71-420: The Jazz Butcher was the alias of British singer/songwriter Pat Fish (20 December 1957 – 5 October 2021). It also served as the name of the band, though adjuncts were frequently used to distinguish between Fish’s persona and band itself (The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy or JBC, The Jazz Butcher Group, The Jazz Butcher and his Sikkorskis from Hell, The Jazz Butcher Quartet and The Jazz Butcher Quintet.) The line-up of
142-424: A "hit song". "It makes no sense at all," said Fish, "and I totally agree with the reviewers who say it (the album) peters out." The album was less whimsical than previous albums, containing more of the band's "art misery" songs. Overall, it was "warmly received by The Outside World," according to Fish, "less popular among those who counted themselves JBC aficionados." Once again, Fish found himself needing to re-build
213-1094: A Long Shadow", a tribute to Joe Strummer and benefit for Strummerville, the Joe Strummer Foundation for New Music, on 22 December 2007 at the Key Club in West Hollywood , California. They covered the Clash 's " Should I Stay or Should I Go ", playing the song twice, the second time inviting members of the audience to join them onstage to sing along. They performed on 27 April 2008 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival , and also at Lollapalooza on 3 August 2008 in Chicago. In an interview in June 2009, Ash emphatically stated that he had no further plans to play with Love and Rockets. "We've worked together since 1980. I really want to work with new people, I'm sure everybody feels
284-506: A compilation of B-sides, was released in America and Canada, finding its way onto the college charts. In May 1986, The Jazz Butcher returned to the studio with John A. Rivers to record their next LP, Distressed Gentlefolk . The extensive touring had honed the band’s skills, but according to Fish, they were also exhausted and went into the studio with "a scanty armful of tunes", many ideas having already been released as singles. Rivers had embraced
355-668: A creative outlet outside of the Jazz Butcher, and in 2001 the group Wilson formed. Composed of members of Sumosonic, and other Northampton bands, Wilson expanded on the Sumosonic sound. 2002 marked the 20th anniversary of the JBC, which the band marked by playing a handful of gigs in Germany and Belgium. In 2009, Wilson performed its last show before disbanding, which was recorded and released as No Known Predators on DVD. A one-off reunion show promoted
426-447: A digital multi-track recorder. Fish thought this might be an effective means of recording an album within the budget parameters. This approach presented several limitations; most notably the use of MIDI drums, "the sound of which is not clever" according to Fish. Mixing the album was also challenging, as the home recorder lacked effects and nuance. The resulting album, Rotten Soul , was generally criticized for its poor production, though it
497-510: A duo, at venues which were largely expecting a band. According to Fish, "For the most part, it was a matter of making the best of things and getting out alive". Alan McGee , head of Creation Records , was in attendance at the show in Paris on 10 February 1987. He had specifically come with an offer to sign Fish, whose Glass contract was about to expire. "The Jazz Butcher is one of the most brilliant incisive pop writers that Britain has produced since
568-420: A duo. Despite the reunion with his former partner, Fish felt the Jazz Butcher moniker was limiting his musical exploration. Seeking to create another vehicle for himself, he formed the band Sumosonic. This was a stylistic shift from the JBC, making use of samplers, synthesizers and sequencers. A single, "Come, Friendly Spacemen", was released in 1996, with the album " This is Sumo " appearing in 1998. Sumosonic
639-493: A gruelling tour schedule in support of their big hit, Love and Rockets took a few years off before returning to the studio together. The result was a move to an electronic sound that had more in common with the Orb than their rock or goth roots. Their label, RCA Records , dropped them. They signed with Rick Rubin 's American Recordings to release Hot Trip to Heaven in 1994, followed in 1996 by Sweet F.A. . In April 1995, during
710-537: A member of the band The Jazz Butcher . (The name "Jazz Butcher" has been applied ambiguously both to Fish and the whole band.) Fish was born in London , England but moved early in his life to Northampton ; there he attended Great Houghton Preparatory School and later Uppingham ; he later read Lit. Hum. at Merton College, Oxford , graduating in 1980. From the evidence of an interview given in 1989, it would seem that he found academic life at Oxford uninspiring, and that he
781-483: A new band with other Northampton-based musicians, eventually settling on the name Sumosonic. One of the other names he had considered, "Audio-Aquatic", surfaces in the lyrics to their debut single, "Come, Friendly Spacemen", released by Creation on 5 December 1996 (CRESCD 242). The band had their live debut in London 11 March 1997. Though the band included Fish as a guitarist, their sound was built far more around sequencers, and
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#1732898630131852-595: A period. Despite their previous band's status as a gothic rock act, Love and Rockets moved towards a slightly brighter and more pop-influenced sound, as demonstrated by their first minor hit being a cover of the Motown classic " Ball of Confusion " (reached #18 on the Canadian charts in January 1986). Their first studio album was 1985's Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven (1985). Their second album, 1986's Express , continued in
923-552: A real fan and she kept winding us up," recounted Fish, "we ended up doing 12 or 13". Those live recordings would end up as the 4th disc of the box set Dr. Cholmondley Repents (2022). The incarnation of the band that recorded Cult of the Basement had been together for some time and just finished a lengthy tour. Some songs which would appear on the album, such as "Girl Go" and "Mr. Odd" had been road-tested, others such as "She's on Drugs" and "Sister Death" existed in demo form, and much of
994-470: A recording, and as a piece of writing about a tough subject. I mean, *I* hate "divorce rock" too." The "Basement" incarnation of the band had gone their separate ways after the Blue Aeroplanes tour, so once again, Fish found himself re-building his band. The basic tracks were recorded by Fish, Mulreany on drums, Alex Lee on guitar and Joe Allen on bass. A slew of contributors old and new came in to play on
1065-526: A reunion for an appearance at the Cruel World Festival in Pasadena, California on 20 May 2023, the band's first concert in 15 years. They later announced a 2023 U.S. tour in support of their appearance at Cruel World. A Bauhaus reunion was aborted in 2022 after Peter Murphy forced the band to cancel the tour as he entered rehab. Ash said that the 2023 tour would be the band's final. In May 2024, it
1136-466: Is composed mostly of short, straightforward pop tunes. The rest of 1993 was spent briefly touring Europe and sporadic gigs closer to home. During this time, Peter Crouch left the band to be replaced by Curtis E. Johnson, and Nick Burson moved to Canada and was replaced on drums by Gabriel Turner. Guitarist Dave Henderson joined the line-up in 1994, as The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy went into the studio to record their 10th album, Illuminate . The intention of
1207-614: The Billboard Hot 100 chart. They released seven studio albums before breaking up in 1999 and reformed briefly in 2007 for a few live shows, before splitting again in 2009. They reformed in 2023, and announced several tour dates. The band's name was taken from the comic book series Love and Rockets by the Hernandez brothers . Gilbert Hernandez later referred to the confusion caused by this in his book Love and Rockets X , as there were several different bands named "Love and Rockets" for
1278-459: The Condition Blue sessions with several demos and a long list of backing players, Love Bus saw Fish with very little material, and a small, but tight group of musicians. The result was an album with, according to Fish, "a clean, simple sound...that Condition Blue detractors might appreciate." Unlike its predecessor, most of whose tracks clocked in at over six minutes, Waiting For The Love Bus
1349-465: The Basement , first in Europe, followed by a US tour with the Blue Aeroplanes , where they alternated as opener/headliner city by city. Upon his return home, Fish's marriage began to fall apart, eventually ending in divorce. Much of the next album, Condition Blue , would deal with darker subject matter; a reflection of Fish's own mental state at the time. According to Fish, "I'm still well pleased with it as
1420-539: The Black Eg material: "Destroy All Monsters", a song about French nuclear arms testing the Pacific, borrows melodic elements from the earlier outfit's "Bel Air." Sumosonic were not well supported by Creation, and were dropped after their first album. The last gig noted on the band's website was 19 September 1998. However, members of the band continued to work with Fish as the band Wilson, whose live debut, on 1 March 2001, included
1491-606: The Creation label had gained the reputation for releasing many critically acclaimed albums, with very few being commercial hits. McGee sold half the company to Sony Music. Shortly thereafter, Creation signed the band Oasis , who became a huge critical and commercial success. Their second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? , became the biggest-selling British album of the decade. According to Fish, support from Sony/Creation began to wane; "Honestly, there wasn't enough time in
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#17328986301311562-520: The Institution, along with Rolo McGinty (later of The Woodentops ), and The Sonic Tonix (later The Tonix) with John Silver. Upon the breakup of The Tonix, Fish moved to Northampton , a place he described as "seething with creativity, backed by a supportive local press". He began writing songs, and the first advertised Jazz Butcher performance took place at Merton College in Oxford, on 20 February 1982. Both
1633-574: The Jazz Butcher's cover art throughout the 1990s. Just prior to a nine-week tour of the US, Kizzy O'Callahan was admitted to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He was replaced by Richard Formby. While in Los Angeles, the band was interviewed on Deirdre O'Donoghue 's popular alternative rock show SNAP! on KCRW . While the band agreed they would perform only one or two songs, "...we get down there to KCRW and meet Deirdre O'Donoghue and she's
1704-508: The Love and Rockets videos "No New Tale to Tell" and "Yin and Yang (The Flowerpot Man)". In 1989 the band released their self-titled album , which presented a more AOR sound. The second single from the album was the T. Rex -inspired song " So Alive ", which became a hit, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, a feat no Bauhaus-related band or artist has achieved before or since. After
1775-647: The Max Eider song "D.R.I.N.K.", which would go on to be a fan favorite. David J.'s friendship with Fish and continued interest in the Jazz Butcher group prompted discussions of J. producing the Butcher's next LP. However, the dissolution of Bauhaus corresponded with an opening in the bassist’s role. The line-up of Fish, Eider, Jones and David J. would be regarded as the first “official” line up, and remain so for much of 1984 into 1985. Produced by John A. Rivers, A Scandal in Bohemia
1846-605: The Perfect Disaster 's "All the Stars", was released as a single. The B-side, "Excellent", would mark the last time O'Callahan would play with the band. He died of a brain tumor in 1993. 1991 saw the release of the eponymous album by Black Eg. Credited to the fictional Von Dämmerung brothers, it was an album of ambient dance music built around synthesizers and samples. The Black Eg themselves made their live debut on 1 June 1994 at Soundshaft in London. The band toured to promote Cult of
1917-469: The Weather Prophets as the band went in to record the next album. Alex Green on saxophone rounded out the core of the studio group, with other friends and musicians making contributions, including Sonic Boom of Spacemen 3 , bassist Laurence O'Keefe and members of the Perfect Disaster . Pat considered shedding the "Jazz Butcher" moniker, wishing to put some distance between the new outfit and some of
1988-494: The band changed frequently, with Pat Fish being the only constant. Notable members included band co-founder Max Eider (Peter Millson), David J . (Haskins), Owen P. Jones, Rolo McGinty, Alice Thompson , Paul Mulreany, Alex Green, Richard Formby , Kizzy O’Callaghan, Curtis E. Johnson and Peter Crouch. The band were formed in Oxford in 1982 by Pat Fish and Max Eider. Having met at university, Fish and Eider had previously been in bands
2059-577: The band to form Love and Rockets , and Graham "Felix" Fudger was brought in as his replacement as the band continued with a tour schedule that was three times the year prior: 110 shows in 1985, as compared to 36 shows in 1984. In 1986, the band released singles for "Hard", "Conspiracy", "Angels", and the fan club–only release "Christmas with the Pygmies", as well as appearing on compilation albums, such as 50,000 Glass Fans Can't Be Wrong (which also features solo songs by David J. and Max Eider). Bloody Nonsense ,
2130-471: The band was to create a more "down to earth" album than its sprawling predecessors. Illuminate ' s songs include punk rants against the Tory government, pop songs about dolphins, salutes to Brian Eno and Hammer Films , and imagines a utopian past, where dinosaurs rule a "world without people". The album was produced by David J., and released on 3 April 1995; it produced one single, "Sixteen Years". Meanwhile,
2201-534: The band's singles and b-sides, including a re-recording of "Partytime", which was a staple of their live performances. The Jazz Butcher also released Sex and Travel , again recorded with John A. Rivers as producer. "One day's rehearsal in Kevin Haskin's living room, five days' recording and two days' mixing was all it took for us to make my favourite of the Glass records,” said Fish in 1993. In February 1985, David J left
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2272-509: The band. Peter Crouch, who had played on Condition Blue came on board as guitarist, with Dooj Wilkenson and Nick Burson on bass and drums. This third incarnation of the JBC toured the United States (which resulted in the live release, Western Family ), and in January 1993 went chose Richard Formby's Woodhouse Studios to record what would become Waiting For the Love Bus. " Whereas Fish went into
2343-399: The day to do anything other than handle Oasis business." Fish and Max Eider had begun to mend fences in the mid-1990s, and July 1995 saw Max Eider opening for the JBC at a gig in London. He was brought onstage for an encore of "Zombie Love", marking the first time they'd played together since Eider left the group in 1986. Pat and Max soon found themselves playing together occasionally again as
2414-433: The device was to dub the contents of one cassette to another; however, Fish discovered that the microphone channel remained open, so that he could add multiple parts with each pass. These primitive 'multi-track' recordings were enough to interest David Barker, who invited Fish to record an album for his newly founded Glass Records label. In August / September 1982, Fish and several friends and collaborators began recording
2485-401: The digital revolution, which was reflected in the production. Fish and Eider had both been focused on their song writing, but their styles had begun to drift apart, with Fish leaning toward a heavier sound, and Eider maintaining a quieter, more jazz-influenced style. Touring continued, including America and Canada for the first time in 1986. The popularity of the band was growing, but the effort
2556-402: The early 1990s Fish diversified his activities in other ways. He produced at least one record, the single "Lost at Sea" by 13 Frightened Girls (recorded in 1990 and released in 1991). He appeared on recordings by other bands, contributing a flute solo to "I Love You" on Spacemen 3 's Recurring (1991), and guitar and organ on The Blue Aeroplanes ' Rough Music (1995). By 1996, Fish had formed
2627-500: The early 1990s and to record for Creation until 1995, but by the late 1990s Fish was feeling restricted both by the "Jazz Butcher" name (McGee had persuaded him to keep it on joining Creation), and by guitar pop. Creation's success with My Bloody Valentine's Glider EP created an opportunity to develop his interest in dance music. His first foray was the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy's cover version of The Rolling Stones' "We Love You",
2698-459: The first Jazz Butcher album at Starforce Studio in Clapham . This was co-produced by Fish and Barker (under the pseudonym Lionel Brando ); contributors included Eider, McGinty, Silver, Alice Thompson, Ian Sturgess, Louis Leroi and engineer Martin K. Daley. On 1 November 1982, Fish was approached to open for fellow Northampton band Bauhaus . The whimsical nature of the Jazz Butcher band did not impress
2769-477: The glory days of Ray Davies and Pete Townshend " - Alan McGee, co-founder of Creation Records. The deal with Creation offered Fish the opportunity to reform the Jazz Butcher outfit. Kizzy O’Callahan had served as a guitar tech during the previous incarnation of the band, and Fish was already familiar with his skill as a guitarist. On Alan McGee's recommendation, the rhythm section of Dave Goulding (bass) and Dave Morgan (drums) were borrowed from fellow Creation band
2840-605: The headliners' goth followers. "The massed audience listened politely, if disconcertingly quietly", reported the Northampton Mercury and Herald . Fish was "pleased to survive the experience". Fish had assumed that Bauhaus drummer Kevin Haskins had arranged their spot on the bill, as Kevin and Fish were friends; only to find that it was Haskins' brother David J. who had taken an interest in The Jazz Butcher. In Bath of Bacon
2911-568: The name of the new LP. Reviewers (particularly in the US) perceived it as a continuation of the smooth, jazz-influenced approach of his earlier efforts. Still, reviews for Fishcotheque were generally positive. 1988 also saw the release of the single and video for " Spooky ", a cover of the Classics IV song. In 1987, Fish married Barbara J Taylor in a small ceremony in Northamptonshire. Paul Mulreany
