Time for my periodic posting of songs by The High, a late 80s/ early 90s Manchester band who were swept along on the wave of record company interest in all things Mancunian when the Hacienda, The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets, 808 State and Factory blew up in the 1988- 1989.
The High were signer John Matthews (formerly of Turning Blue), guitarist Andy Couzens (an early/ foundational Stone Rose who quit suddenly in 1987 when manager Gareth Edwards and the John Squire and Ian Brown pairing announced all songwriting would be handled by them and therefore would be credited to Squire/ Brown. Andy was also in the pre- Roses groups The Patrol and The Waterfront with Squire and Brown), bassist Simon Davis and drummer Chris Goodwin (also in The Waterfront, then early Inspiral Carpets and also Buzzcocks F.O.C.). They signed to London Records in 1990 and released several singles and an album that year- the album was Somewhere Soon, one of the period's minor classics.
The first single was Box Set Go, a gem of a song with spiralling, chiming guitars, tumbling rhythms and softly sung vocals, one of the songs of summer 1990- dreamy psychedelic guitar pop.
Before the release of the album the group had recorded sessions with Martin Hannett including this version of Box Set Go- murkier and a little spikier. The full Hannett sessions came out for Record Shop Day in 2020.
Box Set Go (Martin Hannett Version)
Hannett was not a well man by 1989, had fallen out with Factory, produced Happy Modnays Bummed in '88 (to great acclaim) and various bands of the late 80s came looking for some of the Hannett magic. Hannett was as willful as ever. On one occasion he told drummer Chris Goodwin to start playing, set the tapes rolling and disappeared to the pub. Hannett pondered the problem that had caused him to walk out- two overhead ambient microphones- and suitably refreshed returned to the studio, placed a cigarette butt between them (Embassy No. 1, Hannett was very specific about such things), and then carried on with the session.
I saw them play at the Haigh Building at Liverpool Polytechnic in 1990, a gig that sticks in the memory. Not long after they turned up on Granada TV, one of Tony Wilson's much missed late night music shows, playing Box Set Go and several others.
They were back at Granada in July 1990 playing Box Set Go and PWA, loose and very much on the vibe.
Think the only song by them I have/know is Box Set Go. I may have missed a trick.
ReplyDeleteIt's never too late Martin- Up and Down, Take Your Time, More... plus several more, all worthy of some time
ReplyDeleteI had a soft spot for The High and also saw them towards the end of 1990, albeit only supporting The La's. John Matthews always struck me as a somewhat reluctant frontman.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good observation Swede- he definitely lacked the cocksure nature of some of the other frontmen of the time. He had a massive acid trip that destabilized him at some point during the High's career which scuppered them a bit. After More... I think.
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