

By the way, the entire song except vocals was recorded in a day…those were the days! And the rest is history…

This became such a signature track. What do you think was the key to its huge success?

The key to its success… A Minor!!! Ha ha!

But seriously! It was part of a movement which, image wise, was very strong. This will always help the promotion of a song. Technically it was very simple, relying on a cyclic movement from A minor to D minor and using the A minor as a pivot chord to re-introduce the verse. Plus it had a very strong but simple chorus… “Ohh-OOH we fade to grey”! It also had a certain atmosphere, which was relevant to the times.

How important were synthesizers in the shaping of music post-punk and why was there such a huge success rate during this period?

It was important and it enabled non-trained musicians to be able to express themselves. The beauty of a synth is that you can use your imagination to create all manner of soundscapes, atmospheres – call it whatever, without the need to be a great player.

Some people remarked on how soul-less the synths were compared to real instruments. If you ever heard Billy Currie playing his solo ARP Odyssey, you’ll realise how wrong that is. He was a phenomenally expressive player who could make the instrument scream and growl, and also sound very emotive.

I’ve since spoken to many players of early synths and it’s interesting that we each in turn have a different favourite. Mine was the Minimoog. A classic little demonic monosynth that could play the most intrinsically beautiful sounds, and also shake a building down to its foundations that you were playing in.

Is there an artist from that era whom you felt was particularly innovative in embracing the synthesizer technology?

Obviously KRAFTWERK plus the other German bands mentioned before, Jean-Michel Jarre and YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA. As mentioned, Mr Currie, and let’s not forget Gary Numan who had probably the most influence on the commercialisation of synths.

You toured the skies but it all suddenly ended with Gary Numan’s three farewell shows at Wembley Arena in April 1981. What were your own emotions and thoughts during those gigs?

Because of the immense scale of that production with the three back-to-back concerts and sell out crowds, half of me thought that this was crazy stopping at that moment with such huge interest and the fact that nothing had been seen like this before and if it could grow bigger. Who knows what would have happened? It was also sad and a bit disconcerting as I had been in regular employment for the last three years. On the other hand, Gary had made this decision and it was a case of moving forward with DRAMATIS and looking forward to a new adventure.

You formed DRAMATIS with RRussell Bell, Ced Sharpley and Denis Haines from the GARY NUMAN band and released the album ‘For Future Reference’ on Elton John’s Rocket Records in late 1981. Simon Heyworth who worked on Tubular Bells was the co-producer. How do you look back on the recording of that?

Oh God, it was a mess! I never understood why we spent ages recording it in one of the best studios in England at the time, a studio called Ridge Farm, only to remix it in London, which was bloody awful.

All this messing around when we had perfectly good mixes drove me to despair. It took forever, cost a fortune, we had to re-do the cover of the album and when it was finally released, Denis left the band! Having said that, the time spent at Ridge Farm was brilliant. It was a really inspirational environment and had a great pub in the village just up the road. Needless to say where we were most evenings.

RRussell and Denis were the main vocalists for DRAMATIS. But Gary Numan sang on the terrific ‘Love Needs No Disguise’ and you even did a lead vocal on ‘Turn’. Was there initially a reluctance for someone to take up the mantle of fronting DRAMATIS, especially as you were all more used to the role of being seasoned multi-instrumentalists?

That’s an interesting point. In retrospect, RRussell should have been the only vocalist (apart from Gary’s contribution) as this would have set a certain continuity. I don’t know why it ended up with Denis and myself singing. Turn was my composition, which explains why I sang it, but I really have a shocking voice, my wife Dominique will verify that! I remember that it took about two to three days to get it. No ‘auto tune’ to save the day in those days…

Interestingly, I remember that ADAM ANT’s ex-wife Eve, who I was sharing a flat with at the time, suggested we tried out a hairdresser friend of hers who was looking to sing in a band. His name: BOY GEORGE! Imagine if he had joined DRAMATIS?

In hindsight, why do you think GARY NUMAN’s fanbase didn’t take to DRAMATIS in large numbers?

I don’t know. Perhaps we didn’t have a strong enough identity? The music was too removed from the Numan style? Badly promoted? It could be a combination of all of these or other factors. It might even have been my dodgy haircut!

After ‘For Future Reference’, DRAMATIS did some cracking singles like ‘Face On The Wall’ and ‘The Shame’. ‘I Can See Her Now’ even got into the lower reaches of the chart and you toured in your own right. Was a second album ever close to completion?

We were working on quite a few songs for a second album. But I think we just lost our way and enthusiasm for the project with all the problems that beset us. Maybe we’ll release them someday?

You rejoined Gary Numan’s band for 1983’s ‘Warriors’ tour and remained until 1988. But in between, you also did a stint touring with DEAD OR ALIVE after they secured a No1 with’ You Spin Me Round’. Do you have any amusing recollections of that DEAD OR ALIVE tour? What was it like working with Pete Burns?

I actually stayed officially until 1990. As for DEAD OR ALIVE, that was a fun tour. Three weeks or so and I wish it could have gone on. It was a summer tour as well, which made it feel even more like a holiday. As for anecdotes, there are loads too many to mention here. You’ll have to buy a copy of my eBook ‘My Numan Years’ due for release soon.

Pete was great, and actually very shy. He kept a low profile and after the shows went back to his room with his wife Lynn. The drummer Steve Coy was also really nice and a serious nutcase. Tim Lever (keyboards) and Mike Percy (Bass) were also great. In spite of the image, I found them to be just a typical down-to-earth bunch of scousers!

You returned to play viola with Gary Numan on Complex at a few of ‘The Pleasure Principle’ 30th Anniversary shows in 2009 to a rapturous reception. What was it like to be back on stage with him?

It was fantastic. The only downside was that I’d loved to have done the tour. I hadn’t realised how much I’d missed live work. I’ll have to get DRAMATIS back together!

Rusty Egan recently invited you to write a song? 

Rusty tracked me down on Facebook. At first I thought it was a joke and that some one was scamming me for a laugh. But after some careful further investigation, I knew it was for real. The latest I heard was that two of my contributions including a co-written track with producer Nigel Bates were shortlisted along with contributions from Midge Ure, Youth etc. But you just never know if they’ll eventually make the final cut.

DRAMATIS’ first single ‘Ex Luna Scientia’ celebrated the spirit of NASA. How do you see the future of space travel now that the Space Shuttle has flown its last mission?

Sad in a way. We have moved on in science so radically in the last few decades but we still know so little (apart from how to destroy ourselves). We still can’t account for 94% of the mass of the Universe, which is really quite worrying.

Perhaps the missing parts are this great energy force which the Chinese called Qi (or Chi). I have recently completed studies in Chinese medicine and I’m actually a practitioner over here in France. My aim will be to discover the mysterious Qi and who knows after that… maybe DRAMATIS will make a comeback? “May the Force be with You”


ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its sincerest thanks to Chris Payne

http://www.chrispaynemusic.com/

https://www.electroniccircus.co.uk

http://www.electronicmusiclibrary.com

http://newwavecomplex.com/dramatis.html


Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
25th October 2011, updated 24th February 2018

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