Jerry Harrison

Though he's hardly a cult persona, Jerry Harrison has failed to be recognized as a crucial figure in the history of punk rock, a portion of the music which influenced it, and the styles which had grown out of punk more than 15 years later. Best known as the keyboard player and occasional guitarist of Talking Heads during the 1980s, Harrison had begun his career ten years before, playing with Jonathan Richman's seminal Modern Lovers during the early '70s. He recorded several solo albums while on occasional hiatus from Talking Heads in the '80s, but when the band disintegrated in the late '80s, Harrison resumed his busy production schedule, working with some hot alternative acts. 

Born in 1949 in Milwaukee, Jerry Harrison began playing with bands while in high school, and continued his work after graduation, while he studied at Harvard during the late '60s. By the beginning of the decade, Harrison and bandmate Ernie Brooks were encouraged to form a band by local Boston friend Jonathan Richman. Named The Modern Lovers, the group moved quickly and recorded demos in 1972 with John Cale. Finally released in 1976, the songs proved to be a major influence on underground bands in New York; The Modern Lovers had broken up by that time, though, with Harrison going back to Harvard to teach. In April of 1976, however, he attended a Talking Heads show in Boston and convinced them to let him join. The band signed to Sire just one year later, and became one of the most intelligent alternative bands of the '80s, recording an astounding variety of material and even earning several pop hits.  

 

During an extended Talking Heads vacation during 1981, Harrison recorded his first solo album, 'The Red and the Black'. The album was recorded with Bernie Worrell, Nona Hendryx, and Adrian Belew -all of whom had appeared on Talking Heads' 'Remain in Light'. Three years later, he released a hip-hop single on Sleeping Bag, recorded as Bonzo Goes to Washington. His second full solo album, however, appeared three years later. 'Casual Gods' had a similar feel to his debut, with loose funk-rock grooves and an open-ended song structure (which suited Harrison's vocals well) but boasted more tuneful songs. Talking Heads was effectively disbanded by that time, and Harrison had already begun producing in 1986, with The Bodeans and Violent Femmes. During the '90s and early 2000s, Harrison became an important and respected producer, working on popular albums by Live, Crash Test Dummies, The Verve Pipe, No Doubt, and The Von Bondies. He also helped launch garageband.com, an Internet resource for independent musicians. His playing was limited during these years, though he and fellow Talking Heads alumni Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz recorded as The Heads ('No Talking Just Head', 1996). In 2002, Talking Heads played together again, if only for one night, to celebrate the band's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

The Gymslips

This east London post-punk all-female trio was formed in 1982 by Paula Richards (b. 1 August 1963, Kent, England; guitar/vocals), Suzanne Scott (bass/vocals) and Karen Yarnell (b. 2 April 1961; drums/vocals), who were joined on some live performances by Kathy Barnes (keyboards). The effervescent group recorded the classic tribute to alcoholic revelry, ‘The Drinking Song’, among other less notable misdemeanours. They also provided a series of singles for the Abstract label, including a cover version of Suzi Quatro’s hit, ‘48 Crash’. Their sole album, 'Rockin’ With The Renees', was also issued on Abstract, and was subjected to many reissues over the years. After the group split in 1986 Yarnell briefly joined Norwich band Serious Drinking before rejoining Richards (who, in the meantime, had been working with The Deltones and Potato 5) in The Renees the following year. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

Foetus

Despite the constant shifts in name (from Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel to Foetus Über Frisco to Foetus All-Nude Revue) and the less frequent variations in aesthetics (all focused around the same unforgiving sonic attack), the music manufactured under the prolific Foetus umbrella is solely the product of one J.G. (Jim) Thirlwell. 

