The Associates

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book
The Glamour Chase - The Maverick Life Of Billy MacKenzie

"The Billy Mac book is on course for publication in the first couple of weeks of July. If any fans around the world are finding it difficult (or too expensive) to get the book on import, the publishers Bloomsbury actually have an on-line book store and delivery service."

"The English compiler of the discography for the book, Craig Burton, has begun a new Billy Mac/Associates information network and newsletter. Enclose SAE to:- Obsession Magnificient, PO Box 4394, Chelmsford CM1 7PQ, UK."

Tom Doyle - 5 May 1998

"Just to let you (and the network of Associates devotees) know that I'm currently writing a book about Billy with the co-operation of his estate and featuring over fifty new interviews with his family, friends and musical colleagues. Entitled "The Glamour Chase - The Maverick Life Of Billy MacKenzie", it's due in July 1998 - published by Bloomsbury - with a foreword written by Bono."

Thanks to Tom Doyle for letting us know!
26 Feb 1998


News

Billy McKenzie found dead 22/1/97, Alan Rankine died peacefully at home 3/1/23.

Two recent Associates/Mackenzie releases. The posthumous solo album was first, about a month ago.

Billy Mackenzie
Beyond The Sun
Nude 8CD

  1. Give Me Time
  2. Winter Academy
  3. Blue It Is
  4. 14 Mirrors
  5. At The Edge Of The World
  6. Beyond The Sun
  7. And This She Knows
  8. Sour Jewel
  9. 3 Gypsies In A Restaurant
  10. Nocturne VII

There's another eleven tracks which may appear on a second disc at an as yet undetermined time. I got mail from a friend of Billy which seemed to hint that there's stuff being unsaid, and that a lot of his friends are not very happy with the amount of speculation in all of the press coverage - in short, take everything you read about Billy of late with a large pinch of salt. She also hinted that there might be some surprises on the album - she has a recording Billy didn't even know existed of him singing along to his own songs while in the bath.

Second disc to appear, the rumoured _The Affectionate Punch_ CD on Fiction came out a few weeks back. Don't have both versions of the original album to compare, but I've been told it's a mix of the original and the remixed stuff. Cover is same as my tape, which was of the second version - Alan on the front, Billy on the back. It's a mid-price release in the UK.

Thanks to Al Crawford


A quick note:
billys got a postu. cd out next week and there are a couple of
books being written + more recordings of bill and i

Alan Rankine (26/9/97)


Sad News

The body of Billy MacKenzie, singer with the legendary Associates, was found in a shed near his home at Auchterhouse, Dundee 22/1/97. The police say there were no suspicious circumstances. It was reported on BBC Radio One the following night, and on television.

Sadly, his death comes as he has just signed a long term deal with Nude Records, home of Suede and Geneva, and as his work with Barry Adamson on the album Oedipus Schmoedipus and with techno outfit Loom has won him renewed critical acclaim. He would have been 40 in March 1997.

Thank you to Aideen for this and the page.


Some old news

Nude have announced Sept 15 as the date of release for the Billy MacKenzie compilation "Beyond the Sun". It will be a 2CD album comprising material recorded for Nude last year and older Associates solo material from several of Billy and the Associates old labels.

Thanks Aideen.


The Associates Mailing List
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Line-up

80 Billy MacKenzie: Vocals, Alan Rankine: Instruments, Nigel Glockler: Drums (2 sessions)

81 John Murphy: Drums, Mike Dempsey: Bass, Billy MacKenzie: Vocals, Alan Rankine: Instruments

82 MacKenzie, Rankine, Steve Golding on Drums, Mike Dempsey on bass

83 MacKenzie, Howard Hughes on keyboards, Steve Reid on guitar & bass, 'The Whippets' (percussion)

84 MacKenzie, Hughes, Martin Lowe guitar, Robert Soave bass, Ian McIntosh guitar

85 MacKenzie, Hughes, Robert Soave, Ian McIntosh, Moritz Von Oswald (percussion) These defected to Peter Murphy circa

86 until 1990 when most returned for Wild & Lonely.

The Associates' songwriting core comprised Edinburgh and Dundee Scots Alan Rankine, usually credited with simply 'instruments' and Billy MacKenzie, vocals. They co-scored the tracks and Billy wrote the lyrics. Their greatest success as a single in the UK was Party Fears Two which reached no 9 in around March 1982. This was followed by two more top 25 singles, a hit album and a swift fracturing. They are equally well known for their earlier work with Fiction and Situation Two which was a shade too alternative and unimmediate to transfer to the UK singles chart. U2, Morrissey and Eurythmics among others name checked them, in fact I once heard Billy referred to as 'The name that launched a thousand careers'. Picture the scene: It's a 1982 TV appearance. There are two young men seated in raised chairs. One of them looks very passive, has a guitar, is wearing a bright yellow jumper of which he has the sleeves rolled up,a red silk scarf [tied round his neck], grey trousers and what look like football boots. The other is grinning wildly and in an extremely flirtatious manner at members of the audience, jiggling his shoulders about and sporting a jauntily perched dark blue airline pilot's cap, white shirt, black tie and dark blue suit, all while trying to remember to mime the lyrics to an extremely wierd song: Party Fears Two. They seem to have been very careful to play the eccentricity card at every available opportunity, especially Billy, whether it was his unusual upbringing, his dress sense, his offbeat approach to writing lyrics - or his whippets.


