Shock Headed Peters

Shock Headed Peters [NB. it is not written shockheaded peters!] was formed by Karl Blake, ‘Lord’ Ashley Wales and David ‘Cadbury’ Knight in 1982. They were joined by Mark Rowlatt and Clive ‘Tigger’ Glover to make the full first line-up of the band who recorded three eps I, Bloodbrother Be (£4000 Love Letter), The Kissing of Gods and Life Extinguisher and an album Not Born Beautiful. Blake had previously featured in Lemon Kittens. Knight had been in The Fast Set and, with Wales, Five or Six. Before a note of original music was recorded Blake insisted that the band rehearse for a month in Wales’ basement, playing only covers - in order to create as tight as possible a unit.

Ashley Wales has been a member of Spring Heel Jack for many years.


I Bloodbrother Be (£4,000 Love Letter) 12" 1984


A I, Bloodbrother Be (£4,000 Love Letter) (6:44)

B1 Truth Has Come (5:59)

B2 Katabolism (4:34)

B3 Hate On Sight (5:01)

"Adeste Fideles"


The Kissing Of Gods (1985)


A1 The Kissing Of Gods (5:23)

A2 Heartbreak Hotel (3:52)

B1 Always Be Waiting (6:40)

B2 Mr. Very Big (6:40)

Etched in run-out grooves ; on A side 'sic itur ad astra', on B side 'casus belli'.



Life Extinguisher EP (1986)


A1 Scorch (3:46)

A2 Life Extinguisher (3:00)

B1 Son Of Thumbs Of A Murderer (5:06)

B2 Win On Condition (4:28)

Performer - David Cadbury Knight* , Karl Blake , Moon (16) , Simon Shearston , Trevor Reidy



Not Born Beautiful LP(1985)

A1
Say No To Funk (2:22)

Vocals [Voice] - Crystale Quimm
A2
Ideal (5:03)
A3
Chalet D'Amour (3:55)

Trombone - Andrew Lawrence Violin - Christine O'Gorman
A4
Dog Eat Dog Eat Dog (2:47)

Flute, Saxophone [Tenor] - Geoff Hawkins
A5

Bad Samaritans (6:39)

B1
Parabola (4:16)
B2
Miserable Worm (4:02)

Trombone - Andrew Lawrence Trumpet - William Algar Vocals [Voice] - Crystale Quimm
B3
Mon Repos (3:24)

Violin - Christine O'Gorman
B4
Wheel In The Bait (4:58)

Saxophone [Tenor, Soprano] - Geoff Hawkins
B5
The Kissing Of Gods (5:23)

Saxophone [Soprano] - Geoff Hawkins

"Men, you are all marksmen - don't one of you fire until you see the whites of their eyes". Israel Putnam, 1775.



Shockheaded Peters performing live at the Tegen Tonen Festival at The Paradiso in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on May 21. 1987.

Karl Blake began creating music in the 1970's in his hometown of Reading, England. In 1973, he started playing and singing principally as a result of reading the poetry of William Blake "from a sort of twisted filial interest only" and hearing Black Sabbath, then took on board such influences as Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Faust, King Crimson and Roxy Music, etc. He then went on to contributing vocals, guitar, bass and drums to such bands as Kneeswand, Orange Jelly Baby And The Six White Chocolate Mice, Sedusa, Chrome Toad, and Maggots. None of these outfits produced much more than rehearsals and jam sessions. However, in April of 1978 Lemon Kittens was formed, Together with Danielle Dax, and Karl’s career in music began.


In 1986 he released the album "Lunatic Dawn Of The Dismantler"under the performing flag of "The UNDERNEATH", who consisted of Karl Blake, Katheryna Burbela, David Mellow, David Cadbury, Simon Shearston, Donna Schiffman, and Simon Walker.

Burbela was a real Axe lady, she played the meanest guitar !

For the Tegen Tonen Festival they decided to perform as the Shock Headed Peters once more, this time in a set up consisting of :

Karl Blake vocals, guitar
Katheryna Burbela guitar, vocals, piano
Patrick Fraser drums
Neil Rickarby bass


Part of the European tour they gave was captured on the album "Fear Engine"which contained stuff from the dutch gig they gave in Eindhoven, at the Effenaar.

The recordings you'll hear here were recorded by VPRO Radio for broadcasting purposes.
Setlist :

01 Bloodbrother Be
02 For Your Love
03 Say No To Funk
04 Judy Ocean
05 Always Be Waiting
06 Heartbreak Hotel
07 Waiting List
08 Life Extinguisher

I remember this concert as one where the audience ran out of the venue to take shelter in the hallway because of the incredible loud volume.
The daredevils that had the nerve to stay and watch (and feel) them play (like me)were glued to the back of the joint by the sheer sound and air pressure!
FREDHEADSET

In 1988, Karl teamed up with Sol Invictus, a project he still takes part in today. He started off contributing bass to a lot of material, such as "In The Jaws Of The Serpent" LP. The trend continued into 1990 with the LPs "Trees In Winter," "Lex Tallionis" and "Sol Veritas Lux," which were released on Tursa. David Tibet introduced Tony Wakeford to Karl. They teamed up for Karl’s new project British Racing Green, which produced an album’s worth of material that has never seen the light of day. That year also saw Karl join hands with Left Hand Right Hand.

Source : FM > Cassette > Audacity > CD Wave Editor > FLAC 8

Another one from the box of old tapes !
ENJOY !



