Steve James Sherlock (born 1953) is a British composer, musician, saxophone player who was a founder member of
Neu Electrikk, joined
Matt Johnson in the
Post punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...
band
The The
() are an English post-punk band. They have been active in various forms since 1979, with singer-songwriter Matt Johnson being the only constant band member. achieved critical acclaim and commercial success in the UK, with 15 chart singles ...
and notably
Marc Almond
Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the synthpop/ new wave duo Soft Cell where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. ...
in
Marc and the Mambas
Marc and the Mambas were a new wave group, formed by Marc Almond in 1982 as an offshoot project from Soft Cell. The band's line-up changed frequently, and included Matt Johnson from and Annie Hogan, with whom Almond worked later in his solo ...
.
Career summary
Sherlock grew up in
Thornton Heath
Thornton Heath is a district of Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon. It is around north of the town of Croydon, and south of Charing Cross. Prior to the creation of Greater London in 1965, Thornton Heath was in the Co ...
, UK, and played the saxophone, clarinet and Flute. On hearing musicians like
Andy Mackay of the 1970s band
Roxy Music
Roxy Music are an English rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter—and bassist Graham Simpson. The other longtime members are Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (saxophone ...
and Davey Payne,
Ian Dury
Ian Robins Dury (12 May 1942 27 March 2000) was a British singer, songwriter and actor who rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and new wave era of rock music. He was the lead singer and lyricist of Ian Dury and the Blockheads ...
and
The Blockheads
The Blockheads are an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Originally fronted by lead singer Ian Dury as Ian Dury and the Blockheads or Ian and the Blockheads, the band has continued to perform since Dury's death in 2000. Current member ...
Sherlock developed his own method of playing. This invariably involved experimenting with sound and processing the playing through various effects pedals.
He met the vocalist Derek Morris in 1977 and together they formed Electra Vogue.
Steve Parry later joined Sherlock and Morris having answered an advert placed by Morris in the
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 ...
for experimental musicians into
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...
,
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
. This trio of musicians formed the nucleus of what was later to become
Neu Electrikk
Neu Electrikk
Neu Electrikk comprised singer songwriter Derek Morris, guitarist and electronics Steve Parry, bass player Nicholas Chamberlain Hunt, sax/flute/treatments Steve Sherlock and Barry Deller on drums/percussion.
Neu Electrikk were based in London and part of the experimental, post punk music scene that included artists like
This Heat
This Heat were an English experimental rock band, formed in early 1976 in Camberwell, London by multi-instrumentalists Charles Bullen (guitar, clarinet, viola, vocals, tapes), Charles Hayward (drums, keyboards, vocals, tapes) and Gareth Wil ...
,
The The
() are an English post-punk band. They have been active in various forms since 1979, with singer-songwriter Matt Johnson being the only constant band member. achieved critical acclaim and commercial success in the UK, with 15 chart singles ...
,
Wire
Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample diameter 40 mm
A wire is a flexible strand of metal.
Wire is c ...
and
Throbbing Gristle. Live concerts were erratic events, whereby three-minute songs became long passages of improvisation and noise. Neu Electrikk would often take to the stage to the voice of
Frank Sinatra being accompanied by pre-recorded tapes of bird song and the sound of an industrial hammer.
The The
Sherlock became involved with Matt Johnson having been introduced by Steve Parry. Keith Laws had quit the The and they comprised Matt Johnson with Simon Turner (guitar/vocals), Colin Lloyd Tucker (guitar/vocals) and Steve Sherlock (saxophone).
In 1982 he contributed
Flute and Saxophone to 'Three Orange Kisses From Kazan' and 'Waitin' For The Upturn', compositions for the intended debut album by the The (The Pornography of Despair), but this album was never officially released. Both compositions later appeared on the b-side to the 12" version of 'Uncertain Smile' and were included on the cassette version of
Soul Mining
''Soul Mining'' is the debut album by British post-punk/ synth-pop band (the 1981 album '' Burning Blue Soul'' was originally released by the band's frontman Matt Johnson as a solo album, but later reissues credited it to ). After a bidding wa ...
.
Sherlock played Flute and Saxophone on the demo recording of 'Uncertain Smile'. Matt had defined most of the crisp melody lines on his original demo
with Sherlock having contributed the Sax and Flute lines. However, Johnson later recorded a version of the composition in New York City with sax and flute session player Crispin Cioe. Sherlock played with the The at their month-long
Marquee Club
The Marquee Club was a music venue first located at 165 Oxford Street in London, when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. Its most famous period was from 1964 to 1988 at 90 Wardour Street in Soho, and it finally closed wh ...
residency in London.
Marc Almond
Matt Johnson recommended Sherlock to Marc Almond.
