The textbook version
The Simon Holmes version
The Textbook Version
Boyce soon departed, and with the subsequent addition of singer/bassist Robyn St. Clare, the classic Hummingbirds lineup was in place. After three more 1988 singles -- "Everything You Said," "Swim to Shore" and "Hindsight" -- the band signed to the rooART label, and with noted producer Mitch Easter entered the studio to record their 1989 debut LP, the superb loveBUZZ.
When the album became a hit down under, it was licensed for U.S. release by the Polygram label; however, despite excellent reviews, the LP stiffed, and the Hummingbirds' career suffered seemingly irreparable damage. Despite strained relations with rooART, they forged on, with drummer Shane Melder taking over for Temple; after another LP, 1992's Va Va Voom (released solely in Australia), the Hummingbirds moved on to the tiny indie IV Recordings. After two final 1993 EPs, Gone and Tail, the group disbanded in December of that year.
Here's the scoop:
Mark and I met at an Echo and the Bunnymen gig in 1982. We were both serious, intense and spotty youths at the time, and so proceeded (in the fullness of time) to find two equally blemished souls to form a combo called the Bug Eyed Monsters to play (natch) serious, intense and profoundly depressed music. After a couple of years of dedicated and meaningful bashing of implements in various salubrious rehearsal studios, we hung it up, only having played publicly (I think) twice. For some reason which I can't for the life of me remember, Mark, John Boyce and I (all ex-B.E.M.) decided to have another bash at it in early '86, taking the opportunity to re-name ourselves the H-birds. We thrashed about privately for a couple of months, and then Mark met Alannah at a pub - not very surprising, in retrospect - she came along to rehearsal, did her stuff (very well, I might add), and decided to stay.
87: John, who is a very lovely human being, decided to leave, citing the hoary old chestnut "musical differences…" the rest of us conceded, he left and now pursues a stress-free lifestyle - his profound talents can be heard on our first vinyl missive, "Alimony". Robyn came along to rehearsal, kicked severe butt, and decided to stay, bringing us to the current (and hopefully definitive) lineup. Elated, we decided to put some records out to celebrate, namely:
July "Alimony" c/w }
1987 - " Three in the Morning"
Jan. "Everything You
1988 - Said" c/w "Get On Down"
June "Swim To Shore"
1988 - c/w "Be Careful"
Nov. "Hindsight" c/w
1988 - "Dragged Over the Coals"
In the midst of this blur of activity, we blew our cred (according to some) in one foul swoop by signing to our current record company for the express purpose of i) recording albums, and ii) actually trying to make some kind of living doing what we liked doing most - gasp!!! Our signatures permanently etched in blood on the bottom of a hefty and impressively incomprehensible legal document, we proceeded to slap down our first long-playing records "Love Buzz" with the polite but firm assistance of Mitch "Spike" Easter, the first fruits of which you're holding in your sweaty, grime-splattered palms…
Congratulations:
You've reached THE END
Simon
P.S. guaranteed non-l.p. b-side for collector scum, too…
Thanks to Lucas Mayhew for pulling this out of the 7" release for me.
