(More proof of the power of ILM when it comes down to hunting down Lucan-esque members of yr favourite band. Especially if they're from Manchester - Mike Finney has been in touch after I posted about The Distractions).

PASSAGE, THE BBC Sessions cd $13.50
LTM (UK)
COMING 3/3/03
One of the most undervalued of the post-punk bands to emerge from Manchester, The Passage were active between 1978 and 1983, producing four cult albums and a slew of singles. BBC Sessions traces the convoluted history of The Passage through their several radio broadcasts. The first John Peel Session, from November 1980, features short-stay vocalist Lizzy Johnson, and catches the band in transition. The second and third Peel sets, from October 1981 and May 1982 respectively, feature two otherwise unrecorded tracks in Rod of Iron and Form and Void. The collection also includes the very last studio recordings made by The Passage, in the shape of a Janice Long session recorded in February 1983 with their aid of a brass section and harp player. Included is another unrecorded song, Sing the Praise. The Passage recorded a total of four albums: Pindrop (1980), For All and None (1981), Degenerates (1982) and Enflame (1983), as well as the several BBC Sessions. All will be reissued on CD format for the first time by LTM over the next few months. The discs have been digitally remastered with extra tracks and the sleevenotes feature a detailed history of the band.

PASSAGE, THE Pindrop cd $13.50
LTM (UK)
COMING 3/3/03
One of the most undervalued of the post-punk bands to emerge from Manchester, The Passage were active between 1978 and 1983, producing four cult albums and a slew of singles. Pindrop, their dense first album, originally appeared in 1980 on the Object label and has been unavailable for two decades. Here, Passage mainman Richard ‘Dick’ Witts performs most of the material. Stand-out tracks include Watching You Dance, Troops Out and the powerful 16 Hours. Although Pindrop was recorded in less than a week in an 8 track studio, its rough edges and tense, claustrophobic atmosphere all underpin the central lyrical theme, which is fear. The eight bonus tracks include all material from their first two ultra-rare eps, featuring ex-Fall bassist Tony Friel. The Passage went on to record another three albums, namely For All and None (1981), Degenerates (1982) and Enflame (1983), as well as several BBC Sessions. All will be reissued on CD format by LTM over the next few months. Pindrop has been digitally remastered with extra tracks and the sleevenotes feature a detailed history of the band. Reviews: “With Pindrop, The Passage can be accepted as major. It’s a work of disciplined, intellectual aggression, frantic emotions and powerfully idiomatic musicality. It’s as shocking a beautiful nightmare, as stormy and aware a debut as Unknown Pleasures. It’s the shock of the new – new shades, textures, noises, pulses, atmospheres and energies” (Paul Morley, NME, 1980)

PASSAGE, THE Degenerates cd $13.50
LTM (UK)
COMING 5/12/03
One of the most undervalued of the post-punk bands to emerge from Manchester, The Passage were active between 1978 and 1983, producing four cult albums and a slew of singles. Degenerates, their third album, originally appeared in 1982 on Cherry Red. Here, Passage mainman Richard ‘Dick’ Witts is joined by guitarist Andrew Wilson and short-stay drummer Paul Mahoney. Stand-out tracks include the well-known single XoYo (almost a chart hit!), Born Every Minute and Love Is As. The seven bonus tracks include the non-album singles Wave and Taboos, as well as rare b-side tracks such as Angleland and Animal In Me. Reviews: “Degenerates is the most complete pop record I’ve heard for three years. Dick Witts is the investigative ferret you hope will never turn up if you’ve got something to hide” (Melody Maker, 5.82); “Degenerates isn’t standard pop, but intelligent and radical music” (The Leveller, 5/82); “Witts is in danger of becoming the Chic of the avant-garde, and that’s intended as a compliment” (Time Out, 5/82); “The sophisticated subversion is mostly fabulous, fascinating stuff” (Smash Hits, 5/82) The Passage recorded a total of four albums: Pindrop (1980), For All and None (1981), Degenerates (1982) and Enflame (1983), as well as several BBC Sessions. All will be reissued on CD format for the first time by LTM over the next few months. The discs have been digitally remastered with extra tracks and the sleevenotes feature a detailed history of the band.


