TALENT

round with gusto. Out on May 9 necessity for American singer Days are likely to be among the (), another Lindsay Ander- Steve Mack. Was the decision to first to fit O'Dell's exacting A&R move easily taken? policy. Finally — at least the son video is also on the cards. It's Says Gorman: 'There was no- man himself is likely to re-adopt his great to dance to, great for sum- where to play and only a small Disconnection guise for a Eurodis- mer and it sounds like a hit. minority of people were interested, co update of The Temptations c'as" it's all showbands. It's a catch 22 sic Law Of The Land, featuring all situation, wanting to stay and wnte sorts of guest musicians and a still about your surroundings, but to get savagely relevant lyric. the exposure you have to move to London. After a year on the dole we had to do it." is clearly a poli- Rem happy is tical album, as one would expect, by Duncan Holland but Gorman and McLaughlin are TAKE THE buzz from the Buzz- at pains to point out that there are 0 sond toy cocks, add an overtone of The other concerns at work within their Undertones — as in pure pop — songs: "It's down to entertainment 'THE MORE happy I am thejnore CARMEL- smouldering mix it with a dash of the defiant first. We do the tunes, then the laid back my music becomes," says Derryman and you've got That Pet- lyrics come. We just hope that our Chris Rea, so it comes as no sur- rol Emotion. songs give people the opportunity prise to find that On The Beach, his The spectre of everybody's best- to think. We're trying to combat the new Magnet LP, is possibly his most irody bysicii in loved, but most missed band, The ignorance that surrounds so many mellow record yet, inspired by his Undertones, must lurk behind the subjects, not just ." currently contented state of mind, Petrol Boys, but to see them as The LP justifies the live perform- writes Garefh Thompson. big breok bid mark two is one ances and the dictum of "short By way of contrast then was last serious mistake. Sure, the band fe- songs/good tunes" is satisfied. By year's remarkable Shamrock Di- WITH A new LP; Back To The Cen- atures Sean (ne John) O'Neill on all means remember The Under- ORBIT (top) and Mayer: in Ecstasy aries album as Rea knows only too tre, Paul Brady, an Irish singer/ guitar and principal pen, plus the tones, but experience a new pop well: "Shamrock was very re- songwriter most notable recently eleventh hour entry of brother Da- thrill with . core following of people who are trospective and very down, like an for the artists who have covered his mian on bass, together with a song absolutely in love with the group," emotional watershed, and I've had songs (Dave Edmunds, Santana structure that owes an odd glance says O'Dell. "I see them very much a lot of happier times since then." and particularly Steel Claw, which at the 'Tones greatest non-hits ... in parallel with The Cocteau Twins Which leads us back to On The is featured on Tina Turner's mega- but this is not a rise from the ashes, Y's mm®% and New Orders of the world. And Beach, which the cynics will no selling Private Dancer album) is post Feargal phoenix job. just as labels like Factory and 4AD doubt say has been streamlined for trying to make the frequently pre- A gaggle of so-so, "OK we're by John Best have distinct identities, so Yll will the American market. "Everyone dicted breakthrough he so richly interestea singles," boosted by THE LATE Seventies: the timely develop distinct identity." keeps saying I'm tailor-made for deserved, writes John Tobler. some hot live gigs and the story question, "Why records?" finds Like those labels, Yll intends to the American market, but for some Does he regard himself as pri- reaches the new single, It's A Good form with Dick O'Dell as Y Records, remain staunchly independent, reason I haven't even got a deal marily a peformer or (praise be to Thing and the recently released and a groundbreaking outlet for with O'Dell only releasing a record out there. This has been the case Goffin and King!) a songwriter? debut Demon LP, Manic Pop Thrill. such new breeds as The Pop if he and distributor Rough Trade for the last four albums now and "It's definitely a combination of A good point to ask the band Group, Slits and Shriekback is are 100 per cent up for it, which I've had to learn to live with it. both, because I only write songs about the inevitable comparisons. established. O'Dell plays on all may seem like an obvious thing to "It's stranger still when you con- for my own use, either to play live Drummer Ciaran McLaughlin sides of the fence — manager, say, but it's surprising how rarely it sider that America was where I first or record or both, and it's a fortun- speaks: producer (Disc O'Dell), artist (Dis- crops up as a working principle. took off with Fool If You Think It's ate by-product that other people 'To start with it wasn't obvious connection) — and gives the world As well as releasing Torch Song Over. It seems to be one of those want to record them. I'd find it very that Damian would join, so this isn't Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag, records, O'Dell also manages Wil- periods in America where you hard to write for someone else, reforming. There is before temporarily