Gems From My Collection: Pauline Murray & The Invisble Girls + More

Pauline Murray is best known as the lead vocalist of Penetration (more of them later), but once the band had finished she immediately launched into new musical territory backed by The Invisible Girls (who had been the backing band for John Cooper Clarke's studio albums).

She has also released music under the names Pauline Murray and The Storm, Pauline Murray and The Saint, and just as Pauline Murray. Hopefully if I can find links for each of these projects I'll include them here. Click on the links to enjoy the music.

 Pauline Murray and The Invisible Girls - RSO 3rd October 1980

Tracklist:
 1. Screaming in the Darkness  (3:37)
 2. Dream Sequence I  (3:20)
 3. European Eyes  (3:21)
 4. Shoot You Down (not album bersion but Peel Session Version)  (2:07)
 5. Sympathy  (2:48)
 6. Time Slipping  (4:04)
 7. Drummer Boy  (3:04)
 8. Thundertunes  (3:23)
 9. When Will We Learn  (3:35)
10. Mr. X (this is the 7" Single Version)  (4:27)
11. Judgement Day  (4:26).

Singles

Dream Sequences - 1980 Illusive Records.

A. Dream Sequence I

B. Dream Sequence II.

Mr X - Illusive Records 24th October 1980

  A. Mr X.

B. Two Shots.

Searching For Heaven - Illusive Records 3rd April 1981

Searching For Heaven.

Animal Crazy.

The Visitor.

John Peel Session 19th March 1980.

Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls - Live on Belgian TV 1980.

Shadow in My Mind/When We Were Young (Acoustic) - Live Stockton 14th November 2013.

Dream Sequence (Acoustic) - Live Stockton 14th November 2013.

Dream Sequence (with Band) - Live Newcastle 15th November 2013.

Time Slipping - Live Newcastle 15th November 2013.

When We Were Young (Acoustic) - Live Newcastle 15th November 2013.

Sympathy - Live Newcastle 15th November 2013.

Searching For Heaven - Live Newcastle 15th November 2013.

The Reissue - 1993

Tracklist for Reissue:
 1. Screaming in the Darkness  (3:37)
 2. Dream Sequence I  (3:20)
 3. European Eyes  (3:21)
 4. Shoot You Down  (2:07)
 5. Sympathy  (2:48)
 6. Time Slipping  (4:04)
 7. Drummer Boy  (3:04)
 8. Thundertunes  (3:23)
 9. When Will We Learn  (3:35)
10. Mr. X  (4:27)
11. Judgement Day  (4:26)
-Bonus Tracks-
12. The Visitor (Searching for Heaven EP)  (3:44)
13. Animal Crazy (Searching for Heaven EP)  (3:17)
14. Searching for Heaven (Searching for Heaven EP)  (2:59).

You might be interested to know that tracks 12-13 a certain guitarist named Wayne Hussey plays on them.

On track 14 Bernard Summer of New Order plays guitar.

Drums on all tracks by John Maher of Buzzcocks.

I was delighted to read that the album is getting a further reissue on 7th October 2014 with a Double Album/CD version.

"It's a bit of a missing link album," says Pauline today. "Written and recorded after punk, but before Martin Rushent and the Human League made airy pop respectable again. We chose the other Martin in 1980 because we wanted the incredible sounds he achieved for Joy Division and Magazine. Thundertunes, basically."

The Tracklist for the 2CD set is as follows:

Disc 1:
1. Screaming In the Darkness
2. Dream Sequence
3. European Eyes
4. Shoot You Down
5. Sympathy
6. Time Slipping
7. Drummer Boy
8. Thundertunes
9. When Will We Learn
10. Mr X
11. Judgement Day
12. Searching for Heaven
13. The Visitor
14. Animal Crazy
15. Dream Sequence II
16. Two Shots
17. Shoot You Down (Peel 3/1980)
18. Sympathy (Peel 3/1980)
19. When Will We Learn (Peel 3/1980)
20. Dream Sequence (Peel 3/1980)

Disc 2:
1. Screaming In the Darkness (live 1981)
2. Searching for Heaven (live 1981)
3. Time Slipping (live 1981)
4. Dream Sequence (live 1981)
5. Two Shots (live 1981)
6. When Will We Learn (live 1981)
7. Mr X (live 1981)
8. Animal Crazy (live 1981)
9. European Eyes (live 1981)
10. Thundertunes (live 1981)
11. Animal Crazy (live 1981)
11. Time Slipping (live 1981)
12. Dream Sequence (live 1981)
14. Two Shots (live 1981)
15. Sympathy (live 1980)
16. Dream Sequence (live 1980)
17. Time Slipping (live 1980)
18. Drummer Boy (live 1980)
19. European Eyes (live 1980)
20. Thundertunes (live 1980)
21. Shoot You Down (live 1980)
22. Judgement Day (live 1980)
23. When Will We Learn (live 1980)

For more information on the 2014 Reissue click here.

