Paul Thompson (Vocals/Guitar),
Dave Foy (Guitar/Vocals),
Ian Miller (Bass),
Aidy Gill (Drums).
But a big mention must also go out to Nick East, Pat Morris, Nev Holgate and the ever-wonderful Chris Black. Word too for Jason Goodwin, the man responsible for turning my rather vague sketches into the bands resplendent artwork!
Influences
I have to say that the single biggest influences on my writing were the late, great Joe Strummer who taught me to reach for the sky; and the much-missed Wiz of Mega City Four, who taught me to try and take everyone else with me. Everything else was just what we fancied doing at the time. It all came and went, Fraggle, Grunge, New Wave Of The New Wave, Brit-bloody-pop....we just did what we did fashion be damned and probably, ultimately, paid the price. What the hell. Sometimes it's better to break than bend.
Sounds Like
OK OK Here's the plan. To sound like everyone and no-one at the same time. If you get that right you're home and dry. Did we manage that? Probably not. But it was a damned fine try.
Fiercely independent pop-punk 4-piece from old Kingston Town. For ten long years we toured the highways and byways of Smalltown UK, selling little slabs of vinyl out the back of our van, trying to conquer the world. Seem a bit naive? Maybe. But it was great fun while it lasted and we touched a lot of lives along the way. When we finally abandoned that beat-up Transit on some dark late-night B-road, sometime in 2001, we kinda knew it was the end of the line. But here are 4 reasons why it was all worth it....hell, we were pretty damned good. There's a compilation of our output 1999-2001 available now, details on how to order are on a blog above. If you can't wait, I'm still treading the boards as Joe Solo....check out the link. In the meantime, whatever you all go on to do, do it magnificent. Take care. Paul. xxxx
Hi there !
Do ya know that the best thing when getting back into Hull via the train was the graffiti "Lithium Joe welcome to Joe town" and its all painted over now .... maybe someone should get out there with the spay cans again as i'm confused as too whether I'm actually home or not now !! LOL .
Cheers you guys... get spraying.
M x
More chronological than anything else, cos a man's got to do some work:
Pretend (You Haven't Changed)
Belongings
I'm Not Saying
Passengers
Forget To Remember
The Ghost Road
Unintentional
Starting Again
All I've Got Is What I Am
Pretending That I Care
And I quite liked one from about 1994 that was always played after 'I'm Not Saying', though I can't remember its title, nor was it recorded, which probably tells its own story!
OK sad as this is, interfering with my own page, if we're gonna start down this road then here we are...straight from the horses mouth...an LJ top ten from the poor bloke who had to sing em.
1. Touchstone.
2. Unintentional.
3. Belongings.
4. Do.
5. Pretending That I Care.
6. This Is Your Life.
7. Wake-Up Call.
8. Alone-o-phobia.
9. Stolen Summer.
10. Last Of The Dreamers.
And that, even if I do say so myself, would have made a damn fine album. And hey, you all missed out.
Pay more attention next time.
Joe.
Okay at the risk of monopolising the message section...
Top Ten Lithium Joe songs (in no real order, numbered for convenience):
1. 50.000 Miles
2. Monkey Puzzle
3. Deserter
4. Belongings
5. Stolen Summer
6. Red Flag
7. Stay Alive
8. All I got is what I am
9. Ghost Road
10. Oh God the one off the last CD, the one that steals the Woody Guthrie line...aarggh... single word title...in the imperative...Do?
Probably missed out loads of favourites, and keep coming across demoes and singles I'd long forgotten.
Was there a song called Ghosting, sort of a drop outty feedbacky end of gig noise thing? I liked that too.
Stay Alive is the original demo version on MP3? God I loved that. It was like Lithium Joe's London Calling.
Passengers? Outsiders? £1.50? Man my head sure does hurt.
Fuck knows how many Lith Joe gigs I saw, but the wise money is on a million and a half. (oh and stick a couple of Toytown Postcard ones on top)
I drove. I humped equipment. I heckled. They were the best band in town wherever they played. I promise.
The best moments were doing a flier from Scunny with a sky full of ill gotten cash; urban surfing in Leeds (don't try it kiddoes); listening to Deserter for the last time in the pracstise room, and Aidy's debut in Scarboro.
Tread gently ladies and gentlemen cos you tread on my memories.
