“This Is 80’s Pop (Out West)”
Released on CD and Digital Download 6th October 2017

TO BUY: https://bristolarchiverecords.bandcamp.com/album/this-is-80s-pop-out-west

Do you think of the West Country in the 1980’s as a source of plentiful pop acts? Go on, pull the other one! With the music that’s normally associated with Bristol, Bath and places out west, a number of stereotypes come to mind. That can be down to the known success stories or just plain perception.

There has always been a broad picture of the scope of music that has come out of the west end of the M4 and M5 in general, from the more fundamental areas of rock, indie, reggae, rap, R ‘n B and dance music, through to the more arcane areas of post-punk, jazz, punk-funk, punk jazz, art-rock and even once in a while a moody singer-songwriter.

The boys (and girls) from the region have always made a right old variety of noise! It hasn’t always been accompanied by mainstream acceptance with the resulting sales. That heady creativity included more straight up pop music and the ‘take’ that could be put on it, with the hope that acclaim would follow. Dig a little deeper into the western region’s musical history and they weren’t alone in ploughing a furrow into the field marked ‘80’s Pop’. It was no wonder. The ground in that decade was fertile for sowing the seeds of possible pop perennials.

It maybe didn’t help that down the road in and near Bath, they had plenty of music emigrees who settled there and in the West Country having seen major league national and international success. The likes of Peter Gabriel, Midge Ure and even Stranglers front-man Hugh Cornwall made their homes and mark in the area.

But the most prominent of the acts to have been born, raised and emerged from the city of Bath itself were Tears for Fears in the 1980’s. It begged the question that if Tears for Fears could ‘make it’ big, did any other pop-orientated acts from the region come through, and if so what happened to them? Were they any good? Did they get any exposure and recognition? If not, why not?

This prompted Bristol Archive records owner, Mike Darby, and the long-time music industry creative and journalist, Dave Massey, to go through their extensive archive of local music and see if there was an album that could be compiled of those acts tracks that could be regarded as ‘lost hits’. Darby had done this with ‘lost gems’ by punk, mod and rock acts from the west and released well researched and beautifully presented compilations. Now it was time for the pop acts.

Dave Massey was right in the thick of it when this music was being made in the 1980’s. He was in the fortunate position of covering the many genres of music in his capacity as the Bristol and West country regional correspondent, and as the decade progressed somewhat uniquely for each of the weekly music papers in turn – firstly the NME, then Sounds, followed by Melody Maker.
These papers all had massive readership and circulations at the time. A Wednesday during the week was always the day to buy which paper was your source to find out what was happening to your favourite acts and music!

Massey also had moved to London in the late 80’s to work as an A&R man for a music publishing company. He trawled the whole country for new talent, but always kept a close eye on developments in his former back-yard. The range of music for him to assess was extensive, but the music industry has always regarded pop as a staple ingredient in its cash flow planning. Like it or not, he had to consider that, but he was always a fan of the genre if it ‘said’ something.
From their trawl Darby and Massey uncovered pop gold, and this wonderful compilation demonstrates that to the full. Many of the acts were seen live, reviewed and interviewed by Massey and other local journalists, featured on local, and in some instances national radio, and some made it on to local and national TV. Utilising the industry contacts he had built up through his writing Dave even ended up managing a couple of them briefly.

There was no lack of talent in these acts, or indeed ambition, and in a stylised era there was a keen appreciation of the right ‘look’ too. All kinds of strategies were used to promote themselves. Tracks were circulated on cassette tapes in order to solicit interest from an industry drowning in pop. Some went further and actually got as far as putting out independent releases. Gigs were done in ‘unusual’ venues. Videos were made in whatever surroundings would work.

These acts have stories of ‘got so close’ and ‘what might have been’. Many of the creators of these great tunes have gone on to success in careers that still involved music, whether as writers, producers or session players, or led to them running their own prosperous businesses, and even down to one of their number chairing and running a local Championship level football club!

But in the end the 20 tracks on the compilation do the ‘talking’. They are worthy contenders to be heard on day-time radio, in a top line club, blasting out of a TV screen or from in a car with the windows wound down on a sunny summer’s day, and just listened to by any pop fan through whatever means they choose to enjoy their music.

