Essential Bop

Last updated

Essential Bop
Also known asEssence of Bop
Origin Bristol, England
Genres Post-punk
Years active1978 (1978)–1981, 1984–1985 (1985)
Labels
Associated acts
Website www.myspace.com/essentialbop
Past members
  • Steve Bush
  • Mike Fewings
  • Simon Tyler
  • Dave Robinson
  • Nick Tufnell
  • Seng-gye Tombs Curtis
  • Danny Cotterill
  • Phil Howard
  • John Langley
  • Martin Kiernan

Essential Bop were an English, Bristol-based post-punk/art band, formed in early 1978 by Dave Robinson (who had played bass with Champion Jack Dupree and Joe Cocker), with an initial line-up of Steve Bush (singer, originally in The Biros), Mike Fewings (guitar, from The Cortinas and Colortapes), Simon Tyler (keyboards, from Dragon Sandwich), Nick Tufnell (drums) and Seng-gye Tombs Curtis (‘visualist’). [1] According to Steve Bush, they were originally going to be called Essence of Bop, but instead opted for Essential Bop. [2]

Contents

Career

Their first release was the track "Chronicle" on the seminal 1979 Bristol compilation LP/CD Avon Calling . This was followed by line-up changes and the 1980 EP Eloquent Sounds on their own Monopause label. This resulted in NME journalist Paul Morley interviewing Steve Bush and writing that Essential Bop would be one of the bands that would make it in the 1980s.

Further line-up changes in 1981 saw them emerge as a guitarless four-piece band with 2 tracks on Bristol Recorder 3 and their second release on Monopause of the single "Croaked/Butler (In Running Shorts)". The single received some notice in the New York independent charts and resulted in a US east coast tour in the summer of 1981; however the band split after their return.

A third single "Monkey Glands" was never released, but did appear on both of the band's albums. Their second compilation CD Chronicles included the track "Mau Mau" which was recorded in 1981 by Art Objects/The Blue Aeroplanes and included on their cassette/CD Weird Shit. Gerard Langley of The Blue Aeroplanes has a long history of producing, performing and writing with Steve Bush, ever since their initial group The Biros. Langley on the cover notes of the Avon Calling CD referred to Essential Bop as "closet Doors fans with a grudge."

In 1984, Steve Bush and Simon Tyler reformed the band in London with Mike Fewings on bass and Martin Kiernan on drums, and subsequently released their debut LP on TSAR, The Flick Was Boss. The album included tracks from a variety of sources and line-ups, covering the years 1979, 1980, 1981 and two new songs from 1984. The band folded for good in 1985.

Bristol Archive Records released a second compilation album in 2008 called Chronicles, [3] which included both studio and live tracks. The Avon Calling 2 CD from 2010 also included the track "Audition Room" by the band.

As of autumn 2016, work was due to start on a live album comprising recordings from the late 1970s and early 1980s.[ citation needed ]

Steve Bush

Steve Bush later went on to collaborate with Christian Clarke of Various Artists and The Art Objects as a duo, alternatively known as 'A Pair of Blue Eyes' or 'Bush & Clarke', under which latter name they released the Allergies album. This album was produced by Stephen Street who later found fame as a producer/writer with bands such as The Smiths, Blur, The Libertines and Morrissey. Stephen Street was also responsible for assigning Andrew Paresi as the drummer for A Pair of Blue Eyes, who became a part of Morrissey's first solo band shortly afterwards. Bush also produced a solo album, Blossom Freak (Green Goat 2001), and also released the album Row of Ashes (Green Goat Records) with Fran Fey. Bush and Fey's latest album Earl Grey and Leather was released in November 2016, also on Green Goat Records.

See also

Related Research Articles

The Durutti Column

The Durutti Column are an English post-punk band formed in 1978 in Manchester, England. The band is a project of guitarist and occasional pianist Vini Reilly who is often accompanied by Bruce Mitchell on drums and Keir Stewart on bass, keyboards and harmonica. They were among the first acts signed to Factory Records by label founder Tony Wilson.

Bill Nelson (musician) Musical artist

William Nelson is an English singer, guitarist, songwriter, producer, painter, video artist, writer and experimental musician. He rose to prominence as the chief songwriter, vocalist and guitarist of the rock group Be-Bop Deluxe, which he formed in 1972. Nelson has been described as "one of the most underrated guitarists of the seventies art rock movement". In 2015, he was recognised with the Visionary award at the Progressive Music Awards.

Vice Squad

Vice Squad are an English punk rock band formed in 1979 in Bristol. The band was formed from two other local punk bands, The Contingent and TV Brakes. The songwriter and vocalist Beki Bondage was a founding member of the band. Although there was a period of time when the band had a different vocalist she reformed the band in 1997. Since 2008, the band have been releasing records on their own label Last Rockers.

The Blue Aeroplanes

The Blue Aeroplanes are an English rock band from Bristol, the mainstays of which have been Gerard Langley, brother John Langley, and dancer Wojtek Dmochowski. All three had previously been members of the new wave "art band" Art Objects from 1978 to 1981.

