Aztec Camera
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Aztec Camera
OR:
Aztec Camera on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

Aztec Camera were a Scottish pop/ new wave band founded by
Roddy Frame Roddy Frame (born 29 January 1964) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. He was the founder of the 1980s new wave band Aztec Camera and has undertaken a solo career since the group's dissolution. In November 2013, journalist Brian Do ...
, the group's singer, songwriter, and only consistent member. Formed in 1980, Aztec Camera released a total of six studio albums: ''
High Land, Hard Rain ''High Land, Hard Rain'' is the debut album by jangle pop band Aztec Camera, released in 1983. Three tracks from the album originally appeared on the '' Oblivious'' EP, which reached number 18 on the UK Singles Chart when re-released in November ...
'' (1983), ''
Knife A knife ( : knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evidence ...
'' (1984), ''
Love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love o ...
'' (1987), '' Stray'' (1990), '' Dreamland'' (1993), and ''
Frestonia Frestonia was the name adopted by the residents of Freston Road, London, when they attempted to secede from the United Kingdom in 1977 to form the Free and Independent Republic of Frestonia. The residents were squatters, many of whom eventual ...
'' (1995). The band garnered popular success for the songs " Oblivious", "
Somewhere in My Heart "Somewhere in My Heart" is a song by Scottish band Aztec Camera. It was released as the third single from their third studio album, ''Love'' (1987). The song was produced by Michael Jonzun and written by Roddy Frame. Released as a single in 198 ...
", and " Good Morning Britain" (a duet with former Clash guitarist Mick Jones).


History


Early years

Aztec Camera was formed in
East Kilbride East Kilbride (; gd, Cille Bhrìghde an Ear ) is the largest town in South Lanarkshire in Scotland and the country's sixth-largest locality by population. It was also designated Scotland's first new town on 6 May 1947. The area lies on a rais ...
in 1980 by
Roddy Frame Roddy Frame (born 29 January 1964) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. He was the founder of the 1980s new wave band Aztec Camera and has undertaken a solo career since the group's dissolution. In November 2013, journalist Brian Do ...
and drummer David Mulholland after they had left the punk-inspired band Neutral Blue. Aztec Camera first appeared on a
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
cassette-only compilation of local unsigned bands on the Pungent Records label, affiliated with the ''Fumes'' fanzine run by Danny Easson and John Gilhooly.


Postcard Records

The band's first United Kingdom (UK) single release was sold in a 7" format by
Postcard Records Postcard Records is a British, Glasgow-based, independent record label founded by Alan Horne in 1979, as a vehicle for releases by Orange Juice and Josef K. The label's motto was "The Sound of Young Scotland", a parody/tribute to the Motown mot ...
—a Glasgow-based independent record label cofounded by
Edwyn Collins Edwyn Stephen Collins (born 23 August 1959) is a Scottish musician, producer and record label owner from Edinburgh, Scotland. Collins was the lead singer for the 1980s post-punk band Orange Juice, which he co-founded. After the group split in ...
and Alan Horne—in 1981. The single featured the song "Just Like Gold" and a B-side entitled "We Could Send Letters"; an acoustic version of the latter song appeared on a compilation album, entitled '' C81'', that was released on
cassette Cassette may refer to: Technology * Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback ** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in th ...
in 1981 through a partnership between ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' magazine and Rough Trade Records. Frame, aged 16 years, met Collins for the first time during the Postcard period when the latter was 21 years old. A second single, also released in 1981, featured the songs "Mattress of Wire" and "Lost Outside The Tunnel". Following the two 7" releases with Postcard, the group signed with Rough Trade Records in the UK and
Sire Records Sire Records (formerly Sire Records Company) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Records. History Beginnings The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehre ...
in the United States (US) for their debut album. At this point, the band was officially a quartet: Roddy Frame (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Bernie Clark (piano, organ), Campbell Owens (bass) and Dave Ruffy (drums, percussion).