Biographies (1982)

Alan Rankine

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 9st 3lbs
Sign: Taurus
Birth date: 17/5/58
Birthplace: Bridge of Allan, Scotland
Ambition: To write better songs
Turn-ons: Groovy chords, women with a bit of shape
Turn-offs: Moaners and people with opinions on things they know nothing about
Favourite food: Mince tarts, cheese 'n' toast
Preferred performers: Jacksons, Diana Ross, B. Streisand
All time favourite song: Spacer - Sheila B. Devotion
Favourite pastime: Summer afternoon, sweat, bed and these sounds that you make when you loose oncentration at the wrong moment
Best films: Heaven Can Wait, Deerhunter, Producers
Favourite reading matter: Ring of Steel
Favourite outfit: Silk and cashmere
Perfect evening: Ursula Andress and no tomorrow
Desert island companion: Ursula Andress
Best and worst characteristics: Best filled in by somebody else - coz I don't much care
Like to be reincarnated as: Mel Brooks or Orson Wells
Secret: Not enough space here for those

William MacArthur MacKenzie

Height: 5'7"
Weight: 9st 3lbs
Sign: Airies
Birth date: 27/3/57
Birthplace: Dundee, Scotland
Ambition: To stay healthy mind and body
Turn-ons: Shoes
Turn-offs: Would be unique individuals
Favourite food: Porridge
Preferred performers: Children
All time favourite song: You've changed - Billy Holiday
Favourite pastime: Appreciating enthusiasm
Best films: Heaven Can Wait
Favourite reading matter: Hare & Hounds
Favourite outfit: Medical profession
Perfect evening: Getting to sleep two minutes after wakening from the perfect evening
Desert island companion: Goo weather
Best and worst characteristics: Ask Alison - Dundee 611524
Like to be reincarnated as: Brother Alex
Secret: Not a great lover


Style (musical that is)

 

Their style is difficult to describe, they went through many changes while together. All their albums show a 'Take no prisoners' individuality. They initially combined a Bowie influence [Some say Low some say Station to Station] with abrasive postpunk and relatively little synth work. Their first John Peel Session from 1981 for BBC Radio One is an extremely rowdy affair indeed suggesting a very punky early live sound or an extremely irreverent attitude to being on the show, probably a bit of both, although bands usually try to do something a bit unusual for a Peel Session. Their use of synths in a major way, from Fourth Drawer Down onwards, was subtle yet powerful. That Alan was both guitarist and keyboardist gave the whole thing more cohesion and balance than you usually get where the two meet, this combined with MacKenzie's vocal acrobatics, unusual voice and large range, an orchestral scale approach, a shared musical eccentricity and a very large set of influences.

 

'THEM THEMSELVES AND THE TRAGIC STORY'

In 1976 Rankine & MacKenzie had been in a Dundee group 'The Absorbic Ones'. They started playing Bowie covers in workingmen's clubs. They floated to the surface in 1979 with a warped version of 'Boys Keep Swinging' on their own 'Double Hip' label, right on the heels of Bowies own, with Robert Smith guesting on bass [I think]. By 1980 they were touring with The Cure and The Passions and signed to Fiction. In the middle of 1980 came an album, The Affectionate Punch, which featured Robert Smith doing some fruity backing vocals. The critics drooled helplessly over this [They do drool a lot in the British Isles - mostly out of trying to keep the weekly music press afloat - but for the same reason they're really good at venomous abuse too.] as they apparently did with all three.

At the turn of the year they relocated to Situation Two, the Beggars Banquet subsidiary. John Murphy, a drummer - I read in The Great Rock Discography - of Australian origin, joined as did Mike Dempsey, ex of The Cure, playing bass. They released a series of singles in 1981 and also several collaborations [released as Orbidoig and 39 Lyon Street]. Some of these and some B-sides were collected on Fourth Drawer Down which was released in October 1981. This shows the Associates at their most musically dense. Some regard it as their best: I find it hard to decide. It seems to have sold reasonably well on reissue in 1982 as did 'Punch. It is basically a series of genres surfed through with seas of wierd unplaceable noise, unexpected things happening, chiming guitars from Rankine and stream of consciousness, or teasing, lyrics and freefall cries from MacKenzie. Flood, who later worked with Cabaret Voltaire, Depeche Mode and U2, and Hedges, Cure, produced along with the band themselves.

They finally signed their own label to Beggars Banquet distributed by WEA in late '81 / early '82 and commercial success began. Party Fears Two [UK No 9] , Club Country, [UK No 13] , and the [UK No. 21] Double A-Side 18 Carat Love Affair / Love Hangover all became hits in the middle of 1982. Just as they were poised to release these it appears that Dempsey and Murphy left. Martha Ladley of Martha and The Muffins is credited with backing vocals on that years album, Sulk, and Mike Hedges was co - producer. Released in October, it became Melody Maker Album of the Year. It is rare that such a strong and innovative album has such a quiet reputation, however, I've noticed strong trends among writers in recent years drawing attention to it. Sulk got to No.10 one of the recorded UK charts and No.14 on the other. It was unfortunate that the version of Sulk released in the US and now on CD reissue was not identical to the original which is much better. Hey WEA! Sort it out!

