The Walking Seeds

Liverpool, England’s premier psychedelic ‘grunge’ specialists arose early in 1986 out of the ashes of The Mel-O-Tones. In between, John Neesam (drums), Frank Martin (vocals) and Bob Parker (bass, guitar) formed The Corinthians for three months, recording a seven-track demo that formed the basis of The Walking Seeds’ set. The band’s first EP, 'Know Too Much' (1986), set the pace, fronted by the strong "Tantric Wipeout". By the time of the follow-up, ‘Marque Chapman’ (1987), Neesam had been replaced by two former members of Marshmallow Overcoat, Tony Mogan (drums) and Baz Sutton (guitar). This was followed by the extreme but patchy 'Skullfuck' (the title influenced by a Grateful Dead album cover) later that year. After lying low, the band signed to Glass Records, issuing 'Upwind Of Disaster, Downwind Of Atonement' in 1989. Recorded in New York, the presence of Bongwater’s Mark Kramer as producer helped to bring a more defined, but nevertheless uncompromising, aura to the proceedings. Sutton left to join The La’s and was briefly replaced by Andy Rowan for 1989’s 'Shaved Beatnik' EP (wherein the band admirably slaughtered Cream’s "Sunshine Of Your Love"). The mini-album, 'Sensory Deprivation Chamber Quartet Dwarf', was assisted by psychedelic wizard Nick ‘Bevis Frond’ Saloman and new bass player Lee Webster. When Glass folded, The Walking Seeds recorded ‘Gates Of Freedom’ which included a b-side cover version of Pink Floyd’s "Astronomy Dominé". This coincided with 'Bad Orb... Whirling Ball', a more considered but still aggressively garage-like effort. The Walking Seeds tore through Bevis Frond’s ‘Reflections In A Tall Mirror’, backed by his interpretation of the band’s "Sexorcist". However, at this point, the band ‘self-destructed’, despondent about their lack of success, despite recruiting ex-Dinosaur Jr guitarist Don Fleming. A swan-song was offered in 'Earth Is Hell' on the Snakeskin label, housing live material recorded in Germany earlier that year. Parker and Mogan then set up the Del-Bloods, issuing ‘Black Rabbit’ in 1991. The pair also surfaced in White Bitch for ‘Animal Woman’ and teamed up with Martin for Batloaf’s ‘Meat Out Of Hell’ soon afterwards. Webster, meanwhile, had joined Baz Sutton in Froth that same year. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]