Pool Of Sound - China Crisis

Eddie Lundon and Gary Daly - China Crisis

'China Crisis' were formed in Kirkby, near Liverpool in 1979 with vocalist/keyboardist Gary Daly and guitarist Eddie Lundon. Essentially the duo of Eddie and Gary joined at times by additional band members and guests, some say are probably the most under rated band of their generation. They met around 1976 at St Kevins Comprehensive RC School for boys, Europe's largest of its kind. Gary says of those early days, "When me and Ed were young kids in Kirkby, we'd go to Woolworths and they'd have guitars in there. Our local shops that sold TV's and washing machines would also have record players with a selection of albums. There was music everywhere". Gary started out as a bass guitarist but he says, "Eddie's mum, Katie, had a catalogue at the time circa 1980 / 81 which could be found in most working class homes. So basically you could order and pay on a weekly basis, all manner of goods, everything from clothing to children’s toys, gardening to electrical goods and wow! There it was… a Yamaha CS 10 monophonic keyboard and Katie very kindly ordered it for us.We had been listening to so much Brian Eno, Bowie and early 'Human League' that we knew and understood you could actually make and play bass notes and sounds on a synth. So it was never a matter of 'being a bass player' and drifting into keys, Eddie and myself would have been fearless in exploring any and all instruments. We'd read enough Eno song credits to realise experimentation was 'the key'. 

The band formed from the ashes of a local group called 'Glass Torpedoes'. Ed and Gary had been involved with the band, but with different line-ups, and when those bands broke up the two of them continued to write together which was around 1979/80. Again Gary says "The name chosen came from the 1970s period when everyone was wearing black slippers bought from Chinatown, we'd wear them on stage with our kecks tucked in our socks. We liked the imagery. We were in the pub one night in Kirkby, I think it was The Fantail, and friends said things like Russian Crisis or China East and we just put the two together." The pair eventually asked drummer and percussionist Dave Reilly to join them in 1981, and in 1982, as 'China Crisis', they released their debut single 'African and White' on the independent record label 'Inevitable'.

Their sound, primarily synth-based though employing horns, guitar, and bass to fill things out, their songs were usually laid back, with smooth melodies and an easy listening vibe, and occasionally stepped up with a beat. Their slower ballads are some of their best moments, creating captivating moods in songs such as 'Black Man Ray' and 'Arizona Sky'. Their few up-tempo songs though could get your toe tapping, such as 'Working with Fire and Steel' and 'King in a Catholic Style'.
The band signed to Virgin Records and released their first album 'Difficult Shapes & Passive Rythms, Some People Think It's Fun To Entertain' in 1982 which reached No.21 in the UK charts.A re-release of 'African & White' became their first hit in the UK, reaching No.45, on the UK Singles Chart. The follow-up single 'Christian', made UK No.10 in early 1983 and brought them to national prominence. It was their next two albums though for which they're best remembered.
Now with Gary "Gazza" Johnson on bass guitar and 'Waterboys' drummer Kevin Wilkinson in their line-up, 'Working With Fire And Steel' is a classic of the new wave era, with not one weak song on the entire album. It was a Top 20 success in the UK and the band spent 1984 and 1985 having their biggest chart success starting with their only Top 10 hit single, 'Wishful Thinking' reaching No.9. This song premiered for their first John Peel session in January 1983.

This was followed by 'Flaunt The Imperfection', produced by Walter Becker of 'Steeley Dan' fame who was listed on the album credits. It was another brilliant pop record that eased away from the new wave sound a bit and even teased with a 'Style Council' flavoured, jazz-pop or R&B style. The album was promoted by the No.14 hit single 'Black Man Ray' which also enjoyed critical acclaim and international success and their subsequent tour featured a new keyboard player, Brian McNeill. The next album, 'What Price Paradise' moved more into this style, and did give them one more exquisite tune, 'Arizona Sky'. They worked with Becker once more on 'Diary of a Hollow Horse' which earned critical raves though not much commercial movement and since the late 1990s, they have concentrated on live performances and tours with only original members Eddie Lundon and Gary Daly being constant throughout.
In December 2013, they reappeared with the song 'Everyone You Know' in conjunction with a crowdfunding campaign for their seventh album. 'Autumn in the Neighbourhood' was eventually released in June 2015 and followed by tour dates in the U.K., the Netherlands, and North America. In 2017, Caroline released a deluxe edition of 'Working with Fire and Steel', which included demos and several BBC radio performances from the time of the album.

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