Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Friends Again

Image hosted by Photobucket.comGlasgow, Scotland's Friends Again combined '60s-influenced rock with funk, R&B, and country. Forming in 1982, the band produced three singles, "Sunkissed," "Honey at the Core," and "State of Art" on Moonbot Records before signing to Mercury Records. The group released a self-titled EP in 1983 and then recorded their debut album, Trapped & Unwrapped, in 1984. The LP' sound ranged from '70s-style funk to soulful balladry sung with Chris Thompson's David Bowie-esque croon and featured their last single "South Of Love". The LP received mixed reviews,and was a commercial failure. James Grant left the group in 1984, and Friends Again fell apart. Grant formed Love and Money in 1985 with the rest of the band while Thompson created the Bathers in 1987. Although short-lived, their influence helped to define the emerging sound of the Scottish bands that followed them.

Friends again were:
Chris Thompson (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Grant (lead guitar, vocals), Neil Cunningham (bass), Paul McGeechan (keyboards), and Stuart Kerr (drums).

Get Trapped & Unwrapped here.

Go to the download page to get Friends Again - "State Of Art" here

13 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

SOOOO glad to see you back! Was wondering what happened to you...(?)

5:20 PM  
Blogger Satisfied '75 said...

Hey man, glad to see you posting!

5:19 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have several Friends again records (almost everything I think as i was a big fan) Also have the trapped and unwrapped re-issue CD, after my original was nicked by a bad man.
Glad to see someone else remembers them - for follow up listening check the bathers album 'Kelvingrove Baby'.
Does anyone know of any live recordings?

5:43 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

good news! james grant is playing a gig . jan 21st 2006 at the auld cross keys inn, denholm, hawick, scottish borders. tickets £10 each by sending sae and cheque or postal order to rory bannerman, 11 west stewart place, hawick, td98bh. more info by text 07974685787

4:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

im a big fan of friends again. courtesy of dwxb 102 music radio station in which is now defunct station...

5:51 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ahh, Friends Again! Great songs, talented band. Split into 'The Bathers' and Hipsway. Two completely divergent sounds but would have been more commercially viable if combined.

1:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

in reference to the live recording, i have a performance, roughly 8 songs and pretty decent quality. if anyone wants to trade for it, contact me at glasalx75@fastmail.fm

cheers!

9:40 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

DWXB 102 is no longer defunct. It is broadcasting from Manila live every day, Monday through Friday, at:

http://www.wxb102.tk

All of the original DJs are back including Cool Carla, George Frederick, the Ghost, Julius Caesar, the Morning Man, etc.

And we play tons of Friends Again!

3:25 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

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ALL 80'S!
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JULY 31, 2007
BISTRO 110 PALANCA 2T. MAKATI CITY
BEST OF 80'S POP AND NEW WAVE

ADMISSION IS FREE!

9:13 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

dear Friarminor - it was the bathers and love and Money (not hipsway) :-)

8:26 AM  
Anonymous Bob said...

Friends Again reunion, Glasgow, 19th June......see www.james-grant.com for details

4:12 PM  
Anonymous SkaSkin69 said...

Great band that never made it. What's with the water and air in Glasgow and such a small country like Scotland that produced tons of these bands that are cool sounding.

3:16 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I was the drummer with Chris Thompson, Paul Mcgeechan, Neil Cunningham long ago before anything happened with them on the music scene, basically a group of young boys messing around in Neil C's outhouse in Bothwell, Lanarkshire, we had a guitarist called Tommy Laird, but as i said they went on to have the success they had and myself and TL drifted off into oblivion. I believe we called ourselves Neighbourhood Threat back then. I'm now 48 and trying to get a hold of any L+M Friends Again and Bathers(Chris T)
stuff, by the way CT's mother was one of my old school teachers Anybody help? Hopefull Scott Burns.

2:37 AM  

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