Thank you, Brad. Yep “Do Anything You Wanna Do” co-written by Ed Hollis, the brother of TalkTalk’s amazing singer and main songwriter, Mark Hollis. I met Mark several times and got to know Webo, Talk Talk’s bass player, Paul Webb relatively well. We rehearsed in the same rehearsal room complex, had mutual friends, and went to some of the same parties and clubs. One thing I remember about Webo is that, when out at a nightclub, he would observe the dance floor and estimate the BPM in his head of the dance tracks he liked and which the most people would get up and dance to. Consummate musician, always inquisitive and on the look out.
So well told, Nic! I love your story of being "lost" (at least in your parents' eyes!), Mom finds a "square" career-guider (she hopes) to steer you into a "proper" life's work (she hopes), and he then, manages to plop you right into the new, hip, young rock'n'roll milieu she was hoping you would avoid!!
For however much all the facts might seem jumbled and/or running together in your mind (the day-to-day studio work, etc), I can really see how your "getting it out" is helping you to make sense of it all, and are successfully laying out the landscape of early '80s UK rock! Not lost, thankfully, is the bustle of madcap activity it all, clearly, must have been!
I dug your mention of Eddie & The Hot Rods, ever so briefly, and envy you having seen them. They were one of my favorite "first wave" of UK punk bands, although their hit "Do Anything You Wanna Do" I easily slot into the power pop lane (it has to be...I dug it too much!!!). In fact, in just looking it up, that song has a fascinating origin! 'Twas written by their guitarist and manager!
Well done, again, Nic, and I hope others are hopping on for your ride!
I loved your reminiscences about Soho during that time and what it was like working in the recording studio. When I lived in the greater London area (until a few years ago), I used to go to that area for haircuts, drinks and dinner with friends, Soho Theatre, always see celebs wandering around but also drug stuff going down. Such an incredibly vibrant area. My friend who went to uni in London in the 60s also talked about how much fun it was back then. Long live Soho! Let's hope the government doesn't kill the music industry in the UK, which is my big concern. (As well as the performing arts in general.)
You might want to write a book about your experiences if interested. The story about your mum and dad were great fun to read too, and the photos were great. Looking forward to parts 2 and 3.
Thank you so much. I have to say I have not been in Soho for perhaps 15 years or so. I think next time I’m in the UK I’ll go take a walk around the area. Memory is an amazing thing, most of it’s gone or at best hazy but whilst writing I get brief glimpses and fragments coming back into focus. Writing this piece was quite cathartic and also difficult, as will come out in parts 2 and 3 there were also a few darker memories, which maybe should have been left alone, but I threw caution to the wind and dredged them up… About the music industry, what to say, back then it was so simple, now it’s beyond complex and I don’t actually now how commercial musicians make a living today or how they measure success. Like I say, back in the day it was much simpler… you made a good record, paid all the people who needed a slice of the pie their slice, and hey presto, your songs in the charts and on Top of the Pops! All very understandable! Now, it’s a mystery! Thank you again for your comments.
Heaven 17 and Altered Images. Nice! I loved both in that era, even tho' I shouldn't have, owing to where + when I grew up in America (Cleveland, OH US). You're a lucky fella to have been in the rooms for that magic.
I don't recall that much about Altered Images, however Heaven 17 a bit more. I was huge fan of the Human League, and Heaven 17 had released one single "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" and their "Penthouse and Pavement" album had just been released, so they were right on the dge of a wave of success. Glenn Gregory was a nice guy, very chatty and normal. Martyn Ware was real serious and focussed and almost always in the control room working, and he was using a lot of synth kit that I'd never encountered before. I remember that they recorded a bass guitar session with a really young black guy, about 17 or 18, that had never been in a recording studio, and had never played on anything professionally, he was someone that they had met recently and somehow heard him playing, and decided to try him out. He was so nervous, but turned out to be an incredible slap-bass player. I don't remeber the track they working on just the bass session.
