Keith Douglas: bass guitar, backing vocals (2005-2006; not on any recordings);
Mal Kergan: bass guitar, backing vocals (1993-2004);
Ian Binns: drums, backing vocals (1987-1994);
Nick Kennedy: organ, guitar, backing vocals (1993-1994);
Denis Boyle: bass guitar (1987-1992);
Clive Fenton: bass guitar (1992; not on any recordings);
Bruce Lyall: organ, guitar, backing vocals (1986-1992);
Alan McLean: bass guitar, backing vocals (1986-1988);
Calvin Burt: drums, backing vocals (1987-1988)
Influences
rock'n'roll, r'n'b, the beat boom, folk-rock, freak-beat, acid-punk psychedelic and punk rock groups and artists from all corners of the globe who made the best records of their day; both the common garden variety and the rarer obscure kind!
..
About The Thanes:
One night As I Wandered On The Moors: The Best Of The Thanes - double LP (Corduroy Records CORD 065) The Thanes have been plying their trade since 1986 in the semi-obscurity befitting an Edinburgh act that never moved to London. When I finally got to see them at the second Las Vegas Grind they knocked me out, so it's neat to have so much of their history in one place. Here are 27 fine selections demonstrating that ebullient or moody, fuzzy or precise, Lenny Helsing's band can always be counted on to take the basic garage conventions and turn them into something personal and exciting."
Downbeat And Folked Up (Screaming Apple - SCALP 147)
Brand new album of the Scottish beat legends the THANES, we cant hardly find the right words for it. The THANES have be around since 1987 and certainly belong to the very few really important bands of todays garage and beat scene. Hailing from Edinburgh, they have released tons of records on the coolest labels around, such as SUNDAZED, CORDUROY, MISTY LANE, LARSEN and DISTORTIONS to name but a few. The THANES of this ultra-modern age conjure up ever more new and always interesting twists and turns from their basic garage band vision. They are extending their collective antennae, reaching but further, sometimes bringing a new reaffirmation of a deeper folk-rock stance with evocative vocal harmonies and a jangling 12-string: to wit, there are covers by Bob Dylan, and The Beau Brummels, played out with true heart and soul. A few choice examples of the group..s mega-fixation with groups that existed in Holland thirty-odd years ago have also been selected for inclusion. One of the best is their interpretation of "I..m A Fool" originally performed by The Sandy Coast. Stomping and gyrating is also encouraged with original beat-style creations such as "It Can Never Be", "The Next One", and the furious buzz of the LP opener "That..s The Story Of Your Life". No other current band is able to combine all these musical elements of the sixties in such a perfect way. "Downbeat & folked up" is masterpiece of modern beat music and will not just take the hearts of all the sixties-devotees by storm. One hell of an album!
EVOLVER - The Thanes (Rev-Ola REV069)
For some of us who were there, the 80s garage revival is somewhat like one of those TV shows you loved as a kid but found meaningless as an adult. Sure it all sounded great at the time, but it also didnt exactly have stiff competition in such tripe as Tears for Fears and Def Leppard. But ah, the memories: Watching bands decked out in authentic threads playing authentic 60s equipment, the paisleys, the psychedelic lettering on the covers, and the hope that somehow, some way, the unlistenable dreck being piped out of the radio like so much industrial waste would burn up faster than the Space Shuttle did in 1986. Unfortunately, in retrospect the mostly weak songwriting, second-rate 60s covers, and other contrivances are more analogous to the post-gig, morning-after hangovers. And then there are the Thanes, Scots who could write originals to match their fine covers, and who focused more on the music and overall sound than on adherence to iconography. They may not have had the commonly accepted caveman look and bowl haircuts of so many contemporaries, but they made some excellent music -- as documented on this 27-song compilation covering 1987 through 2001. The Thanes generally play melodic, organ-driven rock (though never at the expense of the guitar), as best illustrated on originals like Girls, Thats the Story of Your Life, Before I Go, and Days Go Slowly By. But they can also handle more driving stuff, including darker originals such as It Can Never Be and Thrown Away the Key, plus a cover of the pre-fame Guess Whos Its My Pride. In a reversal of the typical garage revival band trend, its ironically one of but five covers on here, a previously unreleased version of the Kinks Wholl Be the Next in Line, that provides the only weak moment. Otherwise, "Evolver" is one of the few ways to relive the 80s garage revival and still feel good about it. And the story isnt over yet.