Rough Trade

Aztec Camera's debut album, ''
High Land, Hard Rain ''High Land, Hard Rain'' is the debut album by jangle pop band Aztec Camera, released in 1983. Three tracks from the album originally appeared on the '' Oblivious'' EP, which reached number 18 on the UK Singles Chart when re-released in November ...
'' was produced by John Brand and Bernie Clarke for the Rough Trade record label. The album was released in April 1983 and was distributed in different formats on Domino Recording Co. Ltd. in the US (in addition to Sire); WEA and Celluloid in France; Nuevos Medios, Nuevos Medios in Spain; Powderworks in Australia; MVM Records in
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
; and WEA for a general European release. The album was successful, garnering significant critical acclaim, and peaked at number 129 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Frame later revealed that the song " Oblivious" was consciously written as a ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...
''-type
pop song Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...
and received a corresponding degree of popularity. During the recording process for the album, Frame used a different guitar for every song. For the song "Orchid Girl", Frame explained in 2013—during the 30th anniversary tour—that he was attempting to merge the influences of his favorite guitarist at the time,
Wes Montgomery John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for an unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a dist ...
, and punk rock icon
Joe Strummer John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British singer, musician and songwriter. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, ...
. In a late 1990s television interview, Frame explained that a "boy" image was associated with him during this era, and that he was annoyed by it at the time, as he was taking his music very seriously—"you don't want to be called 'boy'; especially when you're listening to
Joy Division Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after atte ...
"—but he eventually stopped caring about it.


WEA


''Knife''

After ''High Land Hard Rain'', Bernie Clarke left the band, and was replaced by Malcolm Ross on second guitar and backing vocals. Aztec Camera changed record labels once again for the release of their second album, ''
Knife A knife ( : knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evidence ...
'', which was released through WEA (Warner Music Group). Frame revealed in a May 2014 BBC radio interview that he was not informed of the ownership arrangements of the record deal, stating that he was unaware as an 18-year-old that the record company would own the rights to all of his corresponding recordings. After ''High Land, Hard Rain'', Frame spent a significant amount of time living in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
, United States (US), listening to
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
's album ''Infidels''. Upon reading that Dire Straits' guitarist and singer
Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler (born 12 August 1949) is a British singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Born in Scotland and raised in England, he was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits. He pursued a s ...
produced the album, Frame began writing songs based on a sound that he thought Knopfler could work with. Frame signed the band to the WEA record label—at the time his manager was Rob Johnson—and secured Knopfler as the producer for Aztec Camera's second album, ''
Knife A knife ( : knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evidence ...
'', which was released in 1984; Frame explained in 1988 that Knopfler was "professional" and efficient during the recording process. Frame's experimental mindset in relation to music emerged on ''Knife'', as the duration of the
titular Titular may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Title character in a narrative work, the character referred to in its title Religion * Titular (Catholicism), a cardinal who holds a titulus, one of the main churches of Rome ** Titular bisho ...
song is nearly nine minutes and synthesizers appear throughout the album. Prior to the album's release, the band previewed a selection of songs as part of a performance for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
television show ''Rock Around The Clock'' and the song "All I Need is Everything" received radio airplay subsequent to release. In a 2007 interview alongside Collins, Frame explained further:
He's nopflera great guitarist. Mark Knopfler's recording techniques were great—you ollinswould have liked him, 'cos that was ... then, it was quite a thing. 'Cos everyone was going digital, and going MIDI and all that, and his thing was all about using the right microphone. If you use the right microphone, then you don't have to use too much EQ and all that stuff, and it was all about that. Yeah, I kinda liked that—the right mic ophone the right amp ifier the right kind of board and stuff.


''Love''

