The Frantic Elevators - Peel Session (1981)

In February 1981 the Frantic Elevators - Mick Hucknall (vocals), Neil Smith (guitar), Brian Turner (bass), Kevin Williams (drums) - recorded their first Peel Session:

Peel Session:

- Ding Dong

- Searching for the Only One

- Hunchback of Notre Dame

- I Am the Man

- Production Prevention

They playing some new material that would soon be released as the band’s third single (Searching for the Only One / Hunchback of Notre Dame). In September of the same year the band recorded their second Peel Session (And I Don't Care (Nobody Stays Here), After Hanging Around, What To Do? I'm Not To See Her, Ice Cream And Wafers) rehearsing the material for a possible album which never saw the light of day.

(see also: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/sessions/1980s/1981/Feb25franticelevators/)

The Frantic Elevators – Unreleased single (1980)

In late 1979 the Frantic Elevators - Mick Hucknall (vocals, former Osiris, Joe Stalin's Red Star Radio Band, Purple Haze, later Simply Red), Neil Moss (a.k.a. Neil Smith, guitars, keyboards, former Osiris), Brian Turner (bass) and
Kevin Williams (drums) - recorded the tracks for their upcoming second single which was due in January 1980. For some reason, the single never materialized.

Hunchback of Notre Dame (1980)

- Hunchback of Notre Dame

- I See Nothing and Everything

- Don't Judge Me

The title track was later to be re-recorded and released as the b-side of the band’s third single (Searchihng for the Only One, see relevant post)

Fe3

(see also:

http://frantic.fluteboy.co.uk/

http://www.franticelevators.co.cc/ )

The Frantic Elevators (Part 2 - 1981-1982)

The Frantic Elevators - Mick Hucknall (vocals, former Osiris, Joe Stalin's Red Star Radio Band, Purple Haze, later Simply Red), Neil Moss (a.k.a. Neil Smith, guitars, keyboards, former Osiris), Brian Turner (bass) and Kevin Williams (drums) released their third single in 1981:

Searching for the Only One (1981)

- Searching for the Only One

- Hunchback of Notre Dame

In September of the same year the band recorded their second Peel Session (And I Don't Care (Nobody Stays Here), After Hanging Around, What To Do? I'm Not To See Her, Ice Cream And Wafers) performing new material and proving the band’s creative productivity. A longish lapse of time was to pass before the Frantic Elevators’ fourth, final and self-financed single, which was released in late 1982:

Holding back the Years (1982)

- Holding back the Years

- Pistols in My Brain

Curiously enough the single failed to chart (due to poor distribution), whereas the A-side would resurface a couple of years later to become one of Simply Red’s most celebrated singles.

Although the band had already enough material for a debut album (the singles, the tracks for the Peel session, plus some new numbers like Haven't Got The Power) nothing came out of it. Hucknall quit in 1983, which continued for a few months as The Frantics before definitively disbanding by the end of the year.

Fe2

(see also:

http://frantic.fluteboy.co.uk/

http://www.franticelevators.co.cc/ )

The Frantic Elevators (Part 1 - 1978-1981)

The Frantic Elevators were a band from Manchester. Their relevance to the Liverpool scene resides not only in the fact that they gigged quite frequently in Liverpool, but also because their original bass player, Brian Turner, formed the Crackin’ Up with Roger Eagle (of Eric’s fame) in 1981.

The band formed in 1978 and consisted of Mick Hucknall (vocals, former Osiris, Joe Stalin's Red Star Radio Band, Purple Haze, later Simply Red), Neil Moss (a.k.a. Neil Smith, guitars, keyboards, former Osiris), Steve Tansley and Mark Reeder. The latter two soon left the line-up to be replaced by Brian Turner (bass) and
Kevin Williams (drums). There band also included and a fifth unofficial member, the photographer Richard Watt. The band released their first single in 1979:

Voice in the Dark (1979)

- Voices in the dark

- Everyday I Die

- Passion

A second single was planned, recorded and was soon to be released (January 1980) but never saw the light of day. The next vinyl release would be in late 1980:

You Know What You Told Me (1980)

- You Know What You Told Me

- Production Prevention

The single was rather coldly received by the music press. NME wrote:

‘Noisy acoustic beast, lots of whistling and rattling of zob-sticks […] A pity that bands feel inclined (or get coerced) to release gimmicky tracks as A-side [...]. Judging by the B-side, Production Prevention, The Frantic Elevators have more to offer than gimmicks. Not a lot, but at least it’s something’

In February 1981 the Frantic Elevators recorded their first Peel Session (Ding Dong, Searching for the Only One, Hunchback of Notre Dame, I Am the Man, Production Prevention) playing some new material that would soon be released as the band’s third single.

Fe-1

(see also:

http://frantic.fluteboy.co.uk/

http://www.franticelevators.co.cc/ )