The Pop Group Es gab einmal eine Zeit, da nannten sich Bands THE POP GROUP und keiner war verwundert, daß ihre Musik das genaue Gegenteil war (Subversion!), da hießen Songs "We Are All Prostitutes" (Everyone has their price / and you will learn to live the lie / aggression / competition / ambition / consumer fascism / capitalism is the most barbaric of all religions / department stores are our new cathedrals / our cars are martyrs to the cause) oder "Amnesty International Report On British Army Torture Of Irish Prisoners" (und waren dann auch genau das, nämlich eine Aufzählung verschiedener Foltermethoden unterlegt von einer wilden Free-Jazz-Kakophonie), und keiner nannte es "pubertär" (was soll das eigentlich bedeuten? Als ob seelische "Überspanntheit" den Wahrheitsgehalt einer Aussage widerlegen würde!). THE POP GROUP waren getragen vom Aufbruch der englischen Musikszene Ende der 70er Jahre, als wirklich alles erlaubt war, und wurden eine Keimzelle für großartige Bands wie PIG PAG, RIP RIC AND PANIC und die Solokarriere von Mark Stewart mit seiner Mischung aus noisigem Reggae-/Industrial-Dub und Verschwörungstheorien. Auf dieser Platte hört ihr musique brut, eine wilde Mischung aus Disco, Reggae, Funk, Dub und New Wave, zwischen expressiv und intensiv, mit einem Gesang von Flüstern bis Schreien über die Ungerechtigkeiten der Welt (die zweite LP hieß dann auch "For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder?" - ihr seht, soviel hat sich garnicht geändert in der Welt). Diese Musik läßt niemanden kalt und hat zweifellos zeitlose Qualität, obwohl ich (paradoxerweise) mir nicht vorstellen kann, daß diese Musik heute entstehen könnte. Laßt das Feuer in euer Herz! PS: Es gäbe auch einiges auszusetzen an dieser LP wie die fehlenden Informationen zu den Stücken, die fehlenden Texte und das eher simple Poster (aber immerhin), die nicht ganz nachvollziehbare Auswahl der Songs (nichts von den ursprünglichen Veröffentlichungen auf Radar Records, aber auch keine Erwähnung von Rough Trade und Y Records, von wo die Aufnahmen stammen, nämlich 5 Songs von "For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder?", 2 von "We Are Time", der Rest von den Singles), aber all diese Nörgelei ist angesichts der Größe dieser Wiederentdeckung nebensächlich. © 2000 Martin Fuchs, zuerst veröffentlicht in LOUNGE #9 (Hannover), April 2000 |
The Pop Group waren:
Mark Stewart - Flüstern und Schreien John Waddington - Gitarre Gareth Sager - Gitarre und Saxophon |
mmm | Simon Underwood - Bass (auf "Y") Dan Catsis (Katsis) - Bass (nach "Y") Bruce Smith - Schlagzeug |
The Pop Group haben folgende Platten herausgebracht:
she is beyond good and evil / 3.38 (single, radarscope records 1979)
Y (lp mit poster, radarscope records 1979 / cd, radarscope 1996) | ||
she is beyond good and evil (auf der cd-wiederveröffentlichung) | m | |
thief of fire snowgirl blood money savage sea we are time |
words disobey me don't call me pain the boys from brazil don't sell your dreams |
we are all prostitutes / amnesty international report on british army torture of irish prisoners (single, rough trade 1979)
How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder? (lp mit 4 postern, rough trade 1980) | ||
forces of oppression feed the hungry one out of many (Last Poets arr.) blind faith how much longer |
m | justice there are no spectators communicate rob a bank |
where there's a will there's a way / in the beginning there was rhythm von The Slits (split-single, rough trade 1980)
We Are Time (lp mit kleinem poster, rough trade 1980) | ||
trap (demo 78) thief of fire (live Electric Ballroom 79) genius or lunatic (live Brüssel 78) colour blind (demo 78) spanish inquistion (live irgendwo 79) |
m | kiss the book (John Peel session 1978) amnesty report II (Foel Studios 1979) springer sense of purpose (demo 78) we are time (Glastonbury 79) |
We Are All Prostitutes - (lp/cd, radar records 1998) | ||
we are all prostitutes (1) blind faith (2) justice (2) amnesty report ... (1) feed the hungry (2) |
m | where there's a will ... (3) forces of oppression (2) spanish inquisition (4) No Spectators (2) amnesty report II (4) |
(1) von der single we are all prostitutes (2) von der
lp How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder (3) von der single where there's a will... (4) von der lp We Are Time |
Idealists In Distress From Bristol (2xcd, vinyl
japan 2007)
|
||
Don't Sell Your Dreams (1)
