Ritual (band)
Encyclopedia
Ritual was an early 1980s
Harrow
-based post-punk
band that, as of late, has been aligned with the early UK-based gothic rock
movement. The group is more commonly associated with the bands the former members took up arms with: In Excelsis and Death Cult
(later The Cult
).
-based punk
band General Confusion which included Steve Pankhurst on drums. Formed in December 1979, General Confusion played its first gig
at Watford College supporting Toyah
.
After two name changes (Suppressed Emotion and Stigma) and line-up shifts (a new drummer, Peter Gould, was brought on board and Pankhurst switched to saxophone
) the band finally settled, in 1981, with a permanent line-up and the name Ritual. The new line-up consisted of Errol Blyth (vocals), Mark Bond (bass), Pankhurst (saxophone), Raymond Taylor-Smith (simply referred to as "Ray", drums), and the newly-recruited 17-year-old Jamie Stewart
(guitar). The band's name did not carry any religious significance but was instead chosen for its "sharpness" and the fact "it goes with the music to an extent".
". The band compiled a four-track demo
(consisting of "Human Sacrifice", "Mind Disease", "Playtime", and "Brides") to shop around to independent
labels in London
. As part of their self-promotion of the demo the band described themselves as a cross between The Birthday Party
and Theatre of Hate
. The band distributed approximately sixty copies of the tape and received positive responses from two labels (Situation Two
and 4AD
) but neither label was ready to commit the band to paper.
During this period in UK musical history a band was judged not only by their recorded work but also their ability to perform live
and draw in a crowd. Ritual played their first gig at the Windsor Castle in Harrow Road
, in September 1981. Shortly afterwards they were given the dubious honor of performing on John Peel
's BBC Radio 1
show. The sessions were recorded on 7 December 1981 (consisting of "Playtime", "Mind Disease", "Human Sacrifice", and "Brides") at Maida Vale 4
and later broadcast on 14 December 1981.
of live tracks and demo recordings to sell to fans. The tape, entitled Songs For A Dead King, was structured with the material in the format the band wished to record its first album. The majority of the material was never fully developed and only two of the songs made it to the band's two later-released singles. A prophetically-named track (for Stewart
), which appeared on the A-side, was simply titled "Cult".
the band spent the majority of 1982 gigging around London
playing some of the more infamous punk and post-punk venues in support of groups like Sex Gang Children
. By mid-year the band had signed with Dave Kitson's independent
Red Flame Records and on 6 October 1982 released the seven-inch
single
"Mind Disease
". More London
touring followed in support of the release and the band found themselves headlining gigs as well as supporting groups like UK Decay
.
on Red Flame Records with a few more gigs following. By March 1983 the band had dissolved. Ray was the first to leave, being recruited by Ian Astbury
and Billy Duffy
to form Death Cult
. Stewart
was later suggested by Ray for the bass slot (after the band had auditioned some thirty hopefuls) even though Stewart
was a guitarist. Stewart
accepted the position and remained with the band after the name change (to The Cult
), through years of Spinal Tap
-ish drummer changes and bad press, finally leaving the band in 1990.
Blyth and Bond, along with ex-UK Decay
guitarist Steve Spon formed In Excelsis. The band released a number of singles and an album before breaking up in 1984. Bond continued on by forming the short-lived and un-aptly titled band Famous. After the split of Ritual Pankhurst dropped out of the music business.
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
Harrow
London Borough of Harrow
The London Borough of Harrow is a London borough of north-west London. It borders Hertfordshire to the north and other London boroughs: Hillingdon to the west, Ealing to the south, Brent to the south-east and Barnet to the east.-History:...
-based post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
band that, as of late, has been aligned with the early UK-based gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
movement. The group is more commonly associated with the bands the former members took up arms with: In Excelsis and Death Cult
The Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
(later The Cult
The Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
).
Formation
Ritual was formed out of the remnants of the HarrowLondon Borough of Harrow
The London Borough of Harrow is a London borough of north-west London. It borders Hertfordshire to the north and other London boroughs: Hillingdon to the west, Ealing to the south, Brent to the south-east and Barnet to the east.-History:...
-based punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band General Confusion which included Steve Pankhurst on drums. Formed in December 1979, General Confusion played its first gig
Gig (musical performance)
Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...
at Watford College supporting Toyah
Toyah (band)
Toyah is the name of the band fronted by Toyah Willcox between 1977 and 1983. The only other consistent band member throughout this period was Joel Bogen, Willcox's principal co-writer and guitarist.-Background :...