A native of Melbourne, Australia, Thirlwell relocated to London in 1978, where he conceived the basic Foetus concept -impenetrable panoramas of extremist noise built on tape loops and syncopated rhythms- as an alternative to the constraints of rock music. Finding no takers for his work, Thirlwell created his own label, Self-Immolation, to issue his debut single, "O.K.F.M.," which appeared under the first of the innumerable variants of the Foetus name, Foetus Under Glass. As You've Got Foetus on Your Breath, he released his full-length debut, 'Deaf', later that year. Thirlwell spent the next several years exploring his brand of industrial sounds as a solo artist, issuing a steady stream of LPs, EPs, singles, and compilations before adopting another alias, Clint Ruin, and teaming with ex-Swan Roli Mosimann in 1986 to record the album 'Dirtdish' as the duo Wiseblood. 

After 1988's 'Thaw' (recorded as Foetus Interruptus), Thirlwell formed Foetus Corruptus with other members of the Swans, Hugo Largo, and Unsane; both the 1989 "official bootleg" 'Rife' and 1990's more above-board 'Male' -credited to Foetus in Excelsis Corruptus Deluxe- documented the group's live set. Out of the experience grew Steroid Maximus, a group employing much of the same personnel that produced instrumental music for the scores of imaginary films on 1991's 'Quilombo' and 1992's 'Gondwanaland'. With 1995's 'Gash', Thirlwell entered the ranks of the major labels thanks to a deal with Sony; the LP, as well as the subsequent EP releases 'Null' and 'Void', earned the rare distinction of appearing under the simple name Foetus. 

In 1997 the Foetus Symphony Orchestra's 'York (First Exit to Brooklyn)', featuring narration by Lydia Lunch, was issued by Thirsty Ear, and 2001 saw the label release the album 'Flow' (with Thirlwell returning to the simple Foetus moniker again) along with its related remix project, 'Blow'. Foetus released 'Love' on Birdman Records in 2005, and tracks from that album were remixed by the likes of Mike Patton, Matmos, Tweaker, and Fennesz on 2007's 'Vein', also issued on Birdman. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

Dif Juz

Early proponents of what only later became the 4AD sound, Dif Juz concentrated on just that, lacking a vocalist on all their recordings except for a guest spot or two by the Cocteau Twins' Liz Fraser. Originally formed as the punk band London Pride by brothers Dave and Alan Curtis, the band included bassist Gary Bromley and drummer Richie Thomas by the release of two EPs for 4AD Records in 1981, 'Huremics' and 'Vibrating Air'. Both works contained textured instrumentals with a wispy, barely there feel which became a cottage industry for 4AD -ten years later. A third EP in 1983 ('Who Says So?') saw Dif Juz recording for the Red Flame label, and the band's 1985 debut album appeared on Pleasantly Surprised Records. The cassette-only 'Time Clock Turn Back' consisted of extemporaneous vamps recorded live in the studio, and spawned a reunion with 4AD. 

The first Dif Juz LP released on 4AD, 1985's 'Extractions', was much less ambient (though just as moody) than their previous works. It also contained the first vocal on a Dif Juz record, by the Cocteaus' Liz Fraser; her bandmate Robin Guthrie produced the album. Dif Juz toured with the Cocteau Twins during 1985 and released the mini-album 'Out of the Trees' a year later, but then wasted away. Thomas later worked with both The Jesus & Mary Chain and Butterfly Child, while Dave Curtis joined The Wolfgang Press. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

The Clean

The Clean were one of the most influential New Zealand bands of the post-punk era. The band formed in the town of Dunedin in 1978, when Hamish Kilgour (drums) and his brother David (guitar) recruited David's school friend, guitarist Peter Gutteridge. Soon afterward, they opened for New Zealand punk rockers Enemy. 

The Clean were one of the first bands in the country to play original material. They carved out a distinctive noisy but melodic sound, distinguished by David's screeching, distorted guitar. When the Kilgour brothers decided in 1979 to relocate the band to Auckland, Gutteridge had already left the lineup. The Clean played with a rotating bassist before David quit the band and moved back to Dunedin. Once he was back home, he was introduced to bassist Robert Scott and the two started playing together; news of his brother's new musical relationship prompted Hamish to move back to Dunedin and begin The Clean again.

In early 1980, the group began playing around town in earnest. In early 1981, a fan named Roger Shepherd began Flying Nun Records to release a single by The Clean, "Tally Ho!" With its jagged guitar, sweet melody, and persistent organ, "Tally Ho!" reached number 19 on the charts. 

As they prepared to record their first album, they discovered that the small amount of New Zealand engineers didn't care for the band's material. The Clean didn't fight -they backed down, deciding to record on a four-track under the guidance of Chris Knox and Doug Hood. In November, the 'Boodle Boodle Boodle' EP was released; it surprised every observer by climbing to number four on the New Zealand charts. 

'Boodle' and the 1982 EP 'Great Sounds Great' captured the quirky sides of The Clean's sound, since they did not have the technology to replicate the band's roaring live sound. Later in 1982, the group released their loudest single yet, "Getting Older." Soon after its release, David Kilgour exited the band, moving back to Dunedin. Robert Scott left after David's departure, forming a band of his own, The Bats. Hamish Kilgour moved to Christchurch -where Flying Nun Records was located- and bought his own four-track. After Hamish had begun writing and recording, David came up to Christchurch to help finish up the solo tracks, as well as to record some Clean songs. The resulting music, released under the name The Great Unwashed, was collected on the album 'Clean Out of Our Minds'. The music was a departure from The Clean's punk-injected sound; instead, it was folkier and more acoustic. 

To promote the record, the Kilgours reunited with Peter Gutteridge while still using the name The Great Unwashed. On the ensuing tour, the band concentrated on Gutteridge's backlog of material; at the beginning of 1984, they recorded an EP called 'Singles', which earned quite a bit of airplay and sales. Bassist Ross Humphries was added so David Kilgour and Gutteridge could both play guitar, yet The Great Unwashed wound up breaking up within a year. Hamish Kilgour formed Bailter Space with guitarist Alister Parker, Gutteridge began developing a new band called Snapper, and David stopped playing for a few years. 

The Clean -the lineup featuring Robert Scott- reunited in 1988 for two concerts in London; a five-song EP culled from the shows was released a year later. The members of the band were encouraged by the results and decided to embark on a world tour. After the tour ended, the band recorded a new album, which was more straightforward and pop-oriented than their previous material. The record, 'Vehicle', was released in the spring of 1990 and the band supported its release with a world tour. After the tour's completion, the band split again. David Kilgour formed Stephen, Scott returned to The Bats, and Hamish Kilgour was inactive; the group reunited in 1994 to record a new album. 'Modern Rock' was released in late 1995, followed by 'Unknown Country' in 1996. 'Getaway' appeared in 2001 on Merge, but went unnoticed. Two years later, the definitive Clean collection was captured on the 'Anthology' release. In 2003 the band released the first of two new live albums, 'Syd's Pink Wiring System: Live in New Zealand 2000' and 2008's 'Mashed: Live in New Zealand 2007' followed in 2009 by the all-new studio LP 'Mister Pop'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

Big Audio Dynamite

After Mick Jones was fired from The Clash in 1983, he formed Big Audio Dynamite (B.A.D.) one year later to continue the more experimental funk elements of The Clash's 'Combat Rock'. The group's original incarnation included Jones, video artist and Clash associate Don Letts (effects and vocals), Greg Roberts (drums), Dan Donovan (keyboards), and Leo "E-Zee Kill" Williams (bass). Adding samplers, dance tracks, and found sounds to Jones' concise pop songwriting, B.A.D. debuted on record with the single "The Bottom Line" in September 1985 and the album 'This Is Big Audio Dynamite' later that year. "E=MC2" and "Medicine Show" became sizable hits in England, and reached the dance charts in America. 

When it arrived in late 1986, Big Audio Dynamite's second album, 'No. 10, Upping St.', boasted co-production and co-writing from Joe Strummer, Jones' former bandmate in The Clash. It was a much better fusion of contemporary production techniques with Jones' songwriting, and the two biggest singles -"C'mon Every Beatbox" and "V. Thirteen"- performed well both on the British pop charts and American dance charts. After a two-year break, the band returned with a less free-form work, 'Tighten Up, Vol. 88', but righted the ship with 1989's 'Megatop Phoenix', their biggest performer in America (thanks to the singles "Contact" and "James Brown"). 

