Play Dead (80's English post-punk group)

Play Dead were an English rock band from Oxford formed in 1980 by Rob Hickson, Pete Waddleton, Mark "Wiff" Smith and Re-Vox. The original line-up of Play Dead consisted of Rob Hickson (vocals), Pete Waddleton (bass guitar), Mark "Wiff" Smith (drums) and Re-Vox (guitar). In July 1981, Re-Vox was replaced by Steve Green. During their active years, Play Dead supported a number of acts, including the likes of Killing Joke, The Cult and The Sisters Of Mercy in the UK. They also appeared on Channel 4's music TV show, The Tube in late 1984. The band made three studio albums and one-off singles for four different small labels such as Fresh Records, Jungle Records, Situation 2 and Clay Records. They formed their own label, Tanz, for their final album, Company of Justice, produced by Conny Plank, which they released in 1985. A string of singles were released (many through Stoke-based Clay Records) from late 1983, throughout 1984 and early 1985. Play Dead toured frequently around the UK and Europe and by 1985, felt they had enough material to be able to put out their first ever live album, Into The Fire, which was released in May of that year. However, against the backdrop of similar artists such as Spear Of Destiny, The Cult, The Sisters Of Mercy and Fields Of The Nephilim, whose success was evident through having higher profiles in the music press, Play Dead struggled to compete. In 1984, Rob and Pete created the project Mankind's Audio Development (nicknamed M.A.D.). Only one single was recorded, with the two songs "Craving" and "Sunfeast." Waddleton left the group in 1986 and, after a brief period as The Beastmaster Generals, the band dissolved. 1983 - The First Flower [freud 3] - #10 UK Indie 1984 - From the Promised Land [CLAY LP 11] - #5 UK Indie 1985 - Into the Fire [CLAY LP 16] - #19 UK Indie 1985 - Company of Justice [TANZLP1] - #3 UK Indie 1992 - Resurrection September 1983 - "Shine/Promise/Gaze" [SIT 28T] March 1984 - "Break/Blood Stains/Blood Stains Pleasure" [12 CLAY 31] July 1984 - "Isabel/Solace (Extended Version)" [12 CLAY 35] 1984 - "Propaganda (1984 Mix)/Sin of Sins (1984 Mix)" [JUNG 17] 1984 - "Conspiracy/Silent Conspiracy/Conspiracy (Saigon Mix)" [12 CLAY 40] 1985 - "Sacrosanct/Pale Fire/Holy Holy (Catholic Mix)/Sacrosanct (Heretic Mix)" [12 CLAY 42] 1985 - "This Kind of Heaven/This Kind of Heaven (Serious Mix)/Last Degree" [TANZ 1] 1985 - "Burning Down (MezCal Mix)/Still in Chains/Burning Down" [TANZ 2] 1981 - "Poison Takes a Hold/Introduction" [FRESH 29] 1981 - "T.V. Eye/Final Epitaph" [FRESH 38] 1982 - "Propaganda/Propaganda (Mix)" [JUNG 2] 1983 - "Shine/Promise" [SIT 28] - #14 UK Indie 1984 - "Break/Blood Stains" [CLAY 31] - #9 UK Indie 1984 - "Isabel/Solace" [CLAY 35] - #9 UK Indie 1984 - "Conspiracy/Silent Conspiracy" [CLAY 40] - #18 UK Indie 1984 - "Propaganda (1984 mix)" [JUNG 17] - #17 UK Indie 1985 - "Sacrosanct/Pale Fire" [CLAY 42] - #4 UK Indie 1985 - "This Side of Heaven" [TANZ 1] - #5 UK Indie 1982 - Metallic Smile/Pray to Mecca/Propaganda/Effigy 1983 - Total Decline/The Tenant/Gaze 1984 - Break/Return to the East/No Motive 1983 - May 12, 1983 Leeds Warehouse 1983 - Live in Norwich, Ska Ballroom - May 13, 1983 1983 - Live - July 28, 1983 Hull, Dingwalls / Live October 13, 1983 Hammersmith, Klub Foot 1984 - Live in France at Forum Des Halles - July 1, 1984 1984 - Oct 7th, Kolingsborg, Stockholm, Sweden 1984 - Live in Norrkoping Sweden - October 10, 1984 1985 - Dec 18th 1985, Tufnel Park, Penthouse, London(previously listed as 1984 ) 2003 - The Final Pieces (Bootleg) 1985 - The Final Epitaph Live 1985 - The Singles 1982 ~ 85 1986 - In the Beginning - The 1981 Singles 1986 - Caught from Behind: Live in England, France, Germany, and Switzerland 1992 - Gothic Rock Volume 1 1995 - Gothic Rock Volume 2: 80's Into 90's 1998 - Gothic Rock Volume 3: Black on Black Mankind's Audio Development - 1984 by Rob Hickson and Pete Waddleton "Indie Hits - P". Cherry Red. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Official Play Dead website Play Dead Biography on Yahoo Music Launch[permanent dead link]