MUSIC BLOG OF SALTYKA AND HIS FRIENDS: January 2008

"They weren't New Romantic, but they were certainly romantic."

"People probably dont see this but The Lotus Eaters were pure rebellion. It was just the kind of rebellion that people were not ready for. Not then anyhow back in 1983. Now I am hoping that people are more receptive to change and are open to music that draws you in. Music that gives you the space to get to know yourself and how you work." (Peter Coyle)

Country:

UK
Genre:
Electronic, Pop
Style:
New Wave, Synth-pop

Member:
Peter Coyle - Vocals (1982-1985,2000-) (before The Lotus Eaters played in No Trace (1980-1981),Jass Babies (1981-1982),Tin Ethics (1981), Living Legends (1982) )
Michael Dempsey - Bass (1983-1985) (also in The Cure,The Easy Cure (1977 - 1979), The Cult Hero (1980), The Associates (1979 - 1983))
Jeremy Kelly - Guitar (1982-1985,2000-) (also in The Wild Swans, Psycamesh (1978-79),Care (1983-84),The Lovers (1989-90), Diamond Sutra (1997))
Ged Quinn - Keyboards (1982-1983) (also in The Wild Swans)
Stephen Emmer - Keyboards (1983-1985)
Phil Lucking - Bass (1982-1983)
Alan Wills - Drums (1982-1983) (also in The Wild Swans)
Stve Creese - Drums (1983-1985)

VIDEO
"The First Picture Of You"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0MwcwfhplY&feature=related

"Out On Your Own"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bky0pWboZd4&feature=related

THE FIRST PICTURE OF YOU 12" (1983)

Credits:
Producer - Dale Griffin (tracks: 03) , Nigel Gray (tracks: 01, 02)
Written-By - Quinn (tracks: 01) , Kelly , Coyle

Notes:
Track 03 from BBC Radio 1 John Peel Show.

Tracklist:

01 The First Picture Of You
02 The Lotus Eaters
03 Stranger So Far

YOU DON'T NEED SOMEONE NEW 12" (1983)

Credits:
Produced by Alan Tarney

Tracklist:

01 You Don't Need Someone New (5:07)
02 Two Virgins Tender (3:57)
03 You Don't Need Someone New (Charleston Mix) (6:05)
Bonus:
04 German Girl 12"

Link to download for these two maxi:
http://rapidshare.com/files/87100698/2_ep_83.rar.html

PETER COYLE:
"We recorded First Picture Of You with Nigel Gray. I liked Nigel. He was very quiet and very talented. It seemed like he understood us. The only problem was that for some of the tracks like can you keep a secret the peel session sounded better. Nigel liked our melodies but was very keen to change our rhythms. It was a horrible dilemma because he did understand us but we were worried that the album would have too much of a rock rhythm. Out of the five tracks we recorded with Nigel we were only happy with the First Picture Of You.

I remember having tonsillitis at the time. Nigel used to be a doctor so he got me some antibiotics without me going to the doctors. I took one after we had been in the studio all day. We were having a meal when I suddenly crashed out because the antibiotics were so strong. It cured the tonsillitis thats for sure. Anyway the point is that I think it probably would have been better if Nigel had done the whole album. That is not to say that I didnt appreciate working with the other producers. I did and I have learnt a lot from all of them. We chose to try several other producers, which was a shame because it makes no sense of sin less cohesive and flowing as it could have been. Whats more it also made it more difficult because we recorded No Sense Of Sin in lots of different studios."

NO SENSE OF SIN (1984,re-released in 1998)

Credits:
Producer - Alan Tarney (tracks: 11 and 12) , Bob Sargeant (tracks: 3, 6, 7 and 9) , Lotus Eaters, The (tracks: 1 - 7, 9, 10, 13 - 19) , Nigel Gray (tracks: 8)

Notes:
Tracks 1 to 9 from the original debut album 'No Sense of Sin' released in 1984. Tracks 10 to 18 previously unreleased.

Tracklist:

01 German Girl
02 Love Still Flows
03 Can You Keep A Secret
04 Out On Your Own
05 Put Your Touch On Love
06 Set Me Apart
07 You Fill Me With Need
08 The First Picture Of You
09 Alone Of All Her Sex
10 It Hurts
11 You Don't Need Someone New
12 Two Virgins Tender
13 My Happy Dream
14 The Evidence
15 Endless
16 Soul In Sparks
17 Church At Llanbadrig
18 The Lotus Eaters
19 Out On Your Own (12" Version)

Links to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/87075377/nosense_a_192_kbs.rar.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/87074621/nosense_b.rar.html

"The glimmering, jangly pop of the Lotus Eaters evokes images of lonely summer afternoons. Peter Coyle's dulcet vocals ache with profound yearning; Morrissey may have won the mope rock mantle in the '80s, but if the Lotus Eaters had become as successful as the Smiths, Coyle would've robbed him of the Sad Sack crown. No Sense of Sin, the Lotus Eaters' 1984 debut album, is a gorgeously crafted collection of melancholic guitar pop. "Love Still Flows" and "The First Picture of You" caress the ears with haunting piano and twinkling guitars; both songs unreel with a cinematic feel, the music and lyrics drawing sentimental memories from the listener's imagination. On the powerful "It Hurts," Jeremy Kelly's guitar sounds like a heart shrieking in pain as Coyle wallows in his grief. The starry-eyed keyboards and sing-along chorus of "German Girl" and spellbinding violin of "Set Me Apart" deepen the Lotus Eaters' appeal; they further explore Coyle's hankering for affection while lifting the spirits with sharp hooks. No Sense of Sin was reissued on CD by BMG Japan in 1998, and this version easily tops the original with ten bonus tracks, including the driving "You Don't Need Someone New" and the delicate "Two Virgins Tender." Unfortunately, the superior extended 12" version of "It Hurts" isn't included, but that's the album's only sin.
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wxfixqw5ldae~T1)

