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Ian Smith (Vocals)
Billy Cowie (Keyboards)
Simon Lewis (Drums)
Rob Hayes (Guitar)
Ian Porter (Bass)
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Birds With Ears
Formed in 1980 when the five members were all students at the Art College and Sussex Uni, they developed a post-punk funk sound around a tight rhythm section: Smith’s sneering, theatrical vocals and music teacher Billy Cowie’s imaginative keyboard arrangements.
With influences from afar as Viv Stanshall, 60’s west coast r & b and poltico-dance bands like The Gang Of Four and Pigbag, Birds With Ears originally had two vocalists, one of them a female. She was Laurie Morris, who left the band in late 1980.
Around the time their bizarre ‘Head In My Bag’ was included on the final Attrix compilation album Vaultage 80
When the Chefs hot-footed it up to the big smoke in the new year of 1981, Attrix Records saw Birds With Ears as their salvation and risked all by funding an entire album, which was full of songs about cannibalism, grave-robbing, decapitation and, er, Danny Kaye.
Popular live, the band played to packed houses in Brighton and London with an outrageous show featuring Ian Smith decked out in a bird-shit spattered tux, strobe lights and amazing sound effects.
But sadly John Peel didn’t dig the album, and although an unreleased single was recorded, Attrix couldn’t afford to issue it. The album, ‘Youthinasia’, didn’t sell – although it has now become a cult item.
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• NEW! preview or download a lively piece by Stewy on the BWE October 2008 re-mastering sessions
Read a 1980 interview with the band in Voltage fanzine as downloadable pdf. Voltage was formerly known as Situation Butane, compiled by the Atrrix shop team of Stuart and Shaun Jones and Robin Banks. Interview conducted by Trish Franklyn.
• NEW! This completes the entire BWE album Youth In Asia on Attrix Records + three extra bonus tracks. You lucky people. Blimey we're good to you lot.
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Ian Smith writes:
March 2007
Just a note to say how chuffed I am to be included on the new improved website - I was wondering why I had been getting a few very nice e-mails from giggers who remember Birds With Ears and are now investigating the nonsense done since then - must be something to do with your site.
Also - you've got a downloadable track of ours (Fit to Burst) that I haven't even got myself, so I'm well happy. God knows where you lifted the portrait painting from, I don't remember that being 'out there' - someone's done their research!
Anyway, the site is fantastic, absolutely brilliant, and please send regards to Stuart, whose memoirs are a great read. What with the Zap Club shortly producing a memoir book of 25 years, I hope my contribution saluting the Tuesday Night Veterans gets in, because the punky spirit was certainly upheld by the likes of Captain Stupid (sic) and Gary Hawke through their regular raving platform spots during the eighties.
We're all history, baby! Warmest regards to all the survivors. Anyone wanting to check out current nonsense can explore www.mischieflabas.co.uk which apart from anything else, might encourage 'youngsters' to have faith in the fact you don't have to get 'a proper job' - or fall for the audition pop idol crap system - just form a band, dance company, circus whatever and get on with it. Make mischief. Ian Smith
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Birds With Ears album Youth In Asia
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| Simon Lewis and Ian Porter at Toby's Night Club, Folkstone 1982 |
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Ian Smith at Toby's Night Club, Folkstone 1982 |
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Gareth Simmons | Birds With Ears | July 2008
Inspired by finding your website I dug them out from my photo album last night poor quality crappy cameras in those days! Feel free to use them on your website. Here they are taken Toby's Night Club, Folkestone 5th March 1982. Regards..........Gareth
Gareth Simmons | Birds With Ears | July 2008
Hey, very nice to see this site. I saw BWE a couple of times at Canterbury Art College when I was a young 15 yr old roadie for the PA company that did the sound there. I had be been thinking about where my "Youth in Asia" LP had got to, it's probably in the loft! So very pleased to see the downloads and listen again to those traxs of my youth. Ian mentions in the interview about "Fit to burst" as a download where do I find that please?I Remember hearing that track played very well. Regards.........Gareth
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Rob Hayes | Birds With Ears | April 2008
Demo recordings were probably done at the music deptartment at Falmer(Sussex Uni) with Billy Cowie. I certainly wouldn't remember dates really. It may be more likely that some of the demos were done on Billy's portastudio. He did those on his own, or just with Ian Smith. That was their way of presenting songs to the band; pretty much all sorted out as a basic track with drum machine, keyboards and vocals. At a rehearsal we'd add our parts to it and arrange it between ourselves. If it was a song that I had a hand in creating it was done in a very different way. 'Danny Kaye' came about from the opening guitar riff; from me and Simon Lewis (drums) jamming together and saying, 'oh that sounds good, let's do something with it'. Ian Smith wrote lyrics which were amazing, Ian Porter came up with that bassline for the 'inch worm, inch worm' section, and the whole thing gelled into what was my favourite song to play live,certainly. But it truly was a nice piece of collaboration. Love Rob
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