There are a number of albums kicking around that highlight Birmingham music at different points in time and across different genres.
A Night At The Flicks is one such album. Released in 1985 on N.R.O. Records this 16 track lp covers synth driven indie, post punk, reggae, C86, psychobilly and hard rock. There are some great tracks on this album which was compiled by Jon Buxton, Terry Boazman and Paul Panic from The Accused
I need help in filling in a lot of gaps on this one. From details about the bands to the N.R.O. Records to the people in the credits.
Where you in one of the bands? A fan or remember seeing them play? Know who and what N.R.O. Records were or do you know, or are you one of, the people in the credits?
I’ve photographed the album so read the sleeve notes in the 1,2,3 order I’ve arranged them in!
A Night At The Flicks
Side 1
Private I.D. – All Fall Down; The Jury – Take It Higher; The Biz – My Life; The Cushites – In The Name Of Love; Fact Is… – Walking In The Rain; Future – Only Child; King Rat – That’s Progress; Slaughterhouse 5 – Dresden
Side 2
Arabia – Watch And Believe; System X – I Did It*; Mighty Mighty – Throwaway; Beneath The Street – Friends; Warren (Armstrong) and The Walkons – Anytime; Pungent Smells – Psiko; Eye Do It – The Brick Wall (Knock It Down); Touché – Touché
Produced by Jon Buxton
Engineered by Steve Law
N.R.O. Records. 1985
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The album was recorded at Flick Studios in the Jewellery Quarter which was owned by Jon Buxton and Terry Boazman, both of whom played in the band featured on the final track Touche.
The album was followed up by an outdoor event in the Summer of 1985 at Cannon Hill Park, where most, if not all, of the bands played a short set.
My memories of that day was of rain and more rain but I still have the photographs.
Terry (Tez) still plays in a Quo tribute band called The Four Rossies and a covers band called the Starving Dogs
I was the keyboard player for System X! I still have the album and remember Canon Hill Arena and have a recording on Mp3 that of John Buxton on Radio WM presenting our Track ‘I did it’ and track from the Cushites! The photo shoot for the album was taken outside the old Gaument Cinema!
We regularly used John Buxtons Studio to record our tracks! The vibrant days with some fantastic gigs! System X split up three or so years later!
The lead Guitarist Simon Bose has his own disco karaoke business! Robin Bose Simons brother our drummer now dabbles with classical music on his keys!
Kevin Beglan our base player we lost contact with was great backing vocalist and player!
I have played with many bands since but am deep in to my Keys and enjoy the new Jupiter 80 which brings one back to the Analogue days!
I played a Korg Poly61M and a JVC KB500! Flick studios closed and we recorded at FSR where Muscial Youth recorded Pass the Duche! FSR got burned down and we then we moved to Central studios owned by Edwin Starr RIP. His Base player Kevin ran the studios!
The last time I saw Edwin was in Careys Irish Bar in Coventry back in the late 90’ls i was on the stage dressed as the Mad Irish Chimney Sweep Beating out the Accordion and the Korg M1 in a band called the Reel T’ing!
Nice to here somebody has some good memories! And it did posses down with rain in the afternoon but it was a great day! My fav group on the album was the Cushites they were good and wonder if they made it and wondered what ever happen to John Buxton a great guy!
Happy Days!
I was (still am) in Mighty Mighty. This was our first appearance on vinyl. I found this site because I have just contributed some photos of the band to a guy who is putting together a book on 80s indie pop – I wanted to be able to tell him who took the photos at the gig at the MAC. I know someone was hired for the occasion – we have a whole load of black and white 8x10s. Does anyone know who took them?
The gig was on 22/6/85. It was pretty memorable as we had a mini stage invasion and most of the photos show us obscured by dancing punters.
We’ve just released a ‘best of’ compilation on Cherry Red records so we are looking to gig again – so far we have just one lined up in London in June.
completely forgotten I’d done the sleeve notes (credited without the e in Davies), but, rather impressed with myself. if i can be of help do get in touch
I was bass player with Beneath the streets, and like chap from system x I still have my copy. I still play and record but remember those great days in the damp studio in Hockley
Ps to last post NRO record was an indie label set up by the guitarist of “eye do it” who also appear on the album, it stood for No Rip off records
I was the drummer in Private I.D. (that’s me standing at the back, trying to look like James Dean).
A couple of years after this I co-founded Brummie rhythm & blues band, King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys, who I played with until 2001.
Have played with various bands/artists since, including Imelda May and Duane Eddy, and have spent the past 10 years as Richard Hawley’s drummer.
Still see the other guys from Private I.D. – guitarist, Dean Jones, is still making music and performing live.
31 years ago?!! Bloody hell!
Cheers, Dean
(I still have my copy of the album).
I am the bass player from Mighty Mighty and remember those rehearsals at Flick and – as someone says – the smell of damp – happy days. We wrote a lot of songs in the subterranean murk. After that we moved to Rich Bitch which was at least above ground. A couple of weeks ago we we rehearsed at Muthers on a stage which was really good – and even further above ground. Basically we go up about 5 feet every 10 years. Anyway, back to Flick, I remember Terry – he was a nice chap.
Greetings to all brummies I once knew, that includes just about everyone. I recorded the early “private id” demos at robannas studio (which I also helped build). Me and dean and paddy used to play music together. I still keep in touch with dean,although it’s hard now as I’ve been living in USA now for 15 years !!!. I used to play in and around brum in my punk/thrash metal band FLAK !!!. Always a good show at the barrel organ or eddies !!!. There was also the B.E.M.N or birmingham experimental music network where where we all met at the Turks head in brum each month for music trading and live shows. Wonder if anyone else remembers “colonel mustard” ?. Anyhoo hopefully this will pull out some old friends from outta the woodwork !!!…all the best NIC
And after FLAK came SEVENTH ANGEL,then MENTALGEN ,and then ADRENALIN KICK, then BEAVER ,then a bit of international touring with a well known brum death metal band, then BRIDE JUST DIED !!! …then I moved to USA !!!
Great little page here you have.
I was the bass player with Arabia, good time at the studio and good fun doing all the promo.
The name of the album was actually suggested by our guitarist Bob Dean.
As for the band, we played on till late 80’s and then went our own ways.
Singer Mab departed the earth way too soon some years back, Bob Dean is still out there although I have lost touch.
Drummer Tony Race is ripping it up with the Gav Coulson Group up in Yorkshire and I’m holding the bottom end in Unforgiven and still in the midlands.
I sang for slaughter house 5 . We were all former members of Drongos For Europe Dek bassist and myself are still touring and releasing material as Drongos For Europe. The other members on the flicks track were Steve Devlin guitar and Mad Mark Baskerville on drums.