China Crisis

China Crisis are an English art-pop band from Kirkby, Merseyside, that released five albums on Virgin between 1982 and 1989.

Members: Gary Daly (vocals, keyboards), Eddie Lundon (guitar, vocals), Dave Reilly (percussion, 1982), Gazza Johnson (bass, 1982-95), Kevin Wilkinson (drums, 1983-95), Brian McNeill (keyboards, 1983-84)

Background

China Crisis was formed in Kirkby, near Liverpool, in 1979 by singer/keyboardist Gary Daly and guitarist Eddie Lundon, both 17 at the time. Their primary influences were Steely Dan, David Bowie, Talking Heads, and Magazine.^[1] They rehearsed with a rhythm box, then enlisted drummer Dave Reilly.

In 1981, China Crisis issued the single “African and White” (b/w “Be Suspicious”) on local small-press Inevitable (It’s Immaterial, Modern Eon, Wah! Heat).

A. “African and White”
B. “Be Suspicious”

On March 22, 1982, China Crisis played their first session for BBC Radio One DJ John Peel, whose 4/1 broadcast aired four songs: “Seven Sports For All,” “This Occupation,” “Be Suspicious,” and “Some People I Know to Lead Fantastic Lives.”

China Crisis signed with Virgin Records and released their second single, “Scream Down at Me” (b/w “Cucumber Garden”), in May 1982.

A. “Scream Down at Me”
B. “Cucumber Garden

Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It’s Fun to Entertain

China Crisis released their debut album, Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It’s Fun to Entertain, on November 12, 1982, on Virgin.

Difficult Side
A1. “Seven Sports for All” (3:19)
A2. “No More Blue Horizons (Fool, Fool, Fool)” (3:48)
A3. “Feel to Be Driven Away” (2:52)
A4. “Some People I Know to Lead Fantastic Lives” (3:47)
A5. “Christian” (5:46)

Entertainment Side
B1. “African and White” (3:45)
B2. “Are We a Worker” (3:27)
B3. “Red Sails” (4:50)
B4. “You Never See It” (2:54)
B5. “Temptations Big Blue Eyes” (3:22)
B6. “Jean Walks In Freshfields” (1:51)

China Crisis recorded Side A in London at Red Bus and Strawberry South Studios. Sessions for Side B occurred in Liverpool at Amazon Studios.

Steve Levine and Pete Walsh share production and engineering duties on the “Difficult” side, with Levine taking the lead on “Seven Sports For All” and “Feel To Be Driven Away,” while Walsh handles “No More Blue Horizons (Fool, Fool, Fool),” “Some People I Know To Lead Fantastic Lives,” and “Christian.”

Walsh also plays electric piano and provides harmonies on several tracks. Assistant engineer Steve Cooksey supports Walsh on three tracks, while Nephew Pete Walsh contributes a synthesizer solo on “No More Blue Horizons (Fool, Fool, Fool)” and Uncle Frank Walsh plays trumpet on the same song.

The “Entertainment” side features a more varied lineup, with Gil Norton producing and engineering all five tracks and Mike Timoney adding synthesizer on “Are We A Worker.” Jean provides additional vocals on “Are We A Worker” and “Temptations Big Blue Eyes,” while Geoff Higgins engineers “African And White.” Andy Pask contributes fretless bass on “Christian,” and Garry adds keyboards and fretless bass on “You Never See It” and “Jean Walks In Freshfields,” respectively.

The album’s re-recorded first single, “African and White,” appeared on July 19, 1982, backed with “Red Sails.” On October 18, they lifted “No More Blue Horizons” on October 18, 1982, backed with the non-album “No Ordinary Lover,” a self-produced track.

B. “No Ordinary Lover”

Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms reached No. 21 on the UK Albums Chart. Between the album’s completion and release, Dave Reilly left China Crisis, which hired ex Hambi & The Dance bassist Gary “Gazza” Johnson.

The album’s final single, “Christian,” appeared on January 3, 1983, with two exclusive b-sides, “Greenacre Bay” and “Performing Seals,” both Lundon/Daly numbers recorded after Reilly’s departure.

B1. “Greenacre Bay”
B2. “Performing Seals”

“Christian” reached No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart. China Crisis opened for Simple Minds on the Scottish band’s tour behind New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84).

On January 15, China Crisis played their second session for John Peel, whose 1/27 broadcast aired four songs: “A Golden Handshake For Every Daughter,” “Wishful Thinking,” “Watching the Rainclouds,” and “Greenacre Bay.”

