7" Single, released in 1984
A Bigger Splash - I Don't Believe A Word (A-Side)
A Bigger Splash - Silence (B-Side)
Since I posted this single a couple of years ago, there's been a number of insightful comments. I'm always extremely flattered when members of the group stop by and add their thoughts, so thanks are due to Ray Edwards and Eddi Reader, who sang backing vocals. Apparently the band were fabulous live.
33 comments:
I love this song. Thanks for posting it
Nice song, thanks :)
Didn't Sting produce this single? Does anyone know for sure?
I would surely miss your contributions to keep the good music alive.
Yes, according to the credits, Sting produced the A-side, the only release by A Bigger Splash.
This is another great rarity! Thanks fifty!
Sting murdered this song. I used to see them live regularly in London, early 80s. Original was twice the tempo and had audiences going nut!!
Second the comment by Anon. Sting crucified this song in the studio. I saw A Bigger Splash play live many times in London in the early Eighties, and they were a thousand times better than you would think from listening to the sterilized rubbish on this EP. They were an absolutely killer live band.
The *live* version of this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI0zfz4xUFQ
Much better! :-)
What a band, you had to be there, what are they doing now?
I sung on that session. My name is Eddi Reader and it was a session I was asked to do because I had sung harmonies on the bands demo for the song I Dont Believe A Word. They secured a recording contract, I think for this one single.
Sting heard the demo and wanted to produce the song.
I supposed that Sting was on the same label, I felt thats how he happened to hear it.
Sting produced and sung that harmony part he liked, with me. i think about the guys often. I hope life is good to them. '83-'86 were my playing around London hoping for songs and deals. I heard the song coming out of the radios of houses, it was on heavy roatation on Capital Radio. Big celebrations in London.
Hi Eddi,
Thanks for those kind words,the last 28 years went pretty fast,I stopped gigging in 86 and haven't seen Paul and the guys since then.
I got a job in a music store called Digital Village in 1993 (now called dv247.com)
and after a while became the Sales and Marketing Director Director/Deputy MD.I'm very lucky to be part of a great team and to be as passionate about what I do now as I was back then.I'm also happily married.
One day in the distance when things slow up a bit I'm intending to write and sing a song or two,hope to see you then Eddi.
I've followed what you've been up to since 1985 and I'm proud that back then we were friends.
I played bass for these guys just as Ray left, they had a great set, but it was all downhill. I bumped into the very lovely Paul Baverstock about ten years ago, must give him a call. I can be found carting a double bass around and leading a band playing the music of The Headhunters/Weather Report .
I played guitar in a band called Tek Morek in the 80's and we shared a manager with A Bigger Splash and did a few gigs with them (don't know if Ray remembers?)
I love the B-side "Silence" - great song and still play it regularly.
I've also played "Perfect" in a few covers bands over the years Eddi :-)
Agree that the A-side sounded much better live - great band that should have made it bigger!
I remember first hearing this in 1985 on a mix tape (anyone remember those?) my friend had put together from songs he recorded off of WLIR, New York. I was blown away. About a year later, I went on a quest to locate this single and it was out of print. For some reason recently, I was thinking of this song and decided to do a search. It brought me here. Thanks for posting such a truly fantastic song that brings back such great memories of my teenage years. Cheers!
Hi,
I have a single by them, 'Stranger at the heart'. some kind of promo or such, bought at a charity shop selling bundles of promo CDs and vinyl at 5p each... bliss.
Play it often and have MP3'd it for playlists and driving.
They don't sound like they look...
Hexenfinger
ray Edwards, best song ever. Love it.
Just wondering do you remember Fiona cozens.
I go back even further with both Ray and Paul (plus Jim Honeywood & Dennis Lascelles). They were Jailbait back in the early 70's and created quite a stir without finally breaking through. I'd love to get back in contact with any of them, as I have a 6 track acetate they may not have a copy of. If anybody knows where they are.......
David Jeavons
What a great band. I used to live in Forest Hill South London, in the early 1980's and used to see these guys play live at The Half Moon in Herne Hill, and all over London. How they never got the big break is beyond me, as they were brilliant live.
I am so happy to find this post, as i am now 60 and look back at this time as the happiest days of my life. Jim Honeywood was such a lovely guy and a great drummer, and i remember Jim getting me free tickets to see them play as support to the great Chris Rea at the Victoria Palace. The place was packed with many music celebs, and i thought this was their big break but it wasn't to be.
