Pink Military / Pink Industry

Pink Military was an English post-punk band that released two EPs and the 1980 album Do Animals Believe in God? They had a revolving lineup led by Jayne Case, the frontwoman of Liverpool punk pioneers Big In Japan. In 1981, she formed Pink Industry, a minimal wave trio that instigated Zulu Records for the 1983–85 albums Who Told You, You Were Naked?, Low Technology, and New Beginnings.

Pink Military members: Jayne Casey (vocals), Neil Innes (percussion), John Higham (guitar), Martin Dempsey (bass), Chris Joyce (drums), Tim Whittaker (drums), Paul Hornby (drums), Roy White (guitar), Nicky Cool (keyboard, guitar), Steve Torch (bass), Wayne Wadden (bass), Charlie Griffiths (keyboard), Colm Redmond (guitar)

Pink Industry members: Jayne Casey (vocals), Ambrose Reynolds (bass, keyboards), Tadzio Jodlowski (guitar)

Background

Jayne Casey was born in 1956 in Wallasey, Cheshire, at the mouth of the River Mersey on the Wirral Peninsula. In August 1977, she joined Big In Japan, a pioneering northwest punk band formed by stage designer Bill Drummond. Along with benefactors Deaf School, Big In Japan revitalized the Liverpool music scene with a revolving lineup that (at various points) featured future members of the Teardrop Explodes (David Balfe), Original Mirrors (Ian Broudie), and Frankie Goes to Hollywood (Holly Johnson).

Mk I

Casey formed the first Pink Military lineup with guitarist John Highway, keyboardist Nicky Cool, bassist Wayne Wadden, and drummer Paul Hornby.

Buddha Waking / Disney Sleeping

In February 1979, they released the live 7″ EP Buddha Waking / Disney Sleeping under the name Pink Military Stands Alone. It features four group-written numbers with lyrics by Jayne (“Degenerated Man”) and Nicky (“Sanjo Kantara,” “Heaven / Hell”). The track “(Dead Lady Of) Clown Town” features lyrics by local music mogul Pete Fulwell, the owner of Liverpool’s famed Eric’s Club.

A1. “Degenerated Man”
A2. “Sanjo Kantara”
B1. “(Dead Lady Of) Clown Town”
B2. “Heaven / Hell”

Buddha Waking appeared on the self-initiated one-press Last Trumpet Records. Pink Military recorded the EP at Eric’s on December 7, 1978, three and a half months after Big In Japan’s last show. The record is housed in a fold-out sleeve designed by Liverpool artist Steve Hardstaff with John Alco. It presents the name in Blackletter font and features a monochrome collage of live and outdoor group pics of Pink Military in nighttime Liverpool. Casey sports her trademark lampshade headpiece.

Mk II

In the following months, Walden left the band along with Hornby (later of Dogs D’Amour) and Highway (to the Merseysippi Jazz Band). Casey hired guitarist Roy White, bassist Steve Torch, and former Deaf School drummer Tim Whittaker. Pink Military signed with Eric’s label, the record division of Fulwell’s nightspot.

Blood & Lipstick

In September 1979, Pink Military released Blood & Lipstick, composed of four songs co-written by Jayne Casey and Nicky Cool, who plays synthesizer and (on “I Cry”) rhythm guitar.

A1. “Spellbound”
A2. “Blood & Lipstick”
B1. “Clown Town”
B2. “I Cry”

Pink Military recorded Blood & Lipstick at August Sound Studio, where White co-produced the EP with renown Liverpool DJ Noddy Knowler. Blood appeared on a 45rpm 12″ housed in a die-cut sleeve with saturated monochrome band pics.

Whittaker departed for The Moondogs, a neo-Merseybeat act whose one single, “Heads I Win” (b/w “Two’s a Crowd”) appeared in October 1979 on Rexette Records.

Casey enlisted ex-Big In Japan drummer Budgie (recently of The Slits) for the first Pink Military session with BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, who aired the November 14 session on his 11/26 broadcast. They performed three new songs: “Stand Alone,” “Wild West,” and “Did You See Her?” The last two reappeared on their album.

Mk III

White and Torch formed a post-punk duo that released the 1980 single “Who’s Asking You?” (b/w “Stand Alone”) on Liverpool indie Open Eye Records, followed by two singles each on Chrysalis and RCA.

Casey hired drummer Chris Joyce and keyboardist Charlie Griffiths, both of the Manchester post-punk band The Mothmen.

On May 27, 1980, Pink Military recorded their second Peel session for June 5 broadcast, which aired three songs: “Everyday,” “Pilgrim Forest,” and “Dance of the Waning Moon.”

Do Animals Believe in God?

Pink Military released their singular album, Do Animals Believe in God?, in June 1980 on Eric’s. It features eleven band originals published by Warner Bros. Music, including “Wild West,” “After Hiroshima,” “Back On the London Stage,” and “Degenerated Man.” Ex-Yachts bassist Martin Dempsey plays guitar and bass on “War Games.”

A1. “Degenerated Man”
A2. “I Cry”
A3. “Did You See Her?”
A4. “Wild West”
A5. “Back On the London Stage”
A6. “After Hiroshima”
B1. “Living In the Jungle”
B2. “Dreamtime”
B3. “War Games”
B4. “Heaven / Hell”
B5. “Do Animals Believe In God?”

Sessions took place at Cargo Studios in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, where Mothmen Bob Harding and Tony Bowers (both former Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias members) co-produced Do Animals Believe. Percussionist Neil Innes (not the Bonzo Dog Band mainstay) plays percussion on select passages.

Pink Military released “Did You See Her” as a single, backed with the non-album “Everyday.”

New Band

Pink Military disbanded in early 1981 when Jayne Casey and Nicky Cool dissolved their working relationship. Joyce joined the Durutti Column and later surfaced in Simply Red. Dempsey joined the art pop combo It’s Immaterial.

Casey formed a new band with guitarist–bassist Tadzio Jodlowski and multi-instrumentalist Ambrose Reynolds, who briefly played bass in a late-period Big In Japan lineup (between Holly Johnson and Deaf School–Planets bassist Steve Lindsey).

As a thematic continuum from the prior band, Casey named the new act Pink Industry. They established Zulu Records for their own releases.

Pink Military albums: