For the second offering of double-request-post Wednesday, we're going to go with a band that again I'm a bit short of information about: The Prudes.
From Last.fm we know they were formed by Bradleigh Smith and Pete Ellis in 1987. They recorded 5 singles and an album (Designer Karma) on Imaginary Records and from the bit my chum Gareth remembers, Bradleigh and Terry Bickers from the House of Love covered the Velvet Underground's "I'm set free" on the early 90s compilation album "Heaven & Hell". They also may have recorded a Peel Session.
So, once more it's a call for information, know anything about The Prudes?
While you rummage through the loft of memory, have a listen to The Prudes - Glad, it's really rather good.
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
The Prudes
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Yeah, I remember The Prudes. I first heard them on a free 7-inch that came with House Of Dolls magazine - the track that they contributed was called "Christmas", and was truly one of the most miserable (and beautiful) Christmas records ever. I still have it somewhere - I seem to remember playing it just a couple of Christmases ago and marvelling at how great it still sounded.
ReplyDeleteIn the late 80s I was working for a promoter in Derby and we put the Prudes on supporting The Heart-Throbs (I think), and they were brilliant. After the show I asked the singer why they didn't play "Christmas" and he said "Oh God, I'd forgotten about that". Nice guy, actually.
After years of hunting, I picked up the CD of Designer Karma off ebay, but sadly nothing on it compares to "Christmas". What a shame they disappeared from view...
Ken Garner's epic 'The Peel Sessions' tome (BBC Books, 2007) has no listing for a Peel session by The Prudes.
ReplyDeleteThe book comes with the highest recommendation if you're a lover of lists and ridiculously obscure detail.
We never did a Peel session. We did the album Designer Karma which was produced by Adrian Borland (ex vocalist with The Sound), a wild, crazy and nice guy, but unfortunately a crap producer. Sadly a few years later he committed suicide by jumping in front of a train! We had to get a new guitarist (Dean Mollett) to record Designer Karma because our original guitarist quit from nerves! Dean Mollett was a lunatic and went on to be one of The Audience with Sofie Ellis Bexter, until that ended badly. Anyway from one disaster to the next we finally ended two singles later. The singles were - Glad, and Powerful Brain (Why don't you use it?) we liked brackets in those days. Me and Brad formed another band did a few more gigs but the reflections in the mirrored walls of those clubs were telling us our days were numbered - middle age was beckoning. No money and ill health took it's toll.
ReplyDeleteThese days still skint, still ill. Brad still produces music, Pete now is a cartoonist. Maybe we'll do a comeback!
Pete Ellis
I was The Prudes guitarist for "Designer Karma". I thought we were great! First time i've been called a lunatic in print, though!!
ReplyDeleteI WAS THE DRUMMER FOR THE PRUDES IN THEIR DAY NAME : GAVIN ELLIS
ReplyDelete