At the time that the band's third album ''
Love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love o ...
'' (1987) was created, Frame was the only original member of the band involved with the project; ''Love'' and future Aztec Camera albums were written and recorded by Frame under the "Aztec Camera" moniker, and session musicians recorded with Frame on a track-by-track basis. Frame explained in August 2014 that he contemplated the conception of ''Love'' during a three-year hiatus following the release of ''Knife''. Frame said that he moved even further away from the British "indie ethic" and was listening to the "pop end of hip hop", including artists such as Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis,
Cherrelle Cheryl Anne Norton (born October 13, 1958), better known by her stage name Cherrelle, is an American R&B singer and songwriter who gained fame in the mid-1980s. Her signature hits include "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On", "Where Do I Run To", "Eve ...
, the Force MDs and
Alexander O'Neal Alexander O'Neal (born November 15, 1953) is an American R&B singer, songwriter and arranger from Natchez, Mississippi. O'Neal came to prominence in the mid-1980s as a solo artist, with eleven Top 40 singles on the US R&B chart, three of whic ...
. Frame wanted to make a record based on such influences and "Working in a Goldmine" was the first song to achieve this aspiration. Frame relocated to the US to record the album—"pretty much against the wishes of Warner Brothers", who were unsure of his decision-making at the time—and was primarily based in Boston, Massachusetts, and New York. Frame recorded with American session musicians, like Marcus Miller and David Franke, and explained that his audience was "mystified" by the transformation of the band, but he was "too far gone" to care and just wanted to do his "own thing" by that stage. Due to the significant change of musical direction, the album's first three singles did not make a strong impression in the marketplace. The ''Love'' album produced the popular song "
Somewhere in My Heart "Somewhere in My Heart" is a song by Scottish band Aztec Camera. It was released as the third single from their third studio album, ''Love'' (1987). The song was produced by Michael Jonzun and written by Roddy Frame. Released as a single in 198 ...
", recorded by Frame with dance, R&B and pop producer
Michael Jonzun Michael Jonzun is a musician and music producer. His specialty genres are electro, electronic dance, and electrofunk. Born in Florida, he formed the Jonzun Crew in Boston with Steve Thorpe and Gordy Worthy. In the early 1980s, the group recor ...
in Boston. Frame said in 2014 that the song has been "great" for him, but at the time of creating the album, the song was not "in keeping" with the rest of ''Love''. Frame revealed in a radio interview with the "Soho Social" program, presented by Dan Gray, that he considered "Somewhere in My Heart" an odd song and initially thought it would be best as a B-side. Frame concluded, "I can't pick them he successful songs" Frame was asked during a television interview, following the release of ''Love'', about the new sound of the album, and he referenced artists like
Anita Baker Anita Denise Baker (born January 26, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. She is one of the most popular singers of soulful ballads, especially renowned for her work during the height of the quiet storm period in the 1980s. Starting her career ...
and Luther Vandross. When asked if the album could be labelled " Middle of the road (MOR)", Frame replied: "Call it what you like. I don't really mind."


''Stray''

For the band's fourth album, '' Stray'', Frame collaborated with the Clash's Mick Jones on the song " Good Morning Britain", and Jones also toured with the band following the album's release. Jones performed with Aztec Camera at the Glasgow Barrowlands and the Ibiza Festival in 1990. In a 1990 interview, recorded during a tour of Japan, Frame explained that he wrote "Good Morning Britain" in 45 minutes after a two- to three-hour conversation with Jones in the canteen of a London rehearsal studio that both Big Audio Dynamite and Aztec Camera were using. In an August 2014 radio interview, Frame elaborated further, stating that at the time he wrote the song, Jones lived near his London home; Frame visited Jones after recording the song and said to the Clash guitarist, "You'll either sing on it, or you'll want to sue me", as Frame believed the song was so similar to Jones' previous work.


''Dreamland''

Frame then recorded the next Aztec Camera album, ''Dreamland'', with Japanese composer
Ryuichi Sakamoto is a Japanese composer, pianist, singer, record producer and actor who has pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto i ...
. Released in 1993, the album was mixed by
Julian Mendelsohn Julian Mendelsohn is an Australian record producer, audio engineer and mixer. Early life After completing school in Australia, Mendelsohn moved to the United Kingdom. He secured his first job in 1974 at Milner Sound Fulham Rd. Chelsea, run b ...
, who had previously worked with the band. While mixing the album at Hook End Manor, an 18th-century red-brick building that had been converted into a studio in the Berkshire countryside of England, UK, Frame explained that he waited for a lengthy period of time to work with Sakamoto, due to the latter's busy schedule. Frame finally met with Sakamoto in Ibiza and both eventually recorded the album in New York City, US over a four-week period. Frame's interest in Sakamoto was elaborated upon in the same interview:
I liked what he did when he was in the Yellow Magic Orchestra, and I also liked that album where he plays the music from Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence on piano. That's where you realise that the atmosphere around his compositions is actually in the writing – it's got nothing to do with synthesisers.
Frame's decision to ask Sakamoto was finalised after he saw his performance at the Japan Festival that was held in London, UK. During the recording process, Frame's routine consisted of: working in the studio from the early afternoon until around 2am; a turkey sandwich at a deli off
Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...
("because it was possible to get one at two in the morning, and for no other reason"); a cab-ride back to the
Mayflower Hotel The Mayflower Hotel is a historic hotel in downtown Washington, D.C., located on Connecticut Avenue NW. It is two blocks north of Farragut Square (one block north of the Farragut North Metro station). The hotel is managed by the Autograph Col ...
, where he was staying; an hour of listening to
Shabba Ranks Shabba Ranks (born Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon; 17 January 1966) is a Jamaican dancehall musician. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was one of the most popular Jamaican musicians in the world. Throughout his prominence in his home cou ...
; and then bed.


