Cardiacs

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Cardiacs are a British band formed in 1977. Combining the excitement and energy of punk rock with the intricacies and technical cleverness of early British progressive rock, a combination sometimes referred to as pronk, although singer Tim Smith prefers the description psychedelic, their sound is unique, varied, complex and intense.

Contents

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History so far

Cardiacs were formed by Tim Smith in suburban Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, in 1977. Since then the band line-up has remained fluid, undergoing numerous line-up changes, with Tim's brother Jim Smith being the only other surviving original member, and many previous members appearing now and again for live performances, or helping out backstage (and vice vera).

Starting off as Cardiac Arrest, then settling on Cardiacs by the end of 1980. Early releases followed the punk DIY ethic, and included limited runs of the cassette albums The Obvious Identity, Toy World, and The Seaside.

The band's line-up was whittled down throughout 1983 from eight to six (Tim, Jim, Sarah, Bill, Dom, and Tim) the line-up that would remain for the rest of the 1980s. Tim and Sarah got married in July 1983.

In 1984, Cardiacs supported Marillion at the personal request of Marillion’s lead singer Fish. While the tour gave Cardiacs some overdue publicity, Marillion's fanbase took an aversion to them resulting in the band being pelted with a variety of makeshift missiles (including - but not limited to - bottles, batteries and lit cigarettes) on stage.

In March 1987 the British tabloid newspaper the Sunday Sport ran a story 'exposing' the supposedly incestuous relationship between Tim and Sarah, mistaking the couple for brother and sister, "In the bizarre world of music.. anything goes - even INCEST." Much of the misunderstanding was perpetuated by Tim himself.

The release of Is This The Life in 1988 saw brief chart success and the attention of a wider audience, as the single reached the Indie top ten in the UK. By the end of 1990, the band had slimmed down to a four piece, using a backing tape for live shows. In 1995 much of the Cardiacs back catalogue was re-released on CD.

For several years, Cardiacs have been playing a regular annual gig in London. This usually takes place towards the end of the year and is regarded as a major Cardiacs event, attended by fans of all ages (as most of the Cardiacs fans from back in the day now have children of their own) from all over the world.

The last official release of new Cardiacs material was in 1999 with the album Guns. According to the Cardiacs official website, a new album is in preparation - a track from which was included on the 2002 Greatest Hits compilation. A two volume set of recordings from the three shows at the Highbury Garage in November 2003 was released in the beginning of September 2005, and is available from All My Eye and Betty Martin Music (along with other fine recordings from the likes of William D Drake and Spratleys Japs).

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Quotations

"..we are not a progressive rock band, progressive rock bands usually tend to have a particular style to them, however individual the bands sound is, there is usually a flavour there which is the prog flavour. We are a pop group. ..We are as punky as nothing. God forbid if anyone thought that we were a crazy ‘fusion’ of punk and prog. If a word is needed then I would use “psychedelic” if anything."
- Tim Smith, interviewed in Harmonie Magazine 2000.
"Everything we play is written, right down to the last drumbeat. It's chaos, but it's ordered chaos - everything is really. Look out of the window."
- Tim Smith, interviewed by Mat Smith in Melody Maker.
"There's nothing wrong with any kind of band in the world. Whatever they play. Musical prejudice is the worst thing in the world."
- Tim Smith, interviewed in Organ No.1 (a fanzine) 1986.
"We wouldn’t deliberately not do anything. The chords and tunes we use sound pretty to us, certain key changes make your tummy go funny, the ones we use make our tummies go funny."
- Tim Smith, interviewed in Harmonie Magazine 2000.
"I'm not going to say any more after this... except for, it makes me want to get me dopper out! And do it to one of those bloody great fish that come out the river, yeah?"
- Tim Smith, between songs at Reading Festival 1986, where Cardiacs were invited to perform on mainstage.
"The songs that I come up with are thought up first in my head. I used to score it all out on reams and reams of paper like a twat, but nowadays I limit myself to one bit of paper just as reminders (as my memory is crap)."
- Tim Smith, interviewed in Harmonie Magazine 2000.
"We’ve no idea who is running it, last time we dropped in to where we thought the place was, all we found were a load of tiny ants. (and a muddy puddle)."
- Tim Smith, talking about the Alphabet Business Concern, interviewed in Margen Magazine April 2001.


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Influences

Influences the band have cited include Gong, Gentle Giant, early Genesis, and Frank Zappa.