"Some would call it music for wimps but The Lotus Eaters deserve a lot of credit for their charming way with a tune. One should imagine slightly fey vocals over a backdrop of Durutti Column-like guitar to appreciate what they were about. Until the recent new release of 'Silentspace', 1984's 'No Sense Of Sin' has remained their sole long player but such is the addictiveness of the subtle melodies on offer that much of this album sounds like a top quality best-of compilation that avoids the naffness associated with much of 80's pop. 'The First Picture Of You' was their one significant UK hit; a typically innocent pop song about young love but with follow-ups of the strength of 'Out On Your Own', 'German Girl' and 'Can You Keep A Secret' it seems unfair that they were unable to build on their initial success. One fault that coud be levelled at 'No Sense Of Sin' is the production which involved three separate producers so whilst the likes of 'Two Virgins Tender' and 'Endless' retain their subtle guitar melodies, 'Alone Of All Her Sex' is almost buried by the the thudding drums unlike their earlier Peel Session versions whose stark intensity and beauty made them essential listening. A modern day comparison for the duo would be Travis's 'The Invisible Band' which revealed another group whose forte was subtle, understated pop music. The Lotus Eaters, together with the similarly unfashionable China Crisis, sound more relevant today than ever, purely for their songwriting craft."
(http://www.leonardslair.co.uk/lotus.htm)

"Finally, this 18 years old (!) record is available on CD! WHo cares, you might ask. Well "No Sense Of Sin" is not just any pop album of the eighties. It's one that really stands out, and continues to have its own magic even in the new millenium. Unfortunately, the "Lotus Eaters" didn't become pop stars at this time, despite their surprise hit-single "The First Picture Of You". Yet they aren't a "single hit wonder". The entire album is full of stunning pop songs with great melodies and wonderful vocal and instrumental arrangements. The mood of this album is clearly contemplative and unobtrusive throughout. If you like balladesque, smooth pop music, this record is about the best you can get."

"With their floaty and flighty, rich and resplendent tunes, the Lotus Eaters became erstwhile buoyant, but drew a hefty following within a specific musical genre that glorified angsty philosophy, reeled off despair and paranoia, and spew awful truths via piercing lyrics underlined by catchy melodies. This was the New Wave 80s. They were a group of lanky British lads clad in bright sleeved shirts, thin dark ties, and gelled dark hair that marked well, just as when goth was also padding the 'excessive decade' with spikes, skulls and velvet regalia in dominant black.Lotus Eaters sublimely offset the gloomsayers scene because their music was swayful and light. Infectious, inspiring and at times haunting, their power to enthrall listeners seem rooted from their predilection if at all preference for themes close to the heart...and linger in the psyche. While their songs particularly hint or hit on wanting and reciprocating love or trying to fill a certain void, they also bestow an unmistakable dollop of self-instrospection. Affection, compassion, inspiration and aspiration abound in their songs; even teenage love or schoolboy crush and prudishness peep through.Lotus Eaters have unconsciously segmented their immense audience with the charm their music has because their music blend youth and maturity. I was 13 the first time I heard them, remembering when they were featured in the London Calling album with some five other artists in the early 80s. I'm 30 now. Still their songs sweep me off or make me stop.What's fascinating and laudable about them is the quiet power their songs flaunt, thumps become virtually untraceable; in a sense 'somber and resolute' but very distinctive and defining of reflective moments. Peter Coyle's boyish and dithery vocals is devoid of strung out pyrotechnics. He sings with nonchalance yet enhances and complements the wispy piano backgrounds and wistful acoustics of guitarist Jeremy Kelly. Hearing every song makes No Sense of Sin a fluidly unobtrusive musical unison that simultaneously soothe and sway any listener. That makes their music lush. The signature tune 'The First Piture of You' wail poetic semantics that montages to some solitary person smiling to a weary kiss of breeze in a sun-drenched afternoon amidst a meadow swathed in dandelions, daisies and driftwoods. All while reminiscing a person he's fond of or recalling a situation that's deja vu. 'German Girl' pays homage to an uber lass portrayed as an innocent with worldy things to impart. 'Love Still Flows' and 'Can You Keep a Secret' serve as tortuous congenial tunes for lovers musing over or fancying someone or contemplating about commitment. 'Set Me Apart' expresses one man's individuality, prestige and sensitivity about his feeling for a sought after girl be known. 'You Fill Me with Need' and 'Put Your Touch on Love' wails varying thoughts for an affair. The latter even carries a modest orchestration and backing vocals that mirrors the music beat Burt Bacharach stapled in the 60s. 'You Don't Need Someone New' admonishes lovers there are strengths we can rake from our limitations. Aside from its sepulchrally blurred drumbeat, 'Out On Your Own' encourages self-acceptance when conquering or being conquered by this unconditional world.Exploratory and meandering on the highs and lows, gives and takes or even compromises of any circumstances like love, No Sense of Sin is a study in emotional tranquility. Peaceful and gentle, sheer yet indulgent, it departs from the mid to the late 90s techno and rave overkill. It is devoid of electro-boisterous and rambunctious pop synth riffs, albeit Lotus Eaters could never be classified as pure pop since its appeal crosses between alternative and swingy that's all underlined with purity. New Wave music that's nothing less than...timeless.The songs written by Kelly and Coyle with the brilliant backing and instrument ploys of Gerard Quinn, bassist Mike Dempsey and drummer Steve Creese drift slowly from its Zeitgeist, the cliche phrases and refrains evident now on overhyped crass types of Westlifes, Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls and Britney Spearses. Lotus Eaters --- has music that endures because of its pristine reticence that transcends the mind and time. Once you hear every track from No Sense of Sin, you simply walk out or skippity-hop to the world cloaked in eternal youth and clear vibes. And your mind bears a cornucopia of things light and bright. It's time to feel young forever!"

