Restricted Code

Friends Tom Cannavan and Frank Quadrelli had written songs and played together in various school bands before discovering punk and going on to create Restricted Code in 1978. Influences were pretty eclectic from punk (big Sex Pistols fans) to New Wave (Talking Heads, Magazine, etc.) to funk and soul (Chic, Otis Reading, etc.). 

 
In 1979 the band got together with fellow Glaswegian bands Positive Noise and The Alleged to release an EP called 'Second City Statik', which enjoyed considerable critical acclaim. Even as 'Second City Statik' climbed the indie charts, the band recorded further demos in search of a deal. In 1980 they got a call from Bob Last, manager of The Human League and the man whose Fast Product label released seminal records by The Gang of Four, The Mekons and Joy Division. Last loved the demos, and after arranging a showcase gig, he became their manager and signed them to his new record label, Pop:aural. 

 
Restricted Code released two further records on Pop:aural and toured extensively, including supporting The Human League in the UK and Europe and a nationwide tour with the Fire Engines, label-mates at Pop:aural. They recorded sessions for John Peel and Richard Skinner at the BBC. 

 
Aged just 17 at the time, the increasing touring committments led to drummer Robert McCormick’s decision to quit the band, being repaced by Steve Lironi. Restricted Code enjoyed fantastic critical success and something of a ‘cult’ following. Paul Morley in NME picked them as “band most likely to…”; in 1981 Sounds music paper claimed they delivered the “best gig of 1981”, and there were rave reviews and extensive features in magazines including The Face and Melody Maker. As one of the hottest up-and-coming bands around, one memorable gig at The Embassy Club in London saw a who’s who of musical faces in the audience including John Peel, Debbie Harry, Frank Zappa, Julian Cope and members of The Sex Pistols and dozens of other bands. There were also, as one magazine reported at the time, “dozens of record company A&R people.” 

 
Despite the critical acclaim, an extremely loyal fan-base and universal praise for their live gigs, the band didn’t sell the volume of records that they, or their record company, expected. The single 'First Night On' topped the NME indy charts -but that didn’t mean huge sales in 1980- and while 'Love to Meet You' sold well, it didn’t break though into top 40 success. 

 

The band split up late in 1981, perhaps down to the pressures of not acheiving real breakthrough success despite such critical acclaim. Each of the members formed or joined other bands in and around Glasgow and Edinburgh, with some success. But life moved on, with the members developing careers in everything from teaching to aircraft engineering. [SOURCE: RESTRICTED CODE]