Jim, if you are still out there, i hope life has been good to you.
Nick Macfarlane ( Taymount Grange) 1980-1983
PS You came to our wedding in Stevenage in 1983
My mate Gilli and I saw the band a few times in London, including at The Tramshed in Woolwich. They were great live - you couldn't stand still and just watch. A great trip down memory lane thanks
A Bigger Splash morphed from Jailbait a rock band that formed in the early 1970's. I went to anumber of their gigs in the 70's. There was a memorable gig at The Marquee in Wardour Street on the night of 15th March 1975 (their 5th gig at this venue). The rock critic, Robert Shelton, from The Times said the following about the gig:-
"Jailbait comes on like a demonic horde, lavish with decibels, rampant with energy, insouciant about their cliches, yet delightfully fresh with new ideas. Ray Edwards, the elastic boned leather-lunged lead singer and bass player, effuses a joy in music making that is almost missionary. Pokerfaced guitarist Paul Baverstock has technique to burn. Drummer Jim Honeywood makes the landscape pulse. There are no wah wah pedals, no fuzzboxes, no sythesizers, just good old hard rock"
Yes I also followed A Biggersplash through out the late 70s and early 80s.Yes it was a great gig at the Victoria Palace, I thought after that they would really break through, but sadly it was not to be.
I understand Ray Edwards is currently writing new material and intends to re-launch himself in 2017.
Just came across comments about a bigger splash,great band,also watched them all over London and Amsterdam the melkweg when we shocked them by just turning up,when spotted by ray he muffed his words good old days would be nice if any one has any contacts of Paul or ray.
I went to so many of A Bigger Splash gigs in North London in the early 80s
. Absolutely LOVED the band. Especially Ray's voice, and the amazing drummer. Happy days!
I saw A Bigger Splash so many times in concert in North London in the early 80s. I absolutely LOVED the band, especially Ray's voice!
I'm looking for a flac version of this great and rare single, all around the net but cannot find it. Can u help?
Oh yes great days watched this band all over London if you wanted a great nite out we just had to look up where they were playing and off we'd go. one of the best live bands kiking around at that time. I loved them still do. Thanks guys keep on keeping on.
Only just discovered this.
We supported A Bigger Splash on many occasion and I can safely say the each gig was a blast.
I was saddened by the death of Ron Mann, who managed both bands. That came as a shock.
Eddi Reader also sang backing vocals on a demo we did whilst under Ron Mann's guidance.
We were called Tek Morek and for my sins I was the lead vocalist.
The one thing that's always bugged me is how "I Don't Believe a Word" never charted, it had top twenty written all over it.
I remember it being top of the Capital Hit Line ( Capital Radio) for about four weeks.
Happy times though.
They played the venue Victoria and not with Chris rea that night they stayed in Manchester to do the Freddie star show case with the song it's a secret and they didn't win the show
Just heard the live version of I don't Believe a Word. So much better than that crap single produced by Sting. Massive rush of nostalgia must have seen these guys about 100 times. Quite a lot on a Monday night when they practiced in a pub near the Old Kent Road and of course at Victoria Palace. Right band in the wrong era, was all about the synth sound at that time. Big shame as said they were great live.
I've just found this page while looking for something else. Is this the same 'A Bigger Splash' that I used to see in the Start and Garter just off New Cross Road and Thomas A'Becket in the Old Kent Road? If so, I think that an old friend, Ian Nix, was involved at some stage and other bands that played around that time were The Classics and the Prize Guys.
hello everybody, I'm a 53 year old fan of The Police, working on the detailed PoliceWiki website.
I'd like to know learn more about the production of that 7". As far as I know Sting produced it in January 1984 and the 7" was released on June 18, 1984.
What's missing on The PoliceWiki's page about that single would be the studio they worked in: was it Utopia Studios?
From the comments here I learned that Eddi Reader and Sting sang background vocals, but I would love to add every other contributor - especially "A Bigger Splash" themselves: who played which instruments?
thanks, Dietmar
Yup - these guys live were special. Saw them a few times at my local - The Prince Albert on New Cross road, haunt of another great local lot - The Realists. All the joie de vivre is sucked outta the studio version. Shame. Great song and band!
I saw these guys at the LSE, was an all nighter gig if I remember rightly, anyone know what other bands were on?
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