Crocodiles

Product Information

By the time Echo & The Bunnymen released their debut album, the drum machine had been replaced by Pete de Freitas. Moody and mysterious, Crocodiles was produced by Bill Drummond (who was “almost a fifth member” of the band, according to Ian McCulloch) and Dave Balfe of The Teardrop Explodes, with Ian Broudie (later of The Lightning Seeds) assisting. Echo & the Bunnymen's debut single " The Pictures on My Wall" was released on Bill Drummond& David Balfe's Zoo Records in May 1979, the B-side being "Read It in Books" (also recorded by The Teardrop Explodes approximately six months later as the B-side of their final Zoo Records single "Treason"). Though credited as a McCulloch/Cope collaboration, McCulloch has denied on more than one occasion that Cope had any involvement with its writing. [14] [15] Re-released on super high material compact disc on October 22, 2013 in Japan (WEA, WPCR-15277) with a bonus single. In March 2007, the Bunnymen announced that they had re-signed to Warner and were working on a new album. [35] The band were said to be planning a live DVD, titled Dancing Horses, which contained interviews with the band. This was released in May 2007 on Snapper/SPV. The live line up was Ian McCulloch, Will Sergeant, Simon Finley (drums), Paul Fleming (keyboards), Gordy Goudie (guitar) and Steve Brannan (bass). [36] Echo & The Bunnymen's 'Bright And Beautiful' Pete De Freitas Remembered". Mojo. 28 May 2014 . Retrieved 15 February 2023.

We had this mate who kept suggesting all these names like The Daz Men or Glisserol and the Fan Extractors. Echo and the Bunnymen was one of them. I thought it was just as stupid as the rest. [11] It’s John Carpenter’s The Fog! And then McCulloch, beneath a see-sawing lightshade moon, his face alternating between the light and the dark, impish and impossibly gorgeous (those lips), delivers his homily – “ The Killing Moon is more than just a song. It’s a psalm, almost hymnal,” he said in 2015 – remote as a spirit child spinning through the cosmos. Echo & the Bunnymen resumed work with a tour of Scandinavia in April 1985, performing cover versions of songs from Television, the Rolling Stones, Talking Heads and The Doors. Recordings from the tour emerged as the semi-bootleg On Strike. On 21 June they performed a headlining set at that year's Glastonbury Festival, where they premiered two new songs from their next album. Matrix / Runout (Side B, ' ̷B̷ ̷E̷ 84' is hand-etched - variant 3): R/S Alsdorf 58175 B3X ̷B̷ ̷E̷ 84 In 1994, McCulloch and Sergeant began working together again under the name Electrafixion; [13] in 1997 Pattinson rejoined the duo, meaning the three surviving members of the original Bunnymen line-up were now working together again. Rather than continue as Electrafixion, the trio resurrected the Echo & the Bunnymen name and released the album Evergreen (1997), which reached the UK Top 10.The band embarked on their first major concert tour between September and December 1980 to promote Crocodiles, supported by London band The Sound, during which they performed their first European concerts in France, The Netherlands and Germany. The end of the Camo tour was followed by a four-month break, mainly dedicated to the preparation and recording of their second LP. Sweeting, Adam (31 October 2003). "Echo and the Bunnymen: Various". The Guardian . Retrieved 10 October 2015. Heaven Up Here is darker still than its predecessor, a glorious document of existential sadness – hardly surprising, given that Ian McCulloch had the The Velvet Underground’s What Goes On playing on a loop in his head throughout the recording. He accused Will Sergeant of being a control freak on the sessions and described Heaven Up Here as being the guitarist’s album.

Much of 1982 was taken with the difficult and protracted process of recording of their highly anticipated third album Porcupine, which reunited them with Crocodiles producer Ian Broudie (who was also Sergeant's housemate at the time). Several members also undertook outside projects during the year. Pete de Freitas produced and played drums on Liverpool band The Wild Swans' debut single "Revolutionary Spirit", and lead guitarist Will Sergeant recorded a solo album of instrumental music titled Themes for 'Grind' (1982). [22] But it was fantastic. We just started messing about and the next thing is we’ve got a chorus for The Killing Moon.” Higgs, John (2013). The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band Who Burned a Million Pounds. Phoenix. pp.38–39. ISBN 9781780226552. According to Sergeant: “It’s all pretty dark”. He wasn’t wrong, but it didn’t matter – with Ocean Rain, the Bunnymen became music immortals, confirming their place in the gloomier recesses of British pop. Ocean Rain proved difficult to follow up, and their only releases in 1985 were the single, " Bring on the Dancing Horses" (UK No.21), and a compilation album, Songs to Learn & Sing, which made No. 6 in the UK album chart.In 2018, Echo & the Bunnymen announced and released an album of reworked orchestral versions of older material and two new songs, titled The Stars, the Oceans & the Moon, to mixed reception. [44]

I think it's pretty obvious what I think. Noel Burke... the name says it all really doesn't it? No, that's not fair. It wasn't his fault, it was Will and Pete who were the berks really. But no, I thought it was disgraceful and after that I suppose it was quite surprising that I continued working with Will after that. I'm glad I did though. Johnny Marr called them Echo and the Bogusmen when that happened. [30]

Versions

On 11 January 2008, McCulloch was interviewed on BBC Breakfast at the start of Liverpool 08. He was asked about new Bunnymen material and he revealed that a new album would coincide with their gig at the Royal Albert Hall in September. He went on to say that the album was "The best one we've made, apart from Ocean Rain." Joe Brown (18 August 1984). "Bunnymen: Based on Bowie". The Washington Post . Retrieved 31 July 2022. Terich, Jeff (2 July 2015). "10 Essential Neo-Psychedelia Albums". Treble . Retrieved 24 April 2020. Endelman, Michael (5 March 2004). "Crocodiles". Entertainment Weekly. No.754 . Retrieved 5 May 2010.