After 'Megatop Phoenix', the band split apart at the end of 1989. Jones quickly added Gary Stonadge (bass/vocals), Chris Kavanagh (drums/vocals), and Nick Hawkins (guitar/vocals) to form Big Audio Dynamite II, while Letts, Williams, and Roberts formed Screaming Target and Donovan joined The Sisters of Mercy. Releasing 'The Globe', the first full-length album with the new lineup, in 1991, B.A.D. II experienced their greatest success yet with the American Top 40 hit "Rush." In 1994, Jones truncated the band's name to Big Audio and released 'Higher Power'. 

After 'Higher Power', Big Audio parted ways with Epic, signing with Radioactive in early 1995 and releasing 'F-Punk'. The single "I Turned Out a Punk" became a college radio hit, even when it was initially released anonymously (granted, Jones' voice was immediately recognizable). That conglomeration also split shortly afterward, Jones later appearing in the production chair of notable records including The Libertines' 'Up the Bracket'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

Another Pretty Face

Formed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1978, Another Pretty Face revolved around Mike Scott (b. Michael Scott, 14 December 1958, Edinburgh, Scotland; guitar/vocals), publisher of the fanzine Jungleland, and former leader of several low-key acts, including Karma and The Bootlegs. John Caldwell (guitar), Jim Geddes (bass) and ‘Crigg’ (b. Ian Walter Greig; drums) joined Scott in Another Pretty Face and the band’s debut single, ‘All The Boys Love Carrie’, was issued in 1979. Produced by ex-Rezillos saxophonist William Mysterious, the song indicated Scott’s love of Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen and was declared ‘Record of the Week’ in the New Musical Express. Several major companies took interest in the band until Virgin Records secured their services in 1980. One single, ‘Whatever Happened To The West?’, followed before tension between the band and the record company brought the arrangement to a premature end. A projected album, produced by Only Ones bass player Alan Mair, had been completed and several of these recordings formed the basis for the band’s subsequent releases, issued on Scott’s own label, Chicken Jazz. Two singles, ‘Heaven Gets Closer Every Day’ and ‘Soul To Soul’, plus an eight-track cassette, followed. In 1982, Scott and Caldwell -by then the remaining members- opted to change the band’s name to Funhouse. ‘Out Of Control’ was issued on Ensign Records, after which Scott began recording a series of solo demos. He ended his partnership with Caldwell and formed a new unit, The Waterboys. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

The Woodentops

Taking punk's D.I.Y. ideals and applying them to stripped-down acoustic pop, The Woodentops achieved a great deal of critical success in the short time they were together. Formed in the early '80s in Northhampton, England, the group consisted of Rolo McGinty (vocals, guitar), Frank de Freitas (bass), Simon Mawby (guitar), Benny Staples (drums), and Alice Thompson (keyboards). The band released its debut single, "Plenty," on Food Records; the record led to a contract with Rough Trade. Throughout 1985, The Woodentops released a series of singles, all written by McGinty, that began to attract an audience in the U.K. The group released its acclaimed debut album, 'Giant', in 1986. The following year, The Woodentops began experimenting with their sound, adding tougher guitars and electronics as McGinty became increasingly interesting in dance music. These changes were particularly evident in their live show, as shown by their 1987 live recording, 'Hypno Beat Live', recording during the group's American tour. (The tour also introduced new keyboard player Anne Stephenson, formerly of The Communards, who replaced Thompson.) Featuring the contributions of professional studio musicians Bernie Worrell and Doug Wimbish, among others, 1988's 'Wooden Foot Cops on the Highway' continued the group's experimentations with rhythmic and sonic textures. 