losing his zeal liam Orbit and shares premises have to fit into a certain bag, be it because I've never done that," he the hallmark of The Undertones in and allowing Y to pass quietly into with his successful West London West Coast, heavy metal, pop or says. that Sean writes a lot of our songs, rocklore sometime a couple of recording studio Guerilla. The fil- whatever, and I don't feel that I fall The presence of guest celebrities but that hallmark is good pop years back. mic feel of Orbit's music for Ecstasy easily into any category." like Eric Clapton and U2's Larry songs." Now, after a brief artistic reprise has its direct roots in the Holly- And nowhere is this better illus- Mullen may be of assistance in this Good pop songs soon leads on last year with ham Huns U-BahnX, wood soundtracks he's recently trated than On The Beach (jazzy respect, but their participation was to discussion of the first single and O'Dell and Y are back, zeal re- completed for such bratpack here, rocky there) which has also not, apparently, part of a "make LP bought by the two represented juvenated, the label rechristened movies as Youngblood and Hot- earned high praise for Rea's Brady happen" plot. There is much Petrol pumps, McLaughlin and Yll (say Y2) and O'Dell happy to shot, the former of which has keyboardist Max Middleton with more active promotion for this re- guitarist Raymond Gorman Hello be a string puller rather than dang- already grossed S25m in the US. whom he has just finished work on cord than for its predecessors with Hello; Gary Glitter, Bowie's Ziggy ler once again. Orbit has also recently finished the score for a German movie, Auf a press reception, showcase gigs Stardust, The Jean Genie, Space The release policy of Yll will be producing Belinda, the first solo Immer Und Ewig (a section of and very positive Phonogram mus- Oddity — and all those other minimal and flexible, says O'Dell, album from former Go-Go's singer which appears on the new LP). cle strongly in evidence. Signs are, peculiar early Seventies records and kicks off this Friday (9) with Belinda Carlisle, and remixing two Rea is scheduled to play at the to say the least, encouraging. people bought because there was White Night, the first single in singles. Camouflage and Sales- Self-Aid festival along with Elvis little else. absolutely ages from severely man, for ex-Wall Of Voodoo Costello and U2 in Dublin on May Further investigation reveals in- under-rated Anglo-American frontman Stanard Ridgeway. All-of 17 to help youth employment. It fluences such as Television, Test popsters Torch Song. Before the which, along with the two sound- seems appropriate that Rea should Deportment and in earlier times month is out it will be followed by tracks, are eventually destined to be part of a charity gig in the bands such as Love and nowa- an album from the duo entitled emerge on IRS, to which Orbit is country which he feels resurrected days, favourites like fellow indie Ecstasy, a very special record char- signed as a solo artist. his career, when the Irish record chums Stump and The Wolfhounds acterised by the Bush-meets- Back with Yll itself, not to be company personnel really got be- (but not really The Wolfetones). Grogan breathy educated purr of outdone by Orbit Laurie Mayer hind him. The Dublin event is part TV Currently, the band are London Laurie Mayer, and the almost filmic also has a solo project, a single of a European tour which should based, which must have been softly pulsing electronic atmos- entitled Dust In The Wind, sche- consolidate the success of last something of an upheaval for the pherics of William Orbit. duled to emerge in the near future. year's Shamrock Diaries outing. four boys, but was clearly a 'Torch Song have got a hard- While the London-based Last Few "I have to tour because I don't have much commercial success with singles, although I'd be lying if 1 said I didn't want big hits. They make life so much easier for all NOBODY IS more surprised and concerned. Having said that, tour- delighted by the international suc- ing has become very enjoyable cess of Falco's Rock Me Amadeus and I'm really pleased with the single than Teldec, the West Ger- band I've got. The tours have built man label which signed the Au- up the solid, consistent following strian star, writes Nigel Hunter. that I now have." Falco, above (real name Johan- nes Holzel), is already well-known on the Continent and his West Ger- iSore Cormel man sales alone were 3m lost year, U while US sales on Rock Me ■4 GOOD NEWS for Absolute Begin- Amadeus are nearing 1 m, plus ners who loved the film, but were 650,000 for the Falco album re- less happy with the soundtrack. leased there. Carmel, the singer, the band, supp- „ $ays Teldec MD Thomas Stein: ly the missing link with Goodbye Itsl phenomenal that the Amer- Sally, an atmospheric, smouldering /cons are buying an album whose new single very much in the vein of lyrics they cannot understand. More More More. The song is buitf Once again it shows that the policy round a basic line which Carmel of believing in new artists and stick- THAT PETROL EMOTION: new pop thrills and short, sharp songs McCourt herself wraps her tonsils ing with them brings results/' PAGE 18 MUSIC WEEK 10 MAY, 1986