Access - Audacity EP (1981)

A1 - I To I 
A2 - A Case Of Parricide 
B1 - White Dwarf  
B2 - Miss Constructed

Andrew Tull - Guitar, Voc

Anthony Welton - Bass

Nickolas Clark - Drums, Voc

Adrian Clark - Clarinet, Keys, Voc
Tracey Allwood - Keys, Percussion, Voc

Great D.I.Y. New Wave EP by this Reading Five Piece [1980 -1983]  [Recorded March 29-30 1981]

Discography
7'' EP ~ Audacity - Suffer For Their Art Records [STA 001-7] 1981
I To I / A Case Of Parricide // White Dwarf / Miss Constructed

VA ~ Beyond The River - Open Door Records [OD 001] 1982
Short 

LP ~ Beef - Suffer For Their Art Records [STA 002-12] 1982
Sweeney Erect / No New Men / Sign Of The Times / Short / Life Could Be A Dream / More - Of The Same / Pyramid / Flight After Freddie Laker // Post Mortem / Dance Of The Carbonaria / The Cruiser / Decisions Decisions / Tear It Down / Shukorra / Terms Of The Contract / Chlorophyll

There's a short early Band Bio in the Download

Sounds & Scans

Funeral Service - Pills (1986)

 b/w - Teenage kicks 

60's Garage / Mod band from Reims, France [1984-88]

Thierry Wippler (Voc)* [84-88]
Antoine Proust (Guitar, Voc)* [84-88]
Didier Doche (Guitar, Voc) [84-87] Dominique Chathuant [87-88]
Matthieu Kaltenbach (Bass)* [84-87] Jean-Marc Wadel [87-88]
Ludovic Hesnault (Drums) [84-87] Hervé [87-88]

*Later in Les Volfonis   

Thierry, Didier, Antoine, Matthieu, Ludovic

 

Discography
1986 7'' - Pills / Teenage Kicks [Black Cat Records - FUN45001]
1988 Demo Cassette  - What Do You Want / She Didn't Forget /A Date With Your Sister / Little Jim [Self Produced]

Sounds & Scans 

Fanny 'n' Danny - Second Hand Rag (1981)

 

b'w - 'Til You Been There

Second Hand Rag is from the 1981 Play "Wild Wild Women" written for the Orange Tree Theatre Richmond, Surrey's 10th Anniversary & is a bit too Chas n Dave for me but the flip is Good Pub Rock/New Wave 

Fanny 'n' Danny =
Nola York [Singer, Songwriter]
Michael Richmond RIP [Musician, Songwriter]

Michael & Nola 

Released on Aggro Records [AG2]

Produced by Riss Chantelle RIP [After the demise of The Chantelles, Riss Chantelle formed Chantelle Music, and managed Nola York]

Engineer Graham Bryant

Useless Info - The setting of the play "Wild Wild Women" is the mining town of Aggroville [Notice a theme anyone?]

Sounds & Scans

The Defenders - Happy Surfin Santa (1979)

 

b/w Christmas Up On Venus

As a post-script to the earlier Zen Alligators post here is the Dublin all-star Benefit band's only 45 

The short-lived group The Defenders [Active July '79 - Oct '79] were formed to help Dublin-based Heat Fanzine* pay legal costs to U2’s manager Paul McGuinness.

McGuiness had objected to an article in Vol. 2, No. 2 of the fanzine entitled “McGuinness (Isn’t) Good For U2′”. 

 

The article accused him of using back-handed tactics to bump a rival local band [Rocky De Valera & the Gravediggers] from the bill & get U2 the prestigious support slot to Joe Jackson at his Trinity College gig.   --The story was later proved to be wrong. -- 

*Heat was one of the most well-respected and well-designed punk fanzines in the 1977-79 period. Co-owned by Ray Gunne [AKA Jude Carr, Eamon’s brother] and Pete Nasty [Pete Price] 

A benefit gig at the National Ballroom, Parnell Square was staged on the 25th July '79 and followed in October by the recording of this single at Keystone Studios, released a month later on Guided Missile Records. The label being owned by Jude Carr and Karl Tsigdinos [DJ and graphic designer with Hot Press]. 

Unfortunately, the magazine had to fold despite their efforts.

