The Raincoats -

The Raincoats were an English post-punk band that released three albums between 1979 and 1984 on Rough Trade. Their first album features original Slits drummer Palmolive and includes “Adventures Close to Home,” recorded by both bands. Bassist Gina Birch played concurrently in the 1979–81 incarnation of Red Crayola. Violinist Vicky Aspinal also worked with Tuxedomoon, Lindsay Cooper, and The New Age Steppers.

Members: Ana da Silva (vocals, guitar), Gina Birch (bass, vocals), Ross Crighton (guitar, 1977), Nicky Turner (drums, 1977), Kate Korus (guitar, 1977), Jeremie Frank (guitar, 1977), Richard Dudanski (drums, 1977), Patrick Keiller (guitar, 1977), Vicky Aspinall (violin, guitar, 1978-84), Palmolive (drums, 1978-79), Ingrid Weiss (drums, 1979-80)

Formation

The Raincoats formed in 1977 in London when Hornsey School of Art students Gina Birch (b. 1955, Nottingham) and Ana da Silva (b. 195?, Madeira, Portugal) took up bass and guitar, respectively; inspired by the untrained vigor of The Slits.

They played their first concert on November 9 at The Tabernacle with a makeshift lineup composed of guitarist (and Métal Urbain soundman) Ross Crighton and (future Barracudas drummer) Nick Turner, who cleared for (ex-101ers drummer) Richard Dudanski while the guitar slot passed between (original Slit) Kate Korus and filmmaker Patrick Keiller.

In late 1978, The Raincoats settled as an all-female quartet with Ana, Gina, drummer Palmolive, and classically trained violinist Vicky Aspinall. Palmolive stepped over from a high-profile gig in the all-female Slits, a band she co-founded two years prior at the outset of punk. Despite media praise and support from DJ John Peel, she left the Slits over philosophical differences.

The Raincoats signed with Rough Trade, a post-punk independent label launched by London record-shop owner Geoff Travis.

“Fairytale in the Supermarket”

In April 1979, The Raincoats debuted with the maxi-single “Fairytale in the Supermarket,” a group-credited original backed with “In Love” and “Adventures Close to Home,” a rearranged number from the Slits’ setlist.

A1. “Fairytale In the Supermarket”
B1. “In Love”
B2. “Adventures Close to Home”

Geoff Travis co-produced the single with American expat Mayo Thompson, the Sixties frontman of Texas psychsters Red Crayola, a band he recently reactivated in the post-punk vein.

Between the single’s recording and release date, The Raincoats performed all three songs on March 6 for BBC Radio One DJ John Peel, whose 3/19 broadcast aired rough takes of the “Fairytale” tracks plus “You’re a Million,” a number earmarked for their debut album.

“Fairytale in the Supermarket” appeared in a beige sleeve with a detailed doodle of the band in their dirty warehouse rehearsal space. The single appeared as Rough Trade’s seventeenth overall 7″, between the debut Protex maxi “Don’t Hang Up” and the second single (“You”) by Kleenex, a Swiss all-female post-punk band. The Raincoats and Kleenex teamed for a spring tour.

The Raincoats

The Raincoats released their self-titled debut album on November 21, 1979, on Rough Trade.

The album contains their two earlier b-sides (“In Love,” “Adventures Close to Home”) and the Kinks cover “Lola,” plus seven new group-credited originals. “No Looking” features translated verses by French poet Jacques Prévert.

The Raincoats features secondary instrumentation by Ana da Silva (keyboards) and Vicky Aspinall (guitar). They all sing apart from Palmolive, who left between the album’s completion and release. “Black and White” features saxophonist Lora Logic of Essential Logic, a fellow Rough Trade post-punk band.

1. “No Side to Fall In” (1:50)
2. “Adventures Close to Home” (1:54)
3. “Off Duty Trip” (3:16)
4. “Black and White” (2:29)
5. “Lola” (4:04) originated as a 1970 single by The Kinks, written by their frontman Ray Davies and included as an outlier on the concept album Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround. Davies sang the original from the perspective of a young man who meets Lola, his first sexual prospect. As a homespun lad, he misses the hints (obvious to the listener) that the woman in question is actually a man in drag. Silva’s reenactment of this premise furthers the gender confusion.

