Missing Presumed Dead – in session for John Peel – January 6, 1981 – BBC Radio 1 –
Leaving Ukraine this week for an excursion around the lesser-known bands and artists the past few decades. Missing Presumed Dead, like so many other bands of the period, formed out of the ashes of one band – recorded two albums and an ep – were together from 1979 to 1981 and splintered off into other bands and did other things.
Missing Presumed Dead were an Ealing, UK based post-punk band formed by guitarist Mikel Ikon (aka Michael Lee), who was a founding member of the Transmitters.
In their first incarnation, Missing Presumed Dead’s singer was Peter Paul Hartnett, the drummer was Jim Chase (also of the Transmitters), bass was Ian ‘Mog’ Hawkridge, lead guitar was Vince Cutcliffe and Dave Baby on saxophone. The band recorded the “Say It With Flowers” EP in 1979 and followed up with the 1980 album ‘How’s Your Bum For Cracking Walnuts?’, and 1981’s “Revenge”, then disbanded, only to reform with a slightly altered line-up consisting of Mikel Ikon on guitar, Tim Whelan (of Furniture and later Transglobal Underground on guitar and vocals, Hawkridge on bass and Julian Treasure (of Fish Turned Human and also of the Transmitters on drums. This band played live and recorded a John Peel Session, including a powerful version of the old Transmitters song “0.5 Alive” with a guest appearance by former lead guitarist Vince Cutcliffe on lead.
In case you missed them the first time around (and there’s a good chance you did), here’s another opportunity to get caught up on 1981 – busy year, it was.
Special thanks to Dave Driscoll for alerting me to this session – always appreciated.
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