Ghost Dance (band)

Ghost Dance (English " Ghost Dance " ) were a British rock band who in the late 1980s was quite successful in the UK independent scene, but in 1990 disbanded.

Band History

The beginnings ( mid-1985 )

In April 1985, leaving guitarist and founding member Gary Marx (actually Mark Pearman ) the band The Sisters of Mercy. In an interview with Zillo magazine in 1989, he said in retrospect, that the time when the Sisters as a songwriter was a been quite frustrating. Shortly after his departure broke the former Sisters occupation permanently.

At the same time, the singer Anne -Marie Hurst got out in Skeletal Family. Skeletal Family 1984 had been the opening act for the Sisters and how these were also repeatedly associated with the gothic rock genre, although both bands resisted this categorization.

Both produced at this time first demos that supported by the drum machine "Pandora". Gary Marx was tied bound at that time still under contract with the old record company of the Sisters. In July 1985, they laid the WEA a tape with five pieces before: Cruel Light, No Return, Gone Tomorrow, Yesterday Again and Holding On. The record company took their option not true and Gary Marx was out of his old contract. A first record contract for the new band was signed with the indie label Carboniferous.

Band's formation and initial success (1985-1987)

With bassist etch the first concert was held on 29 November 1985. In early 1986, then came Steve Smith of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry it. He played a radio session with Janice Long with one, but it was after recording the first record release of the band, the EP River of No Return (published on April 18, 1986), by Paul Southern ( also previously at Red Lorry Yellow Lorry ) replaced. Southern did not take long - in July he was replaced by Richard Steel.

End of July 1986 was followed by the EP Heart Full of Soul, the only included cover versions. By the end of 1986, the band in the UK, the Benelux States and the Federal Republic of Germany was on tour. Some of these concerts, the band was accompanied by the live drummer John Grant. In The Grip of Love ( released 31 October 1986) but came back Pandora used. The first three singles River of No Return, The Grip of Love and Heart Full of Soul became hits in the British indie charts and are rare today.

1987, Pandora had since been permanently replaced by John Grant, boarded A Word to the Wise, the UK top 100. The subsequent tour of the UK was completely sold out. A compilation of the best songs of the first three Maxis appeared: Gathering Dust. This LP also marked the end of the cooperation of Ghost Dance and carbon Records. The following year, Ghost Dance played at numerous festivals, including Reading.

Decline (1989-1990)

More tours followed, and in late 1988 signed a record deal with the Ghost Dance major label Chrysalis Records. The band looked very optimistic about the future and promised a lot from this collaboration. She spent under the direction of producer John Brand almost half a year in the studio. Fire steered the band towards mainstream pop. This change heralded the demise of the Ghost Dance.

The first maxi Introducing Ghost Dance flopped, just like the ( actually quite sympathetically received by the press) album Stop the World. The newer version of Celebrate was the second single.

1989 saw Ghost Dance for the last time as the opening act for the Ramones at German concert stages. The band was lost in the disinterest of the Ramones fans. The end of 1989 were Ghost Dance by Chrysalis dropped, personal differences in the band were added and culminated in the departure Etchs. In early 1990, the band broke up.

After Ghost Dance

Anne -Marie Hurst tried in vain to start a solo career. In 2003, they should first be with the reunification of the Skeletal Family with this, but for family reasons, she again took distance from these plans. Since 2009 she plays, composed of former members of the Skeletal Family concerts again, which has also included songs from Ghost Dance played.

Etch later played among others at The Mission, Loud and All About Eve.

Gary Marx worked in the music scene of Leeds with local musicians, and later worked at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts as a music teacher. In 2004 he released a solo album and a collection of demos that he originally anfertigte 1995 Andrew Eldritch and his Sisters that never were used. In addition, 2004 saw the official homepage of Ghost Dance online.

Discography

  • River of No Return (12 ", 18 April 1986)
  • Heart Full of Soul (7 ", July 25, 1986)
  • Heart Full of Soul (12 ", July 25, 1986)
  • The Grip of Love ( 7 ", 3rd October 1986)
  • The Grip of Love ( 12 " 31 October 1986)
  • A Word to the Wise (12 ", August 10, 1987)
  • Gathering Dust ( LP, February 15, 1988)
  • Down To The Wire (7 ", June 5, 1989)
  • Introducing Ghost Dance (12 ", June 5, 1989)
  • Down to the Wire (CDS, June 5, 1989)
  • Celebrate (7 ", September 4, 1989)
  • Celebrate (12 ", September 4, 1989)
  • Celebrate ( Picture- 12 ", September 4, 1989)
  • Celebrate (CDS, September 4, 1989 )
  • Stop the World ( LP / CD, September 25, 1989)
Singing Anne-Marie Hurst Bass guitar Electronic keyboard Rock music Independent music The Mission (band) All About Eve (band)
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