Fear Engine (1987)


A1 Big One (3:53)
A2 The Difference (Instrumental) (3:01)
A3 We Breathe The Same Air (2:41)
A4 We Breathe The Same Air (Retort) (0:37)
A5 Always Be Waiting (Re-Visited) (3:08)
A6 Jodie Ocean (1:21)
A7 Say No To Funk (1:53)
A8 Correct Title Of Love (2:41)

B1 The Waiting List (2:02)
B2 Heartbreak Hotel (2:34)
B3 I, Bloodbrother Be (3:17)
B4 For Your Love (2:12)
B5 Very Big Brother (3:07)
B6 Son Of Thumbs Of A Murderer (4:19)
B7 Love Mechanics (2:57)

Bass - Neil Rickarby
Drums - Patrick Fraser
Guitar, Vocals, Piano - Kateryne Burbela
Vocals, Guitar - Karl Blake



Fear Engine II: Almost As If It Had Never Happened...(1993)


1
Re-Make/Re-Model (3:11)

Written-By - Bryan Ferry
2
Hate On Sight (5:16)

Lead Vocals - Danielle Dax
3
Hellkite (1:05)
4
Conditional Discharge (2:30)

Lead Vocals - Sam Ireland
5
Haborym (0:57)
6
Bookburner (2:32)
7
The Waiting List (2:18)

Lead Vocals - Sam Ireland
8
Shaitanist (2:08)
9
Jodie Ocean (1:37)
10
Suicide Ocean (5:13)

Vocals, Written-By - Lydia Lunch
11
Noyade Ocean (1:46)
12
Wrecked Submarine Me (4:19)
13
Katamaran (3:28)
14
Grayout (1:22)
15
We Breathe The Same Air (3:17)
16
Air: The Sludge Of Despond (0:45)
17
Lovecore (3:05)
18
Generation Tool (2:29)
19
Love's Dumb Mechanics (3:45)
20
Dumb Glutton (1:33)
21
Katabolism (4:41)
22
Sabnak (1:02)
23
Head, Thorax, Abdomen (3:42)

Vocals - Lydia Lunch
24
Energumen (2:07)
25
Evil Hearted You (2:38)

Lead Vocals - Lydia Lunch Written-By - G. Goldman*
26
Pazuzu (1:30)
27
P.D.Q. Tarfu (1:03)
28
Son Of Thumbs Of A Murderer (4:51)

Acoustic Guitar [Intro/outro] - Paul Levett Vocals [First Verse], Organ [1st Verse] - Danielle Dax
29
The Democratiser (4:40)

Track 1 was originally recorded by Roxy Music.
Track 10 was originally recorded by Lydia Lunch.
Track 25 was originally recorded by The Yardbirds.

This is the third part of the Revenge Trilogy ; the other two parts being
Several Headed Enemy by Shock Headed Peters (CP131-01CD) also on Cyclops Prod and The Black Spot by Evil Twin (LY131-01CD) on Livesey, both through World Serpent.


Several Headed Enemy (1992)


1 Burn The Fun Guarantee (4:04)
2 Truncation Of Love (3:19)
3 Shaded Yellow On The Map (2:01)
4 Bars Away From Life (3:35)
5 Thistle-Tongue (3:17)
6 Headstock Of Underframe (3:01)
7 Complicated Life (3:12)
8 Protestation Of Love (2:44)
9 Slope-Topped Box (3:27)
10 Barren (2:38)
11 Blackouts In The Clear Sky (2:25)
12 Are You Happy Or Are You Real? (3:54)
13 Weaponscrew (4:19)

Songs written between 1985 and 1988.


Evil Twin - The Black Spot (1993)



Performer - David Mellor , Karl Blake
Vocals - Amy Rodenburg






Tendercide (1996)


1
Bethlehem Steel (Ill-Will) (5:14)

Backing Vocals [Chorus] - Jane Griffiths , Sally Doherty Loops, Programmed By - David Knight Vocals, Bass, Drums, Guitar - Karl Blake Voice [Sample] - Lydia Lunch
2
Self-Attendance Grant (2:23)

Loops, Programmed By - David Knight Vocals, Keyboards - Karl Blake
3
Prig Star Theta (6:09)

Loops, Programmed By - David Knight Vocals - Sally Doherty Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Loops, Drums, Drum Programming - Karl Blake
4
Dirtday (4:04)

Clarinet [Bass] - Charlie Collins Synthesizer, Loops - David Knight Vocals - Karl Blake , Sally Doherty
5
Sublime Prince Of The Royal Secret (8:47)

Loops, Piano [Outro] - David Knight Saxophone [Alto] - Charlie Collins Violin - Matt Howden Vocals - Sally Doherty Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Loops, Piano [Intro] - Karl Blake
6
After You Is Manners (Prayer) (6:37)

Loops, Keyboards [Keyboard Strings] - David Knight Saxophone [Alto] - Charlie Collins Vocals - Karl Blake , Sally Doherty
7
Red Reminder (5:27)

Loops, Programmed By - David Knight Saxophone [Alto] - Charlie Collins Vocals - Sally Doherty Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Loops - Karl Blake
8
Not So Green As I'm Cabbage Looking (5:59)

Loops, Programmed By - David Knight Saxophone [Alto] - Charlie Collins Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Organ, Loops - Karl Blake
9
H.M.S. Thunderbomb (5:16)

Loops, Programmed By - David Knight Violin - Matt Howden Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Loops - Karl Blake
10
The First Game Ever Played (And Cheated At) (4:43)

Flute, Clarinet [Bass] - Charlie Collins Loops, Programmed By - David Knight Violin - Matt Howden Vocals - Karl Blake , Sally Doherty