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  • Cardiacs? (the band)
  • codybrennan
    Free Member

    I pride myself as being fairly hip (I’m not really) and have heard a couple of songs by Cardiacs tonight that make me think I’ll like them.

    Then I discover they’ve been around forever 🙁

    Have I messed up by never paying them any attention? “Sing to God” seems to be the gateway album?

    roper
    Free Member

    The cardiacs where/are an amazing band. Fantastic live. Unfortunately the lead singer ( Tim Smith)has been ill for a while so they don’t perform anymore.
    There are a few you tube clips of them and they do have quite a substantial back catalogue to catch up with.

    To go off and things
    Joining the plankton
    This is the life

    to name few good songs.

    also the Sea nymphs were a short lived off shoot.

    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    Like you I only discovered them in the last 12 months, and immediately was gutted and bewildered that had missed over 20 yrs of them. A real national treasure. Check out the Mare’s Nest live video, monumental.

    They never lost their edge either if the more recent ‘shed’ recordings are anything to go by. Tim Smith eh? What a tragedy that happened to him and His.

    Lots to listen to….and I found Knifeworld via their family tree (See if you can grab a listen to latest LP there is a heartbreaking and quite beautiful song that is kind of living eulogy to Tim Smith – ‘Send Him Seaworthy’) and Monsoon Bassoon both headed by Kavus Torabi whom I discovered via Chrome Hoof, which is where my journey backwards began. All just excellent stuff. This video is epic, just f^*#%# epic!

    [video]http://youtu.be/N5QYijFfOaQ[/video]

    codybrennan
    Free Member

    Cheers guys!

    plop_pants
    Free Member

    Woohoo, a potential pondie! You have a lot to look forward to!

    There is so much to Cardiacs I don’t know where to begin, you’ll need
    time to get into their music but don’t give up as the rewards are there.
    I’ve been listening to them for years but I’m still learning the lyrics and getting caught out by the time changes and things. Trying to follow some of the lyrics even when I have them in front of me still fries my brain.

    There’s a lot of fun in their music but also some very dark stuff and bits that will tug at your emotions.
    I think pretty much their whole catalog is available now as there was a clarion call to raise money for Tim. http://www.cardiacs.net

    Sonor
    Free Member

    Where have you lot been for the last 30 Years? 😉

    [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRZ2Xw_o6FY[/video]

    [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DbJX92TDhA[/video]

    codybrennan
    Free Member

    I don’t know where I’ve been 🙂

    I mean, all I’ve heard so far reminds me of XTC, some prog, some Krautrock, some Cope- all things I like. Very English sounding, if you get me.

    I’m looking forward to this!

    plop_pants
    Free Member

    Well that’s five of us! Haven’t met another Cardiacs fan for a few years despite wearing my ALMAAHATWWW t shirt at every opportunity.

    brooess
    Free Member

    IIRC they started in 1969… plenty of catching up to do.
    There’s no-one else quite like them – just try tapping your foot to the beat and you’ll find out they change timing almost from bar to bar – must’ve been a nightmare trying to drum for them 🙂
    For starters, find Heaven Born And Ever Bright and Songs For Ships And Irons which was when they were at their closest to getting accepted. Sing To God wasn’t their best IMO. Cardiacs Live gives you an idea about their gigs. Me and a mate managed to start a “Jim” chant once…
    UK music press absolutely hated them because they refused to be part of any kind of label or scene, which is probably what Tim and Jim wanted 🙂
    They’re actually quite influential. Blur got them to support them at their Mile End gig (1994/5?) and the crowd had absolutely no idea how to cope with them so they threw bottles. Heathens…

    codybrennan
    Free Member

    Thanks for the suggestions. I hear some Beefheart and Zappa in there too, again- stuff I like 🙂

    WHERE HAVE I BEEN LIVING!!!!?!??!

    codybrennan
    Free Member

    And yeah, can hear Blur too. Good gravy. I’ve been sleepwalking.

    codybrennan
    Free Member

    Mind getting blown right now listening to “Songs For Ships And Irons”.

    neilthewheel
    Full Member

    First encountered them at Stonehenge in 1984. They made the top of my head pop off. I may also have made some regrettable choices about what I let into my body that night.

    offthebrakes
    Free Member

    Poor quality recording but this is my fave:

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXfC0Q-AZXw[/video]

    barney
    Free Member

    Hello!
    I work for that Singletrack an’ that – and I am a colossal Cardiacs fan, and have been for 20 years. Ali, techbloke is a fan too 🙂

    Good to know there’s a healthy intersection between the forum and the pond!

    plop_pants
    Free Member

    The tendrils of the Cardiacs FB page have picked up on this thread, so you must now join them. Join them, join them now! :0)

    cheese@4p
    Full Member

    I say yes to Cardiacs

    Northwind
    Full Member

    If it’s any consolation OP, I was thinking “Yeah, I heard of the Cardiacs ages ago, maybe as much as 10 years” and had no idea they’d been around for longer than I’ve been alive 😆 I vaguely had them down as one of the 18,723 bands containing Wildhearts members.

    brooess
    Free Member

    According to Wikipedia ‘Interesting’ Steve Davis is a fan… 😯

    plop_pants
    Free Member

    I seem to remember MrWoppit had quite strong links to the band.