No-Man English art pop duo

No-Man are an English art pop duo, formed in 1987 as No Man Is an Island by singer Tim Bowness and multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson. The band has so far produced seven studio albums and a number of singles/outtakes collections. The band was once lauded as "conceivably the most important English group since The Smiths" by Melody Maker music newspaper, and a 2017 article of Drowned in Sound described them as "probably the most underrated band of the last 25 years".

<i>Tones for Joans Bones</i> 1968 studio album by Chick Corea

Tones for Joan's Bones is the first solo album by American jazz pianist Chick Corea, recorded in 1966 but not released until 1968 on Vortex Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic. It features Corea with tenor saxophonist Joe Farrell, trumpeter Woody Shaw, bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Joe Chambers.

<i>Todays Active Lifestyles</i> 1993 studio album by Polvo

Today's Active Lifestyles is Polvo's second studio album. It was produced by Bob Weston and released on Merge Records in 1993.

Ouija Board, Ouija Board 1989 single by Morrissey

"Ouija Board, Ouija Board" was a single released by English singer-songwriter Morrissey in November 1989. The track appears along with its B-side "Yes, I Am Blind" on the compilation album Bona Drag. A shorter edit, omitting a verse, appeared on the 2010 reissue of Bona Drag. The single was poorly received by the music press and the public; its highest position on the UK Singles Chart was No. 18, making it the first solo Morrissey single not to reach the top 10. "Yes, I Am Blind" was composed by Morrissey's ex-Smiths partner Andy Rourke, and the picture on the sleeve was taken by Anton Corbijn.

Chris Bostock Englist musician (born 1962)

Chris Bostock is an English musician, songwriter and music producer, known for his work with JoBoxers, Subway Sect, Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys, The Style Council, Spear of Destiny, The X-Certs and The Stingrays.

Glaxo Babies

Glaxo Babies are a Bristol-based post-punk band, formed in late 1977. There were three distinct phases in the band's life and after initially breaking up in 1980, they reformed in 1985, only to finally break up again in 1990. The band reformed once again in 2015 for the Un-Peeled 2015 event with Steve Street on bass and Tony Wrafter's son Oscar on vocals.

Europeans (band)

Europeans were a new wave band formed in Bristol, England in 1977. The line-up was Jonathan Cole, Jon Klein, Steve Street and James Cole. According to Klein, ‘we were going to be called 'The Noses.'

The Stingrays (Bristol band)

The Stingrays are a British new wave band, which was originally formed in 1977 in Bristol, England, by Welsh musician Russ Mainwaring and Dean Sidney and are still gigging today.. They have experienced various line up changes over the years, but have included: Russ Mainwaring, Bill Stair, Chris Bostock, Sean McLuskey and Paul Johnson.

<i>Avon Calling</i> 1979 compilation album by Various

Avon Calling is an album of tracks featuring bands from Bristol, UK, on local record label Heartbeat Records, and was originally released in 1979. All but 2 of the tracks were recorded at Crescent Studios in Bath by David Lord and Glenn Tommey, when the bands were "neatly fitting in on "off days" from on-going sessions by the likes of Peter Gabriel, The Korgis & Kate Bush."

The X-Certs were an English band formed in 1978, which originally started as a punk band. They released the track "Blue Movies" on the Heartbeat Records 1979 EP 4 Alternatives, and subsequently had "Anthem" included on the label's seminal compilation album Avon Calling. They contributed two tracks to Bristol Recorder 2, and were including reggae by the time of their 1981 Recreational Records single "Together/Untogether". This was to be their last recording as they split up in early 1981 when Chris Bostock was recruited by Bernie Rhodes to play with Johnny Britton.

Heartbeat Productions

Heartbeat Productions is the parent company of a number of record labels originating from Bristol, England. Heartbeat Records was formed in 1978, and other labels have been added over the years to cater for specific niche markets or bands: Riot City Records in 1980, Disorder Records in 1981, FSA Records in 1992 and Trash City Records in 1994.

Fried Egg Records

Fried Egg Records was a record label set up in 1979 by Andy Leighton, administrator of the Bristol-based Crystal Theatre. Its first release was by the Theatres anarchic "house band" Shoes For Industry. In its short two-year existence the label did manage to produce records from some of Bristols' more notable bands, plus a compilation LP, E(gg)clectic 1.

Stereo Models were an English new wave group, formed in 1979 in Bristol, England. They are best known for the track "Move Fast-Stay Ahead", on the Bristol compilation album, Avon Calling, released by Heartbeat Records in 1979. Rick Joseph of NME writing at the time of the original release said, 'The joys of profligate living are eulogised in "Move Fast, Stay Ahead", a reckless, infectious punkabilly chorus from Stereo Models'. The track was written by Russ Thomas, who provided vocals and played guitar, and was recorded at Horizon Studios, Coventry. The drummer was Mark Hatwood, formally of Coventry band Squad, which included Terry Hall in their line-up. Later Paul Tyler was added on bass and Steve Libby on keyboards.

Art Objects were a Bristol-based post-punk band who later evolved into the Blue Aeroplanes. Between 1978 and 1981 they released two singles and one album.

References

  1. "Essential Bop- Chronicles, CD compilation, UK, 1979-1982". Mutant-sounds.blogspot.com. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  2. Steve Bush interview on RPM BBC1 West
  3. "Essential Bop, Chronicles". Bristolarchiverecords.com. Retrieved 25 May 2020.