''Frestonia''

For Frame's final album under the Aztec Camera moniker, and the last original studio recording for the WEA label, Frame worked with renowned production team Langer- Winstanley, who had previously worked with Madness and Elvis Costello. ''
Frestonia Frestonia was the name adopted by the residents of Freston Road, London, when they attempted to secede from the United Kingdom in 1977 to form the Free and Independent Republic of Frestonia. The residents were squatters, many of whom eventual ...
'' was released in 1995 and the Reprise Records label issued it in the US. "Sun" (1996) was the only one song from the album that was released as a single. After the release of ''Frestonia'', Frame finally decided to record under his own name and was no longer a Warner artist.


Post-WEA

Three Aztec Camera "
Best of A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
" compilations were eventually released: ''The Best of Aztec Camera'' was released in 1999 by Warner.ESP, a division of the Warner corporation that specialised in compilations; in 2005, ''Deep and Wide and Tall'' was released by the Warner Strategic Marketing United Kingdom label as part of the Warner Platinum series; and ''Walk Out To Winter: The Best of Aztec Camera'', a two-disc collection that was released by the Music Club Deluxe label in 2011. Since the Stray Tour in 1990, Frame has merged a segment of the Bob Dylan song "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" into "Down The Dip", from ''High Land, Hard Rain'', and this version of the song was played by Frame at subsequent shows, up until October 2012. Around 2012, Frame included a segment of the
Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.
song "People Get Ready" in live solo versions of the song "How Men Are", from the ''Love'' album. In October 2013, a book entitled ''The Lyrics: Roddy Frame''—containing the entirety of Frame's lyrical work with Aztec Camera—and a ''High Land, Hard Rain'' T-shirt were released as part of a "Roddy Frame" collection.


Reissues

All six Aztec Camera studio albums were reissued in August 2012 by the Edsel Records label, which had previously completed the same process for the studio albums of
Everything But The Girl Everything but the Girl (occasionally referred to as EBTG) are an English musical duo formed in Kingston upon Hull in 1982, consisting of lead singer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, producer and singer Ben Wat ...
. The reissued editions included bonus tracks and live recordings. In a 1 August 2012 post on his Twitter profile, Frame explained that he was not involved with the Edsel Records reissue and was negotiating with a "supercool US label about releasing the definitive set (w/ rarities, home demos etc.)" in 2013.
Domino Recording Company Domino Recording Company or simply Domino is a British independent record label based in London. There is also a wing of the label based in Brooklyn, New York that handles releases in the United States, as well as a German division called Dom ...
is the label that Frame referred to, but only ''High Land, Hard Rain'' was reissued, rather than the entire Aztec Camera catalog. In August 2013, the Domino reissue of ''High Land, Hard Rain'' was released in Europe to commemorate the album's 30th anniversary. The reissue was remastered from the original analogue tapes and was physically produced only as a vinyl pressing, but was sold with a digital download of the album. Domino released an expanded second version of the 30th anniversary reissue of ''High Land, Hard Rain'' in 2014 for North America that consisted of two compact discs, 16 additional rarities and liner notes from American music journalist
David Fricke David Fricke is an American music journalist who serves as the senior editor at ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, where he writes predominantly about rock music. One of the best known names in rock journalism, his career has spanned over 40 years. I ...
(a vinyl version was also released and was sold with a digital download card that provided the additional songs). To accompany the North American version, AED (Analogue Enhanced Digital) Records—a label cofounded by Collins and James Endeacott, the latter a former employee of Rough Trade—also offered a 7" EP to the first 400 buyers.