THE THANES – DISCOGRAPHY
LPs
The Thanes Of Cawdor - LP (DDT, 1987, UK)
Better Look Behind You - 10” mini-LP (Nightshift, 1990, UK) -recorded in 1988
Undignified Noblemen - LP (Misty Lane, 1997, Italy) -recorded in 1996
One Night As I Wandered On The Moors: The Best Of The Thanes - Double LP (Corduroy Records and Detective Agency, 2000, Australia)
Downbeat And Folked Up - LP / CD (Screaming Apple, 2002, Germany)-recorded in 2001
Evolver - CD (Rev-Ola, 2004, UK)
The Complete Undignified Noblemen Sessions – CD (Teen Sound, 2005, Italy)
Evolver – Double LP (“unauthorised” issue Abraxas/Get Back, 2005, Italy)
A Night In Great King Street 10” LP (Larsen, 2007, France)-recorded in 1999
COMPILATION APPEARANCES
I Am Alone (as by The Thanes Of Cawdor), on Dimensions Of Sound – LP (Mystery Scene, 1988, Germany)-recorded in 1986
She’s A Robber, I’ll Find Out, on Raw Cuts, UK Garage Disease – LP (Satellite, 1988, UK)-recorded in 1987
You Shouldn’t Be Sad / Who’ll Be The Next In Line, on Shangri-La, a tribute to The Kinks - LP / CD (Imaginary, 1989, UK)-recorded in 1988
Sun’s Going Down, on Misfit – a tribute to the Outsiders – LP (Screaming Apple, 1992, Germany)-recorded in 1989
Honey I Need, on Not So Pretty, 22 Bands from around the globe salute The Pretty Things – Double LP (Corduroy Records and Detective Agency, 1995, Australia)-recorded in 1993
I Would Love You, on Transworld Garage Scene Volume 1: Europe – LP (Misty Lane, 1995, Italy)-recorded in 1994
World Of Pauline Lewis, on If I Could Write Poetry, a tribute to Television Personalities – CD (The Beautiful Music, 2005, Canada)-recorded in 1996
You Shouldn’t Be Sad, on The Modern Genius of Ray Davies tribute CD (Mojo magazine freebie, 2006, UK)-recorded in 1988
When I Cried (live), on Riot On Soundflat Strip CD (mail order freebie, Soundflat / Screaming Apple, 2006, Germany)-recorded in 1989
Pain (live), on Ansia de Color 20th Anniversary issue CD (Ansia de Color magazine freebie, 2007, Spain)-recorded in 1990
She's Coming Home (live), on Lost In Tyme CD (Lost In Tyme magazine freebie, 2008, Greece)-recorded in 1990
45s / EPs etc…
Hey Girl + 3 7” EP (DDT, 1987, UK)
Hey Girl + 6 12” EP (DDT, 1988, UK)-recorded in 1987/88
No Need To Worry / Please Don’t Cry, on split 7” w/The Steppes (Lost Trails magazine freebie, 1988, Italy)
LSD (Got A Million $), on split 7” w/ Das Damen & Crazyhead (Sniffin’ Rock magazine, 1988, UK)
I’ll Rest / Baby Come Back 7” (DDT, 1988, UK)
She’s A Robber / Lazy Bones “unissued” flexi-disc (recorded for aborted issue 4 of Splendid International magazine, 1988, Germany)
Don’t Let Her Dark Your Dooragain / In God I Trust 7” (Screaming Apple, 1990, Germany)-recorded in 1988
Learning Greek Mythology With…The Thanes 12” EP (Satyrecords, 1992, Greece)
Dozen Thoughts Buzzing / Antenna Surprise 7” (Screaming Apple, 1994, Germany)-recorded in 1993
I’ve Seen Darker Nights / (Seems To Break Your) Happy Chain 7” (Distortions, 1995, USA)-recorded in 1993
Shipwreck / Dissatisfaction, on split 7” EP w/ The Others (Misty Lane magazine freebie, 1995, Italy)-recorded in 1994
Better Days / Never Make Me Blue 7” (Larsen, 1997, France)-recorded in 1996
X+Y=13 / World Of Pauline Lewis, on split 7” EP w/ Slow Slushy Boys (Do The Dog, 1999, France)-recorded in 1996
Don’t Say Why, on Expo 2000 split 7” EP w/ The Chocolate Watchband, The Rookies, and The Tyme Society (Misty Lane, 2000, Italy)-recorded in 1999
Hey Honey / It’s Gone – Double Dutch - 7” (Corduroy…, 2000, Australia)-recorded in 1996
Now It’s Your Turn To Cry, on split 7” EP w/ Bangtwister, The Grease Monkeys and Firestone:Legend Of The Hawk (The Big Psych-Out, 2000, UK)-recorded in 1999
It’s Just A Fear / Sun Didn’t Come Out Today 7” (Living Eye/Sundazed, 2001, USA)-recorded in 1999
No No No No / What More Can I Do 7” (Larsen, 2005, France)-recorded in 2001
+++++++++++++++Oh La LaLa -Die Kogge special :THE DANCERS WARM UP (Soul Entertainment DJ´s for quality guys and dolls) - KOGGE Hafenbar -FRIDAY DEC 11 - 9PM - open End ++++++++++++ Free Admission ++++++++++++ 18+
Am Samstag 09.01.10 feiern Miss Mal So Mal und der grauisige Fund drei Jahre Remmi Demmi Club!
