Shriekback
Shriekback originally evolved around a three-man nucleus of ex-Gang Of Four member Dave Allen, Carl Marsh (fresh from his own band, Out On Blue Six), plus Barry Andrews, previously with XTC, League Of Gentlemen and Restaurant For Dogs. The trio fused funk and rock with a unique and complex rhythmic approach, creating a distinctive and influential sound. The first fruits of this project came in 1982 with the EP TENCH and then Sexthinkone on the Y label, but it was the next two singles, ‘My Spine Is the Bassline’ (1982) and Lined Up (1983) that established the band. Two further singles, Working On The Ground and Accretions, were enough to secure a deal with Arista Records, releasing JAM SCIENCE in 1984. The album also spawned two excellent singles, Hand On My Heart and Mercy Dash. The following year saw the release of OIL AND GOLD, which included Nemesis and Fish Below The Ice. Although more commercially based, the band had lost that hard, infectious funk vein that was previously so predominant. A move to Island yielded BIG NIGHT MUSIC, early in 1987, accompanied by Gunning For Buddha a month earlier. Get Down Tonight followed in 1988, but this presaged the last Shriekback album proper, GO BANG. Those looking for an introduction to Shriekback might opt for THE INFINITE, a collection of the Y singles released on the Kaz label. Since then, there have been two further collections, summarising the band's time with Arista and Island respectively.