"Sulk is arguably the least influenced album of all time, it has few if any precedents - and also the least influential - nobody save maybe Prince on 'If I was your Girlfriend' or Bjork on 'Venus As A Boy' has been able to rival its emotionally overwrought (compliment!), 'out of this world' music." Paul Lester, Features Editor, Melody Maker writing in 1994

With Fiction later in 1982 they radically remixed and rerecorded The Affectionate Punch. The remixed version is easier listening and has more synth work. Rankine too then departed at the end of the year, apparently from some sort of ego clash [Did he lose in a pouting competition? we may never know], going on to work with Paul Haig. They may yet work together in future, according to rumours of recent years, but have only tangentially done so since 1982 - on the Paul Haig album 'Chain' on Circa 1989. In 1983 Billy released a song written entirely by Steve Reid called 'Ice Cream Factory'. It's unusual, fluid and frothy and usually quite expensive to buy.

1985's Perhaps is much less frenzied. Billy's voice tones in to suit the mood but it actually works best on the album tracks scored by Steve Reid such as 13 Feelings or The Stranger In Your Voice. This said, Perhaps and Breakfast are splendid. Martin Rushent [The Human League's 'Dare!'] and also Martyn Ware of Heaven 17/BEF produced. Alan released an album in 1987 and it was acceptable late 80's disco stuff however the vocal arrangements left a lot to be desired. Billy collaborated with Holger Hiller on a 12" Whippets/Waltz in 1987. Record dealer Roger Linney describes it as "Industrial dance, with swirly orchestral bits and what sound like Japanese vocals by MacKenzie."

In the late 80s WEA refused to release an Associates album for MacKenzie - The Glamour Chase. It remains unreleased. It seems to have to do with either the fairly low charting of Heart of Glass or his paucity of output. From listening to the other singles on Popera it seems a shame that this had to happen as they're just fine although several shades glossier than the old stuff. None of the singles from Perhaps quite hit the UK top 40 yet it just skimmed the top 20 of the album charts, thats the reason why I'm not really satisfied with WEA's presumed reasoning.

Billy left WEA for the Virgin subsidiary Circa. Wild and Lonely in 1990 is extremely disappointing, to be honest. It would possibly have been better with different production. He then ditched the name and released Outernational as a solo LP in 1992, produced and partially co-written by Boris Blank of Yello. Billy sounds very wet on the musak-like singles taken therefrom.

It's August 1996, I open up my Melody Maker and receive something of a shock, namely a picture of no other than Billy who is appearing on Barry Adamson's Album Oedipus Schmoedipus to some acclaim. Then I turn to the singles reviews and there he is again, collaborating on a techno project with Millenium Records' Loom which is again getting praise from the reviewers, particularly on the grounds that he has reprised his early vocal style: 'Time was, when otherwise sentient beings would pore over Billy MacKenzie's nocturnal emissions with Associates as if they were tablets from Heaven.........Preserved as if in aspic from 1982's Sulk; still the scariest and most exhilarating voice in pop.' Dave Simpson writing in Melody Maker 1996. All that and still there is very little of the back catalogue available on CD.

Since March 1997 when the news came that the Glamour Chase was going to be released, I've read in another magazine that Alan Rankine is putting together a compilation with the help of WEA, Circa and Nude. Nude were Billy's last record company. Its supposed to have 12 old tracks and 8 new Billy MacKenzie recordings and is scheduled for release this summer, so I dont know whats going to happen about the Glamour Chase now. Ive also been told that The Affectionate Punch may be rereleased by Fiction on CD this year.

I would like to point out that this has been extraordinarily difficult to put together and I can't guarantee complete factual accuracy - most of the so called reference books are wildly inaccurate even compared to reading sleevenotes - but I've done my best. If you want help of some sort, to correct this, hurl endless abuse, add some information or simply sue, contact me, Aideen O'Doherty at:

u9452672@queens_belfast.ac.uk - no longer active


Fourth Drawer Down

"Their songs show a natural almost arrogant willingness to be the new things." - Sounds

"A far more impressive and eloquent journey into the future than most of today's metal mickey...one of the most worthwhile records to come out this year." - Melody Maker

Sulk

"As high a standard as you'll find anywhere in pop today." - Record Mirror

"Associates are originals. This is currently rare." - Sounds

"They make an electric music that might be on a point between John Barry and Erik Satie." - NME

"Chasing after the shadow of David Bowie, singers of a post new romantic persuasion roar to the heavens of arriving for a forced grandeur that invariably reeks of overblown tack." - Melody Maker



Discography

Albums

1. The Affectionate Punch

LP FIXD 5 (2383 585) August 1980

deleted 1985 sleeve is blue black and white. Alan and Billy on an athletics track in the dark with a white screen behind them Billy in standing start and Alan in a crouch.

