Isolation Ward - Lamina Christus

Isolation Ward is a classic exemple how the new wave bands were formed in early 80s. Their story is simple and so obvious : a group of close friends which were attending the same school shared the similar music interests, bought the same records, spent their time in the same local clubs so, at one point they decided to make a step forward and create some music of their own. The place of this action was Brussels, the exact date : September 1980, the personel were : Stephane Willocq (guitar), Jean-Pierre Everaerts (bass), Thierry Heynderickx (keyboards) , Etienne Vernaeve (drums). Soon, they were joined by Nathalie Bourlard (vocals), her friend Anna Kinna "Nanou" (backing vocals, mellodica) and Eric Van Houte (guitar) who also managed to obtain an offer to record three band's songs for local radio station FM Bruxel. The recordings were made in the Sega Studio on August 13th' 1981, titled : "Dangerous", "Trackers of the Night" and "High & Low". These songs have got some airplay success which prompted FX Bruxel to organize for them several live gigs. And in a week off the last of these concerts a split occured among band's musicians - the four core members decided to say farewell to singer Nathalie and newcomer guitarist Eric who would like to be more pop and funk, on the contrary to rest of the band who wanted to play a darker kind of post-punk, like their idols Joy Division, Cabaret Voltaire, The Cure. With Nanou promoted now to a lead singer's role they worked hard on their repertoire and wrote a dozen new songs in a relatively short time. Looking for a record deal the band was noticed by Michel Duval and Annik Honore from notable indie label Les Disques du Crepuscule and soon it was offered to release a single, as well to play some live gigs. So, in March 1982 they went to LBO Studio and with Gilles Martin and Peter Principle of Tuxedomoon as engineer and producer they recorded several songs which were released on a single in April 1982 named "Lamina Christus" on A-side and "Babes and Sucklings (A Lullaby)" on B-side (Crepuscule Section Francais, RAD 008). "Lamina Christus" was frequently played in Belgic and French radio stations and achieved some success, enough that Martin Hannett (from Factory Records) or Will Seargent (of Echo and The Bunnymen) were eager to produce the band's first full-length album. It went nowhere beacause band's members postponed the release of that album and focused on their solo recordings which were gradually released on cassettes by their own label Presence. Meanwhile, in May 1982 Nanou left the band to form with Jerry WX an electronic duo Chemical Hours. She was replaced by another female vocalist Sylvie Honnay who performed on several band's live concerts and recorded with them two songs for the second single, released in April 1983, titled "Absent Hearts" on A-side and "A Request" on B-side (Les Disques du Crepuscule, TWI 135). But the band went into year 1983 without Sylvie, limited to the four faounding members with Thierry as a lead singer. They were extensively touring, playing as a support for such giants like Siouxsie and the Banshees or The Birthday Party and it seemed that their future is bright. But the smell of success didn't last long. In summer of 1983 the band was joined by Jerry WX and turned its sound into more electronic climates, but the change of musical direction didn't work out and the band announced its end lately that year. Post mortem to Isolation Ward's history were two cassettess, released in 1984 by the band's own label Presence, titled "Point de Depart" (Presence, Pre 011) and "Point Final" (Presence, Pre 013)  which comprised almost all their recordings. So, it was almost the last act, almost because in 2009 an indie record label LTM Recordings released a compilation album titled "Point Final" (LTM, LTMCD 2545) with 17 songs recorded throughout their activity. More info about Isolation Ward is on facebook band's profile :     https://www.facebook.com/isolward/   

"Lamina Christus" lyrics :
Against the wall you must cry
Anxiety is made to feel
You're dead i'm dead for my own conception
You're dead i'm dead for my own illusion

Lamina Christus goes on
Lamina Christus goes on

The curtains are made of dreams
I'm searching my mind at ones
You're dead i'm dead, it's coming in our lifes
You're dead i'm dead, it's coming just in times

Lamina Christus goes on
Lamina Christus goes on

You're dead i'm dead for my own conception
You're dead i'm dead for my own illusion