Pauline Murray and The Storm

New Age - Polestar, November 1986.

(This also had The Saint on it)

Holocaust.

Pauline Murray

This Thing Called Love/Mr Money/Pressure Zone 12" - Cat and Mouse Records 1989.

Released on Cat and Mouse Records in 1989.

Tracklist
This Thing Called Love (3:34) / Holocaust (2:19) / Soul Power (3:10) / No One Like You (2:57) / Another World (3:03) / Don't Give Up (4:58) // Pressure Zone (4:23) / Close Watch (3:07) / Everybody's Talking (3:06) / New Age (3:51) / Time (4:52).

Penetration

Don't Dictate 1977 Virgin Records

 Don't Dictate / Money Talks

Firing Squad - Virgin Records 1978

Firing Squad / Never

Life's A Gamble - Virgin Records 1978.

 Life's A Gamble / V.I.P.

Moving Targets LP - Virgin Records 1978

Listen to Moving Targets Album Here.

Danger Signs 12" - Virgin Records 1979.

Danger Signs / Stone Heroes (Live) / Vision (Live) 

Come Into the Open - Virgin Records 1979

Come Into the Open / Lifeline

Coming Up For Air LP - Virgin Records 1979

 Listen to Coming Up For Air Album Here.

Our World (Damaged Goods 2008).

 The Feeling (Damaged Goods 2010).

Penetration Live 1978-79 (Easy Action 2008)

'Live 1978-79' is a two disc set consisting of two live shows. The first from The Thames Polytechnic on the 16th December 1978 and the second, their final show at Newcastle City Hall on the 14th October 1979 in it's entirity (previously a few tracks had been released on 'Race Against Time' in 1979 but as far as I'm aware this is the first time the whole show has had a proper release).

The Thames Poly show would have been just as the debut album 'Moving Targets' was released and ten of the tracks represented on the album are part of the set (only 'Reunion' is missing). Two highlights from this particular set are the two cover versions, Patti Smith's 'Free Money' and Buzzcocks' 'Nostalgia' (kind of funny that only a month before the release of Penetration's debut that Buzzcocks had released their second album 'Love Bites' which contained 'Nostalgia').
The second show is their final show (though they did reform in 2001 and are still out and about today) and the spotlight shifts to the 'Coming Up For Air' album. The songs may not be as strong as the debut but the band actually sound much better (the inclusions of Neale Floyd and Fred Purser on guitar after Gary Chaplin departed was really bearing fruit). With the band knowing it was the last gig they seemed to play with greater abandon laying down an excellent 26 song set (that included a final encore of 'Firing Squad', 'Don't Dictate' and 'Danger Signs' for the second time that night).

Read here a great piece from Eccentric Sleeve Notes.

I had the pleasure of seeing them live quite a few times way back when and whilst these two shows are quite different from each other, they are a testament to exactly how good they were when on stage. Not only is Pauline Murray an exceptional vocalist but the band are pretty tight and seemed to be more musically gifted than some of the other bands who were around at the time (the band were Pauline Murray - Vocals, Robert Blamire - Bass, Gary Chaplin - Guitar (1976-78), Neale Floyd - Guitar (1978-79), Fred Purser - Guitar (1978-79) and Gary Smallman - Drums (1976-79). The current line up has only Pauline and Robert as the original members).

LIVE VIDEOS:

DON'T DICTATE LIVE AT ELECTRIC CIRCUS, MANCHESTER 1977. 

LOVERS OF OUTRAGE LIVE AT READING FESTIVAL 1978.

Don't Dictate/Danger Signs - Live at Rebellion 2012.

Re-animated DVD

 Nostalgia.

She is the Slave.

Don't Dictate/Come Into The Open.

Shout Above the Noise.

Stone Heroes.

Firing Squad.

SESSIONS:

JOHN PEEL SESSION BROADCAST 10TH JULY 1978. Contains: Future Daze, Vision, Stone Heroes and Movement.

JOHN PEEL SESSION BROADCAST 7TH MARCH 1979. Contains: Danger Signs, Last Saving Grace and She Is The Slave.

For more information regarding Pauline Murray click here for her official website.