The Defenders were: 
Donal Broughan (Lead Voc), Charles O'Connor (Guitar Voc), John Fean (Guitar), Billy Morley (Guitar,) Gary Eglington (Bass), Eamon Carr (Drums), Al Cohol (Maracas), Frankie Morgan (Keys), Mark Megaray (Voc), Paul Verner (Voc), Steve Rapid (Voc), Peter Hunter (Voc)
 
Read more here 

Useless info - The Guided Missiles label logo was designed by "Uncle Karl" who also designed "The Blades" band logo used on their Energy Records releases

Sounds & Scans

The Dead Zones - Life In The Movies (1981)

 b/w Little Criminals

Cool New Wave double sider from this Richmond Based Combo.

Unfortunately, all I can tell you is that 2 of the members were Alan Charlton & Colin Stewart.

& it was Released Early '82 on the collectable Ellie Jay Records label.

As always if you can add any info please leave a comment.

Sounds & Scans

Aquila - Fall (1982)

 b/w Threatened

A Great Crossover 45 From this Orpington 4 Piece (1981-83)

This should satisfy all the Indie Kids who love Post-Punk/Powerpop. 

Carol Bently (Voc)
Steve Burt (Guitar)
Graham Cos (Bass)
Dave Sivyer (Drums) Also in Deluge, Phobia The Toy Planets  

Recorded April 11/12 [Oakwood Studios, Herne Bay] 1982 & Released Nov 1982 on Graphic Records G001

Other Releases

1981 - Without A Care - VA - From Bromley With Love (LP) [Alternative Music ALT
007A]
1983 - No Point - VA - Not Waving But Drowning (LP) [Little Sister Enterprises LISI 002LP]

You can also hear Aquila Live at The 101 Club 12/09/1982 Here    

Useless info
Without A Care was also on VA - Messthetics #5 UK '77-81 "D.I.Y" & DIY-Punk: "A" (CDr)

Sounds & Scans

Zen Alligators - Call Me Lucky (1981)

 b/w The Ticket

Great R&B / Powerpop from this Dublin based quartet (1980-83) although they dropped to a trio mid '83 when Philip Fay left.

Johnny Fean (Guitar Voc) 

Philip Fay (Guitar)  

Gary Eglington (Bass Voc)

Eamon Carr (Drums)

Johnny Fean spent his childhood in the city of Limerick and in Shannon, County Clare, Ireland. 
In Groups:
Horslips, The Defenders (1979), The Zen Alligators (1980-83), Host (1983-85), The Saints & Scholars (1984), He is currently half of the duo Fean & Travers.

Philip Fay
In Groups:
Vultures, The Zen Alligators (1980-83)

Gary Eglington
In Groups:
Arthur Phybes Band (1974-77), Noise Boys (1978-79), The Defenders (1979), The Zen Alligators (1980-83) Recorded with the Fontaines (1984) on the VA LP Hip City Boogaloo 

Eamon Carr is from Kells, County Meath, Ireland. He was one of the founding members of the poetry and beat performance group called Tara Telephone in Dublin in the late 60s that also published the quarterly literary journal Capella. 
In Groups:
Horslips, The Defenders (1979), The Zen Alligators (1980-83), Host (1983-85), The Saints & Scholars (1984)

Discography [All 7"]
1980 - Thrill Power/Having A Party / Just A Little Bit [AFG Records – AFG 001]
1981 - Who Can That Someone Be? / The Berlin Wall [Spider Records – WEB 045]
1981 - Call Me Lucky / The Ticket [Auric Records – AU 79005]
1982 - The Invisible Man / The Scorpio Function [Zodiac – ZZA 82001]
1982 - You Make My Day / People Who Make People's Day [Zodiac – ZZA 82002]
1983 - I Never Forget A Face (Split Live EP With Side 1) [Hotwire / Crashed Records – HSW-831]
          {I Never Forget A Face / Caught In The Crossfire / Diary Of A Forgotten War (Side 1)} 

Useless Info 1 - To distance themselves from the Horslips era The Alligators only played 'When Night Comes' (B-side of Horslips last studio single) from the earlier repertoire. 

Useless Info 2 - The final 45 was dedicated to then recently deceased Pete Byrne [Guitar Vocalist of Side1]

Sounds & Scans & More

Kermitt - Flick My Switch (1982)

 

b/w I've Got My Own Way To Go

Pretty Basic Female Voc New Wave/Synth on the A-side but the flip is where it's at to these ears. Cool Powerpop!

Released July 1982 with Chas Chandler in the production Chair.

