The Monochrome Set was an English post-punk band that released three 1978–79 singles on Rough Trade, followed by the 1980 Dindisc albums Strange Boutique and Love Zombies. They resurfaced with the 1982 Cherry Red disc Eligible Bachelors and again with the 1985 Blanco Y Negro release The Lost Weekend.

Guitarist Lester Square and bassist Andy Warren hailed from the original lineup of Adam and the Ants; Warren appears on the Ants debut Dirk Wears White Sox.

Members: Bid [Ganesh Seshadri] (guitar, vocals), Lester Square [Thomas Hardy] (guitar, vocals, 1978-82, 1990-2014), John Haney (drums, 1978-81, 1982), Charlie Harper (bass, vocals, 1978), Simon Croft (bass, vocals, 1978), Jeremy Harrington (bass, vocals, 1978-79), Andy Warren (bass, vocals, 1979-present), Lex Crane (drums, 1981-82), Morris Windsor (drums, 1982), Carrie Booth (organ, flute, vocals, 1982, 1982), Nick Wesolowski (drums, 1982, 1983-85), Foz [James Foster] (guitar, vocals, 1983-85)

Background

The Monochrome Set formed in early 1978 when Indian-born Londoner Ganesh “Bid” Seshadri teamed with guitarist Lester Square (real name Thomas Hardy) and drummer John Haney (both born 1954).

Square hailed from The B-Sides, an unsigned punk band that rehearsed through late 1976 and toured the following spring as The Ants. Haney played with punksters The Art Attacks, which cut the 1978 single “I Am a Dalek” (b/w “Neutron Bomb”) on Albatross Records.

Bassist Charlie X rounded the initial Monochrome Set lineup. Before they hit the studio, X cleared for bassist Jeremy Harrington.

1978–1979

First Four Singles

In November 1978, the Monochrome Set released their debut single: the re-recorded Bid–Hardy number “He’s Frank” backed with Bid’s “Alphaville.”

A. “He’s Frank” (2:38)
B. “Alphaville” (2:57)

“He’s Frank” appeared as Rough Trade’s fifth release (RT 005) between the first two singles by Belfast punks Stiff Little Fingers. Label founder Geoff Travis co-produced the single with Mayo Thompson of the Red Krayola, a Sixties Texan psych band that re-emerged as part of England’s post-punk milieu.

The original “He’s Frank” sleeve features Fifties sci-fi imagery with Deco font, designed by one Bo Zartes. In late 1979, the American I.R.S. label issued the single in a new sleeve that shows purple hands clutched around a barcode.

On February 14, 1979, The Monochrome Set cut their first session for BBC Radio One DJ John Peel, whose 2/22 broadcast aired five songs: “Espresso,” “Noise,” “Les Enfants,” “Fat Fun,” “Love Goes Down the Drain.”

In June 1979, the Monochrome Set released Bid’s “Eine Symphonie des Grauens” (German for “A symphony of horror”) backed with Square’s “Lester Leaps In.”

A. “Eine Symphonie des Grauens” (2:23)
B. “Lester Leaps In” (2:39)

Rough Trade issued the self-produced “Eine Symphonie” as its nineteenth 7″ release in a sleeve that reproduces a vintage lithography of a Turkish Sufi whirling meditation. “Eine Symphonie” appeared between Rough Trade singles by Cabaret Voltaire (“Nag Nag Nag,” RT 018) and the Cult Figures (“Zip Nolan,” RT 020).

On August 8, The Monochrome Set cut their second Peel session, comprised of five songs for the DJ’s 9/6 broadcast: “Fallout,” “Martians Go Home,” “Goodbye Joe,” “The Strange Boutique,” and “Viva Death Row.”

On September 14, 1979, the Monochrome Set released their namesake theme song: a Bid composition backed with the Lester co-write “Mr. Bizarro.”

A. “The Monochrome Set” (2:20)
B. “Mr. Bizarro” (3:32)

Rough Trade soundman Adam “Skipper” Kidron engineered “The Monochrome Set” (RT 029) in sequence with The Pop Group single “We Are All Prostitutes” (RT 023) and the debut album by The Raincoats.