30th anniversary of ''High Land, Hard Rain''

Following the August 2013 reissue of ''High Land, Hard Rain'', Frame announced three corresponding live performances, at which the album was played in its entirety with a full band. The December 2013 shows occurred in London,
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
and Glasgow, UK. To replicate the original recording process, Frame used the different guitars than he used for each song in the anniversary shows. Original Aztec Camera bassist Campbell Owens attended the Glasgow performance as an audience member—Frame later explained on the
Clyde 2 Clyde 2 is an Independent Local Radio station based in Glasgow, Scotland, owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Greatest Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to Glasgow and West Central Scotland. As of September 2022, the station has a wee ...
radio station that Owens thanked him backstage after the show and the gesture made the experience worthwhile. At the Glasgow show, Frame and his band also played songs, such as "Green Jacket Grey", that were recorded for ''High Land, Hard Rain'', but did not appear on the final track listing. When asked in April 2014 about reconnecting with a record that he wrote as a teenager while around the age of 50 years, Frame replied:
The songs that you write when you're young are just a part of you—they stay with you. The interesting thing was how far I kind of strayed from the original versions over the years—I mean acoustically and everything. So, coming back and stripping them down and trying to revisit them in a kind of honest, genuine fashion was actually—even for an old cynic like me—it turned to be a very moving thing ... It 0th anniversary tourwas a very moving experience. It was like we were all revisiting our teenage years together, and it was nostalgic, but in a nice, happy, positive way.
Frame explained in May 2014 that the tour was arranged after he had reconnected with his former Aztec Camera manager, Johnson, who received a call from a prominent UK promoter who asked Frame if he was interested in the concept—Frame agreed to the tour at the time he was first asked.


Causes

On 21 January 1985, alongside
Orange Juice Orange juice is a liquid extract of the orange tree fruit, produced by squeezing or reaming oranges. It comes in several different varieties, including blood orange, navel oranges, valencia orange, clementine, and tangerine. As well as vari ...
,
The Woodentops The Woodentops are a British rock band that enjoyed critical acclaim and moderate popularity in the mid-1980s. History The band formed in 1983 in South London with an initial lineup of Rolo McGinty (vocals, guitar, formerly of the Wild Swans a ...
and
Everything But The Girl Everything but the Girl (occasionally referred to as EBTG) are an English musical duo formed in Kingston upon Hull in 1982, consisting of lead singer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, producer and singer Ben Wat ...
, Aztec Camera raised an estimated £18,000 for the striking miners of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) through a fundraising event at the
Brixton Academy Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O2 Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O2 brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South Wes ...
—the year-long strike concluded six weeks later. Following the release of the ''Love'' album, the band was invited to perform at a benefit concert for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) organisation in the late 1980s. Frame explained in a television interview prior to the concert that he was merely the entertainment and would not deliver any speeches. In 1990, Aztec Camera contributed the song "
Do I Love You? "Do I Love You?" is a 1939 popular song written by Cole Porter, for his musical ''Du Barry Was a Lady'', where it was introduced by Ronald Graham and Ethel Merman. The song was included in the 1943 film adaptation of the musical, where it was ...
" to the Cole Porter tribute album ''
Red Hot + Blue Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...
'' that was produced by the Red Hot Organization. The proceeds from the album benefited
HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
research.


Awards and accolades

The band's album ''Love'' was among the nominations for "Best British Album" at the 1989
BRIT Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
. "Somewhere in My Heart", the second single from ''Love'', was the band's biggest hit, reaching No. 3 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. Following the release of the ''Stray'' album, "Good Morning Britain" was considered to be a comeback for Frame, as the preceding single "The Crying Scene" had only reached No. 70 in the UK.


