THE SUN - Story
On a smokey November evening in 1982, Tony Poole and Iain Whitmore were finishing their first set at The Latchmere in Battersea - one of several London residencies the duo played with Rickenbacker 12-string, WAL Bass ... and their Boss DR-55 Dr. Rhythm - when a vaguely familiar tousle-haired stranger left a scrawled note at the front of the stage:
'Great ! ... ' it read, '... get a real drummer.
Bert Jansch'.
Maybe it was the sixth sense of a genius musician, or maybe just the affronted sensibility, but that was exactly what they'd recently done - and a week later they debut’d at that very venue as THE SUN with Nick Trevisick.
TP and Iain were survivors from 70s cult band Starry Eyed And Laughing.
Although occasionally collaborating since that band’s demise, it wasn’t until February ‘82 after a gig with Country Joe at Dingwalls in Camden Town that they decided to work together again full-time, and soon had enthusiastic crowds at those aforementioned residencies all around London.
'Great ! ... ' it read, '... get a real drummer.
Bert Jansch'.
Maybe it was the sixth sense of a genius musician, or maybe just the affronted sensibility, but that was exactly what they'd recently done - and a week later they debut’d at that very venue as THE SUN with Nick Trevisick.
TP and Iain were survivors from 70s cult band Starry Eyed And Laughing.
Although occasionally collaborating since that band’s demise, it wasn’t until February ‘82 after a gig with Country Joe at Dingwalls in Camden Town that they decided to work together again full-time, and soon had enthusiastic crowds at those aforementioned residencies all around London.
Nick was a songwriter and drummer who'd been in Iain's post-SE&L band Kites, and who'd since played with The Kinks, Moon and Tom Robinson.
The three friends had convened during the summer when the limitations of the DR-55 had become apparent - and they'd already recorded 2 songs - 'How To Save Your Own Life' and 'Stuck To My Chair' - with producer Graham Puddifoot by the time Bert left his note that night.
As the year ended, they recorded 5 more with GP and engineer Graeme Holdaway at Decibel Studios: 'Message From The Heart', 'The Same Sun Shines', 'Girl Be Real', 'Shout' and 'Machinery', and these 5 were released on a limited edition (500 - all sold out) Cassette EP.
Intensive gigging filled the first half of '83, and in June the chance came to record at Abbey Road with Haydn Bendall and Tony Clark. 2 new songs were chosen for the sessions - 'Start The Countdown' as A-side b\w 'The X-Factor', and a single was released in September (Chevy Records Chevy-001) with a sleeve designed by Philip La Roche from a concept of Iain's.
The three friends had convened during the summer when the limitations of the DR-55 had become apparent - and they'd already recorded 2 songs - 'How To Save Your Own Life' and 'Stuck To My Chair' - with producer Graham Puddifoot by the time Bert left his note that night.
As the year ended, they recorded 5 more with GP and engineer Graeme Holdaway at Decibel Studios: 'Message From The Heart', 'The Same Sun Shines', 'Girl Be Real', 'Shout' and 'Machinery', and these 5 were released on a limited edition (500 - all sold out) Cassette EP.
Intensive gigging filled the first half of '83, and in June the chance came to record at Abbey Road with Haydn Bendall and Tony Clark. 2 new songs were chosen for the sessions - 'Start The Countdown' as A-side b\w 'The X-Factor', and a single was released in September (Chevy Records Chevy-001) with a sleeve designed by Philip La Roche from a concept of Iain's.