Post-punk/funk outfit The Higsons formed in 1980 at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, and were named in honour of frontman Charlie "Switch" Higson. The roster of musicians also included guitarists Terry Edwards and Stuart McGeachin, bassist Colin Williams and drummer Simon Charterton. Honing an energetic, funk-influenced approach clearly indebted to the Talking Heads, the group's first recordings were on the 'Welcome To Norwich - A Fine City' compilation album in 1981, and they issued their debut single 'I Don't Want to Live With Monkeys' on the Romans in Britain label the same year. The band then formed their own label, Waap Records, to issue the not-coincidentally-titled 'It Goes Waap!!' single in 1981. After resurfacing in 1982 with their 'Conspiracy' single, the band signed to the famed Two Tone label for 'Tear The Whole Thing Down', followed in 1983 by 'Run Me Down'. They returned briefly to Waap for 'Push Out The Boat', and then signed to Upright Records for 1984's 'Music to Watch Girls By', the debut single from their one and only album, 'Curse Of The Higsons', which had finally appeared that year. The group's quirky, bleak sense of humour clearly impressed kindred spirit Robyn Hitchcock, who recorded the tribute 'Listening To The Higsons' on his 1985 live effort 'Gotta Let This Hen Out!', but beyond a devoted cult following, the band never experienced anything approaching commercial success, and in the wake of 1985's 'Take It' single they dissolved. Charlie Higson left the music business to join comedian Paul Whitehouse in writing and starring in the BBC comedy sketch show 'The Fast Show', as well as writing a series of James Bond novels, while Terry Edwards joined Gallon Drunk in 1993, fronted his own band, and enjoyed a busy and far-ranging career as a session musician. Although The Higsons only managed to release one studio album in their lifetime, they recorded many other tracks which appeared as singles and their b-sides, and so here they all are collected together in one place, along with a few choice John Peel session tracks, as a reminder of one of the few famous bands to come from my hometown.
Track listing
Disc I - 1981-1982
01 My Love Is Bent (At Both Ends) (from 'Welcome To Norwich - A Fine City' compilation 1981)
02 We Will Never Grow Old (from 'Welcome To Norwich - A Fine City' compilation 1981)
03 I Don't Want To Live With Monkeys (single 1981)
04 Insect Love (b-side of 'I Don't Want To Live With Monkeys')
05 The Lost And The Lonely (single 1981)
06 It Goes Waap!! (b-side of 'The Lost And The Lonely')
07 Got To Let This Heat Out (b-side of 'It Goes Waap' 12" single 1981)
08 Surrender (John Peel session 1981)
09 A Dash To The Shops (John Peel session 1981)
10 Crash (John Peel session 1981)
11 Tear The Whole Thing Down (single 1982)
12 Ylang Ylang (b-side of 'Tear The Whole Thing Down')
Disc II - 1982-1985
01 Conspiracy (single 1982)
02 Touchdown (b-side of 'Conspiracy')
03 Round And Round (Pub Mix) (b-side of 'Push Out The Boat' 1983)
04 Put The Punk Back Into Funk (Parts I & II) (b-side of 'Run Me Down' 1983)
05 Attack Of The Cannibal Zombie Businessmen (John Peel session 1983)
06 Music To Watch Boys By (single 1984)
07 Lying On The Telephone (b-side of ''Music To Watch Boys By')
08 Clanking My Bucket (b-side of ''Music To Watch Boys By')
09 Take It (single 1985)
10 I Walk The Land (b-side of 'Take It')