Musicians

Roddy Frame – guitar, harmonica, vocals (1981–1995) Bass ** Campbell Owens (1981–1985, 1990) **
Will Lee William Lee (born William Lubovsky; August 6, 1908 – December 7, 1982) was an American actor who appeared in numerous television and film roles, but was best known for playing Mr. Hooper, the original store proprietor of the eponymous Hoope ...
(1987) ** Paul Powell (1990–1993) ** Clare Kenny (1990–1993) **
Gary Tibbs Gary Tibbs (born Gary Brian Tibbs, 25 January 1958) is a bass guitarist and actor. He is best known as a member of Adam and the Ants and Roxy Music. He appeared alongside Hazel O'Connor in the film '' Breaking Glass'' (1980) as bass guitarist ...
(1993) ** Yolanda Charles (1995) Guitar ** Craig Gannon (1983–1984) ** Malcolm Ross (1984) **Gary Sanford (1987–1991) Keyboards ** Bernie Clarke (1981–1983) ** Miffy Smith (1982) ** Tony Mansfield (1983) ** Eddie Kulak (1984–1990) **
Rob Mounsey Rob Mounsey (born December 2, 1952) is an American musician, composer, and arranger. Music career Mounsey was born in Berea, Ohio, and grew up in Seattle, Washington, spending a few years each in Findlay and Granville, Ohio. At the age of 17 ...
(1987) **
Gary Sanctuary Gary Sanctuary is a British pianist, keyboard player, composer and in-demand session musician. He has recorded and toured with a number of well-known musicians, including Michael McDonald, George Benson, Chaka Khan, Maxi Priest, Aztec Camera, ...
(1990–1993) ** Mark Edwards (1995) Drums ** Dave Mulholland (1981) ** John Hendry (1982) ** Dave Ruffy (1983–1988) **
Dave Weckl Dave Weckl (born January 8, 1960 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American jazz fusion drummer and the leader of the Dave Weckl Band. He was inducted into the ''Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 2000. Biography Weckl started playing his first set ...
(1987) ** Kevin Smith (1988) ** Frank Tontoh (1989–1990) ** David Palmer (1993) Frame changed the band's line-up numerous times over the course of its existence and, in a 1988 interview, Frame explained that the changes were underpinned by a desire to continually improve the quality of their music; however, he differentiated this desire from "blind ambition", whereby popular success is constantly sought after. Early members included Owens ( bass) and Mulholland ( drums). Gannon was a member from 1983 to 1984 before joining
The Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to eme ...
, while guitarist Malcolm Ross (formerly of Josef K and
Orange Juice Orange juice is a liquid extract of the orange tree fruit, produced by squeezing or reaming oranges. It comes in several different varieties, including blood orange, navel oranges, valencia orange, clementine, and tangerine. As well as vari ...
) joined the band in 1984 and played on the ''Knife'' album.


Other musicians

* Paul Carrack – keyboards (1990) *
Edwyn Collins Edwyn Stephen Collins (born 23 August 1959) is a Scottish musician, producer and record label owner from Edinburgh, Scotland. Collins was the lead singer for the 1980s post-punk band Orange Juice, which he co-founded. After the group split in ...
 – guitar, vocals (1990) * Mick Jones – guitar, vocals (1990) * Steve Sidelnyk – percussion (1990–1993) *
Ryūichi Sakamoto is a Japanese composer, pianist, singer, record producer and actor who has pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto inf ...
 – keyboards (1993) * Victor Bailey – bass (1993) * Barry Finclair – violin (1993) * Marcus Miller – bass (1987) *
Steve Gadd Stephen Kendall Gadd (born April 9, 1945) is an American drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the best-known and highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction into the '' Modern ...
 - drums (1987) * Sylvia Mason-James – vocals (1993) *
Romero Lubambo Romero Lubambo (born 1955) is a Brazilian jazz guitarist. Career He was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He grew up with American jazz and classical music in the house because his uncle played guitar, lived next door, and visited frequently. Luba ...
 – guitar (1993) * Vivian Sessoms – vocals (1993) *
Naná Vasconcelos Juvenal de Holanda Vasconcelos, known as Naná Vasconcelos (2 August 1944 – 9 March 2016), was a Brazilian percussionist, vocalist and berimbau player, notable for his work as a solo artist on over two dozen albums, and as a backing musician wi ...
 – percussion (1993) * Sue Dench – strings (1995) * Claudia Fontaine – vocals (1995) * Leo Payne – strings (1995) * Audrey Riley – strings (1995) * Chris Tombling – strings (1995) *
Guy Fletcher Guy Edward Fletcher (born 24 May 1960) is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known for his position as one of the two keyboard players in the rock band Dire Straits from 1984 until the group's dissolution, and his subsequent work with Dire ...
of Dire Straits – Keyboards (1984)