Working With Fire and Steel: Possible Pop Songs Volume Two

China Crisis released their second album, Working With Fire and Steel: Possible Pop Songs Volume Two, on October 31, 1983, on Virgin.

Singer/pianist Gary Daly and guitarist Eddie Lundon co-wrote the album’s ten originals, recorded by a reconfigured four-piece lineup with Waterboys drummer Kevin Wilkinson and recent bassist recruit Gazza Johnson, who also plays harmonica and fretless. Daly and Lundon both multi-task on assorted synthesizers, including the E-mu Emulator, a just-launched digital sampler.

Reedist Steve Levy (a recent touring auxiliary) plays saxophone on the first three cuts and oboe on the album’s mid-section, including “Here Comes a Raincloud” with the Breck Road String Ensemble. “When the Piper Calls” and “Hanna Hanna” feature Waterboys hornists Roddy Lorimer (trumpet) and Anthony Thistlethwaite (tenor sax). The ubiquitous Gary Barnacle plays flute on “The Gates of Door to Door.”

A1. “Working With Fire and Steel” (3:40)
A2. “When the Piper Calls” (4:03)
A3. “Hanna Hanna” (3:29)
A4. “Animals in Jungles” (3:39)
A5. “Here Comes a Raincloud” (4:16)

B1. “Wishful Thinking” (4:41)
B2. “Tragedy and Mystery” (4:02)
B3. “Papua” (3:36)
B4. “The Gates of Door to Door” (4:16)
B5. “The Soul Awakening” (4:35)

China Crisis recorded the album with producer Mike Howlett, the onetime Gong bassist with 1982/83 sound credits behind A Flock of Seagulls, Blancmange, Comsat Angels, and Gang of Four.

Sessions occurred at Amazon Studios, Liverpool, with engineer by Gil Norton, who subsequently worked with Echo & The Bunnymen on their 1984 classic Ocean Rain. Additional work took place at Richard Branson’s Manor mansion with engineer Alan Douglas, a recent Adam Ant and UK Players soundman. 

China Crisis first lifted “Tragedy and Mystery” on May 6, 1983, as an advance single with “A Golden Handshake for Every Daughter,” an outtake from the Amazon sessions.

B. “A Golden Handshake for Every Daughter”

On October 3, “Working with Fire and Steel” appeared three weeks ahead of its namesake album, backed with “Dockland” and “Forever I and I,” two further outtakes from their sessions with Gil Norton.

B1. “Dockland”
B2. “Forever I and I”

On January 3, 1984, “Wishful Thinking” became the third Working With Fire single, backed with “This Occupation,” an earlier song performed for their first Peel broadcast.

B “This Occupation”

“Wishful Thinking” reached No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart. In late February, “Hanna Hanna” became the album’s final single, backed with a live version of their first single, “African and White,” recorded on 1/31/84 at Reading University.

Working With Fire and Steel reached No. 7 in the Netherlands, No. 14 in New Zealand, and No. 20 on the UK Albums Chart.

Flaunt the Imperfection

China Crisis released their third album, Flaunt the Imperfection, on April 29, 1985, on Virgin. This was their first of two non-consecutive albums with Steely Dan musician/producer Walter Becker.

A1. “The Highest High” (4:16)
A2. “Strength of Character” (2:50)
A3. “You Did Cut Me” (4:18)
A4. “Black Man Ray” (3:39)
A5. “Wall of God” (5:32)

B1. “Gift of Freedom” (4:38)
B2. “King in a Catholic Style” (4:32)
B3. “Bigger the Punch I’m Feeling” (4:21)
B4. “The World Spins, I’m Part of It” (4:12)
B5. “Blue Sea” (4:46)

Sessions occurred at Parkgate Studios in East Sussex, where Becker produced the album ahead of Zazu, a project with model/songwriter Rosie Vela that reunited him with Donald Fagen. Phill Brown (brother of Rush producer Terry Brown) engineered Flaunt the Imperfection in sequence with titles by King, Red Box, Virginia Astley, and Uli Roth’s Electric Sun.

Flaunt the Imperfection sports design and photography by Icon, a London design firm behind 1985 sleeves for the Alan Parsons Project (Stereotomy) and Robert Plant (Shaken ‘N’ Stirred). The album appeared in an embossed blue sleeve, later released in red, green, and black varieties.