Side one

  1. The Affectionate Punch
  2. Amused As Always
  3. Logan Time
  4. Paper House
  5. Transport to Central

Side two

  1. A Matter Of Gender
  2. Even Dogs In the Wild
  3. Would I.......Bounce Back?
  4. Deeply Concerned
  5. 'A'

2. The Affectionate Punch

Reissued in 1982 on tape and LP in two versions

a drastically reordered, remixed and rerecorded one and the original one. Both versions are great.Both the remix and the reissue have almost identical sleeves in black, grey and purple and a picture of one Associate on each side. The remix has a tracklist on the cover but the reissue does not. The tracks in the remix are in a different playing order.

Side one

  1. Amused as Always
  2. The Affectionate Punch
  3. A Matter of Gender
  4. Would I....Bounce Back
  5. A

Side two

  1. Logan Time
  2. Paper House
  3. Deeply Concerned
  4. Even Dogs in the Wild
  5. Transport to Central

remix: SPELP 33

reissue: FIXD 5 (2383 585)

SPEMC 33 - cassette contains both versions of 'Punch

3. Fourth Drawer Down

(Situation Two distributed by WEA) LC 4281 October 1981

BEG K 58373

UK: WX21 (SITU 2)

FRANCE: WE351

GERMANY: U

Side one - Face Up

  1. 4:50 White Car In Germany
  2. 5:25 A Girl Named Property
  3. 4:50 Kitchen Person
  4. 4:58 Q Quarters

Side two - Face Down

  1. 4:26 Tell me Easter's on Friday
  2. 4:57 The Associate
  3. 5:31 Message Oblique Speech
  4. 4:45 An Even Whiter Car.


3a. Reissue 1982 on tape and LP WEA


4. Sulk

UK WEA / BEGGARS BANQUET LP ASCL 1 October 1982

LC 4281

  1. 2:57 Arrogance Gave Him Up
  2. 5:41 No
  3. 4:13 Bap de la Bap
  4. 4:09 Gloomy Sunday
  5. 4:15 Nude Spoons

 

  1. 3:57 Skipping
  2. 3:26 It's Better This Way
  3. 4:52 Party Fears Two
  4. 5:29 Club Country
  5. 2:16 Nothing In Something Particular

1982 Sulk in the UK: UK and US versions on double length tape 240 005 4 or WX 24 C 1982 US LP (US version the only full Associates album currently available on CD 240 005 2).

Sulk US WEA

  • 3:30 It's Better This Way #
  • 5:08 Party Fears Two #
  • 4:00 Club Country
  • 4:15 Love Hangover
  • 3:47 18 Carat Love Affair
  • 3:00 Arrogance Gave Him Up
  • 5:45 No
  • 4:00 Skipping
  • 4:50 White Car In Germany
  • 4:08 Gloomy Sunday
  • 3:35 The Associate [edit].

(# remix)

5. Perhaps

LC 4281 February 1985

UK WX 9 240 497 - 1 U [France WE 381]

MC 240 497 - 4

  • Breakfast
  • Thirteen feelings
  • The Stranger in your voice
  • The Best of you
  • Dont give me that I told you so look
  • Those First Impressions
  • Waiting for the loveboat
  • Perhaps
  • Schampout
  • Helicopter Helicopter

Extra instrumentals on the tape version: Breakfast Alone / Thirteen feelings / Perhaps / The stranger in your voice

6. Popera - The Singles Collection 1990

CD 1990 US [Sire / Warner Bros. 26461-2] CD 1991 UK EastWest 1991 9031 - 72414 -2 FRANCE WE 833 LP

  • Party Fears Two
  • Club Country
  • 18 Carat Love Affair
  • Love Hangover
  • Those First Impressions
  • Waiting for the loveboat
  • Breakfast
  • Take me to the girl
  • Heart of Glass
  • Country Boy
  • The Rhythm Divine ( with Yello)
  • Waiting for the loveboat (Slight return) #
  • Tell Me Easter's On Friday (original recording) #
  • Q Quarters #
  • Kitchen person #
  • Message oblique speech #
  • White car in Germany #

CD and Cassette only #

7. The Glamour Chase

WEA July 1989

unreleased

LP 244 211-1 Reach The Top

MCwea 244 619-4 Heart of Glass

CD wea244 619-2 Terror Beat

  • Set Me Up
  • Country Boy
  • Because You Love
  • The Rhythm Divine #
  • Snowball
  • You'd be the one
  • Empires of your heart
  • In windows all
  • Heavens Blue
  • Take Me To The Girl #

#extra tracks cd & mc

8. Wild and Lonely

Circa Records 1990

LP MC CD 1990 UK circa circ circd 11

[int 210 631]

  • 4:36 Fire to Ice
  • 4:50 Fever
  • 4:26 People we meet
  • 5:33 Just cant say goodbye
  • 4:22 Calling all around the world
  • 4:45 Where theres love
  • 4:42 Something's got to give
  • 4:49 Strasbourg Square
  • 4:59 Ever since that day
  • 4:22 Wild and Lonely

