Hello,
Today's artists are a British rock and new wave band formed in London in 1979. The band's hits include "One Thing Leads to Another", "Saved by Zero", "Are We Ourselves?", and "Secret Separation", all of which made the U.S. Top 20, as well as early MTV Video hits "Red Skies" and "Stand or Fall" and Mainstream Rock chart hits "Driven Out" and "Deeper and Deeper", the latter of which was featured on the soundtrack of the 1984 film Streets of Fire.............N'Joy
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College friends Cy Curnin on vocals and Adam Woods on drums formed the group in London in 1979, initially calling themselves Portraits. The pair placed an ad for additional members, and recruited keyboardist Rupert Greenall, guitarist Tony McGrail and bassist Russell Mckenzie later to be replaced by Charlie Barrett. Portraits issued two singles for Ariola Records: "Little Women" (1979), and "Hazards In The Home" (1980).
Later in 1980, McGrail left. At this point, the band added guitarist Jamie West-Oram (formerly of Phillip Rambow's band) and changed their name to The Fix. This version of the band recorded for 101 Records, releasing their first single ("Lost Planes") in February 1981. This track, along with several live tracks issued by 101 on various compilations, received some radio exposure on the BBC. In these early days West-Oram was billed simply as "Jamie West".
The Fixx's raised profile eventually led to the group being offered a contract by MCA Records. Worried about the potential drug-user implication of the band's name, MCA insisted on a name change before signing them to the label. A compromise was reached as the band altered the spelling of their name to The Fixx, and a deal was duly inked.
Barrett left the Fixx just after the recording of their first album, Shuttered Room, in 1982. This album featured the band's initial hits, "Stand or Fall" and "Red Skies", both of which charted in the US and the UK. The band found particular success in Canada, where "Stand or Fall" reached No. 37. "Stand or Fall" entered the charts in the US on 30 October 1982.
Barrett was replaced on bass by Alfie Agius for the Shuttered Room tour. Agius' stay in the band was short-lived, though, as he left during the 1983 recording of their next album Reach the Beach, after having recorded four tracks. Agius is credited as co-writer on all the album's tracks, but the group for this album was officially credited as a quartet (Curnin, Greenall, West-Oram and Woods). Agius went on to briefly tour with the hard rock/heavy metal band, Fastway that same year.
Reach the Beach became the group's most commercially successful album and was certified Platinum by the RIAA on 5 January 1984. Agius' bass work is featured on the album's first two singles "Saved by Zero" and "One Thing Leads to Another."[2] Both these singles cracked the US top 40, and "One Thing Leads To Another" became the band's biggest-ever hit (No. 1 Canada, No. 4 US). It was during these sessions that bassist Dan K. Brown joined the band. Brown played bass on the third top 40 single from the album, "The Sign Of Fire" and continued with the band on its subsequent tour. Brown became a full member of the band thereafter.
Curnin and West-Oram played on "I Might Have Been Queen" and "Better Be Good To Me" by Tina Turner on her 1984 album Private Dancer. The 1984 album Phantoms contained the hits "Are We Ourselves?" (#29 Can.), the first video in which a mobile phone ever appeared (a modified Motorola KR999), and "Sunshine In The Shade." Another single, "Deeper And Deeper," was initially released as the B-side of "Are We Ourselves?" (and also appeared in an edited version on the soundtrack for the film Streets of Fire). This track received substantial airplay on U.S. and Canadian modern rock radio stations.
In 1985 the Fixx recorded the song "A Letter to Both Sides" for the soundtrack of the film Fletch. In 1986 they released their fourth album Walkabout, featuring "Secret Separation" (No. 1 on Billboard Magazine's "Album Rock" chart, No. 49 in Canada) and "Built for the Future." The 1987 album React, was a compilation of both live and new studio material, after which the band would depart MCA Records. 1988 marked their return with a new album Calm Animals and a new label RCA Records. This album contained another hit "Driven Out" (another No. 1 on Billboard's "Album Rock" chart).
