Blue Orchids in session tonight. Recorded October 16th for Marc Riley at BBC 6 Music.
Blue Orchids formed in Manchester in 1979, when Martin Bramah left the Fall, after playing on the band’s debut album Live at the Witch Trials. Christened by Salford-based punk poet John Cooper Clarke the band recorded for Rough Trade and acted as backing band for the Velvet Underground’s Nico before a 25-year period of intermittent activity and fluctuating line-ups.
Having left the Fall, Bramah teamed up with another two former Fall members, keyboardist Una Baines, and guitarist Rick Goldstraw, as well as bassist Steve Toyne and drummer Ian Rogers (AKA Joe Kin). John Cooper Clarke suggested the name ‘The Blessed Orchids’ but according to Bramah, Goldstraw mis-remembered it as ‘The Blue Orchids’ and the name stuck.
The band signed to Rough Trade Records and in November 1980 released its debut single, a double A-side, “The Flood”/”Disney Boys”. After this release Steve Toyne left the band and Rick Goldstraw took over the bass . In February 1981 the group released its second single “Work”.
“Work” was much liked by BBC DJ John Peel who played it regularly and the group was invited to record a Peel session for his show. The band’s music came to the attention of Echo & the Bunnymen, who subsequently invited Blue Orchids to be the support act for its 1981 UK tour. Alastair “Baz” Murphy was recruited to play keyboards on the tour as Baines was ill.
Phillip Toby Toman, an ex-member of The Durutti Column, joined on drums when Ian Rogers left the group after the Echo & the Bunnymen tour (he later went on to play for Primal Scream under the name Toby Tomanov). This new line-up recorded a debut album called The Greatest Hit (Money Mountain), which sold 10,000 copies.
Blue Orchids have been critically acclaimed by some notable music writers. The NME’s Barney Hoskyns said of them “There is an economy of love and yearning in every chord, vocal or instrumental that breaks from the aching heart of the Blue Orchids’ sound” while the writer Paul Morley, reviewing their second single “Work” said “They rave but they are not mad.”
Here they are, recorded just a few days ago and still going strong. They are performing a string of dates up and down the UK – fingers crossed they head over this way.
Enjoy.
