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Thread: Trying to remember two post punk British bands of early 80's

  1. #1

    Trying to remember two post punk British bands of early 80's

    Lately I've been trying to pinpont the names of two bands I used to read a lot about in The British press in the late Seventies and early eighties.
    One of them I never heard, but saw several articles and ads about them: the outstanding thing was that the main figure was a fiddle player...
    The other one made several records that were mainly accoustic and dark in tone, with a very good low voiced singer... not punk at all. Or maybe a punkier Van der Graaf Generator. I know the singer then went on to a long solo career. In fact, the music was very artistic with longish songs. Also, from what I remember, the band had a covoluted name: something similar to Wall of Voodoo (the American band).
    Does this ring a bell to anyone?

  2. #2
    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by yoyiceu View Post
    Lately I've been trying to pinpont the names of two bands I used to read a lot about in The British press in the late Seventies and early eighties.
    One of them I never heard, but saw several articles and ads about them: the outstanding thing was that the main figure was a fiddle player...
    Le Mat?

    Quote Originally Posted by yoyiceu View Post
    The other one made several records that were mainly accoustic and dark in tone, with a very good low voiced singer... not punk at all. Or maybe a punkier Van der Graaf Generator. I know the singer then went on to a long solo career. In fact, the music was very artistic with longish songs. Also, from what I remember, the band had a covoluted name: something similar to Wall of Voodoo (the American band).
    Does this ring a bell to anyone?
    Death In June?

    Current 93?

  3. #3

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    The first one sounds a bit like Doctors of Madness, but they’re pretty far from post-punk, since their debut was released in 1976. Bethnal, maybe?
    Confirmed Bachelors: the dramedy hit of 1883...

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    Bethnal it is! Thanks. By the way, didn't realize Doctors of Madness were from '76. They certainly sound very post punk to me... no fast paced two minute songs from them, at least, and a strong Roxy-Bowie influence with that violin.

  6. #6
    I'm still looking for the name of the other band... Bethnal was the one with the violin or fiddle player...

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    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    The Danse Society?

  8. #8
    No, thanks. More hints I remember: their first album had a black cover with a drawing of the singers face, in red or orange. The singer was by far the main figure, and, as I said, he had a deep voice, kind of Elvis like. Although it came out in the late seventies or early eighties, the music was not really punky, but folky and accoustic, maybe a little inspired by Dire Straits. I know the singer went solo after a few albums... I have the first two, but have them in storage and cannot get at them at this time.

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    I hope my record collection never gets so big that I have people's albums, and cannot even remember who the people are.

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    Not too big... I have around 3,000 LP's, but haven't played them in years, as I have no record player, and thus have them in storage. I remember most of them, but sometimes some do slip my mind. In the end, I guess I will have to go into the garage and search one by one...

  11. #11
    I was quite disappointed by Bethnal, at least by their debut, which is all I have by them. No idea if Crash Landing is any sort of improvement; it certainly has a cool Hipgnosis cover. But they’re no Doctors of Madness, or (early, John Foxx-era) Ultravox, for that matter.
    Confirmed Bachelors: the dramedy hit of 1883...

  12. #12
    Right, the first Ultravox album in particular was great.

  13. #13
    About Bethnal... they recorded two albums in 1978, the second one produced by Pete Townshend, and they certainly were not 'punk' nor post punk, although were marketed as such. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aLBT9QYvDw

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    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    Every suggestion I could come with don't fit, because they are British. Television came in mind. Still, any more clues?

  15. #15
    Bethnal had a fiddle player. Astronauts, the other? They had many Van der Graaf influenced songs...

    Other bands of the era that could ring a bell to your 2nd question: The League of Gentlemen (members of Gang of Four, XTC + R. Fripp), Blue Orchids, Missing Presumed Dead, And Also the Trees, Deep Freeze Mice, Monochrome Set, Royal Family and the Poor, Dog Faced Hermans.
    Last edited by spacefreak; 11-27-2015 at 06:56 AM.
    Macht das ohr auf!

    COSMIC EYE RECORDS

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by spacefreak View Post
    Dog Faced Hermans
    Absolutely awesome band!
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

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    Member jake's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by yoyiceu View Post
    No, thanks. More hints I remember: their first album had a black cover with a drawing of the singers face, in red or orange. The singer was by far the main figure, and, as I said, he had a deep voice, kind of Elvis like. Although it came out in the late seventies or early eighties, the music was not really punky, but folky and accoustic, maybe a little inspired by Dire Straits. I know the singer went solo after a few albums... I have the first two, but have them in storage and cannot get at them at this time.
    Doll by Doll?

    doll by doll.jpg
    Last edited by jake; 11-27-2015 at 08:50 AM.

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    Member Zeuhlmate's Avatar
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  19. #19
    Ian Drury and the blockheads?
    Cockney rebels?
    Still alive and well...

  20. #20
    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    I bet Jake nailed it. The late Jackie Leven had been in DbD, and later made many excellent Folk albums. (He had also released one as John St Field prior to the DbD albums.) Voice and album cover fit too.
    Not really post-Punk, but neither are a lot of the bands mentioned, including the ones I mentioned earlier.

  21. #21
    Sorry, I had been away for a while... It was Doll by Doll. Have to listen to that album (and the second one), as well. They were pretty good. Bethnal was the other one, as I had already said. Thanks very much to all of you.

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