Friday, October 28, 2005

Josef K

Josef K formed in Edinburgh in 1978 as TV Art. In 1979 the group began playing locally joining a thriving Edinburgh scene. In 1979 they changed their name to Josef K and recorded an eight-song studio demo tape but the songs failed to generate much interest. A chance meeting with Orange Juice drummer Steven Daly lead to an alliance between the bands and they began playing out together. After Daly set up his own label, Absolute, Chance Meeting by Josef K became its first (and only) release. Then they signed to Orange Juice singer Edwyn Collins' Postcard Records. In 1980 they recorded their debut album, Sorry For Laughing, but at the last minute the release was cancelled. Years later, the band would claim that the mix was unsatisfactory and that it failed to represent their blistering live sound. Nine months later came the Only Fun In Town, on which they re-recorded much of the scrapped album. The band claimed they would make one or two albums before splitting up and they did.

Paul Haig - Vocal & Guitar. Went on to form Rhythm of Life.
David Weddell - Bass .Played with Happy Family and Heyday.
Ronnie Torrance - Drums.Played with Happy Family and Heyday.
Malcolm Ross - Guitar & Piano. Played with Orange Juice, Aztec Camera

The scrapped debut album Sorry For Laughing has been released on CD along with Only Fun In Town

Go to the download page to get Josef K - "Sorry For Laughing" (Only Fun In Town Version)here

8 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Your Blog is one of the best things on the net!!! Keep up the good work!!!

4:47 PM  
Blogger skritchy said...

hey hey I band I've actually heard of...!

it's a nice track innit.

love yr blog, keep it up!

8:57 AM  
Blogger Michael said...

What a great version of this song - I've never heard this one before, and it's fantastic. What a great song. Thanks.

9:33 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good to see Josef K getting some light shed on them. However, Postcard records was Alan Horne, not Edwyn Collins.

3:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Actually, it was both, I think. Alan ran it, but Edwyn was partner, I think.

Domino is doing a Josef K anthology as well.

1:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nice to see where Franz Ferdinand nicked their act from.

Get "The Only Fun in Town" - a great addition to your indie/new wave collection. My reissue comes complete with their aborted first album included as extra tracks - hope the currently available one still does. My copy is circa 1990(?).

12:25 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hi,

here's Paul Haig's blog info

http://rolinc.blogspot.com/

for updates for the man they said was too cool to live ... sheeesh!

cheers

evan (for ROLinc)

8:01 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

This is one of my favourite bands and I'm really happy I found this blog. :)

7:26 AM  

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