"During adolescence I would have given this a 5+, so tack on an extra star if you're under 20. This is very swoony, very sexually-ambivalent stuff. "Alone of All Her Sex," for example, is a song about being girl-shy that uses a Catholic title for the Virgin Mary to describe a chaste crush. "When You Look at Boys" is about getting funny feelings ... uh ... when you look at boys. "German Girl" continues the theme that women are most attractive when they can't be spoken to. Lyrically, this album has a lot in common with The Smiths, obviously, except that The Lotus Eaters are in complete earnest. And they pull it off quite beautifully.The perfect album for a young man just starting to notice the opposite sex (me at the time I discovered it ... her name was Ingrid, even!). Anyone who knows of it seems to have a real affection for it, or at least that has been my experience. And the cover is great, though the two band members on the LP sleeve come across a little Aryan. That, combined with the ode to German girls, always struck me as a bit dicey. Of course, the Germans in the 30s had their own cult of masculine beauty that The Lotus Eaters flirt with lyrically here.Incidentally, "The First Picture of You," the single from the album, always struck me as one of the weaker tracks. So if you like that song, you will be bowled over by the rest."

OUT ON YOUR OWN / ENDLESS 7" (1984)

Tracklist:

01 Out On Your Own
02 Endless

SET ME APART / MY HAPPY DREAM 7" (1984)

Credits:
Producer - Bob Sergeant , Lotus Eaters, The

Tracklist:

01 Set Me Apart (Full Length Original Version)
02 My Happy Dream

IT HURTS / EVIDENCE 7" (1985)

Tracklist:

01 It Hurts
02 The Evidence

Link to download for these 3 maxi:
http://rapidshare.com/files/87099459/3_ep_85.rar.html

FIRST PICTURE OF YOU - BBC Sessions (1998)

Line up :

John Peel Session 18.10.82 (Tracks 1, 4, 8, 11):
Alan Wills (drums), Phil Looking (bass), Q. B. (piano & Synth),Jerry Kelly (acoustic / electric guitars), Peter Coyle (vocals)

John Peel Session 10.10.83 (Tracks 2, 3, 6, 7, 13):
Steve Creese (drums), Michael Dempsey (bass), Stephan Emmer (piano / synth),Jerry Kelly (acoustic / electric guitars), Peter Coyle (vocals)

In Concert 23.05.84 :
Steve Creese (drums), Michael Dempsey (bass), Stephan Emmer (piano synth),Jerry Kelly (acoustic / electric guitars), Peter Coyle (vocals

Notes:
Track 5 In Concert 23.05.84
Track 9 Saturday Live 24.09.83
Track 10 In Concert 23.05.84
Track 12 In Concert 23.05.84

Tracklist:

01 The First Picture Of You (4:29)
02 German Girl (2:44)
03 Alone Of All Her Sex (2:55)
04 When You Look At Boys (4:01)
05 Out On Your Own (4:14)
06 Love Still Flows (3:47)
07 You Fill Me With Need (3:38)
08 Stranger So Far (2:16)
09 Two Virgins Tender (3:28)
10 Put Your Touch On Love (4:52)
11 Can You Keep A Secret? (2:57)
12 Start Of The Search (3:18)
13 Signature Tune (2:30)

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/87089446/le_picture_192_kbs.rar.html

13 radio session tracks by one of the first post-punk bandsto incorporate the use of acoustic instrumentation intotheir sound, which helped give them a distinctive style ofwell crafted, melodic pop. Includes 'German Girl', 'TheFirst Picture Of You' and 'A

PETER COYLE:
"In 1982 (I was 20) the Lotus Eaters started off with me singing on a portastudio (a little 4 track home studio) in Jerrys bedroom. This was a major change for me. I was now singing in a softer way. Whats more the melody from Jerrys guitar was a real joy to sing against. We did a version of the First Picture Of You on that portastudio.It was something like 2 months later when we did our first Peel Session. As soon as it was broadcast our lives changed overnight. The record companies were on the phone immediately. It was a big shock to us. We thought we were good but we were not used to being appreciated by others. Having said that we werent complaining"

"The Lotus Eaters supported Big Country on their UK tour. The Big Country boys were really nice people. There was no bullshit there at all, which I really admire and respect them for. Having said that we were the totally wrong band to support them. They were pure unadulterated male rock and roll.We would go on and I would sit cross legged with sandals singing about the wonders of releasing your feminine side. I was singing about quiet spaces in your soul and the boys in the audience where probably thinking when can we get to the bar and obliterate all knowledge out of our minds. As you could imagine the audience must have thought what the fuck is going on! Is this some weird parallel universe? We are born to pogo not to explore our quiet meditative spaces. Especially some messed up male perception of female space."