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2982-424: The name, and the gig itself was "perceived as a one-off laugh". Shortly thereafter, Fish reconnected with Eider, only to find that Eider’s playing style had changed to a "rich, clean, country soul sound with just a touch of Wes Montgomery", which complemented the kinds of songs Fish had been writing at that time. Around this time, Fish began recording songs using an Amstrad 7090 audio cassette recorder. The purpose of
3053-401: The new album, but the Butcher's entire back catalogue. Fish had been given the rights to his albums by both David Barker and Alan McGee, and so a deal was made to sell the Glass and Creation albums, as well as Gentleman Adventurers to Fire Records. Pat Fish Patrick Huntrods (20 December 1957 – 5 October 2021), known as Pat Fish , was an English musician best known for his work as
3124-770: The performance for the following week. By means of explanation for his ill health, he offered that he had been suffering from sleep apnea . It was later reported that Fish had died of a heart attack . Love and Rockets (band) Love and Rockets are an English rock band formed in 1985 by former Bauhaus members Daniel Ash (vocals, guitar and saxophone), David J (bass guitar and vocals) and Kevin Haskins (drums and synthesisers) after that group split in 1983. Ash and Haskins had recorded and performed in another band, Tones on Tail , between 1982 and 1984. Love and Rockets' fusion of underground rock music with elements of pop music provided an early catalyst for alternative rock. Their 1989 single " So Alive " reached No. 3 on
3195-472: The previous band's "God's Green Earth." Wilson have continued to gig regularly in Northampton, Oxford, and London. According to a post on Fish's official Facebook page on 6 October 2021, he "died suddenly but peacefully yesterday evening." On 3 October, Fish was scheduled to perform a web concert, however at show time, Fish appeared live to inform his audience he was not feeling well and would be re-scheduling
3266-555: The record, including Formby, O'Keefe and Green; Glass era drummer Owen Jones; Peter Astor , Sumishta Brahm, and Peter Crouch among others. Two singles emerged from the album, " She's a Yo-Yo " and " Shirley Maclaine ". On the US version of the CD, "She's a Yo-Yo" serves as the opening track, flipping the A- and B-sides of the European release. This was a judgement on the part of the record company to lead with
3337-404: The recording of Sweet F.A. , a fire broke out in the house owned by American Recordings, where the band were living and recording. None of the members were injured, but their visiting friend Genesis P. Orridge of Psychic TV was injured whilst escaping the fire. The band lost their gear (a photo of a burnt guitar was used for the album cover of Sweet F.A. ) and months of work on the album. There
3408-515: The recording of the Black Mischief EP for fellow Northampton musicians, The Love Ambassadeux. The next significant phase of Fish's career began on 27 November 1986 when musical and personal tensions between him and Eider, exacerbated by long touring and drinking, led to Eider's departure in Zürich. Fish rebuilt the Jazz Butcher band, recruiting Kizzy O'Callaghan as guitarist; saxophonist Alex Green
3479-678: The release of Big Questions - The Gift of Music Volume 2 , another compilation of singles and b-sides. The success of Bloody Nonsense and Distressed Gentlefolk , especially in America, led Eider to sign as a solo artist to the Jazz Butcher’s US distributor, Big Time Records . This proved unpropitious, as the record company folded shortly after having released Eider's "Best Kisser in the World". The lack of funds for promotion doomed sales of Eider's first solo effort. Meanwhile, Fish and Alex Green were fulfilling touring obligations throughout Europe as
3550-446: The release of the DVD in 2012, and marked the last time Wilson would perform. 2012 marked the band's 30th anniversary. Fish and Eider decided to recognize the occasion with a new studio album, their first in over a decade. Not having the support of a record company, they decided to raise the funds themselves via PledgeMusic . Uncertain if they still had the fan support to raise the money, Fish
3621-416: The rest of the album was developed out of band improvisation. The result was an album that was more "sprawling" stylistically. Fish commented "I feel it's the first time we captured the true sound of the band". "She's on Drugs" enjoyed airplay on college radio, and a video for " Girl-Go " aired on MTV's alternative music showcase '120 minutes' in America. "Girl-Go", which makes musical and lyrical reference to
