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Biting Tongues

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Biting Tongues
OriginManchester,England
GenresPost-punk,experimental rock,avant-prog
Years active1979–1989
LabelsSituation 2
New Hormones
Factory
LTM
Past membersHoward Walmsley
Graham Massey
Ken Hollings
Colin Seddon
Eddie Sherwood
Basil Clarke
Phil Kirby
Tom Barnish
Mark Derbey
Patrick Steer
Websitebitingtongues.com

Biting Tongueswere apost-punkband formed inManchester,England in 1979, whose members went on to joinSimply Red,Yargo,and808 State.

History

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The band was formed in 1979 bysaxophonistHoward Walmsley, initially to record a soundtrack for his film of the same name, recruiting Ken Hollings (vocals) and Eddie Sherwood (drums), and shortly afterwardsGraham Massey(guitar) and Colin Seddon (bass guitar) of local band the Post Natals.[1][2][3][4]Their debut release was theDon't Healalbum, released in 1981 on theBeggars Banquet RecordssubsidiarySituation 2.[2]They then released theLive Itcassette onRichard Boon's New Hormones label, before their 1984 albumLibreville,which was recorded for New Hormones but released on the Paragon label due to the former label's financial problems.[4]They then moved toFactory Records,with Hollings and Sherwood leaving (the latter joining Simply Red), and Basil Clarke (vocals), Tom Barnish (trombone), and Phil Kirby (drums) replacing them.[2][4]The new line-up recorded the soundtrack to theirFeverhousefilm, which was released on video by Factory's video offshoot Ikon Video, and theTrouble HandEP,before Clarke and Kirby left to form Yargo.[2]Seddon left to form the Inner Sense Percussion Ensemble.[4]As a trio of Walmsley, Massey and Barnish, they released a final EP for Factory, before moving on again. After three further twelve-inch singles, and the video albumWall of Surf,the band split up in 1989 after Massey had formed 808 State, which became the focus of his efforts.[2]Walmsley continued making films and videos, including videos for 808 State.[3]Massey later performed as Massonix.[5]A final album,Recharge - Part 1,remained unreleased at the time apart from promotional copies, due to the collapse of the Cut Deep label, eventually being released in 2003 byLTM..

The band reunited in 2003 to perform at theInstitute of Contemporary Artsin London with a line-up of Massey, Hollings, Walmsley, Seddon and Sherwood, and reformed again in 2009 to play at the 'A Factory Night' event inBrussels.

Discography

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Albums

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  • Don't Heal(1981),Situation 2
  • Live It(1981), New Hormones
  • Libreville(1984), Paragon
  • Feverhouse(1985),Factory
  • Recharge - Part 1(1989), Cut Deep - promo only
Compilations and CD reissues
  • Compressed: The Factory Recordings(2003),LTM
  • Recharge(2003),LTM
  • After the Click: Retrospective 1980-1989(2003),LTM

Singles, EPs

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  • Trouble HandEP (1985), Factory
  • "Compressor" (1987), Factory
  • "Evening State" (1988), Antler
  • "Evening State" (1988), Antler - split release withTank of Danzig
  • "Love Out" (1989), Cut Deep

Video

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  • Wall of Surf(1988), Ikon Video

References

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  1. ^Keenan, David (2003)England's Hidden Reverse - A Secret History of the Esoteric Underground,SAF Publishing,ISBN978-0-946719-40-2,p. 93
  2. ^abcdeStrong, Martin C. (2003)The Great Indie Discography,Canongate,ISBN1-84195-335-0,p. 227
  3. ^abLarkin, Colin (1998)The Virgin Encyclopedia of Indie & New Wave,Virgin Books,ISBN0-7535-0231-3,p. 47
  4. ^abcd"Official bio",bitingtongues.com, retrieved 28 November 2010
  5. ^Birchmeier, Jason "Massonix Biography",Allmusic,retrieved 28 November 2010
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