Pool Of Sound - The Icicle Works

The Icicle Works

Part of the profligate network of Liverpudlian bands that existed during the punk rock and new wave era, 'The Icicle Works' were a brilliant example of the 1980s post-punk genre. The band was founded in Liverpool in 1980 when bassist Chris Layhe, who had been in a couple of local rock bands including 'Elanor' and 'Blind Owl', answered an advertisement for a musical collaborator placed by 20-year-old Ian McNabb. The two got together and started writing. With Ian on vocals and guitar and Chris on bass guitar, they were joined quickly by Chris Sharrock on drums. Ian McNabb was formerly in 'City Limits' and Chris Sharrock played with 'The Cherry Boys'. Taking their name from a science fiction short story – Frederik Pohl's 'The Day The Icicle Works Closed Down' – they made their recording debut with a six song-track cassette, 'Ascending', released on the local Probe Plus emporium in 1981. The band then founded their own Troll Kitchen label on which they prepared 'Nirvana', their premier single. Gaining support from BBC disc jockey John Peel, they came to the attention of Beggars Banquet Records, initially through their Situation 2 offshoot. Under contract with this label, they released a self-titled debut album in 1984, and found success in the US and Canada with the magnificent 'Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream)' becoming a Top 40 hit Stateside where they played both their own headline tours as well as support dates to David Gilmour and 'The Pretenders'. Ian recalls that time, " the record company rejected our second album because it didn't sound like they thought it needed to sound. I was very disappointed that they wouldn't release the record that was the big hit in the U.K.,which is a song called 'Love Is a Wonderful Colour.' So we lost a lot of ground – any chance of us having any kind of upward momentum was killed. There's not really a lot you can do in America unless you’ve got the backing of a major record company. So we were screwed." As he says their next effort, 'Love Is A Wonderful Colour', did achieve UK Top 20 status in January 1984. The subject matter was typically subverted by McNabb’s irony and cynicism ( "When love calls me, I shall be running swiftly, to find out, just what all the fuss is all about" ).

Teaming up with producer Ian Broudie, ex-'Big In Japan', helped 'The Icicle Works' to a string of singles successes over the ensuing years, including 'Hollow Horse' and 'Understanding Jane', with their sound gradually shifting from subtle pop to harder rock territory.
Ian recalls, "I was the songwriter and the singer, so everybody didn't get to put in their own thing, I pretty much told them what to do. I'd give Chris Sharrock a drum beat and he'd make it much better. I'd try and let Chris write songs but they were pale imitations of mine. I was dictatorial – but sometimes you have to be."

In 1986, they recruited Dave Green on keyboards, but in 1988 the band was turned upside down when both Sharrock and Layhe left within a short space of time.With Ian earning the majority of the money it was becoming an issue, together with the fact they never had the commercial success and critical acclaim that their music deserved and were never really able to appropriately follow up their initial early chart success. Chris Layhe recalls, " I remember this night very clearly. It all took place at a pub called The Pilgrim in Liverpool city centre. There was to be a band meeting. Chris Sharrock suddenly dropped the bombshell that he was joining 'The La's', who was currently working on their debut and, as it turned out, only album. Always the quiet one, Chris was unusually vocal that night and obviously unhappy. Truth be told I wasn't happy either and very apprehensive about some new characters that had become involved with the band. I was sick of touring and living on top of one another in the back of a van. We probably just needed a break. The Icicle Works split up that night."
Chris Sharrock joined 'The La's' and later drummed for 'World Party'; Chris Layhe's role was taken by former 'Black' bass player Roy Corkhill, while the drummer's stool was claimed by Zak Starkey, whose father Ringo Starr formerly drummed for ' another Liverpool band? '. This line-up prospered for a short time but in 1989 McNabb assembled a new band. Retaining only Corkhill, he added Mark Revell on guitar and vocals, Dave Baldwin on keyboards, and Paul Burgess on drums. The band signed a new recording contract with Epic Records and released one album before McNabb left to go solo.
One of England's most underrated and natural lyricists, McNabb’s cult status has continued into the new millennium, while his time with 'The Icicle Works' has left a rich legacy of songwriting.

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