Lamina Christus goes on
Lamina Christus goes on

Corect Spelling/Cold Fish/Sushi - Love Me Today

Sometimes record companies could incline artists who have contract with them to make silly or even ridiculous moves to achieve commercial success. The fine example for this theory could be a case of one English new wave band which released its only record under three different names. The story has begun when a working in London Canadian Michelle McAdorey answered the ad of a guitarist Ian Morse looking for a vocalist to form a proper band. After a few rehearsals the duo recorded a demo tape which was well received by music agents and allow them to get live gigs in some prestigious clubs in London like The Venue or The Marquee under the provisional name Cold Fish. Soon the band has grown to a quartet with two new musicians : Tom Sewell (bass) and Peter Howard (drums) and what was more important, it has secured the recording deal with major label CBS Records. Midge Ure (Ultravox fame) was chosen by that label to produce the first band's single, at least the track designed for its A-side. That single titled "Love Me Today" (CBS - A 2779) was released by the band first in UK in early 1982 under the name Cold Fish but it passed almost unmarked and failed to enter the hit charts. Poor results of this release caused that CBS dropped the band and restrained its support for them. But the band still had been trying to find some success with their only song outside UK and they managed to release "Love Me Today" in two formats as 7inch and 12 inch in Canada under the name Corect Spelling and in Europe under the name SUSHI. Unfortunately, changes of name didn't bring any evident profits for the band and due to lack of them they broke up. Sadly, because I think that "Love Me Today" had got a really big hit potential.

      

The Rezistance - The Art Of Love

Another lost band from the past. The short-lived Belgian project The Rezistance, active in years 1982 - 1983 is a classic representative of the new wave scene in the period of its heyday. All the records released by them is a single "Dance On"/Get Off" (Maquis Records - MR 001) and 12inch mini album "The Art Of Love" (Parsley - PP 029) with tracklist : A side - "Heavenly", "Whatcha Gonna Be?"; B side - "Fear", "Ground Zero", "Dance On". The band's line-up : Bob Geenens (vocals, keyboards), Phillippe Vanderdonckt (bass), Ronald Vanhuffel (drums), Jackie Hebbrecht (guitar), Eric D'Hoe (keyboards). It's a pity that catchy tunes from these records didn't achieved any bigger success, especially "Heavenly".

Men Without Hats - The Safety Dance

Forgotten hits. It's not easy to find a clear definition for this music category. For me, this could be an adequate term for songs which reached at one point the higher regions of the various, local or worldwide hit charts and were recognizable by listeners all over the world. The fine example of "the forgotten hit" may be "The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats, a Canadian new wave band from Montreal. This song was originally released by indie label Statik Records ( STAT 24 ) in UK and Canada in 1982, entered  The Canadian Top 50 Singles Chart in February'1983 and gradually gaining places it peaked at number 11 in July that year. But that was only the preludium of the worlwide success for this record which came in the second half of 1983. It became a bigger hit than it had been in Canada, both in US and UK, peaking at number 3 on US Billboard Hot 100 and nunber 6 on UK Singles Chart. "The Safety Dance" has also achieved  success on the official hit charts in many other countries or continents, as in Australia (no. 5), New Zealand (no. 2), Germany (no. 2), Ireland (no. 3), Norway (no. 3), South Africa (no.1), Belgium (no. 10), Austria (no. 7), Sweden (no, 3), Switzerland (no. 4). Nowadays, with a liitle luck you can still listen and watch live this song during one of rare gigs by reformed Men Without Hats (with only one member from band's original line-up, Ivan Doroschuk - lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, by the way the author of this song).

Kissing The Pink - The Last Film

I think that everybody has got his own list of music tracks which  have written permanently in his memory throughout his life. So when you hear one of such songs on the radio or the music television, just after two or three seconds you can easily name the title of this song, the artist who perform it, the exact date or at least the year it was released, if or when it was a hit and what place it achieved on various charts, My personal setlist of the most favourite tracks consists mainly of songs from the 80s and the late 70's, so my memories have been revived today as I listened to the song titled "The Last Film" by the English new wave band Kissing The Pink. Originally it was released by indie label Magnet Records (KTP 3) in 1983 and gained some minor success, reaching number 19 on UK Single Chart. I remember the band's performence in Top Of The Pops in Fabruary;1983, it gave me a thrill, I think it was very cool then and it's cool nowadays.  

Wire - Just Wire or maybe Harpooned

In 1977 .......

