The Monochrome Set
The Monochrome setは、イギリスの音楽バンドである。70年代後半のパンク・ロック・ムーブメント真っ盛りのロンドンで結成される。後に数多くのグループに影響を与えることとなった。日本のバンド「Ego-Wrappin」はアルバム「ON THE ROCKS!(2006)」で彼らの代表曲“The Ruling Class”をカバーしている。また、Tracey Thornは、1982年にCherry RedレコードからリリースされたシングルPlain SailingのB面で 彼らの傑作“Goodbye Joe”をカヴァーしている。彼らの音楽はサイケデリック・ロックをベースとした不思議なサウンドを展開している。アンディー・ウォーホルは彼等のサウンドについて、「ベンチャーズとヴェルヴェット・アンダーグラウンドを足して2で割った様」だと評した。 また、Monochrome setとは白黒テレビを意味している
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Andy Warren, Lester Square, Bid, J.D.Haney, Tony Potts, James Foster, Nicholas Welowski
The Monochrome Set was formed in Hornsey, London in 1978 from the remnants of a college group called The B-Sides, whose members had included Stuart Goddard, later known as Adam Ant. The original line-up consisted of Indian-born lead singer and principal songwriter Bid (real name Ganesh Seshadri), Canadian guitarist Lester Square (real name Thomas W.B. Hardy), drummer John D. Haney and bass guitarist Charlie X. The band went through several bassists in the next few years, including Jeremy Harrington, Simon Croft and Andy Warren of the Ants, a childhood friend of Bid.
Experimental filmmaker Tony Potts began collaborating with the band in 1979, designing lighting and stage sets with film projections for their live appearances. The band’s early persona was defined by the shadowy, uncertain stage images created by the films to such an extent he is often described as being the band’s “fifth member”.
They released several singles for the Rough Trade label before recording their debut studio album, Strange Boutique, produced by Bob Sargeant for Virgin Records’ imprint DinDisc in 1980. It peaked at No. 62 in the UK Albums Chart in 1980. Their follow-up effort, Love Zombies, was produced by Alvin Clark and the band later that same year. Haney left the band in 1981, and was replaced by Lexington Crane.
In 1982, the band switched labels to Cherry Red to release their third album, Eligible Bachelors, produced by Tim Hart. Square and Crane left soon afterwards, and were replaced by keyboardist Carrie Booth and drummer Nicholas Weslowski. This line-up recorded a 1982 single, “Cast a Long Shadow”, for Cherry Red, before Booth was in turn replaced by new lead guitarist James ‘Foz’ Foster (later of David Devant & His Spirit Wife).
In 1983, Cherry Red released Volume, Contrast, Brilliance…, a retrospective of the band’s early Rough Trade singles, BBC and Capital Radio sessions, and other unreleased early sessions.
In 1985, with the same line-up as on Cast a Long Shadow, The Monochrome Set recorded The Lost Weekend for Warner Bros. Records. The Lost Weekend failed commercially, and after a few singles, the band officially broke up, though they served as Jessica Griffin’s backing band on the first album by the Would-Be-Goods, The Camera Loves Me.