It’s a treasure trove of glorious commercial, but savvy and sexy pop music. Get into the groove of this wonderful west of England sonic pleasure feast!
www.bristolarchiverecords.com

ARTIST: Various Artists
TITLE: “This Is 80’s Pop (Out West)”
RELEASE DATE: 6th October 2017
LABEL: Bristol Archive Records
DISTRIBUTION: Shellshock / SRD
CAT NO: ARC323CD
BARCODE: 5052571072622

Tracklisting:

1. Hey Belaba ‘Can’t Stop Running’
2. Wadi Vision ‘Forwards Backwards’
3. Vicious Circle ‘Sorry’
4. Bush and Clarke ‘I’m Satisfied’
5. Umo Vogue ‘Who’s Sorry Now’
6. Frame by Frame ‘Kill For Less
7. Great Naked ‘Narrow Bed’
8. Kick City ‘Cover Your Eyes
9. The Works ‘When The Glitter Fades’
10. Paul Sandrone (Pola) ‘I’m Alone’
11. Umo Vogue ’Make It Real’
12. Snapshot Parody ‘Money Makes Money’
13. Vicious Circle ‘Temptation’
14. Great Naked ‘Hanging Around my Door’
15. Wadi Vision ‘This is Ha Ha’
16. The Big Outdoor Type ‘Don’t Be a Stranger’
17. Bush and Clarke ‘Guru Maserati’
18. Hey Belaba ‘Call Of The Wild’
19. Pola ‘Mistakes’
20. Vicious Circle ‘Woman’s World’

Soon come – we are the Mods!

Bristol Archive Records have completed a deal with Dark Entries Records based in San Francisco, USA to release an Umo Vogue album on Vinyl. More news as soon as we get it from our friends in the states.

MY FESTIVAL ROMANCE
by Thomas Brooman
Book Review – Gerry McMahon
Well done to Thomas Brooman on getting his thoughts on the WOMAD festival experience down in writing. Brooman was the leading figure behind the WOMAD festivals’ international success, running from 1982 to date. At one point WOMAD – an international festival celebrating the world’s many forms of music, arts and dance – ran to ten festivals per annum. That’s no mean achievement.
His perspectives on the rigours, realities and roller-coaster rides of festival organisation make for a real good read. It offers rare insights and intriguing perspectives from the vantage point of the man with whom ‘the buck stops’.
Starting out on the festival trail as a 15 year old in 1969, the author can take some credit for leaving an indelible mark on the world of music festivals. One of the more interesting features of the tale is the phenomenal commitment to the WOMAD enterprise of Genesis’ front man Peter Gabriel. Whilst many stars of the music world are pre-occupied with their own status, Gabriel displayed an admirable selflessness and commitment to the promotion of what’s now labelled ‘world music’
The book is enhanced via various inputs, including anecdotes on liquidation and associated financial disasters, chastening drug tales, bad behaviour from sources as diverse as New Age travellers and Siouxsie and her Banshees, and a sample of reflections on the festival experience from Brooman’s mates.
The musical ‘glitterati’ also get a look in, as Brooman regales us with tales of his interactions with luminaries such as Nina Simeone, Bob Geldof, Van Morrison, Shane McGowan, Johnny Cash, Midge Ure, Thomas Mapfumo, Pete Townshend, Robert Plant, Al Green, Ginger Baker and Lenny Kravitz. He even bumps into comedian Billy Connolly in the course of his cross-continent excursions!
Notably, the author also offers some philosophical perspectives with a practical edge. For example, these include the observation that fame is often more a liability than an asset in life. He also warns that the music business – including band and festival work – is no gravy train. He had worked at it for over a decade before he ‘was ever paid a penny’.
Like many pursuits, festivals and the music business are ultimately all about people and relationships. Hence, Brooman’s experience and advice are noteworthy, concluding that you should ‘trust in others’, but you should ‘cut the deck and cut it again whenever you sit down to play’. Sad but wise words from one who should know!
Oh! It should also be mentioned he’s open enough to tell the reader that he was eventually sacked by WOMAD – albeit leaving us guessing as to why! Likewise, he’s also big enough to tell us that his first marriage failed – albeit leaving us to guess as to the impact of the music-festival business thereon.
Concluding on an upbeat note, the author tells us about the day he met the Queen of England to receive his ‘Commander of the British Empire’ award at Buckingham Palace for his services to music. Now I do recollect that reggae legend Peter Tosh had something to say about that carry on! Anyway, ‘whatever floats your boat’ – and the music business is better for the telling of this tale. Thanks Thomas. Go read.
To buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Festival-Romance-Brooman-Co-Founder/dp/1910089583/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1497168779&sr=1-1&keywords=my+festival+romance