In December 1979, the Monochrome Set released their April 1978 original recording of “He’s Frank” and two early demos on self-press Disquo Bleu.

A1. “He’s Frank (Slight Return)” (2:43)
A2. “Silicon Carne” (3:30)
B1. “Fallout” (2:56)

Harrington cleared for bassist Andy Warren, Square’s earlier B-Sides bandmate who strayed through their evolution into Adam & The Ants. Warren recently played on the Ants’ debut album, Dirk Wears White Sox. Bid knew Warren since childhood.

1980

Strange Boutique

The Monochrome Set released their debut album, Strange Boutique, in April 1980 on Dindisc.

Strange Boutique opens with an elongated version of their theme song and features three new solo Bid compositions (“Espresso,” “Goodbye Joe,” “Love Goes Down the Drain”) and two Lest Square submissions (“The Etcetera Stroll,” “The Puerto Rican Fence Climber”). They co-wrote “The Lighter Side of Dating,” “Martians Go Home,” and the title track. Bid collaborated with J.D. Haney on “Tomorrow Will Be Too Long” and “Ici Les Enfants.”

1. “The Monochrome Set (I Presume)” (5:12)
2. “The Lighter Side of Dating” (2:42)
3. “Espresso” (3:11)
4. “The Puerto Rican Fence Climber” (2:59)
5. “Tomorrow Will Be Too Long” (2:59)
6. “Martians Go Home” (2:01)

7. “Love Goes Down the Drain” (2:27)
8. “Ici Les Enfants” (3:06)
9. “The Etcetera Stroll” (4:42)
10. “Goodbye Joe” (2:42)
11. “The Strange Boutique” (3:09)

The Monochrome Set lifted “The Strange Boutique” as the album’s only single with the exclusive b-side “Surfing SW12,” a group-written number.

B. “Surfing SW12” (2:39)

Sessions occurred at Sound Suite Studios in Camden Mews, where soundman (and onetime Junco Partner) Bob Sargeant produced the album in sequence with 1980 debuts by Any Trouble, The Beat, Headline, and Q-Tips. Sargeant played supplemental keyboards on Strange Boutique along with the album’s engineer, Alvin “2 Shades” Clark, who assisted Bob on earlier titles by The Carpettes and pragVEC.

The Monochrome Set co-conceived the album’s packing with Factory/Dindisc graphic designer Peter Saville, whose framed monochrome visuals grace the sleeves of 1979/80 titles by Joy Division, Orchestra Manoeuvres In the Dark, Martha + The Muffins, and Pauline Murray & The Invisible Girls.

1980 Appearances

On April 5, just as Strange Boutique hit shelves, The Monochrome Set cut their third session for John Peel, whose 4/23 broadcast aired early versions of four songs earmarked for their next album: “B.I.D. Spells Bid,” “Apocalypso,” “Love Zombies,” and “405 Lines.”

On July 11, “405 Lines” became the sixth Monochrome Set single, backed with the Strange Boutique album track “Goodbye Joe.”

Meanwhile, “Espresso” appeared on New Wave ’80, a Japanese Victor comp with cuts by John Foxx (“No-One Driving”), The Flying Lizards (“Summertime Blues”), OMD (“Messages”), The Human League (“Only After Dark”), Ian Dury & The Blockheads (“Waiting For Your Taxi”), The Feelies (“Fa Cé La”), Graham Parker (“Endless Night”), and XTC frontman Andy Partridge (“Commerciality”).

“The Strange Boutique” appeared on The Unauthorised Virgin Bootleg Album, a 1980 New Zealand Virgin comp with cuts by Magazine (“A Song From Under the Floorboards”), The Ruts (“Staring at the Rude Boys”), The Motors (“Slum People”), The Members (“Romance”), Sparks (“Young Girls”), Skids (“Animation”) and several acts from the Japanese comp.