The band returned to MCA for their next album, 1991's Ink. The album featured "How Much Is Enough?" (No. 27 Canada, No. 35 US). Dan K. Brown left the band in 1994. He was not officially replaced, and the band used session musicians on bass in his stead, with Chris Tait playing bass on most recordings and live shows from 1995 through the early 2000s. The four man line-up (with contributions from Tait and other sessioneers) recorded 1998's Elemental, as well as the 1999 album 1011 Woodland on which they re-recorded a selection of previous hits and album tracks.
In 2002 the Fixx performed Nancy Sinatra's 1960s classic "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" for an album of cover versions of songs from the 1960s to 1990s called When Pigs Fly. In 2003, the band released their ninth studio album, Want That Life. Gary Tibbs (formerly a member of Roxy Music, The Vibrators and Adam and the Ants) played bass for this album. Long-time bassist Dan K. Brown re-joined the band in 2008, replacing Tibbs. They celebrated 25 years of making music together, with the release of the double-CD Twentyfifth Anniversary Anthology compilation. With the classic lineup back intact, the Fixx released their 10th studio album Beautiful Friction on 17 July 2012. The Fixx regularly tour the world.
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The Fixx's debut album, Shuttered Room, suffers from inconsistent and unmelodic songwriting, but producer Rupert Hine helps turn the group's generic new wave into engaging synth pop. Even with Hine's support, only a couple of tracks ("Red Skies," "Stand or Fall," "Shuttered Room") stand out, yet the band's clean, mechanical attack makes the record enjoyable.
The Fixx - Shuttered Room (flac 340mb)
01 Sinking Island 4:33
02 I Found You 3:37
03 Some People 3:00
04 Stand Or Fall 3:59
05 Red Skies 4:19
06 Lost Planes 3:20
07 Cameras In Paris 3:57
08 I Live 4:52
09 Shuttered Room 2:45
10 The Fool 5:22
Bonus
11 Time In A Glass 3:28
12 The Strain 3:33
13 Stand Or Fall (Extended Mix) 4:52
The Fixx - Shuttered Room (ogg 123mb)
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The Fixx had a banner year in 1983, as their second album, Reach the Beach, broke down doors and gave the band a huge hit with "One Thing Leads to Another." Phantoms wasn't as good, not just because Reach the Beach had that hit but also because it was simply a really good mainstream new wave record. Phantoms was a little more serious, a little more lugubrious, a little directionless, but it still is a pretty good record, all the same. The reason why? The Fixx were a good band. They had an original sound, thanks to the echoing synths, clean-processed guitars, cavernous drums, and Cy Curnin's soaring voice, which soared over the precise arrangements to make it sound human. The wondrous thing about this combination is that it sounded appealing even when the material wasn't the equal of the sound, which is often the case on Phantoms. That's not to say it's a disaster, because it hardly is -- the band sounds good, and the record is a shining example of post-new wave production. But, it does play a bit as singles and filler, with the Top 20 hit "Are We Ourselves" shining brightly among the record's 12 songs, but "Lose Face," the reggae-tinged "Sunshine in the Shade," and "Woman on a Train" all were fine Fixx songs, standing proudly among the perfectly acceptable, but rather undistinguished, cuts that formed the rest of the album, including a preponderance of long, moody synth ballads. Even if it was an uneven record, its ratio of hits to filler was no greater than most pop albums. However, Phantoms had the misfortune of arriving in one of the greatest years for pop music, a year where every kind of style was in full bloom. So, Phantoms fell by the wayside, but, in retrospect, it was an admirable successor to an album that defined a band's career.
The Fixx - Phantoms (flac 413mb)
01 Lose Face 3:20
02 Less Cities, More Moving People 3:43
03 Sunshine In The Shade 2:26
04 Woman On A Train 3:53
05 Wish 4:03
06 Lost In Battle Overseas 4:10
07 Question 3:26
08 In Suspense 3:38
09 Facing The Wind 3:12
10 Are We Ourselves 2:27
11 I Will 3:46
12 Phantom Living 3:48
Bonus
13 Less Cities, More Moving People (12”) 7:10
14 Sunshine In The Shade (Live) 3:46
15 I Will (Extended) 7:28
The Fixx - Phantoms (ogg 145mb)
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With its layered, synthesized textures and ponderous songs, Walkabout displays a bit more ambition than the average Fixx album, yet its best moments arrive when the group concentrates on pop songs, such as the trancy "Secret Separation." Unfortunately, only a handful of songs on Walkabout come close to matching the hooks of "Secret Separation," suggesting that the Fixx have begun to run out of ideas.
