 |
|
|
| 1976: SAD CAFÉ emerged when some of the members of two top Manchester bands - Mandala (John Stimpson, Vic Emerson and Ashley Mulford) and Gyro (Paul Young and Ian Wilson) decided to form a new group. The band took it's name from the Carson McCullers book "The Ballad Of The Sad Café". |  |
|
| 1977: Harvey Lisberg, of the influential Kennedy Street Group of Companies immediately recognised the enormous potential of the new band and added SAD CAFÉ to his management stable. In May, the group signed to RCA Records in the face of fierce competition from most of the major labels in Britain. | ||
 click cover for songlist and lyrics |
Four months later, SAD CAFÉ's first album "Fanx Ta-ra" was released and that included three songs which are still highlights of the band's dynamic live show - "Black Rose", "I Believe (Love Will Survive)" and "Hungry Eyes". | |
 click cover for songlist and lyrics |
1978: In April, RCA released SAD CAFÉ's second album "Misplaced Ideals" and, six months later, the band signed to A&M Records for North America. SAD CAFÉ's first album there was also called "Misplaced Ideals", but it was a compilation album from the first two British albums. Both the album and the single "Run Home Girl" charted in America. | |
 |
1979: From February until May, SAD CAFÉ toured America playing 54 concerts over 20,000 miles. For about half the shows on the tour, they shard the bill with groups like Santana, Rush and Toto and they also played a string of theatre, clubs and colleges. When the band returned to Britain, they did a short series of sell-out "welcome home" concerts in the North West. | |
 |
SAD CAFE's third album for RCA "Facades" was released in September with the production by Eric Stewart of 10cc at Strawberry Studios South in Dorking. The long-overdue chart success for the band came dramatically with the release of "Every Day Hurts", a top 3 hit single and one of the outstanding records of 1979. |  click cover for songlist and lyrics |
| 1980: SAD CAFÉ followed "Every Day Hurts" with two more Top Twenty singles from the "Facades" album - "Strange Little Girl" and "My Oh My". In March and April the band played a 24-date Tour of Britain which was a fantastic success culminating with three sell-out shows at Manchester's Apollo Theatre. |  |
|
 click cover for songlist and lyrics |
Shortly afterwards, "Facades" went Gold and the band returned to Strawberry to record their fourth album with Eric Stewart again producing. The first single from the album was "La Di Da", the show-stopper from the March tour, and this quickly charted. The album, called "Sad Café" was premiered at a special international launch in Amsterdam in September and the album was released by RCA in October. | |
| 1980 ended as it started, with a sell-out tour of the UK, confirming SAD CAFÉ as one of the top live attractions in the country. They still managed to deliver their customary exciting show despite the unfortunate accident to Ian Wilson, who found the orchestra pit at Southampton too much of a temptation and promptly dived into it. Ian, despite a broken arm and leg bravely continued the tour on crutches. Some people believe that this actually improved the band musically. Ian can't say because he's now broken his voice. |  |
|
| 1981: March saw the release of a superb live album, recorded at the Manchester Apollo. A history of SAD CAFÉ recorded during the Facades tour of Britain. Coinciding with this release, SAD CAFÉ opened the new Rock Series, "Rock Stage" on ITV. |  |
|
 |
A series devoted to Bands who could really excel on stage, it's synonymous with the band's great reputation as a live act, that they were only one of three acts the programme deemed strong enough to devote exclusively the whole 1 hour show. | |
| April, SAD CAFÉ sign to Swansong for USA and Canada, to become part of a small but important roster of artists, including, Led Zepplin, Bad Company and Dave Edmonds. | ||
 |
||
| Des Tong replaced John on bass and Ashley Mulford extends his horizons to pursue a solo career in Canada, as well as his commitments to SAD CAFÉ. The band busy themselves in Strawberry North to record their new album "OLÉ" produced by Martin Lawrence / Sad Café. |  click cover for songlist and lyrics |
September. The first single "Misunderstanding" from the new album, "OLÉ", released by Polydor, followed by the album in early October. |
    |
||
| The welcome return of SAD CAFÉ to live work after two years is indeed good news to all lovers of exciting live music. SAD CAFÉ are undoutedly one of the finest live rock bands this country has ever produced and it is only justice that after the troubles of the last two years that they are able once more to bring their music to their thousands of fans once again. | ||
 |
Just as importantly, the break has enabled the band to return to the studio to record their first album since 1982. The new album "Politics Of Existing" was recorded at the end of 1985 at Maison Rouge, London and features 8 songs co-written by Paul Young & Ian Wilson, one song by new drummer Jeff Seopardi and one specially written for the band by Sue Quinn. |  click cover for songlist and lyrics |
| Guest musicians on the album include Mike Rutherford from Genesis on lead guitar, keyboard player Danny Shogger, lead guitarist Nico Ramsden and Mel Collins on sax. Bass guitars on all the tracks was the irrepressible Des Tong |  |
|
| The new and exciting tour line-up is outstanding. Joining on keyboards and vocals is Phil Lanzon ex Grand Prix. Drums and vocals Jeff Seopardi from Chris Rea & Brand X. The member line-up is completed by the welcome return from Canada of Ashley Mulford on lead guitar & vocals, Lenni on sax & vocals, Des Tong bass & vocals and founder members Ian Wilson (rhythm guitar/vocals) and Paul Young on lead vocals. | | This new band is guaranteed to further extend SAD CAFÉ's reputation as one of the best live bands in the world. Satisfaction is definitely guaranteed. |
 to my 10cc site |