Eingeladen haben wir BEATREVOLVER aus Köln.
Das Konzert fängt pünktlich um 20.00 Uhr an ( Nachbarn!!!!)
Danach machen wir noch richtig Party mit jede Menge Northern Soul, Ska, Early Reggae, Beat und Modpunk...
Der Eintritt ist frei (jedoch freuen wir uns über spenden)
Beatz und Kekse - Luisenstr.86 / Wuppertal - Elberfeld
Samstag 26.12. 09 Jolly Roger Party mit LONG TALL SHORTY und BEATREVOLVER
anschließend Party: Ska, Northern Soul, Rocksteady, Skinhead Reggae, Garage, Beat
Djs: Judy Jetson / The grausige Fund / Miss Mal So Mal So
21.00 / 8 Euro
Djäzz - Börsenstr. 11 / Duisburg ( 5 Minuten zu Fuß vom HBF entfernt )
Long Tall Shorty und Beatrevolver spielen auf unserer Weihnachtsparty am 26.12.(Samstag)! Wir haben also den Termin um einen Tag von Freitag auf Samstag verlegt - Long Tall Shorty sind ja immerhin ne alte Mod-Legende und Beatrevolver rocken das Haus ja auch wie keine anderen.
Hey boys! We're playing as a trio in december, a perfect opportunity to do your christmas shopping in Stockholm, I hear it's really cheap, ahem.. Anyway, hope you're all doing great, it'd be fun to see you over here sometime! Take it easy XXX
MONGREL ZINE #7 IS OUT NOW
The new Halloween issue of Mongrel Zine is full of spooky delights!
Haunted George schools us on Halloween sound effects and his
Garagepunk podcast Haunted Shack Theatre, King Louie charms us with
tales of stealin’ Lil Wayne’s wardrobe girl and drinking with Fats
Domino, Vancouver’s newest garage band Indian Wars find the best
skateparks, Inservibles tell us about Mexico City’s best tacos from
what is a shitty mechanics workshop during the day and taco stand by
night, a rare interview with the late Billy Van from The Hilarious
House of Frightenstein, vintage Halloween collector Mark Ledenbach,
plus Box Elders, The TVees, Hard Feelings, HYPSTRZ, The Orpheans,
Corpusse, Telekrimen, and tonnes more…
This issue includes Mongrel Zine Vol. 4 CD Comp with 28 tracks
including Bloodshot Bill’s “In the Graveyard…!” written especially for
this Halloween issue of Mongrel Zine!
Samples of our new Record Kicks single “I’m Sorry (Can I please come home)” & ”The Battle of Yoker” are now up on our Myspace for your delectation. Have a listen!
ROCK N ROLL! GARAGE! PUNK! SOUL! A bonanza of the finest 50s & 60s sounds - yesterdays sound of the future! Mixed with the wildest sounds of NOW! A swingin' dance party of epic proportions 'till late!
with two of the BEST British bands we've heard in ages, and some amazing Italian girls!:
THE CLEOPATRAS: Italian all girl punk and beat!
THE DISSOLUTES: blinding garagepunk from worcester.
EL TORO fast and filthy surf drenched garage monsters from Liverpool.
You can get The Frowning Clouds 7'' on Itunes right now!! The best and most genuine teenager garage band of the world. The Frowning Clouds "Lovin’ You" (Monterrey EP-006)
Final gig at Yah Yah's, kiss The Shimmys good-bye. For a piece of
us, don't forget The Shimmys new album "Brunettes on the rocks" is
available at 'Off the Hip' (www.offthehip.com.au) or buy a copy at the
show.