Have you heard of a Bristol 80s band called Hope Springs?

I didn’t know about them. Quite surprised. They had a good sound, and quality songs.

9 of their songs were published as a digital album by Bristol Archive Records in 2020. These are available on different streaming platforms. I found Youtube the best to listen to them.

The songs are “Nat Kat”, “Perfect Day”, “Take”, “Higher than Love”, “Song & Dance”, “The Love Mine”, “Tears Disappear”, “Wild Weird Climes” and “Confetti”.

The songs seem to date from 1989 and we know that the band was formed by Andrew Garrett on vocals, Pat Lewington on guitar and backing vocals, David Crossland on bass, Cindy Baldwin on keyboards and backing vocals and Dave Jones on drums.

I search a little bit and find a Facebook page for them that was set up in 2017.

There I find that the band came from the ashes of another band called Under the Orange. How did that band sound like? Which members were on that band? It seems it was the same band with the aaddition of Pat Lewington.

There are two scans of reviews they got. Both are from a magazine called Rhythm, on the April 1989 edition they praise the band a lot and then on March 1990 edition there is a mention that Hope Springs was selected as the best demo band for that month.

We also know that the band played the usual venues in Bristol including The Fleece, The Bridge and The Tropic. In London they played at the Rock Garden and the Mean Fiddler.

In total the band recorded 3 demo sessions. Cindy left after the second one and the band split after the third.

Anyone know anything else about them?

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Listen
Hope Springs – Wild Weird Climes

Here is a great Bandcamp find. The self-released tape album by French band Tous Les Cactus!

This self-titled album came out 30 years ago, in 1994. And from what I understand the band may be preparing a vinyl version of it. For that I guess we’ll need to be checking now and then their Bandcamp.

The album, made of 8 studio songs and 4 live tracks at Le Plan, is an interesting record for sure. It was recorded in the UK actually, at Swamp Studio in July of 1993. At this studio in Great Ellingham, Norfolk, the band worked with Howard Turner s sound engineer and Michel Belan as producer.

The songs on the record are “HP”, “Sur ta Bouche”, “Allons Voir”, “Happy Hour”, “Jardin Fantastique”, “Flic Flac”, “La Lune”, “A La Dérive”, “Dans l’Air (Live, Le Plan, Ris Orangis, 1994):”, “Sur les Quais (Live le Plan 1994)”, “Démons et Merveilles (Live le Plan 1994) and “Derrière la porte (Live Le Plan 1994)”.

The band was formed by  Jean Daniel Domenech on vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica and accordion, Yann Bailay on electric guitar and keyboards, Jean-Philippe Bailay on bass and André ‘Dedé’ Domenech on drums. Was it then, two set of brothers? Would be good to know.

Also on this record Dominic Hopkins and Jack Matthew played strings.

Other than this tape album the band appeared on a couple of compilation tapes. In 1993 they had the song “Dans l’Air” on “Simple as Them”, a tape released by Ora Pro Nobis (OPN 9303) in France.

The next year, 1994, their song “Au Hasard” was on “Quality Sweet” released by Pâte A Modeler (001) in France and the song “Sur Ta Bouche” on “Des Gens Simples” tape released by Ora Pro Nobis (OPN 9402).

Back to the album. On their Bandcamp there are a few reviews including two at Les Inrockuptibles, one at Charivari! and another at Les Jolies Mélodies.

Very cool sounding band for sure. A very good discovery. I knew them by name as I had looked into the “Quality Sweet” compilation as I have featured a few bands that have appeared on it, but never heard Tous les Cactus until today.

I definitely want to hear more. And learn more about them! French friends, please share any details you might have! Where in France were they from? Did they play much live? Why no more records?!

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Listen
Tous les Cactus – La Lune

Some time ago I interviewed Mark Turrell from the band Evergreen Dazed. This was a duo formed by Mark and Elizabeth that was active in the early 90s in London. They released a few records during their time.

I had asked Mark about previous bands he had been in. He mentioned that he had been in many since 1984 but he didn’t share any names. This is what he told me:

I’ve been in bands since I started at university in 1984. The first one was with my housemates. None of us could play very well so we used to improvise in the basement and record it on a boom box. It’s terrible, but I still have the tapes. There was student band night in May 1986, so we learned 6 obscure indie covers and played them in front of 800 students. We weren’t very good, but that was my first gig! After university I was in a slew of bands with my friends back where I grew up in Leicester UK. I had an electric guitar and a Boss drum machine, another friend had drums, another had a bass and bought a 4 track  recorder, and  that’s where I  learned my songwriting and recording chops. That would be 1987-91. I played gigs and there are loads of 4 track recordings, one or two are on youtube/soundcloud but none of them will ever be officially released. One of my oldest friends from this time is Neil Carlill who went on to be in Delicatessen and have brief UK chart success in indie supergroup Lodger. We grew up in the same village and I was in the same school year as his brother for a while until  their parents sent them off to Catholic school. We were in bands together on and off for 5 years until we went our respective ways.