.
After two name changes (Suppressed Emotion and Stigma) and line-up shifts (a new drummer, Peter Gould, was brought on board and Pankhurst switched to saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
) the band finally settled, in 1981, with a permanent line-up and the name Ritual. The new line-up consisted of Errol Blyth (vocals), Mark Bond (bass), Pankhurst (saxophone), Raymond Taylor-Smith (simply referred to as "Ray", drums), and the newly-recruited 17-year-old Jamie Stewart
Jamie Stewart (The Cult)
Jamie Stewart was bassist of the 1980s British post-punk/hard rock group The Cult. He played bass guitar and keyboards on each of The Cult's first four albums and rhythm guitar on tour in 1987.After leaving The Cult, Stewart worked as a record producer in Canada...
(guitar). The band's name did not carry any religious significance but was instead chosen for its "sharpness" and the fact "it goes with the music to an extent".
Demo and John Peel
The group set about writing songs which were, according to Bond, "written together as a band, although most of the music comes from the more musical JamieJamie Stewart (The Cult)
Jamie Stewart was bassist of the 1980s British post-punk/hard rock group The Cult. He played bass guitar and keyboards on each of The Cult's first four albums and rhythm guitar on tour in 1987.After leaving The Cult, Stewart worked as a record producer in Canada...
". The band compiled a four-track demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
(consisting of "Human Sacrifice", "Mind Disease", "Playtime", and "Brides") to shop around to independent
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
labels in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. As part of their self-promotion of the demo the band described themselves as a cross between The Birthday Party
The Birthday Party (band)
The Birthday Party were an Australian rock band, active from 1973 to 1983.Despite being championed by John Peel, The Birthday Party found little commercial success during their career...
and Theatre of Hate
Theatre of Hate
Theatre of Hate were a post-punk band formed in Britain in 1980.Led by singer-songwriter and ex-member of punk band The Pack, Kirk Brandon, the original group also consisted of: guitarist Steve Guthrie, bassist Stan Stammers , saxophonist John Lennard and drummer Luke Rendle from Crisis/The...
. The band distributed approximately sixty copies of the tape and received positive responses from two labels (Situation Two
Situation Two
Situation Two, aka Situation 2, was a record label created in 1981 by Peter Kent as an offshoot of the larger Beggars Banquet label. At the time, Beggars Banquet records were distributed by WEA Records; so, to appeal to the indie audience and to get releases into the indie charts, the Situation Two...
and 4AD
4AD
4AD is a British independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still active today...
) but neither label was ready to commit the band to paper.
During this period in UK musical history a band was judged not only by their recorded work but also their ability to perform live
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
and draw in a crowd. Ritual played their first gig at the Windsor Castle in Harrow Road
Harrow Road
The Harrow Road is an ancient route in Greater London which runs from Paddington in a northwesterly direction to Harrow. With minor deviations in the 19th and 20th centuries, the route remains otherwise unaltered...
, in September 1981. Shortly afterwards they were given the dubious honor of performing on John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
's BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
show. The sessions were recorded on 7 December 1981 (consisting of "Playtime", "Mind Disease", "Human Sacrifice", and "Brides") at Maida Vale 4
Maida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC studios on Delaware Road, Maida Vale, London.It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 from 1946 to the present...
and later broadcast on 14 December 1981.
Songs For A Dead King
While shopping their demo around the band compiled a cassette tapeCompact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
of live tracks and demo recordings to sell to fans. The tape, entitled Songs For A Dead King, was structured with the material in the format the band wished to record its first album. The majority of the material was never fully developed and only two of the songs made it to the band's two later-released singles. A prophetically-named track (for Stewart
Jamie Stewart (The Cult)
Jamie Stewart was bassist of the 1980s British post-punk/hard rock group The Cult. He played bass guitar and keyboards on each of The Cult's first four albums and rhythm guitar on tour in 1987.After leaving The Cult, Stewart worked as a record producer in Canada...
), which appeared on the A-side, was simply titled "Cult".
