A Certain Ratio
No UK act has crystalized independent, punk-influenced funk more than Manchester's A Certain Ratio. After years of enjoying cult status at Factory Records, the band left for A&M Records in 1989. The original line-up comprised Jeremy Kerr (bass), Simon Topping (vocals/trumpet), Peter Terel (guitar), Martin Moscrop (guitar/trumpet), Martha Tilson (ex-Occult Chemistry, vocals; although she had left by 1982) and Donald Johnson (drums, replacing a drum machine)—signed to Factory in 1979, for the cassette-only release, THE GRAVEYARD AND THE BALLROOM, one side recorded at Graveyard Studios, the other live, supporting Talking Heads at London's Electric Ballroom. After releasing All Night Party, in May 1979, there was a pause before Flight, a UK independent Top 10 chart hit over a year later. In the meantime, the band had teamed up with Factory's European sister, Benelux, for a cover of Banbarra's mid-70s funk classic, Shack Up, in July 1980. TO EACH…, the band's official debut album, attracted BBC disc jockey John Peel in 1981, a year that also yielded Do The Du (officially intended for release in the USA) and in December, Waterline also fared well. 1982 kicked off with a move from the independent to the national charts as SEXTET further established ACR. Like TO EACH…, SEXTET housed an intriguing, mostly instrumental collection hinged around funk rhythms. A 12-inch single for Benelux, Guess Who surfaced in July, followed by the KNIFE SLITS WATER EP in October, coinciding with the release of I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU AGAIN. The band also issued an obscure 12-inch single on the Rock Steady label, Abracadabra, under the guise Sir Horatio, in September 1982. A year later, I Need Someone Tonight was released, reaching the UK independent Top 10. Topping and Terel had departed, to be replaced by Andy Connell, and Brazilia became the band's first project of 1985, preceding Wild Party in July. Those in anticipation of a new ACR album had to wait until the end of 1986 for FORCE, although a compilation, THE OLD AND THE NEW, had provided some consolation earlier in the year. Mickey Way promoted FORCE and continued ACR's run of independent hits. By 1987, the band had outgrown the confines of mere cult status and, looking to branch out, signed with A&M. To bridge the gap, the Dojo label issued LIVE IN AMERICA in February, alongside Greetings Four, for the European label Materiali Sonari. It was not until the summer of 1989 that new ACR product arrived; and both The Big E and Backs To The Wall revealed a shift towards a more accessible sound. But neither these, nor Your Blue Eyes in October, the FOUR FOR THE FLOOR EP in February 1990 nor Won't Stop Loving You in May could provide that elusive hit. As such, September 1989's GOOD TOGETHER made little impact and ACR left A&M soon after. Their experimental work and love of collage material has ensured their status as one of the most uncompromisingly original acts working in the post-punk era.