Well that is true, some of these recordings are in Soundcloud/Youtube. And as I am quite slow at going through these, it was only today that I heard of his project The Burton Diaries.

In this band he was with Neil Carlill who he mentions. Also on the band was Kevin Carlill. Were they brothers? In any case I’ve found one song they recorded, “Crying Eyes“, which is ace. On this song, recorded in 1989/1990 as an 8 track demo, we find Kevin doing vocals, Neil guitar and Mark bass.

From what I understand, in this period Mark lived in East Goscote in Leicestershire. Leicester is the closest city. Maybe that’s where this band was based?

I don’t have much more info on this project. Did they play live? Are there any other recordings? Maybe I should ask Mark…

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Listen
The Burton Diaries – Crying Eyes

The Foots! Time to head to Melbourne, Australia, to the late 90s, early 2000s.

The band started after the short-lived band Jake was no more. This band featured Jane McCraken and Eva Sommerfeld, as well as Andrea Vendy and Kirsty Stegwazi, hence the name Jake, an acronym from the band member’s first names.

The Foots would have Jane and Eva in their ranks, and a third member, Stanley Paulzen (ex-Tlot Tlot) on drums. Eva was on bass and vocals while Jane on guitar and vocals. Both of the girls would be the songwriters.

In 1998 they released their first album on tape titled “Pegs”. It was self-released and included 8 songs, “Dancing”, “Pardon Me”, “Andrew” and “Geraniums” on the A side and “Both the Same”, “Snowdropper”, “Sixty-Seven” and “Popular” on the B side. The songs were recorded on January of 98 by Dave Nelson at Nelsonics studios in Melbourne.

There is a second tape album called “Ponchos”. I haven’t found any information about it yet.

In 1998 the band contributes the song “Geraniums” and “Andrew” to “Clippings – A Candle Record Collection” (CAN2501), a CD compilation put out by Candle Records

The band would sign to the Lost & Lonesome label and release two albums afterwards. You can find both of the albums on the label’s Bandcamp.

The third album was self-titled. It came out in the year 1999 with catalog number L&L 001. It was the first release on the label.

It was recorded in October 1999 at Nelsonics in Melbourne. Dave Nelson was the engineer and he mixed the tracks. This time the drummer was changed, now we find Colleen Keeffe. Also their former band mate Kirtsy Stegwazi plays cello on the song “Another World”.

The songs on this record were “It’s About Time”, “Fickle”, “Saturday”, “December”, “Another World”, “Happened Again”, “All Smiles”, “The New You”, “Only Just”, “Liar”, “Angelo” and “Darling”.

The next year, 2000, the band would appear on a rare 7″. “New Years Eve @ The Punters” was released to celebrate the New Years Eve gig in Melbourne at this venue, The Punters. Three bands appear on it, Sleepy Township on the A side and The Foots and The Lucksmiths on the B side.

The Foots contribute the song “Totally” that was mixed by Andrew Withycombe from The Ampersands, Hydroplane, The Cat’s Miaow, The Hanshalf Trio, and more and recorded by Mark Monnone from The Lucksmiths in Colleen’s kitchen.

The fourth album, also released on CD as the previous one, was called “Again…“. This had the catalog number L&L004 and came out on April 2001. On this record we find 11 tracks, “Totally”, “Fairy Story”, “Genius”, “Unshakable”, “Hardly Breathing”, “Return the Favour”, “Where We Met”, “Good Thought”, “Geraniums”, “Seventeen” and “Murky Water”. Again it was recorded at Nelsonics with David Nelson.

This record features Janelle Johnston on guitar on “Unshakable” and “Return the Favour”, Kirsty Stegwazi on cello on “Unshakable” and “Geraniums” and Barb Waters on banjo on “Good Thought”.

This same year, 2001, we see the song “Pardon Me” on “Will There Be Time for Tea?” a CD compilation on the US label Morgan Leah Records (Morgan 348). Also, they are on “A Very Steady Christmas!”, a 7″ comp by Steady Cam Records (SCAM 9812) from Australia. They appear on the B side with the song “December” which was recorded by Graeme Cameron and mixed by Anthony Paine. The other bands on this 7″, limited to 300-copies, were Bidston Moss, Soap Star Joe and Twelve42.

