China crisis
| China crisis | |
|---|---|
 China Crisis in 2010 in Cala Millor ( Mallorca ) |
|
| General information | |
| Genre (s) | Alternative rock , art rock , post-punk , new wave |
| founding | 1979 |
| Current occupation | |
Vocals, keyboard |
Gary Daly |
Vocals, guitar |
Eddie Lundon |
bass |
Gary "Gazza" Johnson |
Keyboard |
Brian McNeil |
China Crisis is an English pop rock band from Kirkby , Merseyside , founded in 1979 and having a number of hits in the UK charts in the 1980s . Her best-known song is probably Wishful Thinking , which reached number 9 as a single . China Crisis was one of the first formations in the field of what was then still new electronic music . Her style was more romantic pop rock of the New Wave influences from different directions like jazz , prog rock and especially from the American band Steely Dan .
Band history
In 1979, Eddie Lundon (born June 9, 1962; guitar , vocals ) and Gary Daly (born May 10, 1962; keyboard , vocals), two teenagers from Kirkby, founded the band. In 1981 they recorded the single African and White , which was released on the independent label Inevitable. The two founders were joined by the bassist Gazza Johnson, the drummer Gary O'Toole and, as the second keyboardist, Robert Lythgoe. In the spring of 1982 the band received a contract with Virgin Records . In July, Inevitable released a remix of African and White , which entered the Top 50 in August 1982.
In November of that year, the debut album also hit the charts; the release Christian rose to number 12 in the singles hit parade. After a line-up (Kevin Wilkinson replaced O'Toole, Bryan McNeill came for Lythgoe), more top 50 singles and the top 20 album Working with Fire and Steel followed in 1983 . It also features the band's biggest hit, Wishful Thinking .
In 1985 China Crisis recorded further singles and the LP Flaunt the Imperfection with guests - including as producer Steely Dans Walter Becker (on synthesizer and as percussionist ) as well as Nick Magnus (keyboard), Tim Renwick (guitar) and Steve Gregory (saxophone) , which rose to number 9 on the UK album charts. After more singles and LPs that hit the lower regions of the charts, China Crisis dissolved in 1990. It was not until four years later that Daly and Lundon took on a single again under the band name; a year later the live album Acoustically Yours followed with new recordings of hits and some new songs.
Wilkinson committed suicide in 1999. Gary Daly founded the band Muddyhead. In 2007, China Crisis toured as the opening act for OMD .
On June 3, 2015, Autumn in the Neighborhood , the first new studio album for over 20 years, was released on Pledge. There is also a tour focusing on the United Kingdom, the USA and Canada.
Discography
Studio albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 DE
|
 UK
|
 US
|
|||
| 1982 | Difficult Shapes and Passive Rhythms: Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain |
- |
UK21st  (17 weeks)UK |
- |
First published: November 1982
Producers: Steve Levine , Peter Walsh, Jeremy Lewis, Gil Norton , China Crisis |
| 1983 | Working with Fire and Steel: Possible Pop Songs Volume Two |
DE36 (11 weeks) DE |
UK20th  (16 weeks)UK |
- |
First published: October 1983
Producer: Mike Howlett |
| 1985 | Flaunt the Imperfection | - |
UK9 (22 weeks)UK |
US171 (4 weeks) US |
First published: April 1985
Producer: Walter Becker |
| 1986 | What Price Paradise | - |
UK63 (6 weeks) UK |
US114 (12 weeks) US |
First published: November 1986
Producers: Clive Langer , Alan Winstanley |
| 1989 | Diary of a Hollow Horse | - |
UK58 (2 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: May 1989
Producers: China Crisis, Mike Thorne, Walter Becker |
More studio albums
- 1994: Warped by Success
- 2015: Autumn in the Neighborhood
Live albums
- 1984: BBC Rock Hour # 517 ( split album with Wang Chung ; hosted by Richard Skinner )
- 1984: In Concert-326 (Recording: Reading University )
- 1995: Acoustically Yours
- 2002: Scrap Book Vol. 1: Live at the Dominion Theater
- 2007: Singing the Praises of Finer Things
- 2014: China Greatness Live
Compilations
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DE
|
UK
|
US
|
|||
| 1990 | Collection: The Very Best of China Crisis | - |
UK32 (4 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: September 1990
Producers: Clive Langer , Alan Winstanley, Mike Howlett , Walter Becker |
More compilations
- 1992: Diary: A Collection
- 1997: Wishful Thinking (2 CDs: Acoustically Yours and Warped by Success )
- 1998: The Best of China Crisis
- 2001: China Crisis
- 2002: The Best Songs
- 2007: Fine and Rare China
- 2012: Ultimate Crisis (2 CDs)
- 2012: Greatest Hits (CD + DVD)
- 2014: Wishful Thinking: The Very Best Of
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DE
|
UK
|
|||
| 1982 | African and White (Remixed Version) Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms |
- |
UK45 (5 weeks) UK |
First published: June 1982
|
| 1983 | Christian Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms |
- |
UK12 (11 weeks) UK |
First published: January 1983
|
| Tragedy and Mystery Working with Fire and Steel |
- |
UK46 (6 weeks) UK |
First published: May 1983
|
|
| Working with Fire and Steel Working with Fire and Steel |
- |
UK48 (5 weeks) UK |
First published: September 1983
|
|
| 1984 | Wishful Thinking Working with Fire and Steel |
DE16 (14 weeks) DE |
UK9 (8 weeks) UK |
First published: January 1984
|
| Hanna Hanna Working with Fire and Steel |
- |
UK44 (3 weeks) UK |
First published: February 1984
|
|
| 1985 | Black Man Ray Flaunt the Imperfection |
- |
UK14 (13 weeks) UK |
First published: March 1985
|
| King in a Catholic Style (Wake Up) Flaunt the Imperfection |
- |
UK19 (10 weeks) UK |
First published: May 1985
|
|
| You Did Cut Me Flaunt the Imperfection |
- |
UK54 (3 weeks) UK |
First published: August 1985
|
|
| The Highest High Flaunt the Imperfection |
- |
UK82 (2 weeks) UK |
First published: November 1985
|
|
| 1986 | Arizona Sky What Price Paradise |
- |
UK47 (6 weeks) UK |
First published: October 24, 1986
|
| 1987 | Best Kept Secret What Price Paradise |
- |
UK36 (5 weeks) UK |
First published: January 1987
|
| 1989 | Saint Savior Square Diary of a Hollow Horse |
- |
UK81 (2 weeks) UK |
First published: April 1989
|
| Red Letter Day Diary of a Hollow Horse |
- |
UK84 (3 weeks) UK |
First published: May 1989
|
|
| 1994 | Every Day the Same Warped by Success |
- |
UK90 (1 week) UK |
First published: August 1994
|
More singles
- 1981: African and White
- 1982: Scream Down at Me (release: May)
- 1982: No More Blue Horizons (Fool Fool Fool) (released October)
- 1990: African and White (The Steve Proctor Remix)
- 2013: Everyone You Know
Video albums
- 1985: Showbiz absurd
- 2003: Life in Liverpool
- 2004: Wishful Thinking
- 2007: Live in Concert at the Paul McCartney Auditorium Liverpool Insitude of Performing Arts
Web links
- China Crisis at Allmusic (English)
- China Crisis at Discogs (English)