Thank you, Brad. Yep “Do Anything You Wanna Do” co-written by Ed Hollis, the brother of TalkTalk’s amazing singer and main songwriter, Mark Hollis. I met Mark several times and got to know Webo, Talk Talk’s bass player, Paul Webb relatively well. We rehearsed in the same rehearsal room complex, had mutual friends, and went to some of the same parties and clubs. One thing I remember about Webo is that, when out at a nightclub, he would observe the dance floor and estimate the BPM in his head of the dance tracks he liked and which the most people would get up and dance to. Consummate musician, always inquisitive and on the look out.
So well told, Nic! I love your story of being "lost" (at least in your parents' eyes!), Mom finds a "square" career-guider (she hopes) to steer you into a "proper" life's work (she hopes), and he then, manages to plop you right into the new, hip, young rock'n'roll milieu she was hoping you would avoid!!
For however much all the facts might seem jumbled and/or running together in your mind (the day-to-day studio work, etc), I can really see how your "getting it out" is helping you to make sense of it all, and are successfully laying out the landscape of early '80s UK rock! Not lost, thankfully, is the bustle of madcap activity it all, clearly, must have been!
I dug your mention of Eddie & The Hot Rods, ever so briefly, and envy you having seen them. They were one of my favorite "first wave" of UK punk bands, although their hit "Do Anything You Wanna Do" I easily slot into the power pop lane (it has to be...I dug it too much!!!). In fact, in just looking it up, that song has a fascinating origin! 'Twas written by their guitarist and manager!
Well done, again, Nic, and I hope others are hopping on for your ride!
I loved your reminiscences about Soho during that time and what it was like working in the recording studio. When I lived in the greater London area (until a few years ago), I used to go to that area for haircuts, drinks and dinner with friends, Soho Theatre, always see celebs wandering around but also drug stuff going down. Such an incredibly vibrant area. My friend who went to uni in London in the 60s also talked about how much fun it was back then. Long live Soho! Let's hope the government doesn't kill the music industry in the UK, which is my big concern. (As well as the performing arts in general.)
You might want to write a book about your experiences if interested. The story about your mum and dad were great fun to read too, and the photos were great. Looking forward to parts 2 and 3.
Thank you so much. I have to say I have not been in Soho for perhaps 15 years or so. I think next time I’m in the UK I’ll go take a walk around the area. Memory is an amazing thing, most of it’s gone or at best hazy but whilst writing I get brief glimpses and fragments coming back into focus. Writing this piece was quite cathartic and also difficult, as will come out in parts 2 and 3 there were also a few darker memories, which maybe should have been left alone, but I threw caution to the wind and dredged them up… About the music industry, what to say, back then it was so simple, now it’s beyond complex and I don’t actually now how commercial musicians make a living today or how they measure success. Like I say, back in the day it was much simpler… you made a good record, paid all the people who needed a slice of the pie their slice, and hey presto, your songs in the charts and on Top of the Pops! All very understandable! Now, it’s a mystery! Thank you again for your comments.
Heaven 17 and Altered Images. Nice! I loved both in that era, even tho' I shouldn't have, owing to where + when I grew up in America (Cleveland, OH US). You're a lucky fella to have been in the rooms for that magic.
I don't recall that much about Altered Images, however Heaven 17 a bit more. I was huge fan of the Human League, and Heaven 17 had released one single "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" and their "Penthouse and Pavement" album had just been released, so they were right on the dge of a wave of success. Glenn Gregory was a nice guy, very chatty and normal. Martyn Ware was real serious and focussed and almost always in the control room working, and he was using a lot of synth kit that I'd never encountered before. I remember that they recorded a bass guitar session with a really young black guy, about 17 or 18, that had never been in a recording studio, and had never played on anything professionally, he was someone that they had met recently and somehow heard him playing, and decided to try him out. He was so nervous, but turned out to be an incredible slap-bass player. I don't remeber the track they working on just the bass session.