Vehicle
for ex Expendables Jay Clarkson. The band's line up went
through some continuous changes toward the end
of their career but was pretty solid up till the
recording of their only album.
The band consisted of:
Jay Clarkson - Guitar / Vocal
Micheal Kime - Bass
Gary Sulivan - Drums (JPSE)
Greg Malcolm - Guitar
The band recorded a set of 4 track demos with Failsafe
of which "Raise The Glass" (with Graeme Jefferies on lead guitar, he was pre-Greg Malcolm) was released on the South
Compilation.
The band entered a national music contest (the Rheineck
Rock Awards, previous winners Ardijah and The Headless
Chickens) and won $40,000 toward recording and promoting
an album, which they promptly over-spent, I think by the
tune of $8,000. This was a remarkable amount of money by
New Zealand standards, most records being brought in under
$5,000 and many under $1,000.
The album was recorded at Airforce Studios and to finish
the record and get the tapes released from the studio the
band had to consent to the album being released on the
studio's
own label.
Kime had decided before the win to pursue a career in doublebass / jazz but stayed around long enough to record and do a few gigs. Gary had already moved to Auckland and was flat-tack with JPSE, who were about to make the first of 3 lengthy tours overseas.
Sullivan was initially replaced
by Dave Deacon, and then later
both Deacon and Kime were replaced
by a new rhythm section featuring
MarkHowe on bass (Triffids) who
had not been seen live on stage
significantly since the early
Eighties, and Shane Bolingford (Dolphin, Pleasure Boys).
This line up performed a national
tour before the band finally
split, Clarkson keeping herself
well away from mainstream recording
after that.
Clarkson and Greg
Malcolm performed as a duo
several times, which both thoroughly
enjoyed.
A lot of Clarkson compositions were fairly low key and subtle affairs, certainly not mainstream radio fodder. That said the band did have some startlingly good pop songs ,"The Artful Dodger" and "Memory Lane" being two shining examples.
Prior to recording their album the band recorded demos for the album, all of which were eventually re-recorded. The demos were remarkably good and cost just $200 to complete. These demos will soon be released, along with early recordings done for the Failsafe "South" compilation, on the "Spilt Milk" CD.
In '98 a 2nd solo album KINDLE (4-trk)was released through the Dunedin label Arclife. Pavement mag voted it one of their top 5 albums for that year.
Clarkson now resides in Dunedin where she tutors at Otago Uni's Contemporary Rock Course and continues to make her own music on a low key level. She will be recording a new clutch of songs shortly for release through Arclife.
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