Touring and "Mind Disease"
After receiving national exposure on BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
the band spent the majority of 1982 gigging around London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
playing some of the more infamous punk and post-punk venues in support of groups like Sex Gang Children
Sex Gang Children
The Sex Gang Children are a positive punk group that formed in the early 1980s in England. Although the original group only released one official studio album, they remain one of the more well-known bands out of the early Batcave scene and have reformed for new albums and touring various times...
. By mid-year the band had signed with Dave Kitson's independent
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
Red Flame Records and on 6 October 1982 released the seven-inch
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Mind Disease
Mind Disease
"Mind Disease" is a song written by the Harrow-based band Ritual. The song appeared as a "stand-alone" single released in October 1982 which was produced by the band and engineered by Chris Stone.-Picture sleeve:...
". More London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
touring followed in support of the release and the band found themselves headlining gigs as well as supporting groups like UK Decay
UK Decay
UK Decay are Luton-based post punk band, formed out of the ashes of another local band called The Resistors, who were Steven Abbot guitar, Steve Harle on drums, Paul Wilson vocals, and Martin Smith bass....
.
"Kangaroo Court" and Dissolution
In February 1983 the band released its second single Kangaroo CourtKangaroo Court (single)
"Kangaroo Court" is a three-track "stand-alone" single written and produced by the Harrow-based band Ritual released in February 1983.-Formats and track listing:*12": Red Flame / RF 1217 #"Brides"#"Conscript"...
on Red Flame Records with a few more gigs following. By March 1983 the band had dissolved. Ray was the first to leave, being recruited by Ian Astbury
Ian Astbury
Ian Astbury is an English rock musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist for the rock band, The Cult.-Pre-Cult:...
and Billy Duffy
Billy Duffy
Billy Duffy is an English guitarist and songwriter, best known as the guitarist in The Cult.-Early days:He grew up in Manchester, where he began playing guitar at the age of fourteen...
to form Death Cult
The Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
. Stewart
Jamie Stewart (The Cult)
Jamie Stewart was bassist of the 1980s British post-punk/hard rock group The Cult. He played bass guitar and keyboards on each of The Cult's first four albums and rhythm guitar on tour in 1987.After leaving The Cult, Stewart worked as a record producer in Canada...
was later suggested by Ray for the bass slot (after the band had auditioned some thirty hopefuls) even though Stewart
Jamie Stewart (The Cult)
Jamie Stewart was bassist of the 1980s British post-punk/hard rock group The Cult. He played bass guitar and keyboards on each of The Cult's first four albums and rhythm guitar on tour in 1987.After leaving The Cult, Stewart worked as a record producer in Canada...
was a guitarist. Stewart
Jamie Stewart (The Cult)
Jamie Stewart was bassist of the 1980s British post-punk/hard rock group The Cult. He played bass guitar and keyboards on each of The Cult's first four albums and rhythm guitar on tour in 1987.After leaving The Cult, Stewart worked as a record producer in Canada...
accepted the position and remained with the band after the name change (to The Cult
The Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
), through years of Spinal Tap
This Is Spinal Tap
This Is Spinal Tap is an American 1984 rock musical mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner about the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap...
-ish drummer changes and bad press, finally leaving the band in 1990.
Blyth and Bond, along with ex-UK Decay
UK Decay
UK Decay are Luton-based post punk band, formed out of the ashes of another local band called The Resistors, who were Steven Abbot guitar, Steve Harle on drums, Paul Wilson vocals, and Martin Smith bass....
guitarist Steve Spon formed In Excelsis. The band released a number of singles and an album before breaking up in 1984. Bond continued on by forming the short-lived and un-aptly titled band Famous. After the split of Ritual Pankhurst dropped out of the music business.
Personnel
- Errol Blyth - vocals
- Mark Bond - bass guitar
- Steve Pankhurst - saxophone
- Raymond Taylor-Smith - drums
- Jamie StewartJamie Stewart (The Cult)Jamie Stewart was bassist of the 1980s British post-punk/hard rock group The Cult. He played bass guitar and keyboards on each of The Cult's first four albums and rhythm guitar on tour in 1987.After leaving The Cult, Stewart worked as a record producer in Canada...
- guitars
Compilations
- In Goth Daze (1994) features "Mind Disease"
- Gothic Rock 3 - Black On Black (1998) features "Questioning the Shadow"
- Night Creatures - The Best Of Gothic Rock (1999) features "Mind Disease"