1980: Paul Simpson-vocals, Jerry Kelly-guitar, Ged Quinn-keyboards, Jim Weston-bass/Justin Stavely-drums. 1981: Paul Simpson-vocals, Jerry Kelly-guitar, Ged Quinn-keyboards, Rolo McGuinty/Phil Lucking-bass, Alan Wills-drums.
1985-87: Paul Simpson-vocals, Jerry Kelly-guitar, Ged Quinn/Joseph Fearon-bass, Alan Wills-drums.
1988-90: Paul Simpson-vocals, Joseph Fearon-bass (plus guest musicians)
2007-Present- Paul Simpson-vocals/bass, Ged Quinn-keyboards, Mike Mooney-guitar, Ricky Rene Maymi-bass/electric 12 string guitar, drums Steve Beswick.
Where Are They Now?
Original Swans drummer Justin Stavely ran a vintage clothing shop in London’s Covent Garden for several years before relocating to Australia.
Original Swans bassist Jim Weston died in 1984 as a result of being hit by a speeding motorcycle at Marble Arch in London.
Gerard Quinn's paintings are in prestigious private art collections all over the world. Ged lives quietly on his farm in Cornwall but has been coaxed away from his rural idyll to play piano once more for The Wild Swans.
Jeremy (Jem) Kelly lives and works in Hove. He is a lecturer in theatre studies and continues to make music with Peter Coyle under the name The Lotus Eaters.
The Wild Swan’s drummer Alan Wills is now managing director of Liverpool’s Deltasonic Records, home to Candie Payne, The Rascals, The Coral and The Zutons.
Bass player Joe Fearon works as in-house record producer for Deltasonic.
Rolo McGinty – bass player on The Revolutionary Spirit is once more gigging and making records with his band The Woodentops.
Mystery man musician Phil Lucking surfaces in Liverpool from time to time but no one really seems to know where he goes or what he does.
Paul Simpson, one of the most gifted and underrated artists of the Liverpool
Scene, began his musical career alongside Julian Cope in The Teardrop Explodes, providing the band with their name and sharing writing credits on
their first two singles.
He formed The Wild Swans in 1980, first recruiting James Weston (bass) and Justin Stavely (drums) ex-Teardrop Ged Quinn (keyboards) and ex-Systems Jerry Kelly (guitar). A year later, with Rolo McGinty now guesting on bass and Bunnyman Pete DeFreitas replacing Stavely on drums, they released the classic single The Revolutionary Spirit on Liverpool's Zoo label. When the song was included on the CD retrospective of the label's output, Bill Drummond singled it out as the best track Zoo ever produced (Drummond later went on to form The KLF).
The original Wild Swans recorded two sessions for the BBC, including one of those chosen by John Peel to begin the Strange Fruit releases several years later, and did a few live shows which included supporting The Teardrop Explodes during the infamous "Club Zoo" in Liverpool during March 1981. This was immediately followed by a full UK tour supporting Echo and The Bunnymen.
The band split in 1982 but reformed in 1986 with new member Joseph Fearon on bass. The group recorded a new Radio 1 session for long-time supporter Janice Long before signing a 2 album deal with Seymour Stein's legendary Sire Records. The first album, "Bringing Home The Ashes", was recorded in 1987 and, after Kelly's departure, Simpson and Fearon recorded "Space Flower" in 1989.
The early Zoo and BBC material was issued on Renascent Records' 2003 release "Incandescent" and the 2 Sire albums are now available on Korova/Rhino Records in a 2CD set under the title of "Magnitude".
Occultation Recordings will be releasing the new Wild Swans single, English Electric Lightning b/w The Coldest Winter In A Hundred Years shortly. Advance orders are now being taken at http://www.occultation.co.uk/Shop/shopfront.html.
The single will be available in a numbered limited edition of 900 copies only on 10" vinyl, with sleeve art by Ged Quinn (who also appears on the single) and initial copies ordered from the label will be signed. Order now to avoid disappointment.
More info to follow as soon as we get it...
The extremely elegant eighth issue of Your Heart Out is a special edition called The Historical Romance. It was inspired by seeing a film about the jazz singer Jackie Paris, which prompted all sorts of thoughts about fate and fortune.
The Historical Romance is a bit of an odyssey that takes in Jackie Cain & Roy Kral, Billy Vera & Judy Clay, Red Krayola & Clinic, Johnny Thunders & Patti Palladin, Freda Payne & Pennies From Heaven, plus much, much more ...
Please tell the world that it can be downloaded for free from our library over at:
Steve told me there'd be a few surprises in store for 'the 900', so imagine my disappointment when I discovered you'd be playing @Static instead of live in my living room :) See you all in July!!! x
The new (7th) issue of Your Heart Out can be downloaded for free at: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?mwknyd233ym This special edition is called ... The Archaeology of an Abandoned Soul Single. It takes you on an expedition that will take in the young mod’s forgotten story of the 6Ts Rhythm & Soul Society, The Users and The Visitors, Munich disco and Tamla tapes, the return of the Wild Swans and Laurel Aitken’s protest, Robert Lloyd’s verse and The Aller Vaerste! And much, much more. Please point everyone that needs to know in the direction of our site at: www.yrheartout.blogspot.com
This special edition is called ... The Archaeology of an Abandoned Soul Single. It takes you on an expedition that will take in the young mod’s forgotten story of the 6Ts Rhythm & Soul Society, The Users and The Visitors, Munich disco and Tamla tapes, the return of the Wild Swans and Laurel Aitken’s protest, Robert Lloyd’s verse and The Aller Vaerste! And much, much more.
Hey! I play "The Coldest Winter For A Hundred Years" and "Revolutionary Spirit" in my May show for Dandelion Radio - The online radio station inspired by John Peel!
To listen, go to our website at dandelionradio.com and click on the link on the front page! You will be able to hear my show on most days for the whole of the month! Plus a host of other shows playing an eclectic variety of new and unreleased music! See schedule on website for details!
The Enormity of Small Things, the sixth issue of Your Heart Out, is a special edition, with The Flirtations on the cover dancing in the ruins of an abbey, while inside take as a starting point Dexys' Coming To Town shows in 1985, add a soundtrack of lopsided soul and odd pop, and enjoy lots of thoughts about how things fit together, and the consequences of intuition and influence.
Online Now!
