Tackhead

Tackhead (styled TACK>>HEAD, sometimes known as Fats Comet) are an industrial hip-hop group that were most active during the 1980s and early 1990s. The core members are Doug Wimbish (bass), Keith LeBlanc (percussion) and Skip McDonald (guitar) and producer (sometimes credited as "mixologist") Adrian Sherwood. In the late 1970s, Wimbish, LeBlanc and McDonald were members of the house band for the Sugarhill Records record label. Soon after British producer Sherwood met LeBlanc during a visit to New York in the early 80s, the trio of Wimbish, LeBlanc and McDonald relocated to London and began working on tracks for Sherwood's On-U Sound record label. Collaborations included taking over band duties in "Mark Stewart and the Maffia," with former Pop Group member Stewart on vocals, for three LPs between 1985 and 1990. Another tie-up was with the On-U sound system touring MC as "Gary Clail's Tackhead Sound System," leading to a 1987 LP, Tackhead Tape Time. LeBlanc also released two solo LPs that both featured all Tackhead members. On the first Tackhead LP proper, Friendly As A Hand Grenade (1989), vocalist Bernard Fowler joined the line-up and many older instrumental tracks re-appeared with lyrics. The follow-up album, 1990's Strange Things (the first on a major label, EMI), was not as well received by critics.

Despite not releasing any further material as Tackhead until 2010, group members continued to record as the backing band or with various Sherwood-led On-U Sound productions artists such as Gary Clail's solo efforts, African Head Charge, Dub Syndicate, New Age Steppers and others. Subsets of the group have also appeared in various guises, including Strange Parcels, Barmy Army and the blues-oriented Little Axe. (Read more at Wikipedia.)

Links to Peel
Peel was a long-time fan of Tackhead member Adrian Sherwood's work as a producer. In a 1988 Observer article, the DJ wrote:

"“I have long been wary of the reputations of producers – since I saw a photograph of Phil Spector’s haircut (incorporating, naturally, Phil himself) – but am happy to admit devotion to Sherwood.”"

Peel had played Sherwood’s early collaboration with Keith LeBlanc on the one-off Enemy Within miners’ benefit 12”, and the producer’s time with Tackhead coincided with a period in which he worked less frequently in the reggae field, following the 1983 death of mentor Prince Far I. In the Observer article, Peel suggested “tracks made with singer Mark Stewart have been especially disconcerting”.

On a lighter note, the DJ was hugely enthusiastic about Sherwood’s football-centered Barmy Army side project, describing the ‘Sharp As A Needle’ single as “the only football record of merit yet released”. It is not currently known whether Peel played the similarly-themed earlier Tackhead single ‘The Game (You'll Never Walk Alone)’, but both Doug Wimblash and Skip McDonald from the band appeared on the Barmy Army LP. 

In 2012, the ‘Tackhead Tape Time’ and ‘Friendly As A Hand Grenade’ LPs were among the first 100 albums by artists beginning with T when details of Peel’s record collection were initially released via TheSpace website. (See Record Collection: T.)

Festive Fifty Entries

 * None.

Sessions

 * None.

Other Shows Played

 * Tackhead / Gary Clail's Tackhead Sound System


 * 1986
 * Peel February 1986: Mind At The Edge Of The Tether (12") On-U Sound


 * 1988
 * 01 June 1988 (Rockradio): What's My Mission Now? (Fight the Devil) (album - Tackhead Tape Time) Red Rhino & On-U Sound
 * 07 June 1988: What's My Mission Now? (7") On-U


 * 1989




 * 06 March 1989: Body To Burn (b/w 12" - Ticking Time Bomb) World
 * 08 March 1989: Ticking Time Bomb (12") World
 * 09 November 1989: Tell Me The Hurt (LP - Friendly As A Hand Grenade) World (JP: "Our engineer was suggesting that it might be a good idea to get Adrian Sherwood to mix down the tapes of the forthcoming Knebworth entertainment. I think I might listen to it then.")


 * 1990
 * 14 June 1990: Repetition (7" - Dangerous Sex) SBK 7014


 * With Mark Stewart
 * Peel 072 (BFBS) (1987-10-16): Survival (LP-Mark Stewart) Mute
 * Peel 074 (BFBS) (1987-11-20): Forbidden Colour / Forbidden Dub (LP-Mark Stewart) Mute
 * 09 May 1990: Fatal Attraction (Contagious) (12" - Fatal Attraction) Mute
 * 14 May 1990: Collision (album - Metatron) Mute
 * 07 June 1990: Collision (album - Metatron) Mute


 * Doug Wimbish ft. Fats Comet
 * 05 June 1985: Don't Forget That Beat (12") World