Last Exit - First From Last Exit (1975)

In autumn 1971 Gordon Sumner enrolled at Northern Counties Teacher Training College in Newcastle, where he met and befriended Gerry Richardson who was in the year ahead. Richardson saw him playing, and although not initially impressed, his interest picked up when he learned that Sumner knew a drummer, Paul Elliot, who had access to both a van and a PA, and it didn't take long before the three got together with a female singer to form 'Earthrise', and started rehearsing at the Wheatsheaf pub. Richardson was involved with local bands, including the Phoenix Trad Jazz Band where he filled in on bass, and when he left the band his place was taken by Sumner, and it was at this time that he was given the nickname Sting, because of the black and yellow stripey jumpers that he used to wear. When Richardson finished his stint at Teacher Training College he left for Bristol, but within a year he found himself back in Newcastle, just as Sting finished his spell at college, and at this point they decide to put together a band with John Hedley and Ronnie 'Armour' Pearson, naming themselves Last Exit, after Hubert Selby's cult book 'Last Exit From Brooklyn'. By December 1974 Last Exit, augmented by Derek Lunn on drums and Iwan Williams on keyboards, had secured the job of house band for the 'Rock Nativity' show at Newcastle University Theatre, which is where Sting met his future wife Frances Tomelty. By now Richardson and Sting were starting to write their own material, and by 1975 they were regular visitors to Impulse Sound Studios in Wallsend to record demo tracks. 
The band secured a booking at the 1975 San Sebastian festival in Spain, and the thought of the trip spurred the band into yet more recording activity, and it was decided at short notice to cobble together the demos they'd recorded to produce an album that they could sell at the festival. 'First From Last Exit' is one of the rarest collectibles in the Sting world, containing some of his earliest material, and reworked versions of some songs would later feature on Police albums. The nine track collection, produced by Dave Wood, features the three original Last Exit members along with one track by semi-occasional guest guitarist, Terry Ellis, who was later to replace John Hedley full time. With their 100 demo cassettes ready to be (hopefully) snapped up by eager fans, Last Exit arrived in Spain on 16 July, and played well enough to win the award for best amateur band. In return for accommodation and food the band played another festival on 2 August 1975, and with some additional club dates hastily arranged in Bilbao, the band secured enough money to book places on the ferry back home to Britain. So, graced with some new artwork, here is the first album that Sting put his name to.  

Track listing

01 We Got Something (Sumner) 
02 Truth Kills (Sumner)
03 Whispering Voices (Richardson)   
04 Carrion Prince (Sumner)
05 Savage Beast (Sumner) 
06 I Got It Made (Richardson)  
07 I'm On This Train (Sumner) 
08 Oh My God (Sumner)
09 A Bit Of Peace (Ellis)