6. “The Void” (3:52)
7. “Life on the Line” (4:23)
8. “You’re a Million” (3:54)
9. “In Love” (3:06)
10. “No Looking” (3:06)

Sessions occurred at Berry Street Studio in Clerkenwell, Central London, where Travis and Thompson co-produced the album in sequence with label titles by Cabaret Voltaire, The Fall, The Monochrome Set, and Scritti Politti. Adam “Slipper” Kidron engineered The Raincoats back-to-back with “We Are All Prostitutes,” the debut single by The Pop Group.

Ana da Silva selected the album’s cover art from Pictures by Chinese Children, a 1976 book of paintings by Pang Hsiao-Li. The band’s manager, Shirley O’Loughlin, took the group photo on the back cover.

“I Love” appears on Wanna Buy a Bridge? (A Rough Trade Compilation of Singles), a 1980 label comp with cuts by multiple female-led bands, including Delta 5 (“Mind Your Own Business”), Essential Logic (“Aerosol Burns”), Kleenex (“Ain’t You”), The Slits (“Man Next Door”), and Young Marble Giants (“Final Day”).

Interim Activity

Palmolive departed in September 1979 and exited the music industry. The Raincoats continued with teenage drummer Ingrid Weiss.

In February 1980, The Raincoats opened for Gang of Four in Portsmouth (2/5: Polytechnic Students Union) and Camden (2/7: Electric Ballroom), joined at the latter by Scritti Politti and The Mekons. On May 13, they headlined over Delta 5 at the Clarendon Hotel Ballroom in Hammersmith. On June 15, The Raincoats played London’s Alexandra Palace as part of a multi-act bill with The Slits, The Pop Group, John Cooper Clarke, and Au Pairs.

On December 10, 1980, The Raincoats cut their second Peel session for the DJ’s 12/18 broadcast, which aired one exclusive (“Using My Eyes”) and two songs earmarked for their second album (“Family Treet,” “Baby Song”).

Odyshape

The Raincoats released their second album, Odyshape, on June 1, 1981, on Rough Trade.

Odyshape finds the group down to a trio of multi-instrumentalists. Vicky Aspinall doubles on violin and piano. Gina Birch plays the balafon, a gourd-resonated xylophone. Ana da Silva plays harmonica, kalimba, and the shruti box, an Indian drone instrument. All three take turns on guitar and bass.

The album features six drummer/percussionists, including recent member Ingrid Weiss, who left early into the sessions after co-creating two songs, “Shouting Out Loud” and the title track. Robert Wyatt plays guest percussion on “And Then It’s O.K.,” one of two songs (along with “Family Treet”) with lyrical input by group associate Caroline Scott.

Ex-Henry Cow cellist Georgie Born plays on “Family Treet” and “Dancing in My Head,” the latter with initial Raincoats drummer Richard Dudanski (now in Basement 5) and oboist Kadir Durvesh (of Suns of Arqa). This Heat drummer Charles Hayward guests on “Family Treet” and “Go Away.”

1. “Shouting Out Loud” (4:54)
2. “Family Treet” (4:12)
3. “Only Loved at Night” (3:32)
4. “Dancing in My Head” (5:26)
5. “Odyshape” (3:37)
6. “And Then It’s O.K.” (3:05)
7. “Baby Song” (4:54)
8. “Red Shoes” (2:51)
9. “Go Away” (2:23)

Sessions spanned March through June 1980 at Berry Street, where Adam Kidron co-produced and engineered Odyshape in sequence with titles by Blue Orchids, The Nightingales, Orange Juice, Rip Rig + Panic, This Heat, Virgin Prunes, and the Red Crayola with Art & Language.

Odyshape lifts cover art from Peasant Woman, a 1915 painting by Russian modernist Kazimir Malevich (1879–1935).