Biting Tongues
Encyclopedia
Biting Tongues were a post-punk
band formed in Manchester
, England
in 1979, whose members went on to join Simply Red
, Yargo
, and 808 State
.
Howard Walmsley, initially to record a soundtracks for his film of the same name, recruiting Ken Hollings (vocals) and Eddie Sherwood (drums), and shortly afterwards Graham Massey
(guitar) and Colin Seddon (bass guitar) of local band the Post Natals. Their debut release was the Don't Heal album, released in 1981 on the Beggars Banquet Records
subsidiary Situation 2. They then released the Live It cassette on Richard Boon
's New Hormones label, before their 1984 album Libreville, which was recorded for New Hormones but released on the Paragon label due to the former label's financial problems. They then moved to Factory Records
, with Hollings and Sherwood leaving (the latter joining Simply Red), and Basil Clarke (vocals), Tom Barnish (trombone), and Phil Kirby (drums) replacing them. The new line-up recorded the soundtrack to their Feverhouse film, which was released on video by Factory's video offshoot Ikon Video, and the Trouble Hand EP
, before Clarke and Kirby left to form Yargo. Seddon left to form the Inner Sense Percussion Ensemble. 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 album Wall of Surf, the band split up in 1989 after Massey had formed 808 State, which became the focus of his efforts. Walmsley continued making films and videos, including videos for 808 State. Massey later performed as Massonix. 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 by LTM..
The band reunited in 2003 to perform at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
in 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 in Brussels
.
Compilations and CD reissues:
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 formed in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1979, whose members went on to join Simply Red
Simply Red
Simply Red were a British soul band that sold more than 50 million albums over a 25-year career. Their style drew influences from blue-eyed soul, new romantic, rock, reggae and jazz...
, Yargo
Yargo (band)
Yargo were a band from Manchester, England, active in the mid-to-late 1980s, featuring former members of Biting Tongues.-History:The band was formed in the mid-1980s by Basil Clarke , Phil Kirby and Paddy Steer , with guitarist Tony Burnside...
, and 808 State
808 State
808 State are a British electronic music outfit, formed in 1987 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and their common state of mind...
.
History
The band was formed in 1979 by saxophonistSaxophone
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...
Howard Walmsley, initially to record a soundtracks for his film of the same name, recruiting Ken Hollings (vocals) and Eddie Sherwood (drums), and shortly afterwards Graham Massey
Graham Massey
Graham Massey was a founding member of the British band, 808 State, formed in 1988 in Manchester, England. Originally a hip-hop group called Hit Squad Manchester, the band shifted to an acid house sound, recording their debut album, Newbuild in 1988 under the new name 808 State.-Music:The band was...
(guitar) and Colin Seddon (bass guitar) of local band the Post Natals. Their debut release was the Don't Heal album, released in 1981 on the Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet is an English independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels...
subsidiary Situation 2. They then released the Live It cassette on Richard Boon
Richard Boon
Richard Boon, former manager of Buzzcocks and boss of the record label, New Hormones.Boon, a school friend of Howard Devoto, became the manager for seminal punk group Buzzcocks by default, after organizing gigs for the band. Seeking to release the band's music, Boon started the New Hormones label...
's New Hormones label, before their 1984 album Libreville, which was recorded for New Hormones but released on the Paragon label due to the former label's financial problems. They then moved to Factory Records
Factory Records
Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Northside and James and...
, with Hollings and Sherwood leaving (the latter joining Simply Red), and Basil Clarke (vocals), Tom Barnish (trombone), and Phil Kirby (drums) replacing them. The new line-up recorded the soundtrack to their Feverhouse film, which was released on video by Factory's video offshoot Ikon Video, and the Trouble Hand EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, before Clarke and Kirby left to form Yargo. Seddon left to form the Inner Sense Percussion Ensemble. 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 album Wall of Surf, the band split up in 1989 after Massey had formed 808 State, which became the focus of his efforts. Walmsley continued making films and videos, including videos for 808 State. Massey later performed as Massonix. 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 by LTM..
The band reunited in 2003 to perform at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
in 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 in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
Albums
- Don't Heal (1981), Situation 2
- Live It (1981), New Hormones
- Libreville (1984), Paragon
- Feverhouse (1985), FactoryFactory RecordsFactory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Northside and James and...
- 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
- Trouble Hand EP (1985), Factory
- "Compressor" (1987), Factory
- "Evening State" (1988), Antler
- "Evening State" (1988), Antler - split release with Tank of Danzig
- "Love Out" (1989), Cut Deep