“Black Man Ray” appeared in early March as an advance single with “Animalistic,” a self-produced song with writing input from Wilkinson.

B. “Animalistic”

In late May, “King in a Catholic Style” became the second single (b/w “Blue Sea”). In late August, “You Did Cut Me” appeared as a standard 7″ (backed with a live version) and a double-pack with live renditions of the earlier “Christian” and “Seven Sports for All.”

In November, “The Highest High,” became the album’s final single, backed with “96.8,” a Daly-produced exclusive.

B. “96.8”

Flaunt the Imperfection reached No. 6 in New Zealand, No. 9 in the UK, No. 14 in the Netherlands, and No. 21 in Canada.

What Price Paradise

China Crisis released their fourth album, What Price Paradise, on November 24, 1986, on Virgin.

A1. “It’s Everything” (5:12)
A2. “Arizona Sky” (5:24)
A3. “Safe as Houses” (4:22)
A4. “Worlds Apart” (3:34)
A5. “Hampton Beach” (4:46)

B1. “The Understudy” (5:46)
B2. “Best Kept Secret” (4:09)
B3. “We Do the Same” (4:18)
B4. “June Bride” (3:48)
B5. “A Day’s Work for the Dayo’s Done” (4:15)

CD only
11. “Trading In Gold” (4:27)

China Crisis recorded the album with Langer–Winstanley, the production team of early Stranglers soundman Alan Winstanley and onetime Deaf School guitarist Clive Langer — collectively best known for their work with Madness. Sessions occurred at the Manor mansion and Westside Studios, the pair’s Holland Park facility.

What Price Paradise appeared in a sleeve designed by Andrew Ellis (Nik Kershaw, UFO, Working Week) with an insert collage by one Jeanne Panton.

“Arizona Sky” appeare in mid-October as the first single backed with the non-album “Trading In Gold.” In January 1987, “Best Kept Secret” became the second single, backed with “The Instigator.”
Released: 13 October 1986

B. “Trading In Gold”

B. “The Instigator (Italian Fuzzbox Version)”

In the US, “Arizona Sky” received ample college radio play and went Top 40 on the Billboard AC chart. “Best Kept Secret” reached the Irish Top 20.

Diary of a Hollow Horse

China Crisis released their fifth album, Diary of a Hollow Horse, on May 2, 1989, on Virgin. The album reunited them with Walter Becker, who produced everything apart from three tracks with Wire soundman Mike Thorne.

Diary of a Hollow Horse retains the prior album’s quintet lineup with Gazza Johnson, Kevin Wilkinson, co-founders Gary Daly and Eddie Lundon, and keyboardist Brian McNeill, who doubles on marimba.

The album contains eleven group-composed songs, including “St. Saviour Square,” inspired by Daly’s experience walking through a neglected housing estate in Liverpool, reflecting his thoughts as a new father and the state of the city.

1. “St. Saviour Square” (4:09)
2. “Stranger by Nature” (3:56)
3. “Sweet Charity in Adoration” (4:52)
4 .”Day After Day” (5:08)
5. “Diary of a Hollow Horse” (3:15)
6. “Red Letter Day” (4:38)
7. “In Northern Skies” (5:02)
8. “Singing the Praises of Finer Things” (5:20)
9. “All My Prayers” (4:04)
10. “Age Old Need” (3:21)
11. “Back Home” (3:54)

Sessions occurred in Hawaii (Lahaina Sound, Maui) and Los Angeles (Village Recorder). Becker produced eight Diary tracks between titles by Norwegian new wavers Fra Lippo Lippi and ex-Sherbet singer Daryl Braithwaite. Thorne produced “All My Prayers” and both a-sides. 

“Saint Saviour Square” appeared in late March 1989 as an advance single, backed with the album’s CD bonus track “Back Home.”

On May 30, “Red Letter Day” became the second single, backed with acoustic version of “Diary of a Hollow Horse.”

Discography:

• Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It’s Fun to Entertain (1982)
• Working With Fire and Steel: Possible Pop Songs Volume Two (1983)
• Flaunt the Imperfection (1985)
• What Price Paradise (1986)
• Diary of a Hollow Horse (1989)

Sources:

• Discogs: China Crisis
• English C Albums Directory (page 3)
• 45worlds: China Crisis
• 45cat: China Crisis

References:

1. Louderthanwar.com: China Crisis exclusive interview