7:32 Fever in the shadows CD UK only

4:57 The Glamour Chase CD and LP only

9. Outernational Billy Mackenzie

1992
UK:Circa CIRCD 22

  • Outernational 7.19
  • Feels Like The Richtergroove 4.15
  • Opal Krusch 4.36
  • Colours Will Come 5.01
  • Pastime Paradise 3.31
  • Grooveature 4.46
  • Sacrifice And Be Sacrificed 4.41
  • Baby 4.03
  • What Made Me Turn In The Lights 4.58
  • In Windows All 7.28

10.The Radio 1 Sessions CD

Comprises excerpts from Peel, Long, Jensen and Skinner sessions 1994

Released in September 1994

CDNT 006 Nighttracks

  • 3:21 Me myself and the tragic story
  • 3:26 It's Better this way
  • 4:01 A Severe bout of career insecurity
  • 4:29 Love hangover
  • 5:03 Waiting for the loveboat
  • 5:22 Theme from perhaps
  • 5:05 Dont give me that I told you so look
  • 3:15 God bless the child
  • 4:20 Breakfast
  • 5:38 This Flame
  • 3:55 Kites
  • 5:02 The Affectionate Punch
  • 4:28 A Matter of Gender
  • 4:13 Obsession Magnificent
  • 4:59 Give
  • 4:07 The girl that took me.

11. Billy Mackenzie - Beyond The Sun

Nude 8CD

  • Give Me Time
  • Winter Academy
  • Blue It Is
  • 14 Mirrors
  • At The Edge Of The World
  • Beyond The Sun
  • And This She Knows
  • Sour Jewel
  • 3 Gypsies In A Restaurant
  • Nocturne VII

Singles

 

Boys Keep Swinging DOUBLE HIP [their own label] 7" June 1979

Boys Keep Swinging

Mona Property Girl

Reissued on MCA



The Affectionate Punch FICS11 7" August 1980

The Affectionate Punch

You Were Young



Tell Me Easter's On Friday SIT 1T [Best version on FDD not Popera] 12" 7"April 1981

Tell Me Easter's On Friday

Straw Towels



Q Quarters SIT 4 June 1981

7" Q Quarters

Kissed

 

12" Q Quarters

Kissed

'A' (original version)

Kitchen Person SIT 7 and SIT 7T July 1981

Kitchen Person

An Even Whiter Car



"A" FICS 13 7" September 1981

FICSX 13 12" "A"

Would I......Bounce Back ?

 

Bounce back not the same as 82 'Punch remix album or '80 version Message Oblique Speech SIT 10 & SIT 10T also issued with sleeve in french October 1981

Message Oblique Speech

Blue Soap


White Car In Germany SIT 11 & SIt 11Text mixes Nov 1981

White Car In Germany

The Associate


Kites RSOX 78 1981 12" Dec 1981

Kites

A Girl named Property

MacKenzie with Christine Beveridge as '39 Lyon Street'

 



ASSOCIATES LABEL

 

Party Fears Two March 1982

 

a.12" WEA ASC 1T Party Fears Two extended mix

It's Better This Way extended mix

 

b. 7" WEA ASC 1 Party Fears Two

It's Better This Way

 

c. 7" BEG 18 967 N (German import swimming pool photo)

Party Fears Two

It's Better This Way

Club Country May 1982

 

WEA ASC 2 7" Club Country

A.G. It's You Again

 

WEA ASC 2T 12" Club Country

A.G. It's you again

Ulcragyceptemol

Love Hangover / 18 Carat Love Affair July 1982

 

WEA ASC 3 7" Love Hangover

18 Carat Love Affair

 

WEA ASC 3T 12" Love Hangover

18 Carat Love Affair

Volantary Wishes

FICTION

 

Even Dogs In The Wild [From Aff Punch remix] 7"fics 16 August 1982 flexi 12" 1982 Even Dogs In The Wild

A matter of gender

 

 

A Matter of Gender [From Aff Punch remix] FICS 16 Nov 1982

12" FICSX 16 A Matter Of Gender ext

Would I....Bounce Back ext

 

7" A Matter Of Gender

Would I.....Bounce Back?

 

WEA

Those First Impressions May 1984

YZ? Those First Impressions

Thirteen Feelings [instrumental]

 

YZ 6 Those First Impressions

Helicopter Helicopter

 

YZ 6T int 249 393 -0 Those First Impressions ext

Thirteen Feelings ext

Waiting for the Loveboat August 1984

YZ 16T Waiting for the Loveboat ext

Schampout [Peel session version]

 

YZ 16 Waiting for the Loveboat

Schampout

Breakfast January 1985

YZ 28 Breakfast

Breakfast Alone

 

YZ 28T Breakfast

Breakfast Alone

Kites

Take Me To The Girl October 1985

Take me to the girl

Perhaps

 

12"yz47t Take me to the girl

Perhaps

The girl that took me

 

10" EP Take me to the girl

Perhaps

The boy that Santa Claus forgot [live at Ronnie Scott's] Even dogs in the wild [live]

A Matter of Gender [live]

 

Heart of Glass March 1989

 

YZ-310CD Heart of Glass

[has 3D glasses]Her only wish

Those 1st Impressions

Breakfast

 

YZ-310 7" Heart of Glass

Her only wish

 

YZ-310T 12" Heart of Glass [Auchterhouse Mix ]

Int: 247 663 - 0Heart of Glass Auchterhouse Instrumental

Her only wish

 

promoSAM 48412" Heart of Glass [Auchterhouse Mix ]

Heart of Glass Auchterhouse Instrumental

 

YZ-310TX 12" Heart of Glass [The temperament mix]

Heart of Glass

Her only wish

Heavens Blue

Country Boy [some singles appear to be in circulation] June 1989

 

CD Warner YZ - 329CD ?