She Is Beyond Good And Evil (2) Don't Call Me Pain (2) Snow Girl (2) Don't Sell Your Dreams (2) The Boys From Brazil (2) We Are Time (2) Thief Of Fire (3) Forces Of Oppression (3) Shake The Foundations (4) Forces Of Oppression (4) Feed The Hungry (4) Thief Of Fire (4) There Are No Spectators (4) God Problems Communism (4) For How Much Longer (4) Justice (4) We Are All Prostitutes (4) Shake The Foundations (4) |
m | Shake The Foundations (5) Forces Of Oppression (5) Thief Of Fire (5) Feed The Hungry (5) There Are No Spectators (5) Crime Of The Evening (5) For How Much Longer (5) Where There's A Will (5) Justice (5) We Are All Prostitutes (5) Shake The Foundations (5) Liberty City (6) Hotter Than 1000 Suns (6) Feed The Hungry (6) Entertain Your Life Away (6) |
(1) Capitol Radio Session, April 5th 1979 (2)
Locarno Ballroom, Portsmouth UK, March 8 1979
(3) Milan, Italy, 1980 (4) "Beat The Blues" Festival, Alexandra Palace, London, June 16 1980 (5) Koln, West Germany, February 5 1980 (6) Helsinki, Finland, October 1980 |
Cabinet Of Curiosities (lp/cd, freaks r us,
2014)
|
||||
Where There's A Will
She Is Beyond Good And Evil Colour Blind Words Disobey Me Don't Sell Your Dreams |
m | We Are Time Abstract Heart Amnesty Report III Karen's Car |
She Is Beyond Good And Evil/Colour Blind (7",
disk union japan, 2015)
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She Is Beyond Good And Evil (Ramport Studios 1978,
Original Version)
|
m | Colour Blind |
The Boys Whose Head Exploded (lp/cd, freaks
r us, 2016)
|
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We Are All Prostitutes (Live Milan 1980)
Justice (Live Cologne 1980) How Much Longer (Live Cologne 1980) Blind Faith (Live Sheffield 1979) Forces Of Oppression (Live Cologne 1980) There Are No Spectators (Live Cologne 1980) |
m | Feed The Hungry (Live Cologne 1980) Rob A Bank (Live Milan 1980) Shake The Foundations (Live Cologne 1980) 73 Shadow Street (Live Helsinki 1980) |
Y Live! (lp/cd, mute, 2020)
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||
Thief Of Fire
Snowgirl Blood Money Savage Sea We Are Time |
m | Words Disobey Me Dont Call Me Pain The Boys From Brazil Dont Sell Your Dreams |
Alien Blood (lp/cd, mute, 2020)
|
||
Kiss The Book
Blood Money (ST) Don't Call Me Pain (First Mix) Words DisobeyMe (Dennis The Menace Mix) We Are Time (Ricochet) |
m | Thief Of Fire (Bass Addict) Savage Sea (Sparse) Boys From Brazil (Ridge Reels) Snowgirl (Take 3) Don't Sell Your Dreams ('A' Mix) |
Y In Dub (2xlp/cd, mute, 2021)
|
||
Thief of fire (Dennis Bovell dub version)
Snowgirl (Dennis Bovell dub version) Blood money (Dennis Bovell dub version) Savage sea (Dennis Bovell dub version) We are time (Dennis Bovell dub version) |
Words disobey me (Dennis Bovell dub version) Don't call me pain (Dennis Bovell dub version) Boys from brazil (Dennis Bovell dub version) Don't sell your dreams (Dennis Bovell dub version) |
|
She is beyond good and evil (Dennis Bovell dub
version)
|
m | 3:38 (Dennis Bovell dub version) |
********************************** reunion **********************************
Citizen Zombie (lp/cd, freaks r us, 2015)
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Citizen Zombie
Mad Truth Nowhere Girl Shadow Child The Immaculate Deception |
m | S.O.P.H.I.A. Box 9 Nations St. Outrageous Age Of Miracles Echelon |
Versions Galore EP (12", freaks r us,
2015)
|
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Zombie (Land)
The Immaculate |
m | Shadow (Master) Echelon (Instro-Mental) |
Honeymoon On Mars (lp/cd, freaks r us, 2016)
|
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Instant Halo
City Of Eyes Michael 13 War Inc. Pure Ones |
m | Little Town Days Like These Zipperface Heaven? Burn Your Flag |
Megamix EP (bonus-cd, freaks r us, 2016)
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Weirdsville [Little Town]
Destiny Dub [Michael 13] ? [Heaven] The Darkness Is Calling [Days Like These] Barbwire Halo [Instant Halo] |
Zipperface EP (digital, freaks r us, 2016)
|
Zipperface
Zipperface (Hanz Reducer Dub Remix) Zipperface (Goth-Trad Remix) Zipperface (Not Waving Remix) |
Megamix EP (digital, mute, 2022)
|
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She Is Beyond Good And Evil - Live in Dub (Coventry
City of Culture 2021)
Snowgirl - Live in Dub (Coventry City of Culture 2021) We Are Time - Live in Dub (Coventry City of Culture 2021) |
Links über The Pop Group:
Dave Lang über
The Pop Group
www.thepopgroup.net
© 2000-2022 Martin Fuchs - Alle Rechte vorbehalten!
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