| Blue Orchids |
| Background information |
| Origin |
Manchester / United
Kingdom |
| Genre(s) |
Post-punk |
| Years active |
1979 - present |
| Label(s) |
Rough
Trade
Cherry
Red
LTM
Blind Eye Records
|
Blue Orchids are a British
Post-punk
band formed in Manchester, England in 1979,
when Martin Bramah decided to
quit the The Fall having recorded that band's
debut album Live At The Witch Trials.
Bramah teamed up with keyboardist Una Baines, also an ex-Fall
member, guitarist Rick Goldstraw, bassist Steve Toyne
and drummer Joe Kin. Punk poet John Cooper Clark christened them
Blue Orchids.
They signed to Rough Trade Records, and in
November 1980 they released their debut single, a double A side, "The
Flood / Disney Boys". Later in February 1981 they released their second
single "Work". Not long after this release Toyne and Kin left the group.
Toby Toman, an ex-member of The Durutti Column
joined on drums and Goldstraw switched over to bass. This new line-up
recorded a debut album called The Greatest Hit (Money
Mountain), which went on to sell 10,000 copies.
The group toured with Nico, former member of The Velvet Underground,
serving as both backing group and support act. Rick Goldstraw decided
to continue touring with Nico, so a new bassist called Mark Hellyer was
recruited as a replacement.
The group's next record was the Agents Of Change
EP in 1982. After parting company with Rough Trade at the end of the
year the group split up.
Bramah and Baines briefly returned in 1985 with the single
"Sleepy Town" and then split up again. After this Martin Bramah and Una
Baines ceased working together. Bramah then formed a new group with
ex-Fall drummer Karl Burns called Thirst. They
only released one record, the Riding the Times EP
in 1987.
In 1989 Bramah briefly returned to The Fall and appeared on
the Extricate
album. The reunion with Mark E. Smith was never
going to last, and Bramah was sacked from the group whilst on a tour of
Australia in 1990.
In 1991 Bramah returned with a new incarnation of Blue Orchids
which featured ex-Smiths guitarist Craig
Gannon. Their first release was a single called "Diamond
Age", later in 1992 they released the Secret City
EP and a compilation album called A View From The City.
A second album was recorded in 1993, but would remain unreleased for
ten years. Bramah decided to split the group again in 1995.
In 2002 a compilation album called A Darker Bloom
was released on the Cherry Red label. This release had sleeve
notes written by Bramah's former colleague in The Fall, Marc
Riley.
2003 saw the group release/reissue three albums on the LTM label. The shelved
album from 1993 was finally released under the title of The
Sleeper. Released almost simultaneously was a compilation
album called From Severe To Serene, which featured
the group's two John Peel sessions, live tracks and the contents of the
Riding the Times EP. At the end of the year the
group's debut album The Greatest Hit (Money Mountain)
was finally given a long overdue CD release.
In 2004 the LTM label released a brand new Blue Orchids album
called Mystic Bud. This release contained a
surprising cover version of "Sugar, Sugar" by The
Archies.
Founder member Rick Goldstraw returned for the mini album Slum-Cavern-Jest!
in 2005. This release featured a cover version of the Fred Neil
song "Green Rocky Road".
In 2007 a previously unreleased live recording from 1981 was
made available as the download only album Blue Orchids Bomb
Manchester.
|
Contents
- 1 Personnel
- 2 Discography
- 2.1 Albums
- 2.2 Compilation
Albums
- 2.3 Live
Album
- 2.4 Singles
/ EPs
- 3 External
links
|
Personnel
- Martin Bramah - vocals, guitar
(1979-present)
- Una Baines - keyboards,
vocals (1979-85)
- Rick Goldstraw - guitar & bass
guitar (1979-82, 2004-present)
- Steve Toyne - bass (1979-81)
- Ian Rogers A.K.A. Joe Kin - drums (1979-81)
- Toby Toman - drums (1981-82)
- Mark Hellyer - bass (1982)
- Nick Marshall - drums (1985)
- Craig Gannon - guitar
(1990-91)
- Martin Hennin - bass (1990-92)
- Richard Harrison - drums (1990-92)
- Mick Routledge - keyboards (1991-92)
- Adrian White - drums (1993-95)
- Stuart Kennedy - bass (1993-95, 2004)
- Alastair "Baz" Murphy - organ,
keyboards (1993-95, 2004)
- Charlotte Bill - flute (2004)
- Bud Umu - drums (2004)
- Steph - drums (2005)
Discography
Albums
- The Greatest Hit (Money Mountain) (1982)
- The Sleeper (2003)
- Mystic Bud (2004)
- Slum-Cavern-Jest! (2005)
Compilation Albums
- A View From The City (1992)
- A Darker Bloom (2002)
- From Severe To Serene (2003)
Live Album
- Blue Orchids Bomb Manchester (2007)
Singles / EPs
- The Flood / Disney Boys (1980)
- Work / The House That Faded Out (1981)
- Agents Of Change EP (1982)
- Sleepy Town / Thirst (1985)
- Riding The Times EP (by Thirst) (1987)
- Diamond Age / Moth (1991)
- Secret City EP (1992)
External links
