Modern English/Everything’s Mad. Mi5 Recordings/Caroline EMI 2007.
Produced by band member Ted Mason and the band, this last album of
Modern English mixes the influences of world music, combining
traditional Indian instruments (sitar, sourangi, tablas) with Classical
strings, harps as well as western rock guitars/drums and sampling
Formed in Colchester, Essex, England, in 1977 by Robbie Grey (vocals)
Modern English sold over 4 million records in the US alone. Members
included Gary McDowell (guitar, vocals), and Michael Conroy (bass,
vocals), Richard Brown (drums) and Stephen Walker (keyboards) and
later Ted Mason (Guitar, co songwriting, producer, vocals and manager
). Though known for their classic hit “I Melt With You,” the band had
several top billboard hits including Richochet Days, Hands Across the
Sea, 16 Days, After the Snow, to name a few.
The band's full-length Mesh & Lace, released by 4AD Records was one of
their first success and drew heavily on the sound already patented by
bands such as Joy Division. The follow-up After The Snow, was a minor
revelation, as they introduced warmth and strong guitar harmonies (most
notably on the classic "I Melt With You"). The album Richochet Days
had a crisper production and included the hits Richochet Days and Hands
Across the Sea, selling ove
r 300,000 units. Next came Stop Start, which
was the last record Modern English recorded for Sire. In 1990 the band
released Pillow Lips on the TVT label, selling 300,000 units. Robbie
Grey and band member/manager Ted Mason co wrote and produced with
Robbie a second release for TVT recording with live strings and
multiple harmonies. The ambitions of the band received very little
enthusiasm from TVT. Locked into contractual obligations with TVT, Grey
subsequently put the band on hold to study and travel, and Mason
handled the legal issues of getting out of the TVT deal. In 1995, they
successfully managed to get out of their contractual obligations and
signed with Terry Ellis’ label Imago. This is re release of that album
and is considered the most adventurous albums the band ever produced.
It included Indian musicians, live strings, a small chamber orchestra
and samples collected through Robbie Grey’s travels through India.
Modern English’s Everything is Mad with Robbie Grey, (vocals, guitar)
Matthew Shipley (keyboards) and Ted Mason (vocals, guitar) has been
repackaged to represent this ambitious and magical recording and it has
been digitally re-mastered.
Robbie Grey continues to tour extensively on the US club circuit, and
in 2001 signed a new recording contract with A.P.G. Music. 2007 saw the
repackaged/remastered re-release of "Everything’s Mad" for the Mi5
Recordings label distributed by Caroline/EMI.
A Modern English rarities
with unreleased material is due out end Winter 2007. Modern English has
sold close to four million records world wide.
