ALTERED IMAGES - Discography

Members:
Clare Grogan, Jim McIven, Johnny McElhone, Tich Anderson, Tony McDaid



Country:
Scottland
City:
Glasgow
Genre:
Electronic
Style:
Synth-pop


















HAPPY BIRTHDAY (1981)

Tracklist:

01 Intro Happy Birthday (0:44)
02 Love and Kisses (2:18)
03 Real Toys (3:21)
04 Idols (2:37)
05 Legionaire (3:29)
06 Faithless (3:48)
07 Beckoning Strings (3:05)
08 Happy Birthday (3:00)
09 Midnight (3:39)
10 A Days Wait (4:19)
11 Leave Me Alone (4:07)
12 Insects (3:26)
13 Outro Happy Birthday (0:44)

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.de/files/27663549/altered_images-happy_birthday_81.rar.html

"Although the title track (which became a large UK hit single) was produced by Martin Rushent, the majority of Altered Images' first album was produced by the Glasgow band's original mentor, Siouxsie and the Banshees bassist Steve Severin. The songs are an intriguingly odd lot somewhere between Joy Division and the Archies: rooted in post-punk, bass-driven jaggedness, while somehow managing to be light, perky and engaging. Severin, who also produced the band's debut single, "Dead Pop Stars" (unfortunately not included here), gives the young band a sound at times just a little too reminiscent of his own group. However, the unforgettable baby-talk voice of singer Claire Grogan keeps Altered Images from ever sounding anything less than unique."

Q (8/95, p.136) - 3 Stars - Good - "...HAPPY BIRTHDAY is wiry, sparse and still charming today. Grogan's voice is faintly daft but nice, sounding alternately like a stroppy and giggly teenager, while the songs...have the icy, studied cool of a band who'd spent their youth studying magazines about how to be hip on Top Of The Pops." Uncut (3/04, p.112) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[S]cratchy, angular Joy Division-influenced gloom-rock enlivened by the squeaky vocals and effervescent presence of Clare Grogan..."




















PINKY BLUE...Plus (Extra Tracks) (1982)

Tracklist:

01 Pinky Blue
02 See Those Eyes
03 Forgotten
04 Little Brown Head
05 See You Later
06 Song Sung Blue
07 Funny Funny Me
08 Think That It Might
09 I Could Be Happy [12 Inch Dance Mix]
10 Jump Jump
11 Goodnight And I Wish
12 I Could Be Happy [7 Inch Version] (Bonus Track)
13 Insects (Bonus Track)
14 Disco Pop Stars (Bonus Track)
15 Happy New Year - Real Toys [New Version] (Bonus Track)
16 See Those Eyes [12 Inch Dance Mix] (Bonus Track)
17 How About That Then (I Missed My Train) (Bonus Track)
18 Pinky Blue [12 Inch Dance Mix] (Bonus Track)
19 Jump Jump - Think That It Might (Segued Mix) (Bonus Track)

Link to download:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/if00tw

Product Description
2004 reissue of the Scottish new waver's 1982 sophomore album includes eight bonus tracks (most of which appear on CD for the first time), 'I Could Be Happy' (7 Inch Version), 'Insects', 'Disco Pop Stars', 'Happy New Year Real Toys' (New Version), 'See Those Eyes' (12 Inch Dance Mix), 'How About Then (I Missed My Train)', 'Pinky Blue' (12 Inch Dance Mix), & 'Jump Jump-Think That I Might' (Segued 12 Inch Dance Mix). Edsel.

"'Pinky Blue' in my view, is the best Altered Images album, not only that, but one of the best pop albums I've heard. The album seems to be able to mix power pop tunes with Clare Grogan best singing performance to form a more mature pop sound. I would like to state from the start that the cover of Neil Diamond's 'Song Sung Blue' is a mistake, but apart from that one track, each song seems to be a single within it self, each one you can find something exciting about. The two songs I will pick out are 'Forgotten', which features a wonderful energetic verse, which then breaks in to a chorus which seems to be a battle between Clares singing and the backing music. The other song 'Think that it might', possible Clares greatest vocal on the album, a superb dreamy landscape of a song. 'Pinky Blue' was produced by Martin Rushent, and only by Martin Rushent, which makes this the only constant Altered Images album, if only 'Bite' and 'Happy Birthday' was produced by him, or at least could they have been produced by an alone producer. And last but not least harmless lyrics, hoo-ray.
(http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palms/3689/altered.html)




















BITE...Plus (Extra Tracks) (1983)

Tracklist:

01 Bring Me Closer
02 Another Lost Look
03 Love to Stay
04 Now That You're Here
05 Don't Talk to Me About Love
06 Stand So Quiet
07 Change of Heart
08 Thinking About You
09 Surprise Me [*]
10 I Don't Want to Know [*]
11 Last Goodbye [*]
12 Bring Me Closer [Dance Mix][*]
13 Don't Talk to Me About Love [Extended Version][*]
14 Love to Stay [Dance Mix][*]

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.de/files/27672598/bite_plus.rar.html























