Pool Of Sound - The Pale Fountains

The Pale Fountains

'The Pale Fountains' were formed in Liverpool in 1980 by Mick Head as vocalist and guitarist together with his close friend Chris McCaffery on bass guitar and Thomas Whelan on drums.
In April 1982, supporting 'Dislocation Dance' at an event called 'Variations' at The Barracuda Club on Baker Street in London, the 'Dislocation Dance' trumpet player Andy Diagram uncovered a mutual appreciation of Arthur Lee's 'Love' with Michael Head and Chris McCaffrey, and was promptly invited to join 'The Pale Fountains' on stage for an impromptu guest appearance after which he joined the band.
Also in the audience that evening was Patrick Moore with friends, who had just set up an independent record label, a UK subsidiary of arty Belgian label 'Les Disques du Crépuscule'. Following the Barracuda gig Patrick, instantly besotted with 'The Pale Fountains', approached them to record a debut single with his fledgling label.

'(There's Always) Something On My Mind'

The group released their debut single '(There's Always) Something On My Mind' on ' Les Disques du Crépuscule' before signing a major label deal in October 1982.
The release of the single in July was accompanied by some great reviews and publicity in the national music press, with Record Mirror leading the charge and awarding it Single of the Week writing: "A fresh wind comes blowing across the Mersey, a wind that captures the innocence of the best Postcard single... A slow samba beat, a warm 12-string guitar, and a trumpet to make you weep - 'The Pale Fountains' wear their hearts on their sleeves."
A UK mini tour, 'The Pale Fountains Go To Town', featured dates at Plato's Ballroom in Liverpool, Xtremes in Brighton, the Rock Garden and ICA in London, and the celebrated Hacienda in Manchester. 'The Pale Fountains' were beginning to create a stir, and inevitably, the major labels were beginning to sit up and take notice. Graduation to a major label was inevitable and in October they signed to Virgin for £150,000 but the label didn’t know what to do with them and the move greatly irritated Tony Wilson, the founder of Factory Records.

Although the Pale Fountains failed to make much commercial headway, the band would earn critical praise for their two albums on Virgin, 'Pacific Street' in 1984 and 'From Across The Kitchen Table' in 1985, produced by Ian Broudie. Some would say the much more adventurous jazz infused songs like 'Norfolk Broads', 'Longshot' and 'Lavinia's Dream' was when they really hit their peak, although their only Top 50 single was 'Thank You' which reached No.48 in 1982.
'The Pale Fountains' had delivered two critically acclaimed, but commercially ignored, LP's before splitting up in 1987, with Mick Head going on to form 'Shack' together with his brother John who had performed with him in 'The Pale Fountains'. In February 2008, Mick Head reformed 'The Pale Fountains' for two critically acclaimed live shows in Liverpool and London. The members of the reformed band were Michael Head, John Head, Martyn Campbell, Andy Diagram, Thomas 'Jock' Whelan and Iain Templeton.
Although the band never achieved mainstream success, NME have described Micheal Head as "a lost genius and among the most gifted British songwriters of his generation".

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