While The Woodentops scored a minor radio hit in Los Angeles with "Stop This Car" and they developed a sizable following in Japan, extensive touring in 1991 and 1992 failed to widen their fan base, and at the end of 1992, The Woodentops broke up. Rolo McGinty worked in electronic music and sang with Gary Lucas' group Gods & Monsters, while Simon Mawby was briefly a member of the group House of Love. In 2006, McGinty assembled a new lineup of The Woodentops for a reunion tour; joining original members McGinty, Mawby, and de Freitas were drummer Paul Ashby, pianist Richard Thomas, and keyboardist Aine O'Keeffe. The Woodentops played live periodically over the next several years, and in 2014 they returned with their first new album in over 25 years, 'Granular Tales'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

Throbbing Gristle

Abrasive, aggressive, and antagonistic, Britain's Throbbing Gristle pioneered industrial music; exploring death, mutilation, fascism, and degradation amid a thunderous cacophony of mechanical noise, tape loops, extremist anti-melodies, and bludgeoning beats, the group's cultural terrorism -the "wreckers of civilization," one tabloid called them- raised the stakes of artistic confrontation to new heights, combating all notions of commerciality and good taste with a maniacal fervor. 

Formed in London in the autumn of 1975, Throbbing Gristle consisted of vocalist/ringleader Genesis P-Orridge, his then-lover, guitarist Cosey Fanni Tutti, tape manipulator Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson, and keyboardist Chris Carter. A performance art troupe as much as a band, their early live shows -each starting with a punch clock and running exactly 60 minutes before the power to the stage was cut- threatened obscenity laws; during their notorious premiere gig, P-Orridge even mounted an art exhibit consisting entirely of used tampons and soiled diapers. 

Upon forming their own label, Industrial, the group issued their introductory release, 'The Best of Throbbing Gristle, Vol. 2', in 1976. A full-length debut, 'The Second Annual Report of Throbbing Gristle', followed in 1977, in a pressing of only 500 copies; bowing to fan demand, the record was later reissued -cut from a master tape played backward. The 1977 underground hit "United" marked a tiny step toward accessibility, thanks to the inclusion of a discernible rhythm. Typically, when the track reappeared on 1978's 'D.O.A: The Third and Final Report', it was sped up to last all of 17 seconds; no less provocative was "Hamburger Lady" (inspired by the story of a burn-unit victim) or "Death Threats" (a compilation of murderous messages left on the group's answering machine).

'20 Jazz Funk Greats', a harsh electro-pop outing, followed a year later, and after 1980's live-in-the-studio 'Heathen Earth', Throbbing Gristle called it quits. P-Orridge and Christopherson soon formed Psychic TV (though Christopherson split again to form Coil), while the remaining duo continued on as Chris & Cosey. As Throbbing Gristle's influence swelled, a seemingly endless series of posthumous releases followed, most of them taken from live dates; among the more notable were 1981's '24 Hours of Throbbing Gristle', 1983's 'Once Upon a Time (Live at the Lyceum)', 1998's 'Dimensia in Excelsis', 2001's 'The First Annual Report of Throbbing Gristle', and 2004's 'Mutant TG' and 'TG+'. Throbbing Gristle reunited during the early 2000s for performances, and released 'Part Two: Endless Not', their first album in 25 years, in 2007. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

 

Sigue Sigue Sputnik

Led by former Generation X member Tony James, the new wave group Sigue Sigue Sputnik raised selling out to an art form. The concept behind Sigue Sigue Sputnik was simple: the band adopted a postmodern, ironic style and sound, and marketed it to the hilt, saturating the media with slogans and interviews. James didn't even intend the band to be musical; he recruited Martin Degville, Neal X, Chris Cavanagh, and Ray Mayhew partially because they lacked extensive musical experience. After a publicity campaign designed to solicit a record contract, the band signed with EMI; they released their first single, "Love Missile F1-11," in early 1986, and it hit number three on the U.K. charts. Sigue Sigue Sputnik sold the space between tracks to advertisers on their debut album, 'Flaunt It'. Despite the massive marketing campaign, the album fell on deaf ears, as did the more serious follow-up, 'Dress for Excess' (1988), which featured the slogan "This time it's music" on the album cover. The group split soon after the release of 'Dress for Excess'. James was a member of Sisters of Mercy for a short time in 1991. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]