Touring band members


1980–1982

*Roddy Frame – guitars, vocals *Campbell Owens – bass guitar *Craig Gannon – guitars *John Hendry – drums


Pillar to Post Tour (1982–1983)

*Roddy Frame – guitars, vocals *Campbell Owens – bass guitar *Dave Ruffy – drums *Craig Gannon – guitars *Bernie Clark – keyboards


Late 1983 tour

*Roddy Frame – guitars, vocals *Campbell Owens – bass guitar *Dave Ruffy – drums * Malcolm Ross – guitars *Bernie Clark – keyboards


Knife Tour (1984–1985)

*Roddy Frame – guitars, vocals *Campbell Owens – bass guitars *Dave Ruffy – drums * Malcolm Ross – guitars *Eddie Kulak – keyboards


Love Tour (1987–1988)

*Roddy Frame – guitars, vocals *Dave Ruffy – drums *Eddie Kulak – keyboards *Paul Powell – bass guitar *Gary Sanford – guitars *Steve Sidelnyk – percussion *Sylvia Mason-James – vocals *Vivian Sessoms – vocals


Stray Tour (1990)

*Roddy Frame – guitar, vocals *Eddie Kulak – keyboards *Gary Sanford – guitars *Clare Kenny – bass guitars *Frank Tontoh – drums *Mick Jones – guitars, vocals (formerly of The Clash, Jones performed "Good Morning Britain" during the European tour) *Edwyn Collins – guitars, vocals (formerly of Orange Juice, Collins performed "Consolation Prize" and "I Threw It All Away" on the European tour)


Dreamland Tour (1993)

Full band tour *Roddy Frame – guitars, vocals *Gary Sanford – guitars *Clare Kenny – bass guitar *Frank Tontoh – drums *Steve Sidelnyk – percussion *Mark Edwards – keyboards Acoustic tour *Roddy Frame – guitars, vocals *Gary Sanctuary – keyboards


Frestonia Tour (1995)

*Roddy Frame – guitars, vocals *Gary Sanford – guitars (early 1995 only) *Mark Edwards – keyboards *Yolande Charles – bass guitar *Jeremy Stacey – drums


Discography

* ''
High Land, Hard Rain ''High Land, Hard Rain'' is the debut album by jangle pop band Aztec Camera, released in 1983. Three tracks from the album originally appeared on the '' Oblivious'' EP, which reached number 18 on the UK Singles Chart when re-released in November ...
'' (1983) * ''
Knife A knife ( : knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evidence ...
'' (1984) * ''
Love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love o ...
'' (1987) * '' Stray'' (1990) * '' Dreamland'' (1993) * ''
Frestonia Frestonia was the name adopted by the residents of Freston Road, London, when they attempted to secede from the United Kingdom in 1977 to form the Free and Independent Republic of Frestonia. The residents were squatters, many of whom eventual ...
'' (1995)


See also

* List of new wave artists and bands *
List of Scottish musicians This list of notable Scottish musicians is part of the List of Scots series. Please see List of Scots#Composers for classical writers. 0–9 * 18 Wheeler, band *1990s, indie rock band A * John Abell, countertenor, composer and lutenist * Ab ...


References


External links


Official websiteRoddy Frame on AED"Killermont Street" – a fan site for Roddy Frame and Aztec Camera
{{Authority control Scottish new wave musical groups Scottish post-punk music groups Musical groups from Glasgow Musical groups established in 1981 Scottish pop music groups Sophisti-pop musical groups Jangle pop groups British indie pop groups Sire Records artists Warner Records artists Musical groups disestablished in 1995 1981 establishments in Scotland