RECORD TURNOVER 80s HITS #240
The story of Liverpool group Pink Industry actually began way back in 1977. The band called Big In Japan formed around the same time as Echo & the Bunnymen and today they’re mostly known for the members that later went on to start Frankie Goes to Hollywood and the KLF. Others also went on to play with Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Lightning Seeds and Pink Military.
The latter was lead singer Jayne Casey’s project, together with Nicky Hillon. Exploring a post-punk sound inspired by disco and reggae their output was quite diverse, but resulted no less in the 1980 album Do Animals Believe in God?. You can check it out here, but I also recommend their Peel Session from 1979.
As Hillon left, Casey carried on the project but changed its name to Pink Industry. Instead she was joined by Ambrose Reynolds and together they started the label Zulu Records. They went on to release three album during the mid-80s, the first of which was Low Technology in 1983. This record was eventually remastered and reissued in 2008 together with their debut single, but not on vinyl unfortunately.
Often referred to as a minimal wave group, due to the use of drum machines, the group actually had a much more diverse and wide background. I first came across their music when a friend played me ”Don’t Let Go”, which was released as a 12” in 1987 and their final release. It’s a great pop record that reminds me of something by Pulp and came out on the small Glasgow label Cathexis Recordings. Later, in 1989, the same label released Retrospective which summed up their career in one cd.
It included their 1985 single ”What I Wouldn’t Give” which ironically featured Morrissey on the cover. There’s a very lowres video above, with Jayne cradling some flowers just like Morrissey used to do on stage at the time.
But let’s get back to their final single. This was actually a new recording of a track from their first album (you can hear the original here). Why they chose to do it again I don’t know but the results are amazing, particularly as it was produced by old band colleague Ian Broudie from Big In Japan, who had just been producing The Fall and played in Wild Swans off-shoot Care. This was two years before he started the hugely successful The Lightning Seeds.
For some reason the group seems to be popular in Brazil, where Wave Records put out a remastered compilation called New Naked Technology in 2010. It includes 24 tracks culled from albums and singles. There was even a limited 2cd version that also included their Peel Sessions. I really wish someone like Dark Entries would reissue Pink Industry’s early stuff on vinyl, as well their sessions.
The main core duo of the band reformed in 2012, for a gig in São Paulo, Brazil.
Photo by Michael Putland