The Fixx - Walkabout (flac 313mb)
01 Secret Separation 3:51
02 Built For The Future 4:06
03 Treasure It 4:42
04 Chase The Fire 4:21
05 Can't Finish 4:13
06 Walkabout 4:38
07 One Look Up 4:15
08 Read Between The Lines 4:00
09 Sense The Adventure 3:41
10 Camphor/Peace On Earth (Hidden) 10:46
The Fixx - Walkabout (ogg 113mb)
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The Fixx attempted to redefine themselves as a guitar-driven mainstream rock band for 1988's Calm Animals, their first album for RCA Records. Although their stylistic revamping isn't embarrassing, it isn't executed well, particularly because the group has failed to write any memorable songs. Consequently, Calm Animals produced no hits, and the group left RCA after releasing this lone album.
The Fixx - Calm Animals (flac 242mb)
01 I'm Life 3:19
02 Driven Out 4:00
03 Subterranean 3:46
04 Precious Stone 3:10
05 Gypsy Feet 4:04
06 Calm Animals 4:14
07 Shred Of Evidence 3:42
08 The Flow 3:02
09 World Weary 4:39
10 Cause To Be Alarmed 3:47
The Fixx - Calm Animals (ogg 89mb)
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previously elsewhere
The Fixx - Reach The Beach (flac 439mb)
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Today's artists are a British rock and new wave band formed in London in 1979. The band's hits include "One Thing Leads to Another", "Saved by Zero", "Are We Ourselves?", and "Secret Separation", all of which made the U.S. Top 20, as well as early MTV Video hits "Red Skies" and "Stand or Fall" and Mainstream Rock chart hits "Driven Out" and "Deeper and Deeper", the latter of which was featured on the soundtrack of the 1984 film Streets of Fire.............N'Joy
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
College friends Cy Curnin on vocals and Adam Woods on drums formed the group in London in 1979, initially calling themselves Portraits. The pair placed an ad for additional members, and recruited keyboardist Rupert Greenall, guitarist Tony McGrail and bassist Russell Mckenzie later to be replaced by Charlie Barrett. Portraits issued two singles for Ariola Records: "Little Women" (1979), and "Hazards In The Home" (1980).
Later in 1980, McGrail left. At this point, the band added guitarist Jamie West-Oram (formerly of Phillip Rambow's band) and changed their name to The Fix. This version of the band recorded for 101 Records, releasing their first single ("Lost Planes") in February 1981. This track, along with several live tracks issued by 101 on various compilations, received some radio exposure on the BBC. In these early days West-Oram was billed simply as "Jamie West".
The Fixx's raised profile eventually led to the group being offered a contract by MCA Records. Worried about the potential drug-user implication of the band's name, MCA insisted on a name change before signing them to the label. A compromise was reached as the band altered the spelling of their name to The Fixx, and a deal was duly inked.
Barrett left the Fixx just after the recording of their first album, Shuttered Room, in 1982. This album featured the band's initial hits, "Stand or Fall" and "Red Skies", both of which charted in the US and the UK. The band found particular success in Canada, where "Stand or Fall" reached No. 37. "Stand or Fall" entered the charts in the US on 30 October 1982.
Barrett was replaced on bass by Alfie Agius for the Shuttered Room tour. Agius' stay in the band was short-lived, though, as he left during the 1983 recording of their next album Reach the Beach, after having recorded four tracks. Agius is credited as co-writer on all the album's tracks, but the group for this album was officially credited as a quartet (Curnin, Greenall, West-Oram and Woods). Agius went on to briefly tour with the hard rock/heavy metal band, Fastway that same year.
