New Wave Outpost Forum

Whisper to a Scream guys. That was one of my favourite songs. I still have their original cassette with this song on it?

Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream) is an excellent song !
That whole album was brilliant – It has actually been in my circulating stack of vinyl since I got it in ’84.

Icicle Works split around '88.

I know that Chris Sharrock, the drummer, has played with an impressive collection of folks, including The La's, World Party, Eurothmics, The Lightning seeds, Robbie Williams and Sheryl Crow, which is pretty cool.

I've been corresponding with Ian McNabb, the former lead singer of the Icicle Works. He's released several great solo albums.

Michael Sutton
A&R Representative
Know-It-All Records
http://www.knowitallrecords.com

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"We'll be as we are
When all the fools who doubt us fade away"
- The Icicle Works

"Understanding Jane" is completely different in sound to "Birds Fly", so much so that when I first heard "Understaning Jane" I didn't believe it was the same band!

Another fun one to place up against "Birds Fly" is that crazy b-side "I Never Saw My Hometown Till I Went Around the World". That oughta have people scratching their head!

Can somebody help me with Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream)?
This version has words uttered at the intro.

It is different from the US release (I believe?) from Whisper To A Scream (Birds Fly).


Pls send to hill_valley_2015@yahoo.com

thank you

Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.

Another band that should have been bigger.I got all their stuff on lp when it was new.They played our university(Queens,student only)in the mid eighties and recall reading in our local rag they scolded the crowd and left early for not paying attention to the show.

[quote][i]Originally posted by JohnPaulGeorgeRingo[/i]
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Can somebody help me with Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream)?
This version has words uttered at the intro.

It is different from the US release (I believe?) from Whisper To A Scream (Birds Fly).


Pls send to hill_valley_2015@yahoo.com

thank you

Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.
[/quote]


I have that version-it's on one of my "Indie Scene" CD's (great compilations, BTW). I'll send it later tonight.

I found this article:
"Ian McNabb started his musical career with a Cabaret band called "Young World" working men's clubs, weddings and other such events. Chris Sharrock joined the band at the age of nine. At the age of 16, Ian joined another band called "City Lights". Throughout this time, Chris and Ian remained good friends. When Chris Sharrock tired of playing in the 'Mod' band called "The Cherry Boys" he hooked up with Ian again. They found a third band member in Chris Layhe who had previously been playing with the band "Eleanor" and taking their name from a science fiction novel, formed "The Icicle Works" in 1980.

Hailing from the same city the Beatles had emerged from some 20 years before, they issued their debut single Ascending the following year. They followed with Nirvana and Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream) which secured them a contract with Beggars Banquet. Love Is A Wonderful Colour was their first U.K. hit peaking at number 15.

In 1984 they released their first album, a self titled effort that hit top 30 on both sides of the Atlantic. This was accomplished primarily on the strength of the song that was renamed in the U.S. Whisper To A Scream (Birds Fly). In 1985 the band issued their second album, The Small Price of a Bicycle which failed to live up to the success of its predecessor. A compilation album, Seven Singles Deep followed in 1986 but surprisingly didn't fare well.

In the dying days of the original band, If You Want To Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song in 1987 preceeded the swansong Blind in 1988. After this both Chris Layhe and Sharrock departed. Chris Sharrock went on to drum for The Lightning Seeds while Layhe retired from the band scene.

For a time Zak Starkey played the same role his father had in the Beatles while The Icicle Works underwent a series of changes. Dave Green and Roy Corkhill joined for a brief period and in 1989 Ian McNabb and Roy Corkhill formed a new Icicle Works band with Dave Baldwin, Mark Revell, and Paul Burgess. The so-called "Second Generation" group moved from Beggars Banquet to Epic in 1990 with the dark and foreboding Permanent Damage. This was to be the final album for The Icicle Works although 1992 saw the release of BBC Live In Concert and The Best Of The Icicle Works was issued in 1994.

Ian McNabb departed The Icicle Works for his solo career, starting with Truth And Beauty in 1993 and followed by Head Like A Rock (1994), Merseybeast (1996) and a new compilation album The Words & Music of Ian McNabb - My Own Way released in 1997. Ian has a knack for compilation albums and even though he's always looking forward, he never forgets the past...

Rumours currently put him with Mike Scott of Waterboy fame. The two have begun to tour."

Three CD Reissue of ther first album coming soon!

http://idealcopy.american-data.net//Mer ... L-ICICL-03

Holy crapp!! I usually hate buying cds of stuff I have on vinyl, but with 2 discs of bonus material its worth it.

There was a CA compilation, the Vertigo Sampler, that has a unique version of Book of Reason. I prefer it over the version found on the Small Price of a Bicycle. Wish this version was available on CD.

I loved the Icicle Works. They made some great music and then started losing direction toward the end.

This file is freakin' huge but I love it, the 9 minute live version of Nirvana:

http://download.yousendit.com/8E4897CD2A0A63C1

obs, is this the version of Book Of Reason you speak of? I ripped this from a Vertigo sampler I have. The Small Price of a Bicycle album wasn't released here and I ended up grabbing bits and pieces of the album where I could over the years. I've actually never heard the entire album, only the various versions I scored over time.

http://download.yousendit.com/1283448513727557

Yep, that's the same version ... from the one and only The Vertigo Sampler. That was a great compilation. I think I've got all the tracks on CD for the Beggars Banquet/4AD sides (well, except for this particular version of Book of Reason). I picked up Small Price the past year and was suprised when it was a different version. Maybe it wasn't released here initially, but I bought the CD at a local non-speciality store.

BTW, is that really a LAME encoding job? The file seems to have some stereo imaging problems. Parts of it sounds like it's coming out of a toilet bowl. Nice cleanup job though. Didn't hear static or anything.

Hey, my vinyl rip is “lame” but in the original meaning of the word! My equipment and technical skills are both lacking! Sorry.

Yeah, I should pick up a copy of Small Price, they don't seem too hard to come by. The Icicle Works discography highlights a lot of differences in their releases in different countries. The track listing from the discography is as follows:

Hollow Horse [4:00] – I have two versions that both seem to be longer than this, one at 4:20 and one at 4:59
Perambulator [4:02] – I think I have this one, same length
Seven Horses [4:12] – I have a version from Seven Horses Deep that is longer
Rapids [4:32] – I think I have this one, same length
Windfall [4:13]
Assumed Sundown [5:53]
Saint's Sojourn [4:33] – I think I have this one, same length
All The Daughters (Of Her Father's House) [4:40] – I have this version from Seven Horses Deep and a also long version
Book Of Reason [3:45] – I have the Vertigo Sampler version
Conscience Of Kings [4:48] – I think I have this version, though mine says 4:45

I had always thought When It All Comes Down was from this album but I guess not. I have the unabridged version and the 92 version but not the original 85 abridged version.