Archive for the funk Category

Kissing the Pink- Naked LP

Posted in 1980s, 1983, 1990s, funk, kissing the pink, synth, uk on December 3, 2007 by Frankie Teardrop

Formed in 1980, Kissing the Pink was a short lived UK new wave/synth act who flirted with hometown chart success throughout their tenure. The seven piece act (with most members contributing vocals) shortened their name to KTP in their latter days as a result of the name’s suggestive nature. Their style was a hybrid mix of funk and synthesizers, akin to the likes of Factory records bands A Certain Ratio and Section 25. Longtime Factory associate Martin Hannett also produced the band’s first single for ‘Don’t Hide in the Shadows’ in 1981.

Since then, the band has released four full length LPs, each seemingly the result of a more trimmed down lineup and a more dance oriented sound. Also, members of Kissing the Pink have also collaborated with various artists in the jazz, pop, and psychedelic mediums. The band is still considered active, with select members still working together, though few recordings have surfaced. A home page states that the band may be morphing into a different project, but not other conclusive information is scarce.

I’ve uploaded the entirety of their debut full length, the seminal wave record Naked, released in 1983. The leadoff track ‘The Last Film’ cracked the British top 20 upon its initial release.

Details:

Kissing the Pink- Naked LP
1. The Last Film
2. Frightened in France
3. Watching Their Eyes
4. Love Lasts Forever
5. All For You
6. The Last Film (Hymn Version)
7. Big Man Restless
8. Desert Song
9. Broken Body
10. Maybe This Day
11. In Awe of Industry
12. Mr. Blunt

*download it here*

and for your viewing pleasure, here’s the official video for “Watching Their Eyes,” my favorite track on this record:

For more on the band, including some links to pick up some of their material, and an official page with photos, interviews, full discography, and more, click below:

Comprehensive KTP website

I believe there is a CD reissue of Naked available, but it’s since sold out and is fetching high prices in the secondary market. Let me know if there’s an official outlet and I’ll be happy to remove the link as per usual.

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Bush Tetras

Posted in 1980s, 1990s, 2007, bush tetras, funk, no-wave, nyc, post-punk on November 5, 2007 by Frankie Teardrop

Today’s band, Bush Tetras, formed in the heart of New York City soon after the initial wave of the punk rock explosion. A female fronted dance-groovin’ post-punk band led by vocalist Cynthia Sley and complete with jerky rhythms and dissonant guitars, Bush Tetras first hit the scene in 1980 with a series of singles and EPs. Lead guitarist Pat Place’s previous credits included co-founding James Chance’s no-wave outfit the Contortions.

The band would achieve initial club success for their ‘Too Many Creeps’ single, a roaring, fiery, and jagged tune that helped draw attention to the budding post-punk and no-wave movements. The band would tour relentlessly during their initial tenure, forming a kinship with The Clash and experimenting with more Afro-rhythms and Caribbean influences.

After recording three proper EPs (Too Many Creeps, Boom In the Night, and Rituals), the band split up in 1983 upon the release of a live cassette entitled Wild Things. A further compilation of the band’s material saw the light of day (albeit also on cassette) in 1989, and it wasn’t until 1995, a year before the initial lineup would reform, that the band saw their first proper cd release, a compilation entitled Boom in the Night, which would collect all their previous efforts. In 1996, the band would record a new record entitled Beauty Lies, picking back up briefly from where they left off. After another decade of inactivity, the band released a combination compilation/record this year, entitled Very Very Happy, which features a handful of new tracks and a series of re-recorded tunes from their past, updating these songs and recording them as they were meant to be heard. The band is currently active and playing shows in East USA, so catch them if you can!

 

For your listening pleasure (and with the blessing of the Bush Tetra’s promotions dept./label), I’ve uploaded a duo of Bush Tetras tracks: the first is the title track from their 1981 Boom In the Night EP and the second, the freshly re-recorded take on their initial breakthrough single, ‘Too Many Creeps’- plucked from 2007’s Very Very Happy.

 

download Bush Tetras- ‘Things That Go Boom in the Night’
download Bush Tetras- ‘Too Many Creeps (2007 version)’

To pick up some Bush Tetras material on CD, check out these links:
Roir Online
CD Baby dot com

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