Love Zombies

The Monochrome Set released their second album, Love Zombies, on October 19, 1980, on Dindisc. This was the second of two albums by the original lineup of Bid, Lester Square, bassist Andy Warren, and drummer J.D. Haney. Square doubles on the EDP Wasp synthesizer, a compact yellow/black unit known for its buzzing analog sounds.

Love Zombies features Bid’s self-referential “B-I-D Spells Bid” and two Square submissions (“405 Lines,” “In Love, Cancer?”) surrounded by three-way compositions with Warren (“Adeste Fideles”), Haney (“Love Zombies,” “Karma Suture,” “R.S.V.P.”), and the group-written “Apocalypso” and “The Man with the Black Moustache.”

Bid and Square wrote “The Weird, Wild and Wonderful World of Tony Potts” with the namesake filmmaker, a group associate.

1. “Love Zombies” (4:04)
2. “Adeste Fideles” (3:48)
3. “405 Lines” (3:16)
4. “B-I-D Spells Bid” (3:19)
5. “R.S.V.P.” (3:32)

6. “Apocalypso” (3:37)
7. “Karma Suture” (4:47)
8. “The Man with the Black Moustache” (3:18)
9. “The Weird, Wild and Wonderful World of Tony Potts” (3:26)
10. “In Love, Cancer?” (3:24)

In late October, “Apocalypso” became the second Love Zombies single, backed with the non-album Bid–Square–Warren number “Fiasco Bongo.”

B. “Fiasco Bongo” (3:47)

Sessions occurred once again at Sound Suite, where the Monochrome Set co-produced Love Zombies with auxiliary keyboardist Alvin Clark, who worked on subsequent titles by Lene Lovich and ex-Cowboys International singer Ken Lockie.

Love Zombies features an expressionist nude cover illustration by Gill Thompson, whose artwork appears on sleeves to the 1982 Siouxsie & The Banshees singles “Melt” and “Slowdive.”

1981–1982

“Ten Don’ts for Honeymooners”

On July 31, 1981, the Monochrome Set released the standalone single “Ten Don’ts for Honeymooners” (Bid–Square) backed with “Straits of Malacca” (Bid–Haney–Square).

A. “Ten Don’ts for Honeymooners” (2:55)
B. “Straits of Malacca” (3:19)

This was the Monochrome Set’s only release on PRE, the short-lived Charisma post-punk subsidiary that licensed Tuxedomoon for the UK market and released See the Whirl, the 1981 singular album by Delta 5.

In late 1981, John Haney cleared out for drummer Lexington Crane. Haney moved to New York and became a staff writer for Gourmet magazine.

Eligible Bachelors

The Monochrome Set released their third album, Eligible Bachelors, in August 1982 on Cherry Red. This is the only album by the lineup of co-founders Bid and Lester Square with bassist Andy Warren and new drummer Lexington Crane. Square assumes a dual guitarist/keyboardist role.

Eligible Bachelors features two Bid solo compositions (“I’ll Scry Instead,” “The Ruling Class”), one Square submission (“March of the Eligible Bachelors”), and one co-written number (The Devil Rides Out”). Warren joined them in writing the balance of Side One. Two songs (“Fun for All the Family,” “The Midas Touch”) date from Haney’s tenure. The album closes with “The Great Barrier Riff,” a rare Bid/Warren co-write.

1. “The Jet Set Junta” (2:06)
2. “I’ll Scry Instead” (2:50)
3. “On the 13th Day” (3:06)
4. “Cloud 10” (3:30)
5. “The Mating Game” (3:20)
6. “March of the Eligible Bachelors” (3:01)

7. “The Devil Rides Out” (3:02)
8. “Fun for All the Family” (3:45)
9. “The Midas Touch” (4:53)
10. “The Ruling Class” (2:45)
11. “The Great Barrier Riff” (3:39)

“The Mating Game” appeared in July as an advance single backed with the Bid–Warren exclusive “J.D.H.A.N.E.Y.”

B. “J.D.H.A.N.E.Y.” (3:22)

Sessions took place at Quest Studios in Luton, Bedfordshire, the site of Split Enz’ prolific 1978 demo sessions (long fabled as the Rootin Tootin Luton Tapes).

