MUSICWEEK AUGUSTS 1985 Edited by CHRIS WHITE TAHUffff Christ arisen, at St James, Piccadilly, was impressive, nonetheless. Life af- JAKE BURNS Prefab Sprout ter Alan Rankine actually sees The 7 And The Big Associates as a fairly ordinary, anony- THINGS CAN take time in this sup- mous backing group to the greater Wheel: aiming posedly fast-moving business. Ten talents of the irrepressible MacKenzie. lo give Rigid years on from being hailed as the And it was irritating and puzzling to Digits a second future of rock 'n' roll and only now is note just how much MacKenzie is let- hit. Springsteen at his commercial peak. ling their bass-heavy rock sound Five years on from the ground- squash his extraordinary voice. breaking U2 debut, Boy, and only now That said, Billy Mac wasn't exactly is Bono being tipped by the oh-so- on top form himself. Through reasons shrewd dailies as "The New Boss". best known to himself (though de- •&- It was no great surprise then, that finitely not inability), several classics having finally scuppered the sceptics were thrown away as MacKenzie with what looks like being the best skimmed through them in his devil- album of the year in Steve McQueen, may-care-style. the tickets for Prefab Sprout's prestige His flock was adoring though, and show should carry the legend "special rightly so for MacKenzic's talent is not reduced price". of the sort to be reproduced studio- Still, it worked. The place was pack- perfect at the drop of a hot. Witty and ed. Filled to capacity with those who stylish, he turns the magic on as he already appreciate that Paddy McA- feels like it. loon is currently writing some of the The unenviable honour of warm-up most tenderly observed songs that artist to this more-than-willing star have ever been penned in the name of was WEA's amiable Dutch singer- pop music. songwfiter Malhilde Santing, who sur- The Sprouts are no longer wilfully prisingly, though happily, charmed obscure; they play the game a little the audience with a short set of her bit. Their stage clothes were coordin- own intelligent, melodic story songs ated: the boys in white Man-From- Hopefully, MacKenzie's faithful will be Havana suits, that didn't quite sit right, converted and persuaded to buy her Bums back with and the Prefab sprite Wendy Smith in new LP. Water Under The Bridge. diaphanous fairy white lace. They DANNY VAN EMDEN looked very Seventies. They were friendly too. Paddy chang- ing the lyric "still in love with Hayley Mills'" to "Mrs Mills", brother Martin Shriekback twirling on his heels, and the pair of Rigid Digit deal them joining guest guitarist Kevin SHRIEKBACK HAVE been threatening Armstrong in a Quo spoof. Only Smith to make it big for some time now. Last looked like she'd held on to the old summer, they looked all set, armed AN IRISH record label whose first single release sold beginning of 1984, but Burns says: "When we felt nervousness, jigging round the stage with the self-assured sexy funk of their more than 100,000 units has finally got round to with all the grace of a real Quo fan. Jam Science LP. Sadly, they failed to that we had got it right to start making records, A&R She sounded perfect, but maybe she make much of an impact on the charts, issuing its second single seven years later, and men just seemed to blow hot and cold on us. We've should've sal on a stool, or some- but, apparently undeterred, the boys appropriately enough it features Jake Burns, who wasted a lot of time talking to people who couldn't thing. are back with a fine new LP, Oil and with Stiff Little Fingers was launched on the path to make up their minds, or took an age doing so, so A lot of the songs were played faster Gold, on Arista, plus a UK tour. success with that first release. we're going it alone. than their recorded equivalents, which The sheer physical effort that goes Rigid Digit Records was formed solely to launch "Back in 1978 Stiff Little Fingers were turned down detracted a bit But by the way of into a Shriekback gig has to be seen to the career of the Belfast band, but following the by every company we approached so we did it compensation, the easier structures of be believed At a sweaty, packed Bus- initial success it found it just couldn't cope and Stiff ourselves and a year later those same companies the songs from Steve McQueen gave bys, the Shrieks tore madly around the Little Fingers switched to a London-based indie be- fresh focus to the complex convolu- tiny stage to the slap and thrash of were knocking our door down. I believe in what we tions