Reach the Beach became the group's most commercially successful album and was certified Platinum by the RIAA on 5 January 1984. Agius' bass work is featured on the album's first two singles "Saved by Zero" and "One Thing Leads to Another."[2] Both these singles cracked the US top 40, and "One Thing Leads To Another" became the band's biggest-ever hit (No. 1 Canada, No. 4 US). It was during these sessions that bassist Dan K. Brown joined the band. Brown played bass on the third top 40 single from the album, "The Sign Of Fire" and continued with the band on its subsequent tour. Brown became a full member of the band thereafter.
Curnin and West-Oram played on "I Might Have Been Queen" and "Better Be Good To Me" by Tina Turner on her 1984 album Private Dancer. The 1984 album Phantoms contained the hits "Are We Ourselves?" (#29 Can.), the first video in which a mobile phone ever appeared (a modified Motorola KR999), and "Sunshine In The Shade." Another single, "Deeper And Deeper," was initially released as the B-side of "Are We Ourselves?" (and also appeared in an edited version on the soundtrack for the film Streets of Fire). This track received substantial airplay on U.S. and Canadian modern rock radio stations.
In 1985 the Fixx recorded the song "A Letter to Both Sides" for the soundtrack of the film Fletch. In 1986 they released their fourth album Walkabout, featuring "Secret Separation" (No. 1 on Billboard Magazine's "Album Rock" chart, No. 49 in Canada) and "Built for the Future." The 1987 album React, was a compilation of both live and new studio material, after which the band would depart MCA Records. 1988 marked their return with a new album Calm Animals and a new label RCA Records. This album contained another hit "Driven Out" (another No. 1 on Billboard's "Album Rock" chart).
The band returned to MCA for their next album, 1991's Ink. The album featured "How Much Is Enough?" (No. 27 Canada, No. 35 US). Dan K. Brown left the band in 1994. He was not officially replaced, and the band used session musicians on bass in his stead, with Chris Tait playing bass on most recordings and live shows from 1995 through the early 2000s. The four man line-up (with contributions from Tait and other sessioneers) recorded 1998's Elemental, as well as the 1999 album 1011 Woodland on which they re-recorded a selection of previous hits and album tracks.
In 2002 the Fixx performed Nancy Sinatra's 1960s classic "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" for an album of cover versions of songs from the 1960s to 1990s called When Pigs Fly. In 2003, the band released their ninth studio album, Want That Life. Gary Tibbs (formerly a member of Roxy Music, The Vibrators and Adam and the Ants) played bass for this album. Long-time bassist Dan K. Brown re-joined the band in 2008, replacing Tibbs. They celebrated 25 years of making music together, with the release of the double-CD Twentyfifth Anniversary Anthology compilation. With the classic lineup back intact, the Fixx released their 10th studio album Beautiful Friction on 17 July 2012. The Fixx regularly tour the world.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
The Fixx's debut album, Shuttered Room, suffers from inconsistent and unmelodic songwriting, but producer Rupert Hine helps turn the group's generic new wave into engaging synth pop. Even with Hine's support, only a couple of tracks ("Red Skies," "Stand or Fall," "Shuttered Room") stand out, yet the band's clean, mechanical attack makes the record enjoyable.