Eligible Bachelors was produced by folk musician Tim Hart, fresh off his twelve-year run in Steeleye Span. Quest staffer Dave Cook engineered the album after projects with UK Decay and the Tannahill Weavers.

Lester Square (under his real name, Tom Hardy) designed the Eligible Bachelors cover, which shows a coat-of-arms on beige. Japanese copies sport an alternate color-block cover.

“Cloud 10” appears on Something Special, a 1983 Greek Music-Box comp with cuts by Frida (“I Know There’s Something Going On”), Chris & Cosey (“October Love Song”), UB40 (“Food For Thought”), and older songs by Marc Bolan (“The Wizard”), Peter Green (“Loser Two Times”), and Sweet Sensation (“Sad Sweet Dreamer”).

Soon after Eligible Bachelors, Crane cleared for drummer/photographer Nick Wesolowski while Square stepped down for organist Carrie Booth. Bid temporarily functioned as the band’s sole guitarist.

“Cast a Long Shadow”

On November 12, 1982, the Monochrome Set released their tenth single: the Bid–Warren “Cast a Long Shadow” backed with “The Bridge,” a group-written number.

A. “Cast a Long Shadow” (3:20)
B. “The Bridge” (3:07)

Ex-member Lester Square arranged the single and designed the sleeve, which lampoons the carton graphics of the Marlboro cigarette brand. The Monochrome Set self-produced the single at Utopia Studios with Leisure Process engineer Mike Gregovich. After this single, Booth cleared for lead guitarist James ‘Foz’ Foster.

1983–1985

In May 1983, Cherry Red lifted the Eligible Bachelors track “Jet Set Junta” as the eleventh Monochrome Set single, backed with two 1979 Bid songs from their first Peel broadcast: “Love Goes Down the Drain” (an early version of the Strange Boutique track) and “Noise” (a prototype of their second a-side, “Eine Symphonie des Grauens”).

“Jet Set Junta” was their third and final Cherry Red single. The song appears on Pillows & Prayers 2, a 1984 Japanese label comp with cuts by Eyeless In Gaza (“New Risen”), Everything But the Girl (“Each and Everyone”), Marine Girls (“Place In the Sun”), and Sound associate Kevin Hewick (“Feathering the Nest”).

The Lost Weekend

The Monochrome Set released their fourth album, The Lost Weekend, in 1985 on Blanco Y Negro. On this album, Bid leads a new lineup with bassist mainstay Andy Warren and two recent additions: guitarist James “Foz” Foster and drummer Nicholas Wesolowski.

The Lost Weekend features two Bid solo compositions (“Don’t Touch,” “Boom Boom”) and two Foster submissions (“Take Foz,” “The Twitch”). Bid co-wrote “Letter From Viola” with Foster and the balance with former member John Haney. Warren co-wrote “Jacob’s Ladder” and “Cargo.”

1. “Jacob’s Ladder” (2:54)
2. “Sugarplum” (3:37)
3. “Cargo” (3:38)
4. “Take Foz” (3:06)
5. “Letter From Viola” (4:16)

6. “Don’t Touch” (3:24)
7. “The Twitch” (2:18)
8. “Wallflower” (3:35)
9. “Starry Nowhere” (3:43)
10. “Boom Boom” (1:58)
11. “Cowboy Country” (4:40)

“Jacob’s Ladder” first appeared as a December 1984 single backed with the exclusive Foster song “Andiamo.”

B. “Andiamo” (3:00)

Sessions occurred at Sound Suite with John Porter, a veteran Bryan Ferry soundman who produced The Lost Weekend in sequence with titles by Microdisney, Orange Juice, The Room, and The Smiths. Orchestre Jazira soundman Pete Rackham engineered the album amid projects with Jaguar, Tank, and Thor.

Foz designed the circular cover, which features tilted monochrome waterside imagery (front) and member pics (back) by Nicholas (credited as Walter Wesolowski).

“Wallflower” became the second Lost Weekend single in May 1985, backed with the non-album group composition “Big Ben Bongo.”