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Mi-sex evolved from the band 'Fragments of Time', that was in part from a band called 'Father Thyme', and with members of 'Think' (band). Early New Zealand performances included the Wellington Technical Institute and Dr Johns (Ray Johns), on the same day with demo recording at Dellbrook studios in Tawa, and the bus breaking a gearbox on the Ngauraunga Gorge section of motorway.
The name originated from a song they were playing at the time by a British group Ultravox, called "My Sex".
In June 1979, CBS released the first single, "But You Don't Care"/"Burning Up". Mi-Sex then scored a major coup by getting the support slot to Talking Heads on their national tour of Australia. CBS released the debut album "
Graffiti Crimes" to coincide with the tour in July 1979. The single reached number 25 on the Australian national charts and when released in New Zealand in August in made it to number 33. (Kevin Stanton says it is his hand holding the policeman's notebook on the cover of the album and his then girlfriend posing by the wall).
The group did a live-to-air performance of the album for radio 2SM in Sydney and this broadcast was picked up by more than 30 other Australian radio stations. They also included a new song that was not on the album called "
Computer Games". This was proving to be a very popular song at their performances and CBS recognised that they had a potential hit on their hands. Mi-Sex were rushed back to the studio to record "Computer Games" and the single was released in Australia on October 1st, 1979 with "Wot Do You Want" on the reverse.
The group headed back to New Zealand in January 1980, to perform at the Sweetwaters Festival. On their return to Sydney, they were back in the studio recording material for their second album. It was a very hectic schedule and at the beginning of April they headed to the US for a 6-week visit. The trip took them from Los Angeles to Canada, where "Computer Games" had reached number 2, and on to New York. They supported
Iggy Pop, the
Ramones and English punk rockers
999 along the way, as well as headlining a number of club dates themselves. It wasn't the most financially rewarding trip, but it was good for experience.
The band returned to Australia to find that their new single, "People"/"Pages and Matches", that had been released just prior to their US trip, had peaked at number 6 on the charts. It was the first single from the second album which was called "
Space Race". CBS put everything into promoting the new album and
Mi-Sex went back into a grueling schedule of gigs as well. The going wasn't quite as easy as it had been previously as there was now some more serious competition on the scene.
Split Enz had the current number 1 single and also the number 1 album on the charts. "People" became the highest placing single for the group, during their time, in New Zealand, reaching number 3.
In April 1981 the first single "Falling In and Out"/"Round and Round" was released. It was a different sound to the normal electronic songs of the past. It was only a minor hit, placing at 20 in Australia and 48 in New Zealand. The next singles "Missing Person"/"Water" in August and "Shanghaied"/"The Bend" in November, both failed to chart at all. The actual album, which was called "
Shanghaied!", when released in November, failed to impress the record buying public.
American producer Bob Clearmountain worked with the band on its fourth album, "
Where Do They Go?", which produced two more singles, "Blue Day"/"Lady Janice" in March 1984 and "Five O'Clock In The Morning"/"Why Did You Leave" in June. "Blue Day" was the last charting single for the group in Australia where it reached number 24 and also in New Zealand where it only made number 36.
The album had a definite American slant and the single "Blue Day" almost getting a look in on the American charts. But with it and the albums failure, Mi-Sex disbanded at the end of 1984.
Graffiti Crimes tracks:
Graffiti Crimes / Wot Do You Want / But You don't Care / Not Such a Bad Boy / Stills / Computer Games / 21-20 / I Wanna Be With You / Camera Kazi / A Loser / Inside You
Space Race tracks:
Space Race / Pages And Matches / Slippin' Out / Good Guys Always Win (Satire) / Burning Up /I Don't Know / People / Ghosts / Ice Cold Dead / Living In September / It Only Hurts When I'm Laughing
Shanghaied! tracks:
The Jungle / Be Quiet / Mystery / Water / Talking To Myself / Missing Persons / Tears In Her Wine / Caught In The Act / Shanghaied! / Falling In And Out / Young Maniacs
Where Do They Go? tracks:
Only Thinking / Where Do They Go? / Castaway / Blue Day / I Lose Control / Falling in and Out / Down The Line (Making Love on the Telephone) / 5 O'Clock in the Morning / The Stranger in You / Don't Look Back in Anger / Computer Games
Mi-Sex - Graffiti CrimesMi-Sex - Space RaceMi-Sex - Shanghaied!Mi-Sex - Where Do They Go?Password: PVAcblog
Bitraate: 320
Rip and scans courtesy of '
rush2112'. Thank you very much!