REFLECTED IMAGES -The Best Of (1996)

Tracklist:

01 Happy Birthday
02 Dead Pop Stars
03 Happy Birthday
04 Love And Kisses
05 Real Toys
06 I Could Be Happy
07 See Those Eyes
08 Pinky Blue
09 Forgotten
10 See You Later
11 Don't Talk To Me About Love
12 Bring Me Closer
13 Love To Stay
14 Change Of Heart
15 Thinking About You
16 Happy Birthday (12" mix)
17 Don't Talk To Me About Love (12" mix)
18 Love To Stay (12" mix)
19 Bring Me Closer (12" mix)
20 Last Goodbye (Don't Talk To Me About Love)
21 Happy Birthday

Link to download:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/dewwsx

"Wow, Clare Grogan - What more can I say. Who didn't fall in Love with her when she sang 'Happy Birthday' on Top of The Pops in 1981. This LP charts the bands career from this time through to the more sophisticated latter years. The band, for me, started off brilliantly and after their amazing debut album never really managed to capture the same magic. It was great listening to the first single 'Dead Pop Stars' again after hearing it on John Peel's show all those years ago. It still sounds as fresh and vibrant now as it did then. This really is a good complilation but it would have been nice to have had 'A days Wait' and 'Beckoning Strings' included. Altered Images really were a great band that were underated. Oh Clare!"





















PEEL SESSIONS:

07/10/1980

LINE UP
Clare Grogan (Vocals)
Caesar (Guitar)
Tony Mcdaid (Guitar)
Johnny Mcelhone (Bass)
Michael 'tich' Anderson (Drums)

TRACKLIST
Dead Pop Stars
Insects
Beckoning Strings
Legionnaire


02/03/1981

LINE UP
Clare Grogan (Vocals)
Caesar (Guitar)
Tony Mcdaid (Guitar)
Johnny Mcelhone (Bass)
Michael 'tich' Anderson (Drums)

TRACKLIST
A Day's Wait
Idols
Midnight
Jeepster


04/09/1981

LINE UP
Clare Grogan (Vocals)
Tony Mcdaid (Guitar)
Johnny Mcelhone (Bass)
Michael 'tich' Anderson (Drums)
The Allneds (Backing Vocals (4))

TRACKLIST
Think That It Might
Pinky Blue
Little Brown Head
Song Sung Blue

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.de/files/27697797/altered_images_-_peel_sessions.rar.html
















LIVE 17.10.1981 BBC Radio

Tracklist:

01 Intro
02 A Day's Wait
03 Sentimental
04 Real Toys
05 I Think That It Might
06 Love & Kisses
07 Legionnaire
08 Insects
09 Happy Birthday
10 Pinky Blue



Link to download:
http://rapidshare.de/files/27784495/altered_images_1981-10-17_bbc_radio_1.rar.html


Biography:
Formed in 1979, this Scottish pop ensemble featured Clare Grogan (b. 17 March 1962, Glasgow, Scotland; vocals), Johnny McElhone (b. 21 April 1963; bass), Tony McDaid (guitar), and Michael "Tich" Anderson (drums). Even before their recorded debut, Grogan found herself cast in a film, Gregory's Girl, by director Bill Forsyth. In 1980, Altered Images toured with Siouxsie And The Banshees and subsequently employed the services of their bass player, Steve Severin, as producer. Another champion of their work was the influential UK disc jockey John Peel. Their BBC radio sessions resulted in the offer of a major recording contract by Epic Records, and two unsuccessful singles followed - the early 80s indie classic "Dead Pop Stars" and "A Day's Wait". With the addition of guitarist Jim McInven, the band completed their debut, Happy Birthday, in 1981. The infectious title track, produced by Martin Rushent, soared to number 2 in the UK charts, establishing the elfin Grogan as a punkish Shirley Temple. "I Could Be Happy" and "See Those Eyes' were also hits, but the band's second album, Pinky Blue, was not well received by the critics. With 1983"s Bite, Grogan took on a more sophisticated, adult image, lost Anderson and McInven, gained Stephen Lironi (guitar, drums) and found new producers Tony Visconti and Mike Chapman. The experiment brought another Top 10 hit, "Don't Talk To Me About Love".
Following a brief tour with the addition of David Wilde (drums) and Jim Prime (keyboards), Altered Images disbanded. Grogan pursued an acting career (notably in television sitcom Red Dwarf, and more recently on MTV and EastEnders), recorded an unreleased solo album Love Bomb, and later reappeared fronting a new band, Universal Love School. Meanwhile, guitarist Johnny McElhone moved on to Hipsway and Texas. Over 15 years later, in November 2002, Grogan revived the Altered Images name to take part in the 1980s nostalgia tour, Here And Now.

Discography:
Happy Birthday (Epic 1981)
Pinky Blue (Epic 1982)
Bite (Epic 1983)

More info:
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palms/3689/ home page of Clare Grogan

http://www.sukeplow.demon.co.uk/altered/altered.htm fan site

http://www.darkneon.com/copy/interviews/alteredimages.html an interview