The Fixx - Shuttered Room (flac 340mb)
01 Sinking Island 4:33
02 I Found You 3:37
03 Some People 3:00
04 Stand Or Fall 3:59
05 Red Skies 4:19
06 Lost Planes 3:20
07 Cameras In Paris 3:57
08 I Live 4:52
09 Shuttered Room 2:45
10 The Fool 5:22
Bonus
11 Time In A Glass 3:28
12 The Strain 3:33
13 Stand Or Fall (Extended Mix) 4:52
The Fixx - Shuttered Room (ogg 123mb)
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
The Fixx had a banner year in 1983, as their second album, Reach the Beach, broke down doors and gave the band a huge hit with "One Thing Leads to Another." Phantoms wasn't as good, not just because Reach the Beach had that hit but also because it was simply a really good mainstream new wave record. Phantoms was a little more serious, a little more lugubrious, a little directionless, but it still is a pretty good record, all the same. The reason why? The Fixx were a good band. They had an original sound, thanks to the echoing synths, clean-processed guitars, cavernous drums, and Cy Curnin's soaring voice, which soared over the precise arrangements to make it sound human. The wondrous thing about this combination is that it sounded appealing even when the material wasn't the equal of the sound, which is often the case on Phantoms. That's not to say it's a disaster, because it hardly is -- the band sounds good, and the record is a shining example of post-new wave production. But, it does play a bit as singles and filler, with the Top 20 hit "Are We Ourselves" shining brightly among the record's 12 songs, but "Lose Face," the reggae-tinged "Sunshine in the Shade," and "Woman on a Train" all were fine Fixx songs, standing proudly among the perfectly acceptable, but rather undistinguished, cuts that formed the rest of the album, including a preponderance of long, moody synth ballads. Even if it was an uneven record, its ratio of hits to filler was no greater than most pop albums. However, Phantoms had the misfortune of arriving in one of the greatest years for pop music, a year where every kind of style was in full bloom. So, Phantoms fell by the wayside, but, in retrospect, it was an admirable successor to an album that defined a band's career.
The Fixx - Phantoms (flac 413mb)
01 Lose Face 3:20
02 Less Cities, More Moving People 3:43
03 Sunshine In The Shade 2:26
04 Woman On A Train 3:53
05 Wish 4:03
06 Lost In Battle Overseas 4:10
07 Question 3:26
08 In Suspense 3:38
09 Facing The Wind 3:12
10 Are We Ourselves 2:27
11 I Will 3:46
12 Phantom Living 3:48
Bonus
13 Less Cities, More Moving People (12”) 7:10
14 Sunshine In The Shade (Live) 3:46
15 I Will (Extended) 7:28
The Fixx - Phantoms (ogg 145mb)
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With its layered, synthesized textures and ponderous songs, Walkabout displays a bit more ambition than the average Fixx album, yet its best moments arrive when the group concentrates on pop songs, such as the trancy "Secret Separation." Unfortunately, only a handful of songs on Walkabout come close to matching the hooks of "Secret Separation," suggesting that the Fixx have begun to run out of ideas.
The Fixx - Walkabout (flac 313mb)
01 Secret Separation 3:51
02 Built For The Future 4:06
03 Treasure It 4:42
04 Chase The Fire 4:21
05 Can't Finish 4:13
06 Walkabout 4:38
07 One Look Up 4:15
08 Read Between The Lines 4:00
09 Sense The Adventure 3:41
10 Camphor/Peace On Earth (Hidden) 10:46
The Fixx - Walkabout (ogg 113mb)
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The Fixx attempted to redefine themselves as a guitar-driven mainstream rock band for 1988's Calm Animals, their first album for RCA Records. Although their stylistic revamping isn't embarrassing, it isn't executed well, particularly because the group has failed to write any memorable songs. Consequently, Calm Animals produced no hits, and the group left RCA after releasing this lone album.
The Fixx - Calm Animals (flac 242mb)
01 I'm Life 3:19
02 Driven Out 4:00
03 Subterranean 3:46
04 Precious Stone 3:10
05 Gypsy Feet 4:04
06 Calm Animals 4:14
07 Shred Of Evidence 3:42
08 The Flow 3:02
09 World Weary 4:39
10 Cause To Be Alarmed 3:47
The Fixx - Calm Animals (ogg 89mb)
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previously elsewhere
The Fixx - Reach The Beach (flac 439mb)
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Very nicely played. A criminally ignored band. Probably because they basically just played "music", and who has time to consider someone on strictly those terms, eh?
ReplyDeleteIn truth, the only truly essential works are probably Reach The Beach and Phantoms. But what a 1-2 punch. Most band would (or should) kill to have two consecutive albums that good. The end of "Lost In Battle Overseas" - that is a band in total control and firing on every possible cylinder.