"Absolutlly nothing can match this unearthed piece of brilliant songwrting and guitar work from the Lotus Eaters, even though "It Hurts" is not in this album, I still consider this album a very magnificent treasure from one of the best groups during of 80's, it would be absolutlly foolish for me not to give this album a 5 star rating. I know a lot of groups from the 80's like Catus World News, The Farmers Boys, Howard Devoto, The Colour Fields and Positive Noise whose albums are just waiting to be re-discover, it would be a big disappointment from the New Wave Yuppies if nobody dares to re-issue them like what you have done for the Lotus Eaters. I hope this vision and dream comes to reality!"

"This is a wonderful example of gentle 80's angel pop. Its touching, gentle, rhythmic, romantic, beautiful and inspired music. Most of the songs on the CD do not sound live - they're so perfect. Its blokes showing their fragile and poetic side in a way that seems more real and immediate than any dodgy R Kelly or Bryan Adams lurve song! How refreshing. Peter Coyle's voice and Gem Kelly's guitar are a fab combination. 'The First Picture of You' and 'Out on your own' sound ace. Buy this album and relive your youth!"

"Although this isn't the original (aka "real") album "No Sense of Sin," the John Peel Radio 1 Sessions are equally great--fantastic, in fact. The amazing thing is some of the tracks were done when the group was only three weeks old, and the sound is almost exact to their one major release. Tracks are different enough to not duplicate the Japanese import of "No Sense of Sin" and the mastering is crisp n' tasty."

STAY FREE EP (2001)

Tracklist:

01 Stay Free
02 It Hurts
03 Face of the Century
04 Bodywave

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/87077706/le_-_stay_free_192_kbs.rar.html

New single for the alternative act made up of members of the Jass Babies & the Wild Swans. The title tracks is backed with a re-worked version of their 1985 hit, 'It Hurts' plus 'Face Of The Century' & 'Bodywave'. 2001.

PETER COYLE:
"1997 saw me writing another album with Jerry Kelly of The Lotus Eaters. It was great to be working together again and to be honest it was as if we hadnt stopped. It was very natural and easy. The songs were very us and we felt like we had developed as people and musicians. The bond was strong.Im very happy we made Silentspace. I think it helped us both find music again. Music for musics sake. Not music to rake in the money but music to help us find the wonders of life. Another important aspect of the Silentspace record out on Vinyljapan is the fact that we got to work with Ronnie Stone. Ronnie helped me find my feet again and was always keen to encourage us. He has definitely played an instrumental role in motivating me towards taking on the trials and tribulations of making music full time."

Beautiful acoustic mini album,don't miss it!!! (saltyka)

SILENTSPACE (2001)

Credits:
David Coffey -Cover Design/ Peter Coyle-Vocals / Jeremy Kelly-Guitar, Liner Notes / Lotus Eaters- Producer/ Ronnie Stone -Producer, Mixing /Mike Watson -Engineer

Tracklist:

01 Bodywave (4:53)
02 Feel It (4:22)
03 Stay Free (3:42)
04 Can Your Kisses Fly (3:16)
05 Lost In Flow (5:12)
06 Sara (4:26)
07 Face Of The Century (4:52)
08 Minimal Emotion (4:01)
09 Stereovision (3:28)
10 Come Together (5:16)
11 State Of Mind (3:30)

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/87089680/silentspace_192_kbs.rar.html

"When a band returns from a lengthy hibernation, it's easy to cast doubts on their remaining creativity. On Silentspace, the Lotus Eaters awaken from their 15-year slumber without a shred of rust. The group has aged like fine wine. Jeremy Kelly's ringing guitars still reflect the early-'80s glimmer of classic Lotus Eaters songs like "The First Picture of You" and "German Girl" on "Bodywave" and "Can Your Kisses Fly?" Furthermore, the romantic croon of vocalist Peter Coyle has lost none of its sullen beauty. Long before bands such as Travis and Coldplay wept over acoustic riffs, the Lotus Eaters crafted folksy melancholic pop on their 1984 debut album, No Sense of Sin. On Silentspace, the Lotus Eaters retain the stripped-down sound of their early work but update it with subtle touches of techno and trip-hop. On "Feel It," pulsating synths throb behind the soothing vocals of Coyle and Saree Williams. The Lotus Eaters had never used a female singer before, and the addition of Williams' lovely voice on "Feel It" heightens the track's sensual ambiance. While the jangly "Sara" is appealingly retro, the Lotus Eaters are most impressive when they're attempting the unexpected like the sped-up trip-hop rhythms of "Face of the Century" or the otherworldly psychedelia of "Lost in Flow." Fans of the group's youthful innocence might be stunned by the graphic bondage scenes detailed in the gripping "Minimal Emotion," but the Lotus Eaters grew up in their long absence. However, the band didn't get old; they simply got better. It might be difficult for some to connect with Silentspace at first, but it's almost impossible to let go after repeated spins; like the group, it's a sleeping beauty.
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kzfoxqt0ldde~T1)

