Senseless Things formed around the musical partnership of songwriter Mark Myers (aka Mark Keds) and Morgan Nicholls, who as 11-year-olds in Twickenham, Middlesex put together Wild Division in the early 1980's. With Keds on vocals and Nicholls on guitar, they added drummer Cass Browne and became the Psychotics, playing various venues in their local area despite still being at school. Their first gig together as the Senseless Things (named after a phrase used in Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Julius Caesar') followed at the subsequently-demolished Clarendon in Hammersmith, London, in October 1986. Auxiliary members at this stage included a keyboard player, Ben, and a guitarist, Gerry, who deputised while Nicholls was studying for his O levels. When Nicholls returned in 1987 he took over the bass, while new recruit Ben Harding acquired the vacant guitarist's role, cementing the classic line-up of the band in summer 1987. Taking their musical cue from the Ramones and the Dickies, and their spiritual lead from fellow guitar outfit Mega City Four, the band's first releases were singles given away with issues of Yo Jo Jo and Sniffin' Rock fanzines, and by March 1988 the band had attracted the attention of the BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, who invited them to record the first of three sessions for his programme.
After signing a deal with the Red Recording Company, their 'Up And Coming' EP came out in 1988, followed by 'Girlfriend' the following year on Way Cool Records. Their first album, 'Postcard CV', was released in 1989, capturing the energy of their concerts by packing 10 tracks into 21 minutes, and it was rounded off by 'Too Much Kissing', which was released as a single and which was to become their signature track. In 1990 the band signed with What Goes On Records, just as the label collapsed, resulting in the aborted 'Andi In A Karmann' EP, and after signing to Vinyl Solution subsidiary Decoy Records, they released the four-track EP 'Is It Too Late?', produced by Jon Langford of the Mekons. Another label change at the start of 1991 found them signed to Epic Records, and their first album for the label saw them experimenting with other styles, including acoustic songs, and the single 'Got It At The Delmar' entered the Top 50 of the UK Singles Chart. Allmusic praised 'The First Of Too Many' for its mix of bubblegum pop and gobstopping hard rock, likening the band's sound to the Who and the Replacements. Two further Top 20 singles in 'Easy To Smile' and 'Hold It Down' confirmed that 1992 was their year, topping it with a tour of the US supporting Blur.
The band released their third album 'Empire Of The Senseless' in 1993, but the second single from it caused some controversy, with 'Homophobic Asshole' receiving critical acclaim, but failing to chart highly, and while the follow-up single, 'Primary Instinct', had a more radio-friendly title, it also had little commercial success. In 1995, the band released a final album, 'Taking Care Of Business', accompanied by two singles, 'Christine Keeler' (renamed from 'Christian Killer') and 'Something To Miss', and following farewell tours of Japan and the UK the band went into permanent hiatus. Keds very briefly became a member of The Wildhearts before forming Jolt, Trip Fontaine, The Lams, Like A Bitch and, most recently, Deadcuts. Harding went on to join 3 Colours Red in their original incarnation from 1996 to 1999, and Nicholls joined Vent 414 with Miles Hunt from The Wonder Stuff until 1997. Browne was a vital part of Gorillaz for a decade, and in 2019 formed the band Loup GarouX with Ed Harcourt. Senseless Things reformed (with Micky Wyle replacing an unavailable Nicholls) for a secret four-song performance at Islington Academy, London on 4 March 2007, as part of a gig to celebrate the life of former Mega City Four frontman Darren "Wiz" Brown, who died in December 2006. Cover art for the first two Senseless Things albums and most single releases around the same period was provided by comic artist Jamie Hewlett, creator of Tank Girl and later Gorillaz, and I've adapted one of his single sleeves for this album.
Track listing
Disc I - 1987-1990
01 All Over You (free single with Sniffin' Rock Fanzine #6 1987)
02 Where The Secret Lies (from the 'Up And Coming' EP 1988)
03 I Want To Go Back (from the 'Up And Coming' EP 1988)
04 I Don't Want To Talk About It (from the 'Up And Coming' EP 1988)
05 You Don't Want Me (from the 'Up And Coming' EP 1988)
06 When You Let Me Down (from the 'Up And Coming' EP 1988)
07 I'm Moving (free flexi-disc with YoJoJo magazine 1988)
08 Low-Time (free flexi-disc with YoJoJo magazine 1988)
09 (All You've Got To Do Is) Stay Together (free flexi-disc with YoJoJo magazine 1988)
10 Girlfriend (single 1989)
11 Standing In The Rain (b-side of 'Girlfriend')
12 Cruel Dub (b-side of 'Too Much Kissing' 1989)
13 Break It Away (from the various artists 'PSSST' EP 1989)
14 Tricia Don't Belong (from the abandoned 'Andi In A Karmann' EP 1990)
15 You Owe Me (from the abandoned 'Andi In A Karmann' EP 1990)
16 Never Know Why? (from the abandoned 'Andi In A Karmann' EP 1990)
Disc II - 1990-1991
01 Is It Too Late? (single 1990)
02 Andi In A Karmann (b-side of 'Is It Too Late?')
03 Ponyboy (b-side of 'Is It Too Late?')
04 Leo (b-side of 'Is It Too Late?')
05 Celebrity (b-side of 'Is It Too Late?')
06 Can't Do Anything (single 1990)
07 Can't Explain (b-side of 'Can't Do Anything')
08 Tangled Lines (b-side of 'Can't Do Anything')
09 Remember Me (free flexi-disc with issue #3 of Submerge fanzine 1991)
10 Mystery Train (b-side of 'Everybody's Gone' 1991)
11 I'm On Black And White (b-side of 'Everybody's Gone' 1991)
12 Beat To Blondie (b-side of 'Got It At The Delmar' 1991)
13 Can't Remember (b-side of 'Got It At The Delmar' 1991)
14 Easy To Smile (single 1991)
15 Hazel (b-side of 'Easy To Smile')
16 Mollylove (b-side of 'Easy To Smile')
Disc III - 1992-1995
01 Hold It Down (single 1992)
02 Crucial Juvenalia (b-side of 'Hold It Down')
03 Splitting Hairs (b-side of 'Hold It Down')
04 Apache (from the 'Ruby Trax' compilation 1992)
05 Body Bag (b-side of 'Homophobic Asshole' 1992)
06 Just Flirting (b-side of 'Homophobic Asshole')
07 Too Much Like I Know You (b-side of 'Primary Instinct 1993)
08 High Enough (b-side of 'Christine Keeler' 1994)
09 Jerk (b-side of 'Christine Keeler' 1994)
10 The Revivalist (b-side of 'Christine Keeler' 1994)
11 Can't Go Back (b-side of 'Christine Keeler' 1994)
12 Driving On The Right (b-side of 'Christine Keeler' 1994)
13 Never Haunted (b-side of 'Something To Miss' 1995)
14 Answering Machine (b-side of 'Something To Miss' 1995)