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#17328986301313692-474: The rhythms were more dance-orientated. The lyrics, however, displayed Fish's customary wit, political awareness, and sense of melancholy absurdity. Much of their first and only album, This is Sumo , had been recorded in demo form by September 1996; the studio version was released on 26 January 1998 (CRECD 204). The vocal melodies, even when sung by other members of the band, have many of the characteristics of Jazz Butcher tunes. There are also clear continuities with
3763-594: The same vein, adding even more of a pop feel to the mix. It included the dance hit "Yin and Yang (The Flowerpot Man)". The 1987 follow-up, Earth, Sun, Moon , had a more acoustic sound and spawned the minor hit "No New Tale to Tell". The following year, they released the single "The Bubblemen Are Coming" under the alias The Bubblemen . A music video was also produced. It was issued by Beggars Banquet Records in several format variations, including additional tracks "Bubblemen Rap", "Bubblemen Rap (Dub Version)" and "Bees". A brief excerpt of "The Bubblemen are Coming!" appeared in
3834-566: The same." A tribute album titled New Tales to Tell: A Tribute to Love and Rockets was released on 18 August 2009 featuring contributions from the Flaming Lips , Frank Black , Puscifer , A Place to Bury Strangers , Film School , Better Than Ezra , Johnny Dowd , the Dandy Warhols , Blaqk Audio , the Stone Foxes and Monster Magnet . On 23 January 2023, Love and Rockets announced
3905-461: The sillier material of his Glass Records days. However, McGee insisted "...that's the one they all know, you've got to keep it." Having felt that Distressed Gentlefolk suffered from over-production, Fish set out to make a record that had a more rough and straightforward sound. Longtime Jazz Butcher photographer, Mitch Jenkins, took the cover photo, which shows Fish and O'Callahan in front of London fish & chip shop Fishcotheque, which would provide
3976-533: The time, such as hip-hop and proto-acid. "Consequently, there are some weird hybrids on the 'Big Planet' record," Fish recalled. The song "Line of Death", for example, incorporated middle eastern influence, disco, heavy metal and a nod to Ennio Morricone 's " "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" . The artwork for Big Planet Scarey Planet and its single, " New Invention " was created by Pascal Legras. who would be responsible for much of
4047-567: The “Cak Bag” sessions. Many of these would go on to appear on Glass Record compilations and fan magazines throughout the year. The summer of 1983 found Fish and Eider back in the studio with McGinty and Thompson (who had now formed The Woodentops), joined by Kevin Haskins on drums. The result was the single "Southern Mark Smith". The single gained some national recognition, having been played on “hit-maker” John Peel ’s Radio show. Glass also released two singles in 1984; "Marnie" and "Roadrunner" ( Jonathan Richman ). The b-side for "Roadrunner" featured
4118-579: Was a lengthy legal battle between the band, their label, and the label's insurance company. Love and Rockets were found not responsible for the fire, but were left with a large legal bill. Lift came out in 1998 on Red Ant Records, and, after performing in Toronto in April, 1999, Love and Rockets disbanded. Love and Rockets announced in October 2007 on their MySpace page that they would reform to play one song at "Cast
4189-488: Was added to the live line-up, and with Fish fronting a new band on a new label, the JBC spent most of 1988 touring Europe, the US and Canada. For the next album, Big Planet Scarey Planet , Fish returned to producer John A. Rivers. After a year of touring, Fish reasoned "We'd hardened up a lot and figured we could now withstand the Rivers' treatment". The band wanted to make a rock record that reflected some of their influences of
4260-524: Was cheap and cheerful, and it helped us to meet an awful lot of people". The record ended up selling over 20,000 copies. The cohesion of a "proper" band, David J's Bauhaus notoriety, and the success of Scandal led to a more ambitious touring schedule. 1985 was also a prolific time for the band in the studio, releasing the singles "Real Men", "The Human Jungle", as well as the live album Hamburg (credited to The Jazz Butcher and his Sikkorskis from Hell). Glass released The Gift of Music , which compiled many of
4331-479: Was devised soon after, and Fish's first gig under this guise was in Oxford on 20 February 1982. The band included Alice Thompson , later keyboardist in The Woodentops, and later still a novelist, and Owen Jones, who was to become the Jazz Butcher's drummer for much of the 1980s. Max Eider, a crucial element in the early Butcher sound, joined for a gig in June of that year. In 1985, Fish took on production duties on
