Jimmy Jimmy, a jangly pop band

Jimmy Jimmy would have been considered a forgotten band from the '80s if anybody had actually known the group in the first place. A duo consisting of vocalists/guitarists James O'Neill and Jimmy Kemp, Jimmy Jimmy debuted with the chirpiest of singles -- the keyboard-laced jangle pop gem "I Met Her in Paris" -- in 1985.

Reminiscent of Herman's Hermits and the Mindbenders, Jimmy Jimmy had enough Merseybeat charm and British Invasion hooks to make listeners believe that they were '60s relics. Perhaps that is why the group failed to achieve mass acceptance, at least in the U.K. Obscure to most British and American music fans, Jimmy Jimmy found a spot between Aztec Camera and the Housemartins on the Philippines' new wave radio stations, as "I Met Her in Paris" and, to a lesser degree, the lovely ballad "Lady" became staples of the format.



Syrupy lyrics and boyish harmonies overflowed on the band's only LP, Here in the Light, released in 1986 on CBS in the U.K. Since the late-'90s Internet explosion, Jimmy Jimmy has acquired greater recognition, as collectors of rare new wave and indie vinyl have sought out the duo's scarcely available small discography.”


From AllMusicGuide

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The Lotus Eaters, great lads from Liverpool

The Lotus Eaters was the name of a 1980s New Wave band from Liverpool, England, whose single "The First Picture of You," from their debut album, No Sense of Sin (1984), became a hit in the UK.

The Lotus Eaters was formed in 1982. Many music enthusiasts regard the group as a part of the New Romantic movement. However, although Peter Coyle (vocals), Jeremy Kelly (guitar), Mike Dempsey (bass guitar), and Stephen Creese (drums) had the elegant attire, and fashionable haircuts of New Romantic bands, their music was more understated and folksy than the synthesized Euro disco of Japan, Visage and Duran Duran. The Lotus Eaters toured extensively throughout Japan, despite arguments with their record label over there.

In 1998, The First Picture of You, a compilation of the Lotus Eaters' BBC Radio 1 sessions, was released, and the No Sense of Sin album was reissued on CD with bonus tracks.

In 2002, The Lotus Eaters, reduced to the duo of Peter Coyle (vocalist - formerly with The Jass Babies) (born 25 January 1962, Liverpool) and Jeremy Kelly (guitarist - formerly with The Wild Swans) (born 8 April 1962, Liverpool), reformed after almost two decades, to record and release a new album, entitled silentspace.

In 2009 The Lotus Eaters Announced a Concert to be Held at the Liverpool Philharmonic on Sat 25th July as part of the Summer Pops

the band comprising Peter Coyle (vocals, lyrics, melody), Jem Kelly (guitars, samples, programming) and Stephen Emmer (arranger, programmer, composer) are currently writing and recording demos for a new album. They will be working with producer, Steve Power in February.

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April Showers, Pure Pop Bliss!

April Showers were a short-lived Glaswegian pop duo comprised of Jonathan Bernstein and Beatrice Colin. Releasing their only known single “Abandon Ship” on Big Star, a subsidiary of Chrysalis, in 1984 it quickly gained a cult following due to it’s sparkling production from Anne Dudley (Art of Noise) and string-heavy arrangements. This quality was echoed on B-side “Everytime We Say Goodbye” with the 12-inch featuring an instrumental of Abandon Ship. - Tunesbag

At the time Abandon Ship was released, she was the girlfriend of James Grant who was then part of Friends Again and later the lead in the acclaimed Love & Money - thevinylvillain

Beatrice Colin is also a novelist who also writes for radio. Her novel, The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite (John Murray), has been published in the UK in July 2008 and in the US as The Glimmer Palace (Riverhead).

Beatrice was born in London and moved to Scotland as a child. After graduating from the University of Glasgow, she worked as a journalist for the arts and features pages of publications including The Scotsman, Sunday Herald and The Guardian. Her first novel, Nude Untitled, (Toby Press, 2000) was short-listed for a Saltire Award. Her second, Disappearing Act (Toby Press, 2001) was published in the US. She has written six plays and dramatised three novels for BBC Radio 4, and her short stories have been broadcast and published in anthologies and literary magazines such as Ontario Review and The London Magazine.

