Red Hot ‘n’ Blue were formed in South London around mid 1984, initially as a four-piece, the band was fronted by Mouse vocals, Ashley Kingman lead guitar, Andy Bourne string bass and Dave Bourne on drums and percussion. They’d recorded some songs as a”live” demo tape in a local music shop basement, which they then forced upon me. It was rough and ready (rather like the band!), but there was a raw energy and an originality of song writing which I immediately liked; R’n’B/Blues-based with touches of Rockabilly, even Jazz, and the first time I caught sight of vocalist Mouse’s face I could see he had model features (model airplane).
We decided to cut some tracks at the famed UEA studios in Norwich (3rd November, 1984), two of which ended up on the “Big Noise From Northwood” – sampler (NWLP 1002), a third track,” So Lonely On My Own”, found its way onto the later album. On those sessions they were augmented by local sax player Kevin Ellis, who joined the band full-time soon after. Those tracks were produced by Peter Davenport of the Stargazers”.
I had really no intention of following it through with a full album, but during 1985 they had transformed themselves into a tight Rockin’ Blues outfit with some memorable gigs along the way their frequent visits to the Continent of Europe led to a huge growing fan-base there, coupled with a solid following on the UK circuit, meant an album was being demanded.
So I just bowed to the inevitable. Recording the “Wait ‘n’ See”- album (Northwood, NWLP 1005) was remarkably easy-going affair. Taped over three days in August 1985 (19th-21st) at Alaska Studios (under Waterloo Bridge, listen hard, you can probably still hear the trains rumbling overhead), and mixed September and October.
15 songs all except three done on first takes, with precious few over dubs, even some of the “guide” vocal tracks were used - all helped to contribute to the “live” feel to the album’s 14 tracks. (the unused tracks were; “Calidonia”, featured on the NV CD” the Northwood Story-Vol 1”, and “Without You”). Indeed, the engineer’s voice-over at the start of “Sure Like The Look In Your Eyes” was never planned: it just sounded right, so we kept it in, and that crackling you hear on the final guitar chord of “ She Got Back On That Train” is Ashley’s amplifier tweeter self-destructing (just as well it was one of the last tracks we laid down).
I remember when Boz Boorer and I had finished the final mixes, everyone was really proud of it. I think it even surprised the band just how good they sounded. And I still remember that alldayer in Birmingham, late November 1985, when I just received the white label copy hot of the presses that morning and I got Colin Silcocks the DJ to play thi “mystery record” and for the first time I heard “Sure Like The Look In Your Eyes” exploding out of a 2000-watt sound system “Magical".
When the album was released in January 1986, it received terrific reviews, including a five-star recommendation from Record Mirror.
This then led to interest from booking agencies on the non-purist Rock ‘n’ Roll circuit.
Red Hot ’n’ Blue today still rock the circuit with their great performances. They’ve made subsequent recordings, but I still think “the Northwood” recordings caught them when this line-up was just peaking. Producer Boz Boorer and I just sat there twiddling with the knobs and let it all happen. In the intervening years these recordings have been held in constant affection by their fans – and still stand the test of time today. Enjoy them.
Ray Frensham (Executive producer)
March 1998
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AIN'T GONNA STOP – you better believe it!! Red Hot ‘n’ Blue were one of the best new directions in 1950’s rock & roll in the early 80’s and they still are today, with this their latest rockin’ slab of CD, probably their best to date. Their classic line up of mouse on vocals/rhythm guitar, Ashley Kingman lead guitar. Andy Bourne string bass and his brother Dave on drums and percussion plus a batch of original songs it couldn’t fail to be good, but’s so good it’s almost GREAT!! I have to admit being a traditionalist. I like second features, coke in bottles, commies in the Kremlin, Cops on the beat, Dracula dressed like a head waiter and ROCK ‘N’ ROLL to be all that it was. However, while being 100% fifties based Rock ‘n’ Roll, Red Hot ‘n’ Blue are not really traditionalist and they are certainly not nostalgic. RED HOT ‘N’ BLUE are about excitement playing their music their way while being honest to it, its roots, themselves, us and good times. For some of the best times you’ll ever hear, get loose with RED HOT ‘N’ BLUE,
Cause the Beat-like truth-can really set you free.
PAUL BARRETT
Summer 1993
