What happened to Bill Drummond and Dave Balfe, after Big in Japan? They formed Zoo record and collaborated with many of the artists who released stuff through their record company.
Zoo Records was a British independent record label formed by Bill Drummond and David Balfe in 1978. Zoo was launched in order to release the work of the perennially struggling Liverpool band, Big in Japan (the label's first release being the From Y To Z and Never Again EP). The label went on to release early work from The Teardrop Explodes and Echo & the Bunnymen.
Part of the label's philosophy was to only release singles and never albums - the only album ever released on Zoo was the 1982 compilation of all the singles To the Shores of Lake Placid: The Zoo Uncaged 1978-1982, which was re-released in 1995 with extra tracks as simply The Zoo Uncaged 1978-1982.
Besides soon-to-be major bands like the Teardrop Explodes, the Bunnymen, and then cult status acts like Big in Japan, in these compilations it is possible to find obscure bands like Lori & The Chameleons (punk techno pop sung by Lori Larty, a female vocalist, and masterminded by ex Big in Japan Bill Drummond and David Balfe), Expelaires (Craig Adams – future bassist with Sisters of Mecy - David Wolfenden – then with Red Lorry Yellow Lorry - Mark Copson, Carl Harper, see http://www.discogs.com/artist/Expelaires ), Those Naughty Lumps (early New Wave band from Liverpool sporting Kevin Wilkinson on drums, Tony Mitchell on guitar, P.M. Hart on vocals, Martin 'Armadillo' Cooper on bass, Peter 'Kid' Younger on guitar, see http://www.btinternet.com/~kev.wilkinson/nlumps.htm ), and the Wild Swans (a Liverpool-based electro pop band related to Lotus Eaters and Teardrop Explodes, featuring Paul Simpson on vocals, Jerry Kelly on guitars, Gerald Quinn on keyboards, Phil Lucking on bass, and Alan Mills on drums, see http://www.renascent.co.uk/pageswswans/wswans2.html ).
Songs;
01 - Society For Cutting Up Men (Big In Japan)
02 - Iggy Pop's Jacket (Those Naughty Lumps)
03 - When I Dream (The Teardrop Explodes)
04 - Pictures On My Wall (Echo And The Bunnymen)
05 - Read It In Books (Echo And The Bunnymen)
06 - Lonely Spy (Lori And The Chameleons)
07 - The Winds (The Turquoise Swimming Pools)
08 - Kwalo Klobinsky's Lullaby (Whopper)
09 - A Suicide (Dalek I Love You)
10 - Burst Balloons (The Turquoise Swimming Pools)
11 - Lonely Spy reprise (Lori And The Chameleons)
12 - Camera Camera (The Teardrop Explodes)
13 - Suicide A Go Go (Big In Japan)
14 - Villiers Terrace (Echo And The Bunnymen)
15 - Take A Chance (The Teardrop Explodes)
get it now
These are all never released on anything else. The songs by The Bunnymen and Teardrop Explodes are fantastic. This is pre- Pete De Fretis (drummer) hence the name "Echo" (being the drum machine).
This was a staple in my collection and if you can find the vinyl you will not be disappointed.
Gate fold with amazing theatrical photos of each band and the whole story.
1/13/10
To The Shores Of Lake Placid (download)
What happened to Bill Drummond and Dave Balfe, after Big in Japan? They formed Zoo record and collaborated with many of the artists who released stuff through their record company.
Zoo Records was a British independent record label formed by Bill Drummond and David Balfe in 1978. Zoo was launched in order to release the work of the perennially struggling Liverpool band, Big in Japan (the label's first release being the From Y To Z and Never Again EP). The label went on to release early work from The Teardrop Explodes and Echo & the Bunnymen.
Part of the label's philosophy was to only release singles and never albums - the only album ever released on Zoo was the 1982 compilation of all the singles To the Shores of Lake Placid: The Zoo Uncaged 1978-1982, which was re-released in 1995 with extra tracks as simply The Zoo Uncaged 1978-1982.
Besides soon-to-be major bands like the Teardrop Explodes, the Bunnymen, and then cult status acts like Big in Japan, in these compilations it is possible to find obscure bands like Lori & The Chameleons (punk techno pop sung by Lori Larty, a female vocalist, and masterminded by ex Big in Japan Bill Drummond and David Balfe), Expelaires (Craig Adams – future bassist with Sisters of Mecy - David Wolfenden – then with Red Lorry Yellow Lorry - Mark Copson, Carl Harper, see http://www.discogs.com/artist/Expelaires ), Those Naughty Lumps (early New Wave band from Liverpool sporting Kevin Wilkinson on drums, Tony Mitchell on guitar, P.M. Hart on vocals, Martin 'Armadillo' Cooper on bass, Peter 'Kid' Younger on guitar, see http://www.btinternet.com/~kev.wilkinson/nlumps.htm ), and the Wild Swans (a Liverpool-based electro pop band related to Lotus Eaters and Teardrop Explodes, featuring Paul Simpson on vocals, Jerry Kelly on guitars, Gerald Quinn on keyboards, Phil Lucking on bass, and Alan Mills on drums, see http://www.renascent.co.uk/pageswswans/wswans2.html ).
Songs;
01 - Society For Cutting Up Men (Big In Japan)
02 - Iggy Pop's Jacket (Those Naughty Lumps)
03 - When I Dream (The Teardrop Explodes)
04 - Pictures On My Wall (Echo And The Bunnymen)
05 - Read It In Books (Echo And The Bunnymen)
06 - Lonely Spy (Lori And The Chameleons)
07 - The Winds (The Turquoise Swimming Pools)
08 - Kwalo Klobinsky's Lullaby (Whopper)
09 - A Suicide (Dalek I Love You)
10 - Burst Balloons (The Turquoise Swimming Pools)
11 - Lonely Spy reprise (Lori And The Chameleons)
12 - Camera Camera (The Teardrop Explodes)
13 - Suicide A Go Go (Big In Japan)
14 - Villiers Terrace (Echo And The Bunnymen)
15 - Take A Chance (The Teardrop Explodes)
get it now
These are all never released on anything else. The songs by The Bunnymen and Teardrop Explodes are fantastic. This is pre- Pete De Fretis (drummer) hence the name "Echo" (being the drum machine).
This was a staple in my collection and if you can find the vinyl you will not be disappointed.
Gate fold with amazing theatrical photos of each band and the whole story.