of those from their 1983 debut most of their new songs, attacking fore signing with a major company and having five are doing now just the same." Swoon their instruments with gusto hit albums. On Fortune Street is being marketed by Survival A few other wrinkles remained — While leadman Carl Marsh looked a But now Jake Burns, lead singer and songwriter Records whose A&R/promotions director David the keyboards sometimes too loud, little uncomfortable on the numbers with SLF, has formed The Big Wheel, and their debut Rome says: "Feedback on the single has been very Paddy's phrasing sometimes less he forsook his guitar to sing, Barry single On Fortune Street/Here Comes That Song good so far, and it has been picking up a lot of airplay effective than on record — but by the Andrews took to the lead vocalist's Again, is the second release on Rigid Digit Records. around the country. We're hoping Rigid Digit could time Thomas Dolby tproducer of role with a hungry relish, breathing a The band has been gigging continuously since the be about to have its second hit seven years later." Steve McQueen) joined them for the new vigour into songs such as Faded encore in full preacher garb of cas- Flowers and Hammerheads. The for- sock, hat and dog collar, it was clear mer, particularly, stood out as a stark, that the Sprouts are now an interna- eerie masterpiece with Andrews' News in brief... tional band. voice reaching a straining intensity Bowie knew it when he used them alongside the sparse backing of some to back him at Live Aid, and the brilliant drumming- LEVEL 42's Mark King has had his Dominion audience knew it, now it There was no question of winning first production outside of the just remains for the public to catch up the crowd over: it was with Shriekback band released, a single, I Can't and they will. JOHN BEST from the start. Grabbing fresh atten- Believe, by Birmingham white tion is going to be more of a problem soul The Nightcatchers band on and while a hit single seems unlikely RCA. The band, who are signed The Is$®wt©s at this stage, greater LP success shouldn't be too far away for this I to Chappell for publishing, are NOT QUITE Sky at Westminster strange and seductive band The critic supporting the release with PAs Cathedral, but the spectacle of Billy who called them "intellectual boys in London clubs and discos as MacKenzie and The Associates play- town" hit the nail on the head. well as regional radio promotion. ing beneath the stained glass image of DANNY VAN EMDEN i THE FLYING Pickets start a 23- date "bucket and spade" tour this week, playing coastal resorts STEVE STRANGE puts pen to paper to complete a management deal around the UK including South- CopStal SiEssfe Festival with Smallwood Taylor Enterprises. With him is Andy Taylor, managing port, Blackpool, Hastings, Worth- tributions. After all it must be a director of Smallwood Taylor, and musicians from Strange's new band, ing. Margate, Lowestofl and Fol- i i Mug fairly thankless task playing Strange Cruise: Pete Barnacle, Frankie Hepburn, Peter Murray, Wendy kestone, as well as some inland second guitar in the BB King band. Cruise and Steve Barnacle. venues. Appropriately, their re- TO REDUCE it to its very basics, DUNCAN HOLLAND cord label 10 has just released this concert was about two things: The Flying Pickets Summer EP BB King and his guitar, Lucille. featuring Groovin', Summer At One transformed the other into [Igif €fe®ri©s something approaching the ex- Home, Sealed With A Kiss and traordinary. And it's impossible to RAY CHARLES is always a wel- Summer In The City. say which does what and to come visitor to the UK and his SflJi whom. recent appearance at the Royal BB King without Lucille was a Festival Hall, as part of the Capital '"chart newcomers"! hugely generous man of benevo- Radio Jazz Parade week, was en- UNITED KINGDOM SYMPHONY I lent spirit who refused to take thusiastically received by a packed ORCHESTRA; Shades (Food For ] things too seriously (despite being house which even included an in- Thought YUM 108). UK origin. I blessed with one of the great cognito Alison Moyet. Entered chart, August 3. 1985. j voices). But with Lucille on board Charles has been a prolific re- >; Theme from the current Crown I this all changed. cording artist for more than 30 BELTANE FIRE (above), who >> Paint TV commercial which has J It sang and soared, wailing that years and his live performances toured earlier this year with Gary been written by David Mindel, ' most elementary medium, the are never below par.