She has taught creative writing for Strathclyde University’s English Studies Dept and for Glasgow University’s Department of Adult and Continuing Education, and completed her doctorate in 2008. She currently works at Strathclyde University as a Royal Literary Fund Fellow. She lives in Glasgow with her two children. - www.beatricecolin.co.uk


Interesting bits:



O P T 0 2 4
APRIL SHOWERS "While The City Sleeps" ~ 7" (UNRELEASED)
Release date: N / A (1983)
Tracks: While The City Sleeps / Wasn't That A Rainbow
PM: Can't remember much about this, except that I liked it alot. Another groovy Scottish combo. Managed by Charles Cosh. Notes: Written by Jonathan Bernstein; published by Fishersongs. Recorded* but never cut. Base artwork for sleeve and labels delivered to OT.

http://home.wxs.nl/~frankbri/ot_discog1.htm#opt024


APRIL SHOWERS (November 1982)

Newlands. The Sleepy Hollow of the North. It would be a wise traveller indeed who, strolling through this plush suburban outback, detected the first stirrings of a new pop phenomenon. The cynical onlooker might suggest that the musical matrimony of teen misanthropist JONATHAN B. BERNSTEIN, stocky stoic HUBBLE and shambling Rodney Bewes acolyte BOBBY CALDWELL is damning proof of Fate's warped sense of humour. "However", muses Jonathan, "the only important thing in Pop is the Song. That's what people hear first and that's what they're going to remember".

April Showers have a repertoire built to last a lifetime. Waiting, wanting, lying, loving, losing, crying... all human life is here. Tunes like "Any Wednesday", "Don't Stay Away Too Long", "All Of The Stars In The Sky" and "Once In A Blue Moon" truly are songs for all seasons. Working within a flexible framework allows the three-man team scope to work with a variety of instrumentalists and singers, the vocals on their sample tape feature ex-French Impressionist, Beatrice Colin. The team are currently engaged in recruiting new accomplaces and hope to take to the boards in early October.

On receipt of a number of early demos, "Don't Stay Away Too Long" appears to have been OT's initial choice for the debut April Showers single, but by November '82 it seems that the band were thinking of saving this song, at least until such a time as it could be transformed by a "bigger production" into a proper "pop hit", one which would perhaps be "more suited" as a second single. In its place a new A-side, "While The City Sleeps", would pave the way for later and greater things whilst the original B-side idea, "Something To Shout About", was also to be replaced by another newer composition, "Wasn't That A Rainbow". The sure existence of any of these final recordings, however, has yet to be varified.

http://home.wxs.nl/~frankbri/ot_opt024.htm

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Yeah Jazz, Six Lane Ends Here...

From the band's myspace page:

Before they phased out, two musical albums were published. The first album was named "Six Lane Ends" published only in LP and tape forms (There was a CD released in Japan only - see Pictures for details), the second album was called "Short Stories" initially on cassette only later rereleased under the new band name of "Big Red Kite". A single (EP) was lifted from the album entitled "April" in CD format containing 5 tracks including "Distant Trains". The "April" EP came out on Tubecroft Records in 1992 and also included "Rainbows" and live favourite "Lorraine & Duane".

The line up of the band at this point was Kev Hand (Gtr/Vocals), Chats (Gtr), Stu (Bass), Dave Blant (Accordion / keyboards) and Fred Hopwood (Drums). The song titles of "Six Lane Ends" are: .. Sharon .. Stones .. Lee Marvin .. All of My Days .. Freeland .. Step into the Light .. Heaven .. The Girl the Years Were Kind to .. Dirty Windows .. Make a Fist .. Stranger Than Fiction .. All the Stars .. This is Not Love (bonus track in some editions) Of these, "Sharon" was released as a single. Also on Cherry Red came "Morning O'Grady", "She Said" and "This Is Not Love". The "She said" single managed an impressive No34 in the independent charts and remained active within it for 4 weeks. Cherry Red provides on-line download services for "Six Lane Ends" in MP3 format. Customers can download single by single or the whole album at different prices.


Based around the affecting songwriting of Kevin Hand, Uttoxeter's best ever pop group released a single - Julie and the Sea Lions - on their own label, then recorded for Upright and Cherry Red. Peel and Long favourites for a while, especially with the classic This Is Not Love, it never translated to commercial success. The band returned to live action and recording in the early 1990s, releasing a 5 track CD EP on the Tubecroft label.

The band then changed their name in 1996 to 'big red kite' and released an album called "Short Stories" on the German record label Scout. The band played at the 1994 Heineken Music Festival. The band split up in 1999 although singer Kevin Hand still writes. Releases: Julie and the Sealions (7") 1984 on Distinctive records - Julie and the Sealions - American Planes She said (12") 1986 on Upright records This Is Not Love (12") 1986 on Upright Records Sharon (7"+12") 1987 on Cherry Red Records - CHERRY 100 - Sharon - The Girl The Years Were Kind To Six Lane Ends (LP) 23.May 1988 on Cherry Red Records - BRED 82 - Sharon - Stones - Lee Marvin - All My Days - Freeland - Step Into The Light - Heaven - The Girl The Years Were Kind Too - Dirty Windows - Make A Fist - Stranger Than Fiction - All The Stars Morning O'Grady (12") 1988 on Cherry Red Records - CHERRY 101 On compilations: Imminent 5 (LP) 1987 on Food Ltd - Bite 5 - Probably This Winter

http://www.myspace.com/yeahjazz

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