 

7" Country Boy

Just cant say goodbye

 

STRANGE FRUIT

 

Peel Sessions CD (5 Track) 1981 their first Peel session also on 12" 1989

 

CD SFPSCD075

12" SFP075 3:20 It's Better This Way

4:10 Nude Spoons

3:20 Me, Myself and the Tragic Story

3:24 A Matter of Gender

4:10 Ulcrajiceptimol

WEA

Poperetta Nov 1990

 

7" Waiting for the loveboat [Extended voyage edit]

Club Country club

 

12" Waiting for the loveboat [Extended voyage]

Club Country club

Waiting for the loveboat [slight return] Club Country club [time unlimited mix]

 

5 track CD single Waiting for the Loveboat [slight return]

Breakfast

Club Country Club

?

CIRCA

Just can't say goodbye Jan 1991

 

YRC 56 Cassingle Just Can't say goodbye

YR 56 7" One Two Three

 

YRT 56 12" Just can't say Goodbye 7" version

Just can't say goodbye us version

test pressings extant Just Cant say goodbye Time unlimited piano mix

 

YRTX 56 12" time unlimited instrumental mix

Karma mix

 

YRCD 56CD Just cant say goodbye 7"mix 3:58

time unlimited mix 6:39

US version 4:57

I'm gonna run away from you 4:18

 

Fever Spring 1990

7" 4:26 Fever

3:04 Groovin with Mr Bloe

 

YRT 46 and YRCDT 46 Fever

test press extant Groovin with Mr Bloe

663-102-211 Fever In the shadows

 

CD promo BILLYCD 1 Fever

picturedisc fire to ice

Ever since that day

wild and lonely

 

CD promo: Single Minded II - Various Artists Spring 1990 17 tracks inc.

JULZ 1

Fever 7" version

Fire to ice 1990

 

7" 1990 UK YR49 4:03 fire to ice (radio version)

3:24 Green tambourine

 

10"1990 UK YRX 49 Fire to Ice (Julian Mendelsohn remix)

The Glamour Chase

Green Tambourine

Groovin' with Mr Bloe

 

12"YRT49 and YRCD 49 3:24 green tambourine

4:03 fire to ice radio version

4:56 The Glamour Chase

4:35 fire to ice etended remix version

exists as promo

 

12" US Circa / Charisma 0 - 96448

6:41 fire to ice [house of ice 12" mix] 126 bpm 4:21 [frosty vocal mix] 126 bpm

4:21 [arctic tv mix] 126 bpm

4:44 [late night frozen beats] 121bpm

4:04 [7" mix] 128 bpm

4:20 [frozen keys mix ] 126 bpm

4:23 [chilled instruments mix] 126 bpm

3:24 green tambourine 103 bpm

 

There is also a 12" promo for the album

 

BILLY MACKENZIE

 

Baby [LC 3098 int.115 438] 8 Jun 1992

YRT 86 7" Baby

Sacrifice And Be Sacrificed [CH 8032 mix]

 

CD single Baby

Sacrifice and be sacrificed [CH 8032 mix] Grooveature [D1000 mix]

Colours will come [US60659 mix]

 

 

Colours Will Come EP YRT 91and CD yrcd 91 France PM 212 France PM 515

Germany 615 300 Ger 665 300

 

Colours will Come

Feels like the Richtergroove

Opal krush

Look what you've done

 

OTHER PROJECTS

Alan Rankine worked with Paul Haig and put out a solo album 'She Loves Me Not' 1987 Virgin but has refrained from doing anything since 1990 having expressed his distaste for the then current trends in dance music.

 

VST 1003 1987

12" The Sandman Remix

The Sandman 7"mix

Can You...

 

1987

Japan CD

JVC Victor VDP - 1142 The world begins to look her age

 

12" VS 971 The world begins to look her age

?

?

 

She loves me not 1987

LP UK V2450

CD West Germany 258 724

CD UK CDV 2450 4:14 Beat Fit

4:24 Days and days

6:57 Loaded

4:34 Last Bullet

2:07 Your Very Last Day

4:42 Sandman

4:55 Lose Control

5:46 Break for me

6:35 The World begins to look her age

 

Single 1989

The Big Picture Sucks

Rough Trade West Germany CD 3 321

Japan JVC Victor VDP 1409

 

Both worked on Paul Haig 'Chain' Album (Circa), 1989

 

Billy writing one song 'Chained' and Alan producing the album and playing 'instruments' as is his wont.

 

John Murphy has worked with Brian Lustmord.

 

Mike Dempsey obviously has had his Cure years and my Cure obsessed friend tells me he is 'Currently pursuing various hobbies.........'. All right for some, eh?

