A Witness

A Witness are an English post-punk/indie rock band formed in 1982 in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England, by Rick Aitken (guitar), Vince Hunt (bass) and a drum machine, in 1986 replaced by Alan Brown (of Big Flame fame). Keith Curtis (vocals) and Noel Kilbride (guitar) joined the group in 1983. Their career was brought to a halt with the death of guitarist Rick Aitken in 1989. Founder member and songwriter Vince Hunt revived the band with a new line-up for a series of UK-wide dates in 2014 marking the 25th anniversary of Aitken's death, and the band continues to play live.

Links To Peel
Their first EP Loudhailer Songs and début album I am John's Pancreas brought them to the attention of BBC Radio 1 disc jockey John Peel, for whom they recorded four sessions. I Am John's Pancreas is not a tribute to the DJ, who brought the group to listener's attention, but a series of features in the Readers Digest, which Peel explained in detail on his 01 November 1986 (BFBS) show:

"'The LP is called 'I Am John's Pancreas,' and in case this sounds like a strange title for an LP, as indeed it is, it apparently derives from a whole series of features that were in the Reader's Digest for many years, alongside things like 'Pre-Marital Hand-Holding: A Communist Plot,' that kind of stuff. There was a series explaining the functions of the human body, of the 'I Am John's Stomach,' 'I Am John's Pancreas,' 'I Am John's Sub-Navel Delights,' that kind of thing, so that simple folk could understand how their bodies worked or didn't work.'"

After Rick Aitken's death, Peel paid tribute, by playing their Zip Up track on his 17 October 1989 show. After the song, Peel hoped that Strange Fruit got round to releasing some of their sessions, which they did so by the end of the year.

Sessions
Two sessions from 1988 are available on The Peel Sessions album (1989, CD/LP, Strange Fruit)

1. Recorded: 1985-12-15. Broadcast: 06 January 1986. Repeated: 17 February 1986 2. Recorded: 1986-11-16. Broadcast: 09 December 1986. Repeated: 12 January 1987, 18 February 1987 3. Recorded: 1988-01-10. Broadcast: 19 January 1988. Repeated: 06 April 1988 4. Recorded: 1988-11-20. Broadcast: 30 November 1988. Repeated: 20 December 1988. Repeated: 31 January 1989
 * The Loud Hailer Song / Smelt Like A Pedestrian / O'Grady's Dream / Sharpened Sticks
 * Faglane Morris Wind / Nodding Dog Moustache / Raw Patch / Hard Day's Love
 * Zip Up / Sunbed Sentimental / Take Me Up To The Earth / Mcmanus Octaphone
 * Life The Final Frontier / I Love You Mr Disposable Razors / Helicopter Tealeaf / Prince Microwave Bollard

Other Shows Played

 * A Witness - A1.Lucky In London
 * 23 October 1985: Lucky In London (12" - Loudhailer Songs) Ron Johnson
 * 30 October 1985: Camera (12" - Loudhailer Songs) Ron Johnson
 * 05 November 1985: unknown
 * 20 November 1985: Camera (12" EP - Loudhailer Songs) Ron Johnson
 * 26 November 1985: Camera (EP - Loudhailer Songs) Ron Johnson
 * Peel 023 (BFBS): 'Camera (12"-Loudhailer Songs)' (Ron Johnson)
 * Peel 025 (BFBS): 'Lucky In London (12"-Loudhailer Songs)' (Ron Johnson)
 * A Witness - Sharpened Sticks
 * 14 October 1986: Sharpened Sticks (album - I Am John's Pancreas) Ron Jon
 * 01 November 1986 (BFBS): 'Smelt Like A Pedestrian (LP-I Am John's Pancreas)' (Ron Johnson)
 * 08 November 1986 (BFBS): 'Sharpened Sticks (LP-I Am John's Pancreas)' (Ron Johnson)
 * 15 November 1986 (BFBS): 'Red Snake (LP-I Am John's Pancreas)' (Ron Johnson)
 * 19 November 1986: Hard Day's Love (album - I Am John's Pancreas) Ron Johnson
 * 26 November 1986: Smelt Like A Pedestrian (LP - I Am John's Pancreas) Ron Johnson
 * 02 December 1986: Legs Be Sturdy (LP - I Am John's Pancreas) Ron Johnston
 * 08 December 1986: Red Snake (LP - I Am John's Pancreas) Ron Johnson
 * 10 December 1986: Sharpened Sticks (LP - I Am John's Pancreas) Ron Johnson
 * A Witness - Hard Days Love
 * 08 July 1987: Fag Lane Maurice Wind (v/a LP - Let's Try Another Ideal Guest House) Backs
 * 16 July 1987 (BBC World Service): Fag Lane Maurice Wind (LP Let's Try Another Ideal Guest House - Various) Backs Shelter 2
 * 26 August 1987: Hard Day's Love (12" - Red Snake) Ron Johnson
 * 08 September 1987: Hard Days’ Love (12” single –Red Snake b-side) Ron Johnson
 * 06 October 1987: Hard Day's Love (12" - Red Snake) Ron Johnson
 * A Witness - A1.Raw Patch
 * 12 April 1988: Raw Patch (12" - One Foot In The Groove) Ron Johnson
 * 04 May 1988: Nodding Dog Moustache (12" - One Foot In The Groove) Ron Johnson
 * 16 May 1988: Raw Patch (12" - One Foot In The Grave) Ron Johnson
 * 18 May 1988 (Rockradio): Zip Up (12" EP - One Foot In The Groove) Ron Johnson
 * 19 December 1988: Raw Patch (12" - One Foot In The Groove) Ron Johnson
 * A Witness 'I Love You, Mr Disposable Razors'
 * 31 August 1989: Raw Patch (12" - One Foot In The Groove) Ron Johnson
 * 17 October 1989: Zip Up (12" - One Foot In The Groove) Ron Johnson
 * 13 November 1989: I Love You Mr Disposable Razors (LP - Double Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
 * 22 November 1989: Prince Microwave Bollard (LP - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
 * 23 December 1989 (BFBS): 'I Love You Mr. Disposable Razors (LP-Double Peel Sessions)' (Strange Fruit)
 * 30 December 1989 (BFBS): 'Life - The Final Frontier (2xLP-Double Peel Sessions)' (Strange Fruit)
 * 1990
 * 11 January 1990: I Love You, Mr Disposable Razors (album - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
 * 1991
 * 07 July 1991: Tomorrow Never Knows (EP - I Love You, Mr Disposable Razors) Vinyl Drip
 * 2000
 * 24 August 2000: 'I Love You, Mr. Disposable Razors' (LP 'Threaphurst Lane') Overground