    RustySpanner
    Full Member

    brooess – Member

    According to Wikipedia ‘Interesting’ Steve Davis is a fan…
    And loads of Krautrock too. 🙂

    EDIT.
    Just had a look on the Wiki page.
    Is there any band that Blur don’t claim to have been influenced by?

    choppersquad
    Free Member

    This Is The Life is just about my favourite song ever.
    Guitar solo to end all guitar solo’s.

    plop_pants
    Free Member

    Everyone needs a [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2kITQfu1WQ[/video]

    Oh god I love this!!!

    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    Just to round off my part of tonight’s Cardiacs love-in – I literally giggle with glee during this performance where Tim looks simultaneously appalled and delighted at his own stilted, incongruous yet somehow perfectly transporting guitar solo. Can’t think of another band with such natural off the wall humour. I live for the day when we might hear Liza Tarbuck play this on Radio 2 and finish with ‘Big oop!’ to Tim Smith et al. Night all.

    [video]http://youtu.be/gNdnOTvGbJQ[/video]

    shermer75
    Free Member

    Yep, massive Cardiacs fan here…

    CountZero
    Full Member

    Not familiar with much of their material, sadly. One more band who’s name you’d see in reviews and gig adverts, but without airplay and not knowing anyone at all who had any of their stuff, well they just got passed over.
    Thanks to 6Music, however, I’ve finally heard some of their music; it’s now a question of finding the money to get some of it, alongside all the other stuff that keeps demanding to be bought!
    So much music, so little time/money… 😐

    roper
    Free Member

    Anyone on here read the Org?
    Steve Davis has worked with Bic, one of the Cardiacs guitarists. Also, another one time member works with Somone from Blur so there are connections everywhere with the Cardiacs, a bit like the Kevin Bacon thing.
    Anyway I mentioned the sea nymphs before so here is link,

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NjQgbEduQQ[/video]

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbxzUhk7R5c[/video]

    codybrennan
    Free Member

    This is all great, I know now I’m in good company!

    MrWoppit
    Free Member

    Dominic was never tired of blagging my used cymbals. Even after we nicked their keyboard player.

    Great bunch, sad about Tim.

    barney
    Free Member

    You are 🙂 Brooess mentioned up there somewhere ^^ that they started in 1969, which I don’t think is quite true. Most sources put it at ’77ish I believe. There are certainly no recordings from before that sort of date. I first got into them listening to Heaven Born – I couldn’t tell the songs apart originally – but it was the most incredible stuff I’ve ever heard, and it still is. For my part, I think A Little Man (from the early stuff) and Sing to God (from the later stuff) are the best jumping in points, but they all have jaw dropping bits all over them. Stoneage Dinosaurs is still one of my all time faves, Core, Gina Lollabridgida, RES, Ideal, Nurses… oh god, I could just list all of them…

    Right! Need to work – Fresh Goods doesn’t write itself you know 😉

    codybrennan
    Free Member

    “Stoneage Dinosaurs” grabbed me hard last night Barney (I just dug into “Songs For Ships And Irons” last night).

    Yeah, get writing!

    MRW- you’ll need to tell us all some stories about them (and you) some time.

    barney
    Free Member

    ” Even after we nicked their keyboard player.” Not the good Mr W D Drake, by any chance?

    barney
    Free Member

    Oh, and Codybrennan – get a hold of the Cardiacs Garage Concerts vols I and II for old, old tunes played by the last/most recent lineup – I think you can still get II here: http://abc-mary.myshopify.com/collections/cds

    There are a couple of other pondies I know who ride bikes – maybe we should sort out a collective or get some biking shirts made with all proceeds to Tim *mulls over*

    MrWoppit
    Free Member

    I once saw Tim and Sarah sitting together composing a new song. I mean, they were making it up and discussing the arrangement, tune, notes, everything. AND Tim was writing it all down on proper sheet music notation.

    As someone in a band who just made stuff up by playing and working it out then then committing it to memory, I remember being incredibly impressed with this…

    MrWoppit
    Free Member

    ” Even after we nicked their keyboard player.” Not the good Mr W D Drake, by any chance?

    Colvin “Max” Mayers.

    disco_stu
    Free Member

    Don’t really know a lot about the Cardiacs but I know a friend of mine has done an album inspired by them with proceeds going to Tim’s care.
    The bandcamp page is here
    http://7shades.bandcamp.com/

    DavidB
    Free Member

    Fantastic band of musicians, I saw them at the Zap Club in the 80’s probably one of the most smiliest gigs ever. A mate of mine formed a band called Old Fruit that were similar. They are gone now but if you can find onbe of their CD’s you will definitely like the similarity in style.

    barney
    Free Member

    There *might* be a few references in this week’s FGF 🙂

    plop_pants
    Free Member

    😀 @ Barney

    crankygirl
    Free Member

    Anyone on here read the Org?

    You just inspired me to dig out my old Org compilation tape (Goosebumps, I’d guess from around 1991?) from which I first encountered Cardiacs (Goodbye Grace). On looking, it also features Sea Nymphs, who I’d completely forgotten about… Ah, memories! One of my biggest annoyances is managing to miss Cardiacs playing live at I think Reading festival 1994, too hammered to remember they were on 😳

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