 

 

OTHER PROJECTS (MacKenzie)

 

Yello material has backing vocal credits to Billy MacKenzie, also full vocal on:

 

One Second Moon On Ice

Mercury 830 956 2

 

? Capri Calling

 

 

Orbidoig SIT 15 1981

Nocturnal Operations

Down Periscopes

 

MacKenzie with Steve Reid and Christine Beveridge.

 

 

MacKenzie sings Orbidoig

WEA 1983 249978 - 0 Feb 1983

Ice Cream Factory / Cream of Ice Cream Factory 12" MAK 1T action man in ice on cover

Ice Cream Factory / Excursion Ecosse en Route Koblenz 7" MAK 1

song and lyrics by Steve Reid produced frothily by MacKenzie / Arthurworrey ironically much sought after these days.

39 Lyon St with Steve Reid see above. 1981

British Electric Foundation 'Music of quality and distinction volume one' 1982

Virgin OVEDC 86. Reissue CD Ten records 1991 CDBEF 1 [int 262 390]

The Secret life of Arabia

It's Over

'It's Over' was released as a single

British Electric Foundation 'Music of quality and distinction volume two'1991

Free

 

 

Holger Hiller (feat Billy MacKenzie) 12" (Mute - 12 Mute 55) March 1987

Whippets

Waltz

Industrial dance with Mackenzie doing wordless vocals

 

 

Barry Adamson album 'Oedipus Schmoedipus' (Mute) End July 1996

'Acheived in the Valley of the Dolls'

MacKenzie responsible for lyrics and vocal.

 

 

Loom feat. Billy MacKenzie July 1996

Anacostia Bay

Millennium 1996 4 mixes Mill 022 CD

There is a website for this with a picture of his nibs dressed like a refugee from Underworld as they currently dress. COMPILATIONS

 

The Associates have appeared on the following UK compilations. In the 1980s:

 

"Chart Busters '82 Volume Two" Ronco RTL 2074 - B tape and vinyl

?

"Chart Beat" NE 1180

?

 

In the 1990s:

 

1995 Our Friends Electric - Party Fears Two New Romantic and Electro classics:

H17, Human League, G. Numan, Japan, Spandau Ballet, Furniture, Classix Nouveaux etc.

 

1995 A Strange Kind Of Love - Party Fears Two Some typically off - kilter or perverse songs of the 1980s inc. The Cure, The Passions, Wah


 

The Book Launch


Glasgow Waterstones bookshop, 31 July 1998, was the setting for both the launch of Tom Doyle's biography of Billy MacKenzie and a semi-formal panel based discussion of The Associates' Sulk. BBC Radio 5 were there to record it [I don't yet know if they have or will air it]. On the panel were: journalists Simon Frith and Tom Doyle, Allan Campbell [The Associates' promoter from the early days] and last, but most certainly not least, Alan Rankine and Mike Dempsey. I'm just going to outline a few points that came up which might be of interest, and haven't surfaced elsewhere like in the book. I've left what is probably the best news till last.

There was a fairly mixed crowd in terms of gender, nationality, age, distance travelled to be there and there were quite a lot of people - at least 50 - which surprised Alan and Mike, given the nature of the event. The two basically carried the whole thing between them although Simon Frith was nominally chairing.

There was quite a lot of audience participation in terms of questions and comments, generally along the lines of what you might expect, such as reissues, 'is Sulk a millstone around your neck?', no really nasty hecklers though [we may be mad but at least we're fairly polite!]. There are also some things included here that were discussed later at the bar!

Were there any high jinks? Well, nobody thought to bring any whippets with them, so we couldn't enjoy the destruction of Waterstones, and apart from a fashionably late arrival by the panel, nothing odd happened, apart from at the bar afterwards which found Mike Dempsey defending Status Quo [don't ask] and Alan Rankine saying that their cover of Boys Keep Swinging was "Pants!" then trying to sell us a copy....he said that the launch would never have worked/happened if Billy had been there as he'd just have wanted to take the piss.

On Sulk

Simon Frith began proceedings by reading his own, positive, Sunday Times review from 1982, a recent comment by Paul Lester on how terrible it is that you can't get a copy of Sulk on CD and comparing that with the [alleged] 'US view' of the group as exemplified by the Trouserpress Guide [with it's pretty harsh 'shallow, callow poseur' / 'music for emotional infants' motif] he said it was reassuring that the Americans didn't 'get it'. It was more or less pointed out that due to the split the group had never really got to the stage of being launched in the US, in any case, Seymour Stein from Warners in the US had seen fit to offer them a $2m US deal and he had been successful in launching many groups there.

The influence of Sulk was addressed by Alan, briefly, in response to a question from the floor. He said that Hedges had used a lot of the same techniques on 'The Sound of McAlmont & Butler'. He was asked if they had ever played the Sulk material live and how many copies of it had been sold. He had been quoted sales of 100,000 in respect of the album and in respect of live playing, the 1980 tour comprised mostly Sulk songs, played by the foursome. They said [to paraphrase] in response to questions that they weren't particularly worried about not going farther with The Associates, or unhappy about people focusing on Sulk, they'd managed to get their albums out whereas a lot of bands never even get that far.

One opinion from the floor was that the standard of lyrics dropped between Punch and Sulk due to them being more oblique [what about Lewis Carrol: "Twas brillig and the slithy toves did gyre and jimble in the wabe.." etc. - was he a crap poet/author? -ed] but the two pointed out that those songs were written at what was essentially the same time. Someone on the panel mentioned that 'Breathless beauxillous griffin' was about Sean Connery. They were asked if any videos were made to promote Sulk, Alan said that the nearest they got to such a thing was French TV filming them walking some of Billy's whippets on a rooftop.

More technical aspects were discussed; the group had no access to samplers as a group might today, so they would programme the drum machine for a 5 minute stint and layer more sounds on top of that in real time, for instance, the coughing on Q Quarters [according to Mike D this was simply because it suited the rhythm of the song], they did everything to make the music sound as unusual as possible, including soaking a block of marble in water and bouncing a beach ball off it. Billy and Alan disliked tom-toms, so John Murphy would find himself with a set up consisting solely of snare drums, so that however hard or in whatever direction he hit, he'd never get that kind of sound. Another set up they'd tried was a hi-hat with three cymbals underneath. Mike Dempsey was asked if he found the bassline to Club Country difficult to play, as it happened the bass part was partly played by Mike and partly by Alan. Alan Rankine - "One of the best things was the vocal to Love Hangover, we had two mics one for Billy and one

They said that when they were on TOTP, which was every second week as you weren't allowed on two weeks in a row, you'd see the same bands 'Oh there's Depeche Mode again' yet the bands didn't talk to one another. There was no clear explanation for this, Alan said 'I met Martin Fry last year and he was OK'.

WEA's changing attitude to Billy was discussed: people in the record industry are always looking out for the next promotion and are constantly moving on/up and being replaced, so that musicians can find themselves isolated in the way that Billy did, and out of favour with the new boss. Mike said he heard Perhaps at an early stage when it was orchestrally arranged and sounded great. AR's favourite track from Perhaps is the title track followed by 'The Best of You'. Mike said he was currently writing music for cartoons on Nickelodeon.

Alan's solo career: "Somehow I managed to convince some record companies that I could sing!" People on the floor thought he might have gone on a Barry Adamson route [surely he did?!]. Later on we asked Alan about his general career moves - It sounded like he'd produced every obscure person in the book, currently though he was writing songs with boy bands including 911 - "Pure pop, totally different from the Associates", he said that priorities change from when you're 20 "A song he'd written, 'Don't make me wait' appeared on about 20 compilation albums in 97.

On Fourth Drawer Down

The school of thought that prefers Fourth Drawer Down voiced itself from the floor. AR said something to the effect that the tracks sounded like they did because they were being recorded at 5am. There was no lyric sheet, not because they wanted to frustrate us all, but because they'd have lost royalties by incurring the cost.

On The Affectionate Punch

The sleeve was in almost-monochrome to stop costs eating into royalties, but the blue lettering did this anyway. According to Alan, Fiction say they have lost the masters of the original version of The Affectionate Punch. A bunch of us discussed the CD reissue with Alan after the event proper. It appears that the CD was supposed to be the remix but Fiction appear to have put in '82 out-takes instead of some of the versions that actually came out in '82, presumably due to losing them.

Mike Dempsey on the change from being in The Cure to being in The Associates: "It was like going from the British army in 1945 to the US army: you had better uniforms and more fun." Who is the third person on the Radio One Sessions Sleeve? "It's me!" MD

Whatever happened to John Murphy? They thought he might be working in Melbourne, possibly for Australian radio.

The Glamour Chase [Book]

Tom said that it had sold 1600 in the 1st week, reviews have been very good overall with only the Times on Saturday breaking the trend [So he needn't worry, as no-one will have read it except the cuttings agencies! - ed] The Scotsman's Saturday magazine published lengthy extracts and put a picture of Billy with whippets on the front.

On Craig Burton's fanzine operations:

Be patient! and if anybody hasn't got in touch yet, do, with SAE. If you've any opinions on price, format, content etc., voice them to him, given the circumstances, he reckons it ought to be done properly. He doesn't favour the cheapo photocopy solution. [It's not easy getting this kind of thing together, so chill. Remember that if you're not in the UK that you can send a couple of International Reply Coupons which cost the equivalent of 60 pence sterling each and can be exchanged for air mail stamps at a post office in any country.]

On reissues

Alan says that since they own the relevant rights [due to the reversion clause in the Beggars Banquet/ WEA contract which brought the rights in the recording etc. back to the musicians after a period of years] they and presumably Billy's family, made an agreement with V2 that night after the book launch and, subject to contract, at least the Associates' albums he was involved with will be reissued before the end of the year. There are also ideas in the pipeline about putting out unissued material from all periods & possibly remixes.

Thank yous to: Darren Keeping [the man who got an ex member of The Cure to defend Status Quo], Lynsey [photos and B&B;], Graeme 'Memory man' Melville and to my pen and paper for finding their way into my bag before I went to the launch.

 


A Billy Mackenzie site