Marc and the Mambas was a new wave group, formed by Marc Almond, in 1982 as an offshoot project from Soft Cell. Notably the only consistent members of Marc and the Mambas were Marc Almond, Anne Hogan and Steve James Sherlock.
Almond and Sherlock, together with Annie Hogan recorded as Marc and the Mambas.
His inventive playing featured prominently on 'Torment and Toreros'. Sherlock notably sharing writing credits with Almond for the track Narcissus for the album. Marc and the Mambas could be considered the blueprint for Marc Almond's solo career. Torment and Toreros being an eclectic blend of Vaudeville, French chanson, goth sensibility, guitar noise, saxophones/flutes, piano and string sections.
Marc Almond became mentally ill during the course of making the album and he later noted ironically that the Torment and Toreros album was a nervous breakdown put to music.
'Torment and Toreros' reached No. 28 in the UK album charts in August 1983.
Official Charts Marc Almond (Marc and the Mambas) Torment and Toreros
/ref> Shortly after completing the album Almond disbanded the band. Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons has referred to Marc and the Mambas being his favourite band all through his teens, becoming the starting point for Antony and the Johnsons and the album 'Torment and Toreros' being probably the definitive record of his adolescence.
2012 – Steve James Sherlock featured on Marc and the Mambas limited edition CD/DVD set Three Black Nights of Little Black Bites – Live at the Duke of York's Theatre, 1983. The concert DVD was filmed by Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson from the industrial, avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
visual art group Throbbing Gristle.
Other recordings
Sherlock worked on various sessions with Keith Laws The The
() are an English post-punk band. They have been active in various forms since 1979, with singer-songwriter Matt Johnson being the only constant band member. achieved critical acclaim and commercial success in the UK, with 15 chart singles ...
(unreleased). Recorded with Matt Johnson/Colin Lloyd Tucker/ Simon Fisher Turner contributing to the Deux Filles – 'Silence and Wisdom' LP. Sherlock contributed flute to the track 'The Hungry Years by Marc Almond and Andi Sexgang included on the 1983 compilation album 'The Whip'. Sherlock recorded with Red Army Choir for their EP Schizophrenic – released 1981 on Red Rhino Records
Red Rhino Records, also known as Red Rhino, was a British independent record label which was developed by the independent record shop and wholesaler of the same name, all formed and run by "Tony K" (Tony Kostrzewa) and his wife Gerri. It was part ...
.
Selected discography
* ''Cover Girl'' – Neu Electrikk (1979)
* ''Lust of Berlin'' – Neu Electrikk (1978)
* ''Soul Mining
''Soul Mining'' is the debut album by British post-punk/ synth-pop band (the 1981 album '' Burning Blue Soul'' was originally released by the band's frontman Matt Johnson as a solo album, but later reissues credited it to ). After a bidding wa ...
'' (cassette and later extra tracks CD version) – The The
() are an English post-punk band. They have been active in various forms since 1979, with singer-songwriter Matt Johnson being the only constant band member. achieved critical acclaim and commercial success in the UK, with 15 chart singles ...
(1983)
* ''Torment and Toreros
''Torment and Toreros'' is the second album to be released by Marc and the Mambas. The album reached #28 on the UK album charts in August 1983. The song "Torment" was written by Marc Almond, Steven Severin of Siouxsie and the Banshees, Robert Sm ...
'' – Marc and the Mambas
Marc and the Mambas were a new wave group, formed by Marc Almond in 1982 as an offshoot project from Soft Cell. The band's line-up changed frequently, and included Matt Johnson from and Annie Hogan, with whom Almond worked later in his solo ...
(1983)
* ''Uncertain Smile'' – (12" Single b-side) – The The
() are an English post-punk band. They have been active in various forms since 1979, with singer-songwriter Matt Johnson being the only constant band member. achieved critical acclaim and commercial success in the UK, with 15 chart singles ...
(1982)
* ''Silence and Wisdom'' – Deux Filles (1982)
* ''Red1B3'' – Red Army Choir (1982)
* ''Three Black Nights of Little Black Bites'' – Marc and the Mambas
Marc and the Mambas were a new wave group, formed by Marc Almond in 1982 as an offshoot project from Soft Cell. The band's line-up changed frequently, and included Matt Johnson from and Annie Hogan, with whom Almond worked later in his solo ...
(1983)
* ''Silence & Wisdom'' & ''Double Happiness'' – Deux Filles (1982,1983,2013) Double CD Package LTM Records
References
External links
*Discog
*Allmusi
*Marc and the Mamba
*Th
*Neu Electrik
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sherlock, Steve James
English rock saxophonists
British male saxophonists
Living people
1953 births
People from Thornton Heath
Musicians from London
Marc and the Mambas members
21st-century saxophonists
21st-century British male musicians