Here’s the first review of the new Thomas Brooman autobiography – ‘My Festival Romance’ 4/5 in Record Collector.

RIP Paul Jocelyn, legendary Bristol sound engineer, The Croft, The Exchange and prior to that his own PA company

Alan Griffiths was a songwriter, guitarist and more, singer, frontman, producer and performer, and one of the most supremely talented musicians Bristol has produced.

His life changed when he saw Television and Blondie at the Colston Hall in 1977. It was both an inspirational ‘light-bulb’ moment, and the start of a life-long obsession with the work of Television, the band, Tom Verlaine and other members.

This led to his forming Apartment with drummer, Emil Joachim, and bassist, Richard White. The track ‘The Alternative’ on the seminal ‘Avon Calling’ compilation of Bristol bands, followed by a single ‘The Car’ / ‘Winter’, both released by Simon Edwards on his Heartbeat label, showed this was a group to be reckoned with. Radio One picked up on them as well, so Alan had already made an impact, barely out of his teens.
Spurred on to get out of his day-job as an electronics technician, Alan took the band into a new epoch in forming The Escape with Emil and new bassist, Neil Action and later Stuart Morgan. More recordings in the bedroom studio – dubbed by friends as the ‘House of Secrets’ – in his parent’s house in suburban Downend took his career to another level.

The band undertook a flurry of gigs all over the country, including the ‘6 Day Nightmare’ week of shows in London, and were getting local and national press and radio exposure, which led to TV appearances on ‘RPM’ locally and the ‘Oxford Road Show’ nationally. Radio One jumped in with the offer of a session on day-time radio, and all this hard work led to a record deal with Phonogram.

Although that deal didn’t work out for the best, it led to The Escape, then Alan as a session player touring with label mates, Tears For Fears, and for him on a more regular basis for many years co-writing, co-producing and working with Roland Orzabal. In the gaps between this activity it gave him the space to pursue a new, more textured project with John Kelly that gave us the music of White Hotel.

Alan had always been interested in production and music for TV and films, inspired by his love of Hitchcock movies, Bernard Herrmann scores and Gerry Anderson animations, and his expanded studio set-up gave him the opportunity to do so. His most regular ‘gig’ was for the ‘CSI’ franchise, while also writing for and contributing to Hollywood productions and adverts.

His had a rich and varied career. But for me his work with The Escape and Apartment – with all releases available via Bristol Archive – shows that his music and songs will always live on. When he ‘listening to the rain’, he was hearing something ‘else’, and ‘waiting’ for the inspiration to come. And it did.
He never ‘waited’ when that moment came. He just got on with it, and the muse and music flowed out. He lived life where he was true to himself. And to quote the first song by The Escape that I ever heard, he didn’t ‘want to steal time that yesterday never bought.’
(Dave Massey)

Available to order now! Stormtrooper Limited Edition (250 copies worldwide, 50 in the UK) on transparent Red Vinyl – ‘Pride Before A Fall’ (The Lost Album)

Super rare, super sexy and signed by the band. High Roller Records, Germany pressing on transparent blood-red vinyl, ltd 250, bonus 7″, 8 page booklet, mastered for vinyl by Patrick W. Engel/ Temple of Disharmony. Beautiful product. To order follow the link: https://bristolarchiverecords.bandcamp.com/album/pride-before-a-fall-the-lost-album