We know the band toured south-east Australia as well as New Zealand.

The three members would later collaborate in the band Fibrotown. Eva would also appear in other bands like Slurper, Hurdy Gurdy and Fricken. Jane would be on The Kicksilvers.

What else do people remember from The Foots. I am curious about gigs. Which towns did they play? How did their particular sound work live?

Any details will be appreciated!

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Listen
The Foots – Fickle

There are a bunch of groups on Facebook I follow. One of my favourites is the Bull & Gate Memories. Why? Well, there’s always posts about bands I’ve never heard about or flyers from halcyon days. Memorabilia from a bygone era. Yes, it is not exclusively indiepop. In general it is not indiepop, there’s tons of pop-punk or goth for example. But that’s ok.

The Bull & Gate pub has changed a lot since the 80s. Nowadays it looks like a total different thing. Hard to imagine what it was. You can book a table and watch the Premier League. It looks pretty and photogenic. Back int he 80s it was one of the most important London venues for up and coming indie bands.

The Timebox was a club night that run throughout 1986 and 1987 in this pub. The Timebox was captained by Joe Beast and I would recommend checking out the photography book “Bull & Gate – The Timebox 1986/1987” published back in 2010 by Mick Mercer. On it you’ll find photos by bands like The Black Cillas, Jim Jiminee, The Primitives and more.

It is actually thanks to Mick Mercer, said to be the longest running Goth and Post-Punk writer in the world, that I find out about Call Dr Bunny.

He shared a flyer from November 1986 for The Timebox. There I noticed the name Call Dr Bunny among the bands playing Timebox Two. What was Timebox Two? All right, it was one of the two Timebox clubs. The Timebox was the main one at the Bull and Gate and then there was Timebox Two which happened at The Union Tavern on Camberwell New Road. Closest station was Oval. Nowadays there is a The Union Tavern but located somewhere else, all the way in Clerkenwell.

I think I’ve written a bit about the scene, but barely anything about the band. Well, let’s see what I can say.

The band supported The Birdhouse on November 19th at Timebox Two. The other bands on the lineup are The Mock Turtles and Clay People.

Other than that flyer I find a video on Youtube! Them playing live at the Timebox Two! Must be the same gig?!

There is just one piece of info on the description, Mike Ellard on drums and Tim Cherrett on bass. On the video though I see there are two guitar players and a female vocalist. So we are missing three names.

The band does announce the name of some songs. I hope I get them right. I believe they were called “This Last Night”, “Notting Hill Mind”, “I Should Care” and “Ordinary People”.

In keep digging, searching for the two names i have. I find out, on the same Youtube channel, that Mike continued making music as a drummer. He was in a band called Tiger Lilly and Jitterbug Bites.

Searching Tim Cherrett I find a retired office worker that is proud of his passion for running. Could it be the same Tim?

I can’t find any other music connections for these names. And nothing about Call Dr Bunny. Did they record any music? Any demos?

Would be fantastic to learn more. Who remembers them?

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Listen
Call Dr Bunny – Notting Hill Mind (live at Timebox Two)

Roland Last on guitar and vocals, Paul Wilson on keyboards and backing vocals, John Hutchinson on bass and Kris Helstom on drums. That was the lineup of the mid/late eighties Canadian band Red Sweater.

The band was active between the fall of 1987 and during 1988.

Paul Wilson, the keyboardist, uploaded 8 years ago 9 recordings by Red Sweater, that’s how I discovered them. You can find them on Soundcloud.

These songs are “Somehow”, “Sophistication”, “Into You”, “Something About You”, “Dreamline”, “I Wanted You”, “New Direction”, “First Impression” and “Panic War”.

What we know about them is that Paul and Roland met in high school and started a band. Eventually that band broke but several years later, Kris, another high school friend, got in touch and suggested forming a new band for a single performance.  This first performance saw Roland on vocals and guitar, Paul on keyboards, Kris on drums and another friend, Scott Campbell on keyboards.

Scott would leave the band to join Common Language and it was decided that another high school friend, John Hutchinson who was returning after being out of town for several years, was the bassist they needed.

Sadly I can’t seem to find where in Canada they were based. I believe Roland is now in Paris, Ontario. The closest biggest city is Hamilton. Toronto is also sort of close, but not too close. Maybe they were from Toronto?

There’s not much more info on the web about them. Would be great to find more info if anyone has any!

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Listen
Red Sweater – Into You