I have no info about the singer or band but a little google on the 2 writers gave me this:
Paul Greedus - Wrote with Barry Blue & was a composer of many Library Tunes

Callum Kenmuir - was ex Hopestreet [Glasgow band] 

Useless info - This also secured a release on Polydor in Germany

As always, if you can add any info please leave a comment

Sounds & Scans

Fasten Seat Belt - Escalate (1982)

b/w French Connection

Great New Wave / Powerpop from Cologne / Köln, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Sèan O'Sharp AKA Hanjo Scharfenberg (Voc) 
Bruno Z (Guitar) 
Paolo Campi (Guitar)
M.H. (Bass) 
Bonnie Bonn (Drums)
Fish (Keys)

Recorded in Autumn 1981. the A-side can be found on their lone LP "So Real"

Useless info - Sèan O'Sharp aka Hanjo Scharfenberg was raised in Germany and Ireland. 
He was educated at The King's Hospital Dublin and then at Trinity College Dublin where he graduated.
Amongst other things Scharfenberg went on to co-found the 'Chins' Bar and be a gallery owner in Cologne  

His last known whereabouts was as a member of The Capitalist. If you want to hear what he's doing now go here 

Sounds & Scans

23 Jewels - Playing Bogart (1979)

 b/w You Don't Know Me

DIY New Wave/Powerpop from this Nottingham Based band (1978-1982)

Led by Manchester Born Nick Simpson (Guitar, Voc) with

Neil Roberts (Guitar) 
Paddy Russell (Bass)
Geoff Powers (Drums)

23 Jewels started out as "Sneak and the Previews" Nick Simpson (Guitar, Voc) /Simon Harris (Guitar) /Mark Buckle (Bass, Voc) /Geoff Powers (Drums) but owing to a "falling out" they became the above for the recording of the song.  

Playing Bogart was recorded mid 79 with Paddy Russell, (A friend of Nick's from school learning the two songs of the 45 the night before the recording) & with Clive Gregson [Any Trouble] in the Producers chair (As he was for all of their recordings).
It was released Nov 79 (1000 Copies) on their own "Let's Call It Temporary Records" Label.

  
"I had been working at WH Smiths in Manchester, it struck me for the first time, going in and out of town on the bus, how people geared themselves up for a Friday night out; 
I was single, probably a bit lonely, and saw the whole thing as a bit of a charade". - Nick Simpson

In 1980 the Weltschmerz A Go-Go! EP was released with Russell's replacement being Mark Buckle
Nick Simpson (Guitar, Voc)

Neil Roberts (guitar) 
Mark Buckle (Bass, Voc)
Geoff Powers (Drums)

Roberts then quit being replaced by Frank McCarthy

So the line-up for their final 45 (I'll Pay For This) in 1981 was
Nick Simpson (Guitar, Voc)
Frank McCarthy (guitar) 
Mark Buckle (Bass, Voc)
Geoff Powers (Drums)

Discography
1979 7'' Playing Bogart/You Don't Know Me - Lets Call It Temporary Records [TEMP 1]
1980 7'' EP Weltschmerz A Go-Go! [ It's Not For Me/This Could Be Agony//The Starting Line/Love And Convenience] Lets Call It Temporary Records [TEMP 2]
1981 7'' I'll Pay For This/Down To Minimum - Lets Call It Temporary Records [TEMP 3]
1982 VA DLP Journey Without Maps [2 tracks - The Bomb Party / Can't Think Of More Than One Thing At Once] 101 International Records [WREK 101]

Useless info 1 - Nick Simpson originally wrote Playing Bogart when he was in Stockport group Idiot Rouge who regularly played with (pre-Stiff records) Any Trouble. Hence the Gregson link and cover of Playing Bogart on their debut album "Where Are All The Nice Girls?"
Idiot Rouge disbanded with Simpson going to Nottingham University and drummer John Doyle joining Howard Devoto's Magazine. Other members Neil Cossar (Guitar Voc) & John Martin (Bass) were later in The Cheaters    
Useless info 2 - In 2019 The unreleased 2nd LP from Billy Karloff and the Extremes "The Vinyl Solution" (1981) was made available via Bandcamp which has a pretty good cover of Playing Bogart on it.
Useless info 3 - Playing Bogart was also featured on the 1999 released VA LP Powerpearls Vol.4  
 
Simpson later turned to classical music, studying for four years with the reclusive John Tavener. Forging a career as an "unusual and uncompromising" composer, widely performing in Britain and abroad. 
In 2005 he released a solo-album "Lashings Of Pop" Featuring twelve songs, containing "economical pop stylings, trenchant guitar work and a darkly mordant wit" 

Sounds & Scans