And In 2015

Wire is the band I admired a lot especially in the late 80's and early 90's, Started in 1976 as the raucous punk rock group with their first eponymic record "Pink Flag" (Harvet, SHSP 4076), but soon they developed their own music style, full of multilayered structures built on sophisticated sounds with greater use of guitar effects and synthesizers.Their masterpieces were albuns "The Ideal Copy" (from 1987, Mute STUMM 42), "A Bell Is A Cup ... Until It Is Struck" (from 1988, Mute STUMM 54) and "It's Beginning To And Back Again" (from 1989, Mute STUMM 66). The personell responsible for these records were : Colin Newman (vocals, guitar), Graham Lewis (bass, vocals), Bruce Gilbert (guitar) and Robert Gotobed alias Grey (drums). But the assumpt for this post is the brand new album by Wire which was released in April 2015. It's titled just simply "Wire" (Pinkflag - PF22). There was one change in band's line-up, Bruce Gilbert was replaced by Matthew Simms, a very talented young guitarist from London. In my opinion, this album's highest point is its last track named "Harpooned", an almost nine minutes long, vastly athmospheric, hypnotic, drowned in a shrill melancholy.

The Chameleons - Second Skin

Sometimes it’s better to have got the second skin. That’s wish which is coming from the song by The Chameleons. A true wish.

"One cold damp evening
The world stood still
I watched as I held my breath
A silhouette I thought I knew
Came through
And someone spoke to me
Whispered in my ear
This fantasy's for you
Fantasies are "in" this year

My whole life passed before my eyes
I thought what they say is true
I shed my skin and my disguise
And cold, numb and naked
I emerged from my cocoon
And a half remembered tune
Played softly in my head

Then he turned smiling
And said
I realise a miracle is due
I dedicate this melody to you
But is this the stuff dreams are made of?
If this is the stuff dreams are made of
No wonder I feel like I'm floating on air
Everywhere
It feels like I'm everywhere

It's like you fail to make the connection
You know how vital it is
Or when something slips through your fingers
You know how precious it is
Well you reach the point where you know
It's only your second skin

Someone's banging on my door"

Modern Eon - Fiction Tales

Only one album, five singles and several gigs in UK (including a tour supporting The Stranglers), but it was enough to stay in memories of many dedicated fans for over thirty years now. That’s all we can tell about the band Modern Eon which was part of The New Liverpool Scene that came to prominence in years 1979 – 1981 among other young artists gathered around local music club „Eric’s”, notable for promoting punk, post-punk and new wave acts. Several of these artists achieved some kind of success in music business, such as Orchestral Maneouvres In The Dark, Echo And The Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes, Dead Or Alive, Wah! Heat!,  Ellery Bop, Pink Military. Modern Eon was also on the best way leading to it but unfortunately it split up in the end of 1981 during work on a new matariel for their second album which was never completed. Returning to the band’s origins, it was founded in 1978 by Alix (real name Alex Johnson, guitar, keyboards, vocals) who invited Danny Hampson (bass), Ged Allen (guitar) and Joey McKechnie (drums) and they recorded and released first two singles : „Pieces” (Eon – EON 001) and „Euthenics” (Inevitable – Inev 003). Prior to the recording their first full-lenght album the band’s line-up changed, Allen and McKechnie were replaced by Bob Wakelin (synths, vocal), Tim Lever (guitar, saxophone) and Cliff Hewitt (drums). This squad is responsible for the album „Fiction Tales” (Dindisc, DID 11) which reached numer 65 on UK Album Chart and three more singles : rerecorded „Euthenics” (Dindisc, DIN 30), „Child’s Play” (Dindisc, DIN 31) and „Mechanic” (Dindisc, DIN 35), released without any bigger success. After the band’s dissolvement Alix opened his solo career under the moniker Che and rest of the group contuined their activity under new name This Time Next Year which occured a short-lived act. Then Bob Wakelin went into artworks for computer games and comics, Tim Lever played with Dead Or Alive before became music producer and remixer, Cliff Hewitt settled down in Apollo 440. My favourite Modern Eon’s song is „The Grass Still Grows”, a second track on album „Fiction Tales”, it’s tremendous, thrilling, a little hypnotic too.