The Sound

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The Sound
Origin London, England
Genre(s) Post-punk, Alternative rock
Years active 1978-1987
Label(s) Korova
Warner Bros. / WEA
Statik
Renascent
Associated acts The Outsiders
Website The Sound
Members
Adrian Borland
Graham Green (Graham Bailey)
Max Mayers
Michael Dudley
Former members
Bi Marshall (to late 1980)
For the strait between Sweden and Denmark, see Øresund.

The Sound were a British post-punk band fronted by Adrian Borland, which evolved from his previous band, The Outsiders. Their career spanned 1978 to 1987. They were labelmates of groups such as Echo & the Bunnymen and The Chameleons. They shared stages with bands such as The Bunnymen, The Au Pairs, Comsat Angels, Felt, Medium Medium, U2, Public Image Ltd., U.K. Subs, Eyeless In Gaza, The Stranglers, China Crisis, Fiat Lux, Shriekback, and Aztec Camera. (See gig list link at bottom.)

Contents

[edit] Band history

The Outsiders changed their name to "The Sound" after the departure of "Bob" Lawrence (Bass) and Adrian Janes (Drums), the new "sound" commanded a new name and after much deliberation in a pub in Kingston-upon-Thames they became The Sound in 1979. The Sound consisted of: Adrian Borland (vocals, guitar), Benita "Bi" Marshall (keyboards, saxophone, clarinet), Graham Bailey (bass guitar), and Mike Dudley (drums). The band signed to Warner Bros.' post-punk imprint Korova Records after issuing an indie EP titled Physical World on their manager's label. Colvin "Max" Mayers replaced Marshall on keyboards in 1981.

Adrian Borland's brooding lyrics often consisted of existential ruminations (e.g., "Counting The Days," "Sense Of Purpose," "Longest Days") and reflections on man's tendency towards self-destruction (e.g., "Fatal Flaw," "Missiles," "New Dark Age," "Skeletons"). They found the majority of their fame in the U.K. Holland/Belgium and Germany. They recorded several Peel sessions and performed the single "Sense Of Purpose" on the TV show Old Grey Whistle Test (circa 1981). Lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Borland had a nervous breakdown onstage during the first date of The Sound's 1987 tour, in Vitoria, Spain, at a club called "The End", this following a lengthy obsession with Jim Morrison of The Doors. The result being the cancellation of the tour. The band fell apart later in 1987 following a few lack lustre "contractual obligation" gigs in Holland. Graham Bailey moved to New Orleans, LA, where he lived for 16 years, returning to the UK in 2007. Colvyn "Max" Mayers died in 1993, from an AIDS-related condition. Mike Dudley is uninvolved with the music industry, currently a keen "biker" (of the pedal variety) living and working in South London.

Following the collapse of The Sound, Borland maintained a solo career for approximately a decade, and helmed the bands White Rose Transmission and the irreverent Honolulu Mountain Daffodils (in which he gave himself the humorous alias Joachim Pimento). Never able to conquer depression, Borland committed suicide on April 26th, 1999, throwing himself in the path of an express train at Wimbledon station.

[edit] Legacy

Shortly before his death, The Sound's back catalogue was remastered and reissued by Renascent Records, a label which was originally founded to perform solely that task. (Thunder Up is the band's only studio album to not see reissue.) In June 2006, members of notable British bands held a concert called "The Sound Of Adrian Borland;" various guest singers who had been close friends with Borland (such as Mark Burgess of The Chameleons) filled in on vocals.

There is a biography of Adrian Borland, entitled (The Book Of) Happy Memories. In 2001, a tribute album titled In Passing - A Tribute to Adrian Borland and The Sound was released. Another tribute album is forthcoming, titled There Must Be a Hole In Your Memory.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] EPs, Singles

  • Physical World (Torch, 1979)
  • "Heyday" (b/w "Brute Force") 7" (Korova, 1980)
  • Live Instinct EP (Korova [Holland only], 1981)
  • "Sense Of Purpose" 7"/12" (b/w "Point Of No Return," "Coldbeat") (Korova, 1981)
  • "Hothouse" (b/w "New Dark Age" [live in Holland]) 7" (Korova, 1982)
  • "Counting The Days" (b/w "Dreams Then Plans") 7" (Statik, 1984)
  • "One Thousand Reasons" 7"/12" (b/w "Blood And Poison," "Steel Your Air") (Statik, 1984)
  • Shock Of Daylight EP (A&M [U.S.]/ Statik, 1984) (contained on the CD reissue of Heads And Hearts)
  • "Temperature Drop" (b/w "Oiled") 7" (Statik, 1985)
  • "Under You" (b/w "Total Recall") 7" (Statik, 1986)
  • "Hand Of Love" 7/12" (b/w "Fall Of Europe," "Such A Difference") (Play It Again Sam, 1987)
  • "Iron Years" 7"/12" (b/w "Fall Of Europe," "I Give You Pain (live)") (Play It Again Sam, 1987)

[edit] Compilation albums, Live albums

  • Counting The Days CD (Statik, 1986; best-of compilation)
  • In The Hothouse 2xLP (Statik, 1986; live at The Marquee in London, Aug. 27&28, 1985) (reissued twice, each time on 1 CD)
  • Propaganda CD (Renascent, 1999; 1979 studio session)
  • The BBC Recordings 2xCD (Renascent, 2004; live 1980-85)
  • Dutch Radio Recordings (Vols. 1 - 5) (live 1980-85) (2006, Renascent)

[edit] See also

[edit] External links