PASSAGE, THE Enflame cd $13.50
LTM (UK)
COMING 5/12/03
One of the most undervalued of the post-punk bands to emerge from Manchester, The Passage were active between 1978 and 1983, producing four cult albums and a slew of singles. Enflame, their fourth and final album, originally appeared in 1983 on Cherry Red. Here, Passage mainman Richard ‘Dick’ Witts is joined by guitarist Andrew Wilson and drummer Joe McKechnie. Stand-out tracks include Sharp Tongue (also a single), Horseplay and the powerful Sunburn. The song Drugface was later heavily sampled by Moby for his 1991 single Drug Fits the Face. The six bonus live tracks are taken from a powerful in-concert set recorded for BBC Radio One at the Ritz in Manchester in October 1982 Reviews: “This album exists to provoke questions, and the Passage are capable of composing a melody or two, and catchy ones at that” (NME); “Quite superb – a rumbling drum swing collides with spikey pop electronics. Undoubtedly the most successful fusion of avant-garde and dance styles” (Time Out); “Brilliant and uncompromising” (Masterbag) The Passage recorded a total of four albums: Pindrop (1980), For All and None (1981), Degenerates (1982) and Enflame (1983), as well as several BBC Sessions. All will be reissued on CD format for the first time by LTM over the next few months. The discs have been digitally remastered with extra tracks and the sleevenotes feature a detailed history of the band.


PASSAGE, THE For All and None cd $13.50
LTM (UK)
COMING 5/12/03
One of the most undervalued of the post-punk bands to emerge from Manchester, The Passage were active between 1978 and 1983, producing four cult albums and a slew of singles. For All and None, their rare second album, originally appeared in 1981 on their own Night and Day label. Here, Passage mainman Richard ‘Dick’ Witts is joined by guitarist Andrew Wilson and drummer Joe McKechnie. Stand-out tracks include Dark Times, Hip Rebels and Lon Don. The four bonus tracks comprise all tracks from the two ultra rare Night and Day singles Troops Out and the superb Devils and Angels, the latter featuring short-stay vocalist Lizzy Johnson. Reviews: “Dense and irregular” (NME); “Easily among the front runners for album of the year – a varied collection of melodic songs with both tension and depth plus lyrics that successfully avoid the twin pitfalls of either preaching or propaganda” (The Face); The Passage recorded a total of four albums: Pindrop (1980), For All and None (1981), Degenerates (1982) and Enflame (1983), as well as several BBC Sessions. All will be reissued on CD format for the first time by LTM over the next few months. The discs have been digitally remastered with extra tracks and the sleevenotes feature a detailed history of the band.

:)

http://www.demon.co.uk/momus/momuswitts.jpeg

*stares out the window*

The BBC sessions one looks good, and I'll prolly get Pindrop as don't have it any more. I see LTM are also releasing Crawling Chaos's magnificently stupid 'The Gas Chair'. This was one review :

In the NME Adam Sweeting wrote: “They played so badly for so long that a phone call to McWhirter and his Book of Records would surely have been received favourably. Ineffectual doodlings on guitar and keyboards became ends in themselves. A guest singer stood at the microphone and coughed for several minutes. Nobody danced or even twitched a leg. The bloke at the mixing desk read the Evening Standard and someone next to me asked the time before falling asleep. Anyone who needs this garbage is probably already dead.”

They were great!

'FUCK THE NME!!!!'

(if they still exist).

One of the greatest, yet least known of 80s groups. I bought their fantastic debut album, 'Pindrop', on Object Records, in, I think, 1980 after hearing one track on Peel. The album (slightly murkier, more introverted and mysterious sounding than later releases) was like nothing else being made at the time. Totally electronic, spooky, intelligent, political, passionate as hell, like Laurie Anderson crossed with The Fall.

'Degenerates' and 'Enflame' are also great records, Brechtian politics melded to angular, caustic lyrics. The Passage were very unEnglish in their willingness to write about sex and politics. Check out songs like 'Angleland' and 'Wave'.

Witts started as tympanist for the Halle Orchestra, and now writes books (he published a critical survey of the history of tbe Arts Council a couple of years ago). I've met him a couple of times. I saw The Passage live in Edinburgh. Witts performed in a blood-spattered white T shirt. There were about fifteen people in the audience.

I think you'd have to see them as libertarians in a peculiarly Protestant mode, like Quakers or Methodist radicals or something. Witts was obsessed with Manchester police chief James Anderton to an unhealthy degree.

...were quoted almost verbatim. Hurrah for Mr. James Nice of LTM doing some net scrounging/lurking here, but please speak up and tell us more about what you want to reissue on LTM. And mention ILX by name! ;-)

Quando Quango and Artery coming up later in the year!! - along with shitloads of other good stuff. A NEW album by LUDUS!! My goodness!

Artery were brilliant so I'm looking forward to that one.

Quando Quango 'though.... I remember the name but I haven't got anything by them and can't seem to place them. What were they like Dr. C?

Oh and are you going to see Ari Up at Camden Underworld next thursday???

Read upthread, my friend -- everything's been rereleased on CD. :-)

joe

Because they're on Facebook don't you know

just picked up old vinyl copies of Enflame and Degenerates, and my first impression was: marc almond without any songs.
lots of enthusiasm on circa-2001 ILM, so i'll give them another shot.

i've set up a passage page on myspace.
www.myspace.com/thepassageuk

huh, this still exists.