"Over 15 years on from 'No Sense Of Sin', The Lotus Eaters have finally released a follow-up and it almost seems as if they've never been away. Granted, they've acquired a penchant for space-y atmospherics but the chiming guitar and seemingly simplistic songwriting style is still very much their forte. Reaching stunningly beautiful heights on 'Feel It' (the addition of Saree Williams's vocals adding to the breathless euphoria of Peter Coyle's gentle, hushed tones). Recorded in a garage and produced by long-term associate Ronnie Stone - who helped remaster 'No Sense Of Sin' - the lo-fi sound only enhances the intimacy required to make these songs sound so special. One gripe though, is the unnecessary toying with what sounds like a very cheap keyboard that often threatens to undermine the purity of their best work; in fact on 'Face Of The Century' the song is so ruined by its use of technology that it perversely becomes the most dated thing on this record. Better results arrive in the almost-acoustic joys of 'Sara' and the occasions when the keyboards are welcome as on the swirling 'Stereovision' or the cheap but cute 'Lost In Flow'. It's a slightly tainted comeback but The Lotus Eaters have served to remind us that their innocent magic is still wondrous."
(http://www.leonardslair.co.uk/silentspace.htm)

"It's been a long long silence after the 1984's No Sense of Sin, but the Lotus Eaters now break down themselves, and create a reinvention. It doesn't mean this album has not the Lotus Eaters style of the 80s (in fact the Peter Coyle's voice is as fresh and expresive as 20 years ago), but their sound now is much more mature, they kept the guitars and changed the 80s synths for soft beats of contempory jangle pop, trip hop and some electronic experiments. All the tracklist worth, but for me, there are some highlights that deserve attention. Bodywave (a very good electronic introduction to the voyage to come), stay free (perfect single, ala 'britpop'), lost in flow (good soft electronic experiment), face of the century (deep dramatic, powerful lyrics), come togheter (remembering that Lotus 80s low songs that we love) and State of Mind (Beautiful exit). Silentspace really worths, i'd recommend it without a doubt for any fan of the contempory rock/alternative."

"Peter Coyle's voice is as wonderful as ever. Unfortunately, the accompnaying music to this CD is nothing compared to "No Sense of Sin" and is quite boring. Believe me I wanted to like this CD as I have been a fan of Jermey and Peter for a long time. I have given it a few tries, but have to conclude that the music is disappointingly bland. I would have given the CD 1 star except Peter's voice brings it up to 3 stars. Basically, I'll listen to anything in the world if he sings with it."

"After 17 years since the release of their debut album " No Sense of Sin " back in 1984, Peter Coyle and Jem Kelly finally came up with Silentspace. This album is a collection of Peter and Jem old The Lotus Eaters new wave sound. The unique and enchanting sound of Lotus Eaters is captured in every songs. Although you will miss the melodic sound of synthesizer and piano of classic songs like German Girl, Love Still Flows, The First Picture of You and Alone of all her sex. The guitar rhythms of Set me Apart, Out on your Own. Two Virgins Tender and Soul in Sparks is evident in most of the songs. My personal favorites are Feel It, Stay Free and Can you Kisses Fly among the eleven songs included. This album is worth the wait for all Lotus Eaters and New Wave music fans as well."

Saltyka's favourite song is:

The Lotus Eaters - You Don't Need Someone New

you think you're someone special
ego enough for two
well i've got something for you
will burn like the truth
my heart is full of hunger for my friends
my heart is full of feeling for people who care

i want you to know you're the one losing love
i want you to know you're the one losing love

you think you're someone precious
precious to me
i wish you had no control over methe night we me
asured our lust missing touch
the death of your soul kept us still still apart

i want you to know you're the one losing love
i want you to know you're the one who's in control
you don't need someone new
heaven sent you sad truths
you don't need someone new
heaven sent you

you think you're someone special
ego enough for two
my heart is full of feeling for people who care

i want you to know you're the one losing love
i want you to know you're the one who's in control
you don't need someone new
heaven sent you sad truths

BONUS: some solo albums of PETER COYLE

"Peter Coyle's voice is still as magnificent as ever !"

"Peter Coyle is one of Liverpool, England's finest songwriters and most unpredictable independent artists, renowned for his work in such bands as the Jass Babies and the Lotus Eaters as well as his own hard-to-find solo oeuvre. His influence can be heard in such critically acclaimed artists like Travis and Badly Drawn Boy"

"When I hear music, life is wonderful. It seems strange to say that now when computer games capture the young imaginations. For me personally there is still nothing like music to change the world from a humdrum place to a magical healing and enlightening environment. For others music may not be as central to their lives." (Peter Coyle)

VIDEO
"Reach For The Sun"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S24k_BjYEJ4

EARTHSTATE (1995)

Tracklist:

01 Butterfly
02 Where
03 Shine
04 Everyday
05 I Want You To Live
06 Out Of This World
07 The Rising Sun
08 No Better Way
09 A Circle Of Blue
10 The River
11 Hello
12 Face The Pain
13 I Will Never Forget You
14 Storm
15 Little Flashes Of Light

Links to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/87114140/earth_state_a.rar.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/87116328/earthstate_b.rar.html

PETER COYLE:
"Earthstate was written mostly on Edge Lane in Liverpool in a bare empty flat. I worked with Barry Sutton, who played guitar, and Andy Stevenson, who engineered the album, and recorded it in my own studio in Wood Street Liverpool in 1995 just before I left for Edinburgh.
It was my last year in Liverpool before I moved up to Edinburgh to go and study at the university there. My life was a mess andI needed to get myself some space from my own history. I realised with horror that I was completely lost and burnt out. I had no answers so I needed to get some rest and some space and some direction. I needed to start again. I needed to find out if I should carry on making music...
As a human being I had made some mega-wrong choices and I needed to take responsibility for that. As a human being I was not adding up to much. I needed to be a human being not just a music machine. A person who makes the world a better place.
At the time I wrote two songs that mean a lot to me, 'Hello' and 'Face The Pain'. I also wrote an acoustic album with Barry Sutton, which is this one, Earthstate. Again this album was an important album for me. It is a very personal record. I was saying goodbye to Liverpool and possibly saying goodbye to music so it was a very emotional record."