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Present line-up

  • Tim Smith - lead vocals, guitar, keyboards.
  • Jim Smith - bass, backing vocals.
  • Kavus Torabi - guitar, backing vocals.
  • Bob Leith - drums, backing vocals.
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Members past and present A-Z by surname

  • Ralph Cade aka Raphel Cadd (1978-1979)
  • Mark Cawthra aka Little Bobby Shattocks (1979-?)
  • William D. Drake (left 1990)
  • Sharron Fortnam (née Saddington) (appears whenever "Will Bleed Amen" is performed)
  • Christian Hayes aka Bic (1989-1990)
  • Marguerite Johnson (left 1983)
  • Dominic Luckman (1983-1994)
  • Colvin Mayers aka Max Cat (1978-?)
  • Jon Poole (1991-2004)
  • Bob Leith (1994-present)
  • Michael Pugh aka Peter Boker (1977-?)
  • Tim Quy (1980-1990) (who is not dead, despite the ominous dedication at the end of the Mare's Nest video - "Dedicated to Tim Quy, who left our world 30/6/90". This was simply the date of his last show with Cardiacs, not his last day on earth. Tim Quy is alive and well.)
  • Graham Simmonds (left 1983)
  • Tim Smith aka Philip Pilf (1977-present)
  • Jim Smith aka Patty Pilf (1977-present)
  • Sarah Smith (née Cutts) (1980-1989)
  • Peter Tagg aka Mr Richard Targett (1977-1979)
  • Kavus Torabi (2003-present)
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Musical relations A-Z by band name

  • Ad Nauseum (Jon Poole, and Bob Leith – prior to joining Cardiacs)
  • Katherine in a Cupboard (Bob Leith, Jim Smith)
  • Dark Star (Christian Hayes - after leaving Cardiacs, and Levitation)
  • Lake of Puppies (Bill Drake - after leaving Cardiacs)
  • Levitation (Christian Hayes - after leaving Cardiacs)
  • Mice (Dominic Luckman and Christian Hayes - after leaving Cardiacs)
  • Mikrokosmos (Christian Hayes solo project)
  • The Monsoon Bassoon (Kavus Torabi - prior to joining Cardiacs)
  • Mr and Mrs Smith and Mr Drake (Tim Smith, Sarah Smith, and Bill Drake)
  • Panixphere (Tim Smith, Jon Poole, and Christian Hayes)
  • Ring (Christian Hayes - prior to joining Cardiacs)
  • The Sea Nymphs (Tim, Sarah, Bill)
  • Shrubbies (Dominic Luckman - after leaving Cardiacs)
  • Tim Smith's OceanLandWorld (Tim Smith's solo project)
  • The Sound (Colvin Mayers - after leaving Cardiacs)
  • Spratley's Japs (Tim)
  • The Trudy (Peter Tagg and Ralph Cade - after leaving Cardiacs) Official site , Fansite, myspace site
  • The Wildhearts (Jon Poole - after leaving Cardiacs)
  • Also listen out for Tim Smith's production for Sidi Bou Said (Bodies on Ultimate, 1995) and probably other bands too (see Eat's 'Epicure', Fiction 1993).
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Discography

Singles and EPs

  • A Bus for a Bus on the Bus 7" (1979) TOR 002
  • Seaside Treats 12" EP (1985) ALPH 002
  • There's Too Many Irons In The Fire 12" EP (1987) ALPH 006
  • Is This The Life 7" and 12" (1988) ALPH 008
  • Susannah's Still Alive 7" and 12" (1988) ALPH 009
  • Baby Heart Dirt 7" and 12" (1989) ALPH 011
  • Day Is Gone 12" and CD (1991) ALPH 015
  • Manhoo (1995) ALPH 025
  • Bellyeye (1995) ORGAN011
  • Odd Even ALPH 026
  • Signs (1999) ALPH 028

Albums

  • The Obvious Identity Cassette (1980)
  • Toy World Cassette (1981)
  • Archive Cardiacs Cassette (1983) ALPH 000
  • The Seaside Cassette (1983) ALPH 001
  • Big Ship Mini Album (1987) ALPH 004
  • Rude Bootleg (1987) recorded live at the Reading Festival 1986 ALPH 005
  • A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window (1988) ALPH 007
  • Cardiacs Live recorded live at The Paradiso, Amsterdam (1988) ALPH 010
  • On Land and in the Sea (1989) ALPH 012
  • The Seaside reissue ALPH 013
  • Songs for Ships and Irons (1991) ALPH 014
  • Heaven Born and Ever Bright (1992)ALPH 017
  • All that Glitters is a Mares Nest ALPH 018
  • Sampler (1995) ALPH 019
  • Sing to God (1995) ALPH 022, 023, 024 This LP was released in two parts.
  • Guns (1999) ALPH 027
  • Greatest Hits (2002) ALPH 029
  • The Special Garage Concerts Vol I & II (2005) ALPH CD030 & ALPH CD031

Videos

  • Surbiton Assembly Rooms 1985
  • Seaside Treats (1985)
  • Maresnest, live at Salisbury Arts Centre 30 June 1990.

Other and related releases

  • Mr and Mrs Smith and Mr Drake Cassette ALPH 003
  • The Sea Nymphs Cassette (1992)
  • Tim Smith's OceanLandWorld (1995) ALPH 020
  • Cardiacs and Affectionate Friends (2001) ORG228
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References

No official Cardiacs histories or biographies have been published. The ORGAN fanzine produced a Cardiacs anthology of interviews and reviews in 1993.

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External links


nl:Cardiacs

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