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#17328986301314402-485: Was much more dance/techno driven, yet Fish's lyrics contained many of the hallmarks of the Jazz Butcher material. Sales of This is Sumo were dismal. Alan McGee had begun to see the result of operations being handled by Sony accountants and marketing managers, and how it was affecting less commercial artists on the Creation label. Fish received a letter from McGee suggesting a parting of the ways: "We'd better jack it in before you get bitter," Fish recounts. By March 1998, Fish
4473-470: Was no longer signed to Creation. The next year, Creation ceased operations. Without the support of a label, Sumosonic played their final show in September 1998. In 1999, Pat received an invitation from Vinyl Japan to record an album for their label. The budget, according to Fish, was about 10% of what it cost to make Cult of the Basement . Former guitarist Peter Crouch had, at this time, been recording demos on
4544-571: Was released in March 1983. The album, according to Fish, was "the sound of a few mates failing to take seriously the fact they they've got an LP to make". A review in The Scotsman called Bath "quite good fun, if you don't mind being used in someone else's experiment." In early 1984, Fish and Thompson recorded a number of cover songs, mostly by Lou Reed , John Cale and Kevin Ayers in what would be known as
4615-598: Was released in November 1984. With the help of Rivers and J., the band improved upon their studio technique. Eider’s guitar style had also strengthened since Bath of Bacon, becoming less "ornamental" and more of an “essential element” to the Jazz Butcher’s sound of that time. The album shares its title with the first Sherlock Holmes short story, and features a memorable cover by comic artist Hunt Emerson. According to Fish, "We were young(ish) and cocky and I think it shows….Still, it
4686-519: Was released under the name "JBC" in 1990 (CRE083T), and later included in the Creation dance compilation "Keeping the Faith" (CRECD 081) (1991). Soon afterwards the somewhat mysterious "Black Eg" project began: an album of ambient dance music built around synthesizers and samples, purporting to be the work of one Karel von Dammerung of Vienna, was released by Creation in 1991. The Black Eg themselves made their live debut on 1 June 1994 at Soundshaft in London. In
4757-414: Was soon drawn to making music. His bands in the early period included one known as Nightshift, and the Institution, which featured Max Eider (Peter Millson) on guitar, Rolo McGinty (later of The Woodentops ), and Jonathan Stephenson. The Sonic Tonix became The Tonix, who released a single, "Strangers / Talk to Me" on the independent 109 Product label (STEG 002) in 1981. The persona of the "Jazz Butcher"
4828-591: Was taking its toll. Fudger was replaced on bass by Richard Lohan, and Alex Green joined the band on saxophone. On 22 November 1986, after a show in Zurich, Switzerland, personal tensions, alcohol and exhaustion boiled over into a physical fight between Fish and Eider, resulting in the lead guitarist quitting the band. The tour continued without the lead guitarist and concluded on Fish's birthday, 20 December. Shortly thereafter, Jones tendered his resignation. Soon afterwards, Fish's contract with Glass Records expired but not before
4899-491: Was the only other element of continuity with the earlier band. Around this time his contract with Glass Records ended, and he signed to Alan McGee's Creation Records , at that time one of the foremost indie labels in Britain. In 1989, Fish hosted an indie music show called Transmission , which was produced by Music Box Ltd. for ITV and pan-European British station Super Channel . The Jazz Butcher continued to gig regularly in
4970-805: Was trepidatious as the fundraiser was launched. "By the time I went to bed that night," Fish recalled, "we were at something like 120 percent." Last of the Gentleman Adventurers was recorded in August and September 2012 at Richard Formby's studio in Leeds. Tim Harries and Jonny Mattock were brought in as the rhythm section, with Formby on guitar, and contributions from Owen Jones and Sonic Boom. Liner notes were provided by Fish's friend, author and fellow Northampton resident, Alan Moore . The album sold its original pressing of 500, and another 500 were pressed. Around this time, Fire Records became interested, not only in
5041-524: Was warmly embraced by the fans. On 9 September 1999, Fish, Eider, Owen Jones, and David J. and Kevin Haskins performed at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. This was the first time the "original line-up" had performed together since David J left the band in 1985. In 2000, Fish, Eider and Jones did a small tour of the US in support of the Rotten Soul album, with Steven D. Valentine on Bass. Fish continued to seek
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