MOOD MACHINE (2001)

Tracklist:

01 Reach For The Sun
02 Twisted And Cruel
03 Say You Know
04 Help me Learn To Live Again
05 Share The Circle
06 It's Going To Be Alright
07 Slow Dancer
08 Hold The Hope
09 Forever For You
10 Let The Phoenix Be You
11 Call Your Name
12 All I Need

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/87128385/mood_machine.rar.html

PETER COYLE:
"The Mood Machine was recorded in 2001 and was recorded and produced by Ronnie Stone in his studio in Birkenhead.
Music can change your life. Music is my mood machine. And music and mood are important parts of everyone's life, whether they recognise it or not. Most of my life I have worn masks and tried to distract myself in all sorts of ways. It is not unusual, most of us live like that. With this album I wanted to be as transparent as possible and to hell with everything else...
I wrote the songs with a new-found friend in Steve-Allen Jones. Steve is a keyboard player based in Wales. We worked on the songs for the album in his studio before we took it to Ronnie Stones studio to master it. We were very lucky to also have the brilliant guitar of David Cottrell as well as the superb bass and drums from Steve Jones and Tim Whittaker.""

"One of the most recent stars we interviewed, Peter Coyle was part of the Lotus Eaters, has written many tracks for bands such as Cast, and remains largely influential in the music business.
T: I came home with a stinking flu a couple of weeks back, felt like a bag of shite, and this was lying on the doormat for me, having been sent it from Mr Coyle himself. Having listened to the whole album immediately, it had something of a calming effect on me with it's beautifully chilled out feel, and wonderfully acoustic arrangements. A testament to the fact that you don't have to be called Coldplay to make music that moves you deep in your heart.
N: Possessing the scent of eighties pop, Peter's current release is a slow moving look at the scenery of yesterday. Like a bus ride through springtime country roads, this has all the time in the world. 9/10"
(http://www.atomicduster.com/albumreviews/albums10_02/index.php)

STAY DEEP IN THE MUSIC (2002)

Credits:
Duncan Ross-Guitar/ Co-writer
(http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=64714016)

Tracklist:

01 Stay Deep In The Music
02 Hurricane
03 Loop Of Storms
04 Call Me Up
05 Sly One
06 Running Down The River
07 Heal Me
08 Keep The Hate Away
09 Really Want
10 Running Wild
11 Get Inside

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/87129829/stay_deep.rar.html

PETER COYLE:
"'Stay Deep in the Music' was recorded in 2002 and was recorded and Produced by Ronnie Stone (more about him: http://www.sydec.be/Applications/InFocus/Articles/ID/52bd426c-fb21-4478-8f7b-170c4da9b7ce/Ronnie+Stone/) in his studio in Birkenhead.
Music is about playing live and sharing the love and light that music gives us. This album was a reflection of the gigs we were doing at the time. It is more of a band album with Duncan Ross on guitar, Jim Sangster on bass, Jim on drums and Alice on flute and saxophone.
'Call Me Up' is a beautiful song even though I say so myself...""

Saltyka added:

I think Peter Coyle is a fantastic guy, maybe an angel or a healer with his heavelny music you can listen on these three wonderful albums.

I like him,because his music is very sincerey, full of emotions and love. When i listen to it, all bad things/thinks are over.

So that's more than fantastic ! As he sings in my favourite song: "my heart is full of feeling for people who care"

Thank you Peter ,i was given so much by your music!

Biography of THE LOTUS EATERS:
Liverpool, England's the Lotus Eaters were mistakenly included in the New Romantic movement when they first appeared. However, although Peter Coyle (vocals), Jeremy Kelly (guitar), Mike Dempsey (bass), and Stephen Creese (drums) had the elegant attire and fashionable haircuts of New Romantic bands, their music was more understated and folksy than the synthesized Euro disco of Japan, Visage, and Duran Duran. The Lotus Eaters formed in 1982. Coyle was originally a member of the Jass Babies while Kelly played guitar for the Wild Swans with ex-Teardrop Explodes keyboardist Paul Simpson. Coyle and Kelly wanted to work together, but the Jass Babies had no need for a guitarist. Consequently, they began recording as the Lotus Eaters and were signed to Arista Records. In 1983, the Lotus Eaters released their first single, "The First Picture of You," a chart hit in the U.K. "The First Picture of You" would define the group's sound: Coyle's breathy croon expressing romantic yearning while Kelly plays jangly riffs on his guitar. The Lotus Eaters' 1984 debut album, No Sense of Sin, was awash in '60s influences, namely the melancholic pop of the Zombies and the Left Banke. The LP was largely left on record-store shelves in the U.K., but a significant cult following in the Philippines and Japan eventually transformed the album into a collector's item, fetching high prices on the Internet. In 1985, the Lotus Eaters released one more single, the bitter "It Hurts," before splitting up. Coyle recorded a few solo albums, while Kelly rejoined the Wild Swans. In 1998, The First Picture of You, a compilation of the Lotus Eaters' BBC radio sessions, was released, and the No Sense of Sin album was reissued on CD with bonus tracks. In April 1998, Coyle and Kelly started recording material for a second Lotus Eaters studio album.
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:h9fqxq85ld6e~T1)

more bio:

