Maximum Joy -

Maximum Joy are an English art-funk/dub band that cut the 1981/82 Y Records singles “Stretch,” “White and Green Place,” and “In the Air,” followed by the album Station MXJY.

Members: Janine Rainforth (vocals, violin, clarinet, 1979-83), John Waddington (guitar), Tony Wrafter (saxophone, flute, trumpet, 1979-82), Kevin Evans (bass, piano, vocals), Dan Catsis (bass), Charlie Llewellin (drums), Jeremy Hirsh (trumpet, 1982-83), Nellee Hooper (electronic drums, 1982-83), Peta (vocals, 1983)

Background

Maximum Joy was formed in 1980 by members of two Bristol bands: The Pop Group (guitarist John Waddington and bassist Dan Catsis) and the Glaxo Babies (Catsis, trumpeter Tony Wrafter, and drummer Charlie Llewellin). As a member of both bands, Catsis played on their respective 1980 albums How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder? and Nine Months to the Disco.

Somerset singer/clarinetist Janine Rainforth completed Maximum Joy, whose blend of post-punk, funk, and dub resembled another Pop Group spinoff, Rip Rig + Panic. They signed with Y Records, a local upstart indie distributed by Rough Trade.

“Stretch” | Peel

In October 1981, Maximum Joy released their debut single: “Stretch” backed with “Silent Street,” both group-written songs released on 7″ and extended 12″ formats.

A. “Stretch” (3:45 / Discomix 6:09)
B. “Silent Street” (4:43 / “Silent Dub” 7:53)

Maximum Joy cut “Stretch” on July 8 at Berry St. Studios in Clerkenwell, London, with Y owner Disc O’Dell and Berry staffer John Walker, a soundman on 1981 albums by Family Fodder, The Mothmen, Rip Rig + Panic, and The Honeymoon Killers. The recorded “Silent Street” at Stage One Studio, a London facility used for recent singles by Pinkoes, Ska-Dows, Soft Cell, and The The.

“Stretch” appeared in a sleeve with a candid photo of Rainforth in a moment of ‘maximum joy.’ The sleeve designer, Gina Franklyn, was a New York City graphic artist for Emerald Sapphire & Gold (ESG).

“Stretch” appears on Sex Sweat & Blood (The New Dancability), a 1982 Beggars Banquet comp with cuts by Fashion (“Move On”), Medium Medium (“So Hungry So Angry”), The Dance (“In Lust”), Ministry (“Cold Life”), Lora Logic (“Wonderful Offer”), and 23 Skidoo (“Aversion”).

Peel Sessions

On September 12 (between the first single’s completion and release), Maximum Joy cut a session for BBC Radio One DJ John Peel, whose 9/17 broadcast aired three unique songs: “Caveman Fly,” “Slip Into the Fit,” “Open Your Heart.” For this session, drummer Dan Shields deputized Llewellin and percussionist singer Sandy Smith played sixth wheel.

Catsis jumped ship to The Blue Aeroplanes, formed by Art Objects brothers John and Gerard Langley. Maximum Joy continued with bassist Kevin Evans.

On February 22, 1982, Maximum Joy cut a second Peel session for the DJ’s 4/8 broadcast, which aired rough takes of one upcoming a-side (“In the Air”) and two eventual album tracks (“All Wrapped Up,” “Dancing On My Boomerang”). Rainforth played violin on this session.

1982 Singles

On March 19, 1982, Maximum Joy released their second single: “White and Green Place” and “Building Bridges,” both group-written numbers issued on standard 7″ (3:00 duration, both sides) and extended 12″ formats.

A. “White and Green Place (Extraterrestrial Mix)” (5:27)
B. “Building Bridges / Building Dub” (6:19)

O’Dell co-produced the single at Berry St., where Rip Rig + Panic soundman Dave Hunt engineered both sides amid Y Records singles by Pigbag and Mouth.

