BEF news

[schwenko]

from secrets-online.com


"Martyn (Ware)spoke enthusiastically about his current work with 3D sound and the next big BEF project. Martyn is currently working on stark electro versions of well know pop songs which will be performed with guest vocalists. Martyn compared the project to the Reproduction track 'You've Lost That Loving Feeling' where the emphases of the track was totally changed with it's edgy and subversive electro backing.

No pre-sets or samples will be used on this record nor will there be any conventional instruments so fans of 'Bigger Than America', the demo version of 'Temptation' and early League/H17 tracks will no doubt be looking forward to this album as much as we are.


Songs which may be included on the new BEF album that is provisionally titled 'Dark' include The Beach Boys 'God Only Knows' and The Associates 1982 hit 'Party Fears Two'.

After the lecture, Martyn came over and was very complimentary about Secrets Online which almost left me speechless and then we spoke at length about the official Heaven 17 website and there may be some news about it at a later date



I also spoke to Martyn about the recently discovered demo of 'Temptation' which even by today's standards is a fantastic recording and urged him to go through the H17 attic and dig out more demos! Other topics included his wish that a joint League/Heaven 17/ABC tour will at some point become a reality (schwenko editorial comment !!!!)and this site will do all it can to promote this idea in the coming year. Martyn confirmed that H17 would play first so that they could get to the bar and was amazed by my confession that I have never seen H17 live.
On the subject of new music, Martyn was interested in the work that Hot Chip had released last year and was keen to produce them and despite being lovingly classed as 'Trendy Hippies' by the Sex Pistols John Lydon back in 1978, Martyn revealed that both are good friends with the former BEF collaborator as well as Scritti Politti's Green."

[Frau_Blucher]

I'm interested!

Hey, did BEF really ever do anything besides Heaven 17? Some accounts say BEF became Heaven 17, but that doesn't seem completely accurate. It seems their true intent was to make this "foundation" a mock corporation for producing various genre-stretching acts. Anyone heard/read anything more about this?

[schwenko]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Blir[/i]
<br>I'm interested!

Hey, did BEF really ever do anything besides Heaven 17? Some accounts say BEF became Heaven 17, but that doesn't seem completely accurate. It seems their true intent was to make this "foundation" a mock corporation for producing various genre-stretching acts. Anyone heard/read anything more about this?
[/quote]

Here is a discography:

http://www.etwel.de/heaven17/diot0002.htm

As far as I can tell, after leaving The Human League, Ian Marsh and Martin Ware became BEF, Heaven 17 was Marsh/Ware/Glenn Gregory.

You're probably familiar with the book "Beats Working For A Living-Sheffield Popular Music 1973-1984" which goes into great detail of the history of Musical Vomit/The Studs/The Dead Daughters/The Future/Human League/BEF/Heaven 17.

[Spaz]

Blir

BEF had a mostly instrumental album out before H17 and released two albums with guest vocalists (the 2nd one was in the late '80s and, although good, was not quite as good as the first).

There's a BEF import best of with vocals from Tina Turner, Billy Mackenzie, Glenn Gregory, Gary Glitter, etc.



SPAZ
Born of innocence. Free of ignorance.

[skinnytie]

Some of the B.E.F. tracks from that first disc appear as bonus material on the latest reissue/remaster of "Penthouse and Pavement".

I prefer the first B.E.F. "Music of Quality and Distinction" album over the second one. The first one had more of a new wave sound, while the second album was a pretty straightforward R & B type record (at least, to my ears, anyway).

[rotator]

agreed. Ive got both on vinyl. I find I listen to 'music of quality' more so. It's extraordinarilly unpolished ---raw early synth stuff....completely influential on that last wave of electroclashers (2001-2004) (Miss Kitten/Hacke...Playgroup etc)

[MARV]

I don't know how I missed this thread Schwenko but this is extraordinary news indeed. Keep us updated!

<a href="http://marvymarv.multiply.com/">[i]You on the guestlist?[/i]</a>

[eight6]

What can anyone tell me about their "Music For Stowaways" release?

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/dbince/086scan.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

[skinnytie]

[quote][i]Originally posted by eight6[/i]
<br>What can anyone tell me about their "Music For Stowaways" release?

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/dbince/086scan.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>


[/quote]

According to the liner notes from the "Music For Listening To" CD, "Music For Stowaways" was a cassette-only release, but 3 tracks from it do show up on the "Music For Listening To" CD. I myself don't care for it too much; it always seemed to me like it was their answer to Andy Partridge's first solo album and the Go+ EP.

[schwenko]

[quote][i]Originally posted by eight6[/i]
<br>What can anyone tell me about their "Music For Stowaways" release?

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/dbince/086scan.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>


[/quote]

If you go to the discography link in my post above you can read about it. I have the cd release of "Music For Listening To" which has 3 bonus tracks which come from the "Music For Stoways" cassette.

They are all instrumentals, and quite accessible.

"Wipe The Board Clean" sounds like a piano stomper, with a little organ near the end (of course all the music is synthesized).

"The Old At Rest" is very New Age-ish; sounds like flutes, pipes whistles with organ. Very wistful, almost like church music.

"Decline of the West" is the most experimental, slightly harsh, more whistles, with some roaring sounds, a few blips, and maybe some reeds (oboe); again all synthesized.

Now, it seems to me that the rest of the tracks were the same in the 2 releases. I'm not sure that they were the same versions, though; so the cd release of Music For Stowaways represents all the tracks found on the original (non-cd) releases.

[eight6]

[quote][i]Originally posted by schwenko[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by eight6[/i]
<br>What can anyone tell me about their "Music For Stowaways" release?

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/dbince/086scan.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>


[/quote]

If you go to the discography link in my post above you can read about it. I have the cd release of "Music For Listening To" which has 3 bonus tracks which come from the "Music For Stoways" cassette.

They are all instrumentals, and quite accessible.

"Wipe The Board Clean" sounds like a piano stomper, with a little organ near the end (of course all the music is synthesized).

"The Old At Rest" is very New Age-ish; sounds like flutes, pipes whistles with organ. Very wistful, almost like church music.

"Decline of the West" is the most experimental, slightly harsh, more whistles, with some roaring sounds, a few blips, and maybe some reeds (oboe); again all synthesized.

Now, it seems to me that the rest of the tracks were the same in the 2 releases. I'm not sure that they were the same versions, though; so the cd release of Music For Stowaways represents all the tracks found on the original (non-cd) releases.
[/quote]

Thanks Schwenko!



<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/dbince/086scan.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

[schwenko]

Here's a link to a cellphone video of OneTwo performing "Club Country" at the Billy Mackenzie tribute concert in London last week (where BEF also performed, for the first time ever)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sQUxEy-A2w

There's a whole lot more from the concert (pictures, reviews, videos) on the web if you care to search,