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lotus_Eaters_(new_wave))

Biography of PETER COYLE:
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gpfrxq8jldje~T1

From an interview with Peter Coyle:
"I wish I was a legend, the truth is I am either a crank or a genuine creative and only time will tell, but trust me I am hoping it is the latter. Music has always been the focus but I have to be careful because I nearly sold my soul to music and that would have been the end of the world for me. It is difficult to explain but if you want things too much you can become a liar a cheat an ego driven maniac and a vain parasite - I didn't want any of that, so I had to step away from music for four years in the early nineties. For me a legend is someone who is honest genuine and sincere and real and believes in things and sees through all the bullshit but just stays out of it all, that is why so many of my heroes have no personality, they just do what they do and to hell with it all. I have always been an outsider even when I was in the thick of things and its something I have always lived with. Anyway after the lotus eaters split I shared the wonders of female masturbation with a six track ep called selfish(1986). I wanted to quit but my best friend and hero Pete Davies bought me a portastudio and asked me to write songs again. I started writing again with Stephen Cummerson and David Whittaker; all very dark and rebellious and openly black in its outlook It was called a slap in the face for public taste(1987), then it was back to the studio to record I'd sacrifice eight orgasms with Shirley Maclaine just to be there(1988). That was meant to be a pure dance album but we got too involved with wigs and bad seventies fashion - Liverpool was bleak and everyone was skint, so me and John McCready started up the eight orgasms club night in Macmillans on a Thursday night. It took off and a guy called Gerald was the first headline band and the support act was The Donny and Marie Handbag Revolution. Tony Wilson was due to talk over some music telling Liverpool to wake up and start being innovative again (my idea), but he didn't want his car being trashed which is understandable. But anyway the cabaret element was still supreme in Liverpool at the time so I was desperate to shake things up. Then sly one by Marina van rooy (1989) came along and changed the rules of the game; no-one thought that record was from Liverpool because it was too out there - well it was and it was written on an acoustic guitar even though people all over the country were dancing to it when the djs played it. 1989 brought G-love, a collaboration between eight productions (Pete Davies, Stephen Cummerson, Ian Martin Wright) 3 Beat records and John Kelly. Anyone who was there knows what it was like, it was like nothing on earth, It was definitely a high and it had nothing to do with money. It was a hiding place for hedonists, a place where you learnt the ropes of freakdom. It was the right time and the right place and Liverpool was at the core of dance music, it was a never ending party. We released the G-Love album (1991), and then dance music was becoming cabaret so I released another solo album called coloursex (1992) before bailing out. It was doing my head in as there is only so much dry ice you can take in one lifetime. I didn't know what any of the categories were or what they meant; load of postmodernist bullshit, but then again I am old fashioned in many ways. Its either good or its cabaret. This was when I took a few years out, and I recorded an album with Andy Stevenson called G-Metrix in (1995).I was in a terrible state when I made that record but it is a lovely chilled experience, then came the mongrel wireless (1998) album with Beaumont Hannant that is just coming out now on output records (Trevor Jackson's label), a Lotus Eaters album called silentspace in 1999 was next, which was good to do because it resolved the things that were a bit messy in 1985. Since then I have also released an album with Barry Sutton called earthstate (1994) and recorded three solo albums with Ronnie Stone producing (meltdown for the mindless 2006, stay deep in the music 2003 and the mood machine 2001, and there are a few jass babies albums that are to be released next year at last. Sorry it is not very clear or together, but that is the way it was."
(http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/swine/swine_features_nov_14.htm)

Martin Stephenson (The Daintees) :
"I met Peter last year whilst sharing the bill with him. It was like meeting a long lost brother.Our lives seem like a mirror. Starting table tennis aged 11. Consumed by music at 15. Similar obstacles on the journey.Peter is great singer and an open hearted soul. He is a caring human being who loves his music.I am so honoured to have an Everton supporter /Lotus Eater on this album.Thank you Peter and good luck in everything you do"
(http://www.daintees.com/force.htm)

Colin Vearncombe - better known as Black - in, er, 'Wonderful life':
"I used to play football in Sefton Park in Liverpool. It started off with Black when it was a duo, Teardrop Explodes, Wah!, It's Immaterial, Lotus Eaters, Pale Fountains and the Bunnymen and that was every Monday night. It was wonderful. Mac used to always play in shades and had to go centre forward and Peter Coyle of the Lotus Eaters was so fast I just used to watch him. I was a midfield dynamo, attempting to spray passes around and I'd always hurt myself trying to do spectacular things I'd seen in the World Cup."
(http://www.colinvearncombe.nl/articles/no10987.html)

ALBUMS
Lambs To The Slaughter -Selfish Ep (1985) (download here: http://music-isms.blogspot.com/2007/09/peter-coyle-lambs-to-slaughter-aka.html)
I'd Sacrifice Eight Orgasms With Shirley Maclaine Just To Be There (1987)
Slap In The Face For Public taste (1988) (download here: http://music-isms.blogspot.com/2007/08/peter-coyles-1986-solo-album-slap-in.html)
Deep & Devastating Presents Coloursex - Dirty Mind Volume 1 (1992)
Eight - I Belive In Emotion 12" (1993)
Earthstate (1995)
Mood Machine (2001)
Kiss Th eVision (2001)
Stay Deep in the Music (2002)
Meltdown For The Mindless (2006)

