Alphabet Beats #155: W is for....Wire

W is for....

For Jeffers the Man about Town

Wire in 2015

So, I'm sitting looking at the cover art for the 'The Roxy, London WC2 (Jan-Apr 77)' and it's very interesting to see who was on that album and who 38 years down the road who is still on the go: Slaughter and the Dogs - still at it in one form or another, The Unwanted - not sure what happened to them, The Adverts - TV Smith is still playing live and writing and recording new music, Johnny Moped recently played their first gigs in more than 20 years, Eater - not sure where they all are, X-Ray Spex - with the death of Poly they are definetely no more, Buzzcocks - Diggle and Shelly still making new music and touring. On side one of the album following The Unwanted is Wire (who had two songs featured 'Lowdown' and '12XU')- the band spotlighted today on Alphabet Beats. Click on the links to enjoy the music of Wire.

They were quite a bizzare band back at the start, firstly finding their place among the early Punk scene of The Roxy and then very quickly progressing to what today would be called a more Post-Punk expression in their music. I do have to say that their first three albums are a real delight and hearing them (and indeed a lot more of the music in this post) yesterday as I prepared this was an absolute thrill.

There have been periods in time when the band have not been active but since 1999 they have persevered as full time working band, playing live and recording new material.

For more of the Wire story check out Wire Wikipedia Page.

The Music
    Pink Flag (1977)
    Chairs Missing (1978)
    154 (1979)
    The Ideal Copy (1987)
    A Bell Is a Cup (1988)
    IBTABA (1989)
    Manscape (1990)
    The Drill (1991)
    The First Letter (1991)
1985-1990: The A List (1993)
    Send (2003)
    Object 47 (2008)
    Red Barked Tree (2010)
    Change Becomes Us (2013)
    Wire (2015)

Live Albums
Document and Eyewitness 1979-1980 (1981)
It's All in the Brochure (2000)

Wire on the Box 1979 (2004)
 The Scottish Play: 2004 (2005)
Live at the Roxy, London - April 1st and 2nd 1977/Live at CBGB Theatre, New York - July 18th 1978 (2006)
The Black Session: Paris 10th May 2011 (2012)

EPs
 The Third Day (2000)
Read & Burn 01 (2002)
Read & Burn 02 (2002)
Read & Burn 03 (2007)

Singles
    "Mannequin" / “Feeling Called Love”, ”12XU” (1977)
    "I Am the Fly" / “Ex-Lion Tamer” (1978)
    "Dot Dash" / “Options R” (1978)
    "Outdoor Miner" / “Practice Makes Perfect” (1979)
    "A Question of Degree" / “Former Airline” (1979)
    "Map Ref. 41ºN 93ºW" / “Go Ahead” (1979)
    "Our Swimmer" / “Midnight Bahnhof Cafe” (1981)
    "Crazy About Love" / “Second Length (Our Swimmer)/Catapult 30” (1983)
    "Ahead" / "Feed Me (Live)" (1987)
    "Kidney Bingos" / “Pieta” (1988)
    "Silk Skin Paws" / “German Shepherds” (1988)
    "Eardrum Buzz" / “The Offer” (1989)
    “In Vivo (7” mix)" / “Illuminated”(7” mix) (1989)
    “Life In The Manscape” (3 versions), “Gravity Worship”, “Who Has Nine?” (1990)
    "So and Slow It Grows" / “Nice From Here” (1991)
    "Vien" / “Sexy And Rich (Janet)” (1997)
    "Twelve Times You" / “X U Version (Remix)” (2000)

John Peel Sessions
January 1978.
Practise Makes Perfect
I Am The Fly
Culture Vultures
106 Beats That

October 1978.
The Other Window
Mutual Friend
On Returning
Indirect Enquiries

May 1988
German Shepherds
Boiling Boy
Drill.

More Wire
Live in Berwick Street, London 20/04/13.
Live on KEXP 13/10/13.
Joust and Jostle (BBC 6 Music Festival 2015).