Live Letters From 101 Club
The 101 Club was a place in St. John’s Hill, Clapham in the early 80s. It must have been a fairly hip place to hang out at, because they released a few live albums showcasing some of the more high-profile artists that performed there. This one features four great New Romantic/New Wave bands from the early-80s, including a couple that never got the recognition they deserved. The album is a little odd and also features a couple really weird ads and PSAs as well. I’ll be putting up stuff from another 101 Club compilation in a day or so. This album was never released on CD.
Huang Chung (Wang Chung)
You’ve Taken Everything
I Don’t Believe A Word
Journey Without Maps
Early Wang Chung (back when they were still calling themselves Huang Chung. These guys get a really bad rap. Their first two records are pretty good and their soundtrack to To Live And Die In L.A. has some good stuff on it too. None of these songs were ever released on any of their studio albums and none of them sound anything like ‘Everybody Wang Chung Tonight.’ That might be good new or bad news depending on your viewpoint.
A Public Service Announcement
A silly fake ad reminiscent of The Who Sell Out.
Endgames
Works
Visions Of
Stare
Someone in this band was also in Simple Minds (I say la! la la la la…oops, sorry) and that’s all I can really find out about these guys. They only released one album and I’ll have to track it down because these tracks are pretty good.
The Fix
Acrobat
Soho Alley
Eye For Design
That’s not a typo, this is The Fixx before they added the extra “x”. Much like their renamed compatriots Wang Chung, their songs on this record sound nothing like the one that would later be their biggest hit, the uber synth-pop smash ‘One Thing Leads To Another.’
A Word From Our Sponsors
An ad for their next LP. I spelled “sponsors” wrong on the file’s ID3 tag, excuse the laziness.
Fay Ray
Do What You Want To Do
Dreams Of Heat
Modern Lovers
These songs are excellent and if you only download one thing off my blog today make it ‘Modern Lovers.’ I never heard of these guys before but you can find out about them at Lost Bands Of The New Wave Era, a great 80s-obsessed blog.
Endgame’s First Last for Everything was the better known song. It’s on this CD.
http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Alternatives-Vol-Various-Artists/dp/B0000507CM
I’ve always been a fan of Endgames. Nice to have some more songs…
Great stuff here! Thanks for these & I agree with you on Huang Chung (Wang Chung) being underrated. Saw them open for Tina Turnr and they were quite good live. I had a promo 45 of their 1st single ‘Hold Back The Tears’ which was a good song as well.
No suprise that these early tracks from Huang Chung & Fixx sound nothing like their later hits, though they actually fit in with their 1st LPs. Better to change things up I think. Repeating the same formula gets boring.
Liked the Fay Wray tracks as well. Had heard of them but don’t remember actually hearing any music so this was a pleasant find.
Thanks again or the great tunes!!!
great blog can you re-post this album? i don’t find links to download the songs
thanks in advance
Julio
Havn’t heard this album for years !Could you repost the links as I love to hear the Fay Ray tracks again !