More info about Peter Coyle:
http://www.petercoyle.com/

http://www.myspace.com/petercoyle

http://www.remembertheeighties.com/notretro_pages/onlineshop.html

http://www.remembertheeighties.com/index2.html interview

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/swine/swine_features_nov_14.htm

http://www.sosrecords.co.uk/ArtistPage.aspx?id=6

JEM KELLY
the Wild Swans fame deserves a blog entry separate from this one ,so i will add some from them later. (salty)

The folksy jangle and ethereal riffs of guitarist Jeremy Kelly reverberate back to the late '60s when groups such as the Byrds and the Zombies were smitten by ringing guitars and dreamy textures. However, while ghosts of the past are echoed in his work, Kelly fashioned a distinctive style that cannot be placed in any time period. In the early '80s, Kelly was a member of the Lotus Eaters, a band that recalled the Smiths' adolescent woe and the Left Banke's sublime pop. Kelly recorded one LP with the Lotus Eaters, No Sense of Sin, in 1984, but its poor sales prompted Arista Records to drop them; consequently, the Lotus Eaters went on hiatus, one that lasted for more than ten years. In 1987, Kelly reformed his earlier group the Wild Swans and appeared on one album with them, Bringing Home the Ashes. But Kelly became disenchanted with the band's artistic direction and left. Kelly then went to college, earning a degree in drama/theater and English literature, as well as an M.A. in theater and film studies. While working as a full-time lecturer at Knowsley Community College in Liverpool, England, Kelly was asked by Inspiral Carpets frontman Tom Hingley to write music with him; the result was the short-lived project the Lovers. In 1998, encouraged by the popularity of the Lotus Eaters and acoustic-based music in Japan, Kelly reformed the group with vocalist Peter Coyle and released the album Silentspace in 2001.
(http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jnfexqrkld0e~T1)

Jeremy (Jem) Kelly lives and works in Hove. He is a lecturer in theatre studies(http://www.chiuni.ac.uk/performingarts/JemKelly.cfm) and continues to make music with Peter Coyle under the name The Lotus Eaters.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=65607245

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=310829902

http://flickr.com/photos/30776496@N00/ Jerry's Flickr.com page with lot of nice photos of The Lotus Eaters!

http://www.pennyblackmusic.co.uk/MagSitePages/Article.aspx?id=2781 interview

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=38113055

MICHAEL DEMPSEY
is a bassist from England, who has performed as a member of several post-punk and new wave bands including The Cure and the Associates. Although best known as the original bassist for The Cure, he has played bass for longer, and appeared on more releases from both the Associates and The Lotus Eaters.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Dempsey)

Since the 1990s Michael Dempsey has also gone on to work in audio digital restoration, remastering, licensing, media content consultancy and original soundtracks for film, television and other media. His clients have included Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and V2 Records and he has his own company MDM Media.
(http://www.mdmmedia.com/)

STEPHEN EMMER
Nowadays is the most famous unknown composer in the Netherlands; his tunes can be heard every 7 minutes on national television and radio.His CV is an endless list of genres and projects; from experimental rock, free jazz, and modern classical music to movie soundtracks, tv tunes and cultural projects.
Read more:
http://challengerecords.com/index.php?id=artist&serial=1194345719

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=94908277 Emmer's Myspace page

STEVE CREESE
I didn't find too much about him. After The Lotus Eaters he played together with Robert Farrel (1987),Tom Robinson (1992),Jah Wobble Band,World Party (1987),Toni Childs,Jim Capaldi,Steve Lukather,Claire Harper and many more.This is by no means an exhaustive list - just a few interesting names .He is recently playing with The Stewart Curtis Quartet : http://theoldbarge.co.uk/events.html

GED QUINN
In the interim between the Wild Swans Mks I and II he was also a member of another Liverpool band, The Lotus Eaters (new wave) and co-wrote their hit single The First Picture Of You.These days Ged Quinn is a very fine painter with a fast-growing reputation in the art world.
http://gedquinn.co.uk/

http://the-artists.org/artist/Ged_Quinn.html

http://www.thewildswans.co.uk/

ALAN WILLIS
is now managing director of Liverpool’s Deltasonic Records: is a record label now fully owned by Sony Music, originally formed by Alan Wills, the former drummer with Liverpool bands Shack and Top. (http://www.deltasonic.com/) and (http://www.myspace.com/deltasonicrecords)Alan Wills, named in the Echo as one of 'The Scouserati' - the most influential Scousers on the planet...
"The former drummer with Liverpool band Shack and Top, Alan Wills was so blown away by

PB : Any future plans for the Lotus Eaters ?

answer of Jem Kelly in 2002:
"Of course! We played in Paris recently, which was very exciting as it was on a boat called Batofar moored on the Seine. People loved that gig and had waited 17 years for the doors to open. We have recorded another album, just Peter's voice and my acoustic guitar. Stephen Emmer, a former keyboard player and string arranger is going to add string arrangements to it – it’s really exciting stuff and the songs are the best yet. The Lotus Eaters will grow, but it may take some time. The important thing is that we’re writing really good songs and have found our sound again. "
(http://www.pennyblackmusic.co.uk/MagSitePages/Article.aspx?id=2781 )

The Lotus Eaters have just finished recording a new album of acoustic songs, Differance, and are working on a new album with fuller instrumentation. (new info from their Myspace site)

ALBUMS
No Sense of Sin (1984) UK #96
First Picture of You - BBC Sessions (1998)
No Sense of Sin (CD, 1998)
Silentspace (2002)
Differance (2008?? -not released yet)