On July 30, 1982, Maximum Joy released their second single: “In the Air” backed with “Simmer Till Done,” again issued by Y in standard 7″ and extended 12″ formats.

A. “In the Air” (3:32 / extended 6:39)
B. “Simmer Till Done” (3:30 / 4:44)

Maximum Joy cut both sides in June at Berry St., where Hunt co-engineered the single with mixer Pete Wooliscroft, a soundman on 1982 titles by Kate Bush, New Order, and Robyn Hitchcock. O’Dell co-arranged the strings on “In the Air.”

Station MXJY

Maximum Joy released their singular album, Station MXJY, on September 10, 1982, on Y Records.

Station MXJY contains eight group-credited originals, including “Let It Take You There,” “Searching for a Feeling,” “Temple Bomb Twist,” and the ubiquitous “Do It Today.”

The album features multi-instrumentation by singer Janine Rainforth (violin, clarinet), Kev Evans (bass, piano), and Tony Wrafter (flute, saxophone, trumpet).

Catch 1
A1. “Dancing On My Boomerang” (3:14)
A2. “Do It Today” (5:05)
A3. “Let It Take You There” (6:05)
A4. “Searching for a Feeling” (4:28)

Throw 2
B1. “Where’s Deke?” (3:18)
B2. “Temple Bomb Twist” (3:38)
B3. “Mouse an’ Me” (4:54)
B4. “All Wrapped Up!” (6:29)

Fontana Records (a resurrected Sixties soul/pop label) placed “Do It Today” on a split 12″ promo single with “Touchdown” by The Higsons, a Norwich punk/funk band. Both cuts appeared on Touchdown, a 1982 Fontana comp with cuts by Animal Magic (“Life”), Dislocation Dance (“Stand Me Up”), Design For Living (“Red Ribbon Day”), Pinski Zoo (“Put Your Ghost Shirt On”), and Tony Wrafter’s new band Vital Excursions (“Flowers for Ingrid”).

Sessions took place at Berry St. and The Lodge, a farmhouse in Clare, Suffolk, where Hunt and Woodiscroft co-produced the album with Adrian Sherwood, a soundman for Creation Rebel, Medium Medium, and the New Age Steppers.

Station MXJY features cover art by K.O. Malone and a group pic (back cover) by Rick Mann, whose photography also appears on sleeves for the Akrylykz, The Chords, The Invaders, The Selecter, and the 1981 Siouxsie & The Banshees compilation Once Upon a Time. A note beside Rainforth’s name states “She knows best, Simon does the rest.”

“Searching for a Feeling” appears on Birth of the Y, a 1982 Y Records comp with cuts by Pigbag (“Six of One”), Mouth (“Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea”), Pulsallama (“Ungawa Pt. 2 (Way Out Guyana)”), Shriekback (“Despite Dense Weed”), and jazz legend Sun Ra (“Excerpt From Strange Celestial Road”).

“Why (Can’t We Live Together)”

In April 1983, Garage Records issued the fourth Maximum Joy single: “Why (Can’t We Live Together),” a Timmy Thomas cover backed with the band original “Man of Tribes,” released on 7″ and 12″ formats.

A. “Why (Can’t We Live Together)” (3:40 / remix 5:34) originated as an August 1972 Polydor a-side by American R&B singer Timmy Thomas, whose transatlantic hit version (US No. 3, UK No. 12) also inspired covers by Jimmy Smith and Sade.
B. “Man of Tribes” (4:40 / remix 6:43)

Maximum Joy recorded the single with reggae producer Dennis Bovell, a veteran musician (Blackbeard, Matumbi), who produced the first Pop Group album (Y) and the Slits debut (Cut). The single features a revised lineup of Kevin and Llewellin (identified as ‘Kev’ and ‘Charlie’) with Waddington and Rainforth (identified as Janine-Petta), plus keyboardist/trumpeter Jeremy ‘Xeno’ Hirsh and Syndrum player Paul ‘Nelly’ Hooper.

Album discography: