The Comsat Angels were an English post-punk band from Sheffield, England. Named after the J. G. Ballard short story "The Comsat Angels", the foursome's original lineup (lasting from 1978 to 1992) consisted of Stephen Fellows (vocals, guitar), Mik Glaisher (drums), Kevin Bacon (bass) and Andy Peake – (keyboards). Their music has been described as "abstract pop songs with spare instrumentation, many of which were bleak and filled with some form of heartache". They have been credited as being an influence on later post-punk revival bands such as Blacklist, Bell Hollow, Editors and Interpol.
Links to Peel[]
The Comsat Angels sent a copy of their debut EP, Red Planet, to Peel, who liked it and gave the band a session, which Polydor picked up and signed the group to their label. The group overall did 4 sessions for Peel's show and in an interview with Penny Black Music in 2006, singer Stephen Fellows praised Peel for helping the band sign to Polydor:
"These days you have singles on the album and singles that are played on the radio and that help sell records, but that kind of thinking wasn’t really as prevalent then.. A band like us didn’t generally get played anyway. If John Peel hadn’t got hold of ‘Red Planet’and given us a session, Polydor probably wouldn’t have heard of us and signed us .Once they had done I don’t think they knew exactly what they had. They left us to get on with it really. I don’t recall any A and R input at all." [1]
Sessions[]
The Comsat Angels - Peel Session 1981
- A selection of tracks marked * available on Time Considered As A Helix Of Semi-Precious Stones The BBC Sessions 1979 - 1984 CD, 1992 (RPM, RPM 106)
1. Recorded: 1979-10-10. Broadcast: 25 October 1979. Repeated: 22 November 1979, 19 December 1979
- Total War Girl / Independence Day* / Baby / Ju-Ju Money*
2. Recorded: 1980-04-29. Broadcast: 08 May 1980. Repeated: 11 June 1980, 15 July 1980, 02 September 1980, 01 January 1981
- Real Story* / Monkey Pilot / Waiting For A Miracle* / Home Is The Range
3. Recorded: 1981-02-03. Broadcast: 09 February 1981. Repeated: 03 March 1981
- Be Brave* / At Sea* / Eye Of The Lens* / Dark Parade*
4. Recorded: 1981-09-28. Broadcast: 07 October 1981. Repeated: 29 October 1981
- Now I Know* / Ju-Ju Money / Our Secret* / Goat Of The West
Other Shows Played[]
- 16 April 1979: Red Planet (7") Junta JUNTA 1
- 08 May 1979: Red Planet (7") Junta JUNTA 1
- 08 May 1979: I Get Excited (7” - Red Planet) Junta JUNTA 1
- 08 May 1979: Specimen 2 (7” - Red Planet) Junta JUNTA 1
- 26 May 1979 (BFBS): Red Planet (7") Junta JUNTA 1
- 12 September 1979: Specimen No.2 (7” - Red Planet) Junta JUNTA 1
- 1980
- 15 April 1980: 'Total War (7 inch)' (Polydor)
- 01 May 1980: Total War (7”) Polydor
- 07 May 1980: Total War (7”) Polydor
- 02 June 1980: 'Ju Ju Money (Compilation LP–Bouquet Of Steel)' (Aardvark)
- 07 June 1980 (BFBS): Total War (7") Polydor
- 23 June 1980: Independence Day (7") Polydor
- 30 June 1980: Independence Day (7") Polydor
- 05 July 1980 (BFBS): Independence Day (7") Polydor
- 14 July 1980: Independence Day (7") Polydor
- 02 August 1980 (BFBS): Independence Day (7") Polydor
- 09 August 1980 (BFBS): Ju Ju Money (v/a album - Bouquet Of Steel) Aardvark
- 13 August 1980: Independence Day (7") Polydor
- 18 August 1980: Independence Day (7") Polydor
- 01 September 1980: Missing In Action (LP - Waiting For A Miracle) Polydor
- 03 September 1980: Waiting For A Miracle (album - Waiting For A Miracle) Polydor
- 04 September 1980: Baby (LP – Waiting For A Miracle) Polydor
- 06 September 1980 (BFBS): Postcard (album - Waiting For A Miracle) Polydor
- 08 September 1980: Postcard (LP – Waiting For A Miracle) Polydor
- 13 September 1980 (BFBS): Map Of The World (album - Waiting For A Miracle) Polydor
- 18 September 1980: Map Of The World (album - Waiting For A Miracle) Polydor
- 20 September 1980 (BFBS): Monkey Pilot (album - Waiting For A Miracle) Polydor
- 24 September 1980: Real Story (LP - Waiting For A Miracle) Polydor
- 30 September 1980: unknown (Peel mentioned at the beginning of the show that the group will be played)
- 20 October 1980: Independence Day (album - Waiting For A Miracle) Polydor
- 28 October 1980: Total War (v/a LP - Made In Britain) Polydor
- 01 November 1980 (BFBS): Total War (album - Waiting For A Miracle) Polydor
- 20 December 1980 (BFBS): Independence Day (7") Polydor
- 1981
- 13 January 1981: Red Planet (7") Junta JUNTA 1
- 18 January 1981 (BFBS): Red Planet (7") Junta JUNTA 1
- 01 March 1981 (BFBS): Total War
- 09 March 1981: Eye Of The Lens (7") Polydor POSP 242
- 19 March 1981 (BFBS): Eye Of The Lens (7") Polydor POSP 242
- 22 March 1981 (BFBS): Eye Of The Lens (7") Polydor POSP 242
- 29 March 1981 (BFBS): Gone (12" - Eye Of The Lens) Polydor POSPX 242
- 29 March 1981 (BFBS): At Sea (12" - Eye Of The Lens) Polydor POSPX 242
- 07 April 1981: Eye Of The Lens (12" single) Polydor
- 28 June 1981 (BFBS): Red Planet (7") Junta JUNTA 1
- 11 August 1981: The Eye Dance (album - Sleep No More) Polydor POLS 1038
- 11 August 1981: Sleep No More (album - Sleep No More) Polydor POLS 1038
- 11 August 1981: Be Brave (album - Sleep No More) Polydor POLS 1038
- 13 August 1981: Gone (album - Sleep No More) Polydor POLS 1038
- 18 August 1981: Restless (album - Sleep No More) Polydor POLS 1038
- 23 August 1981 (BFBS): The Eye Dance (album - Sleep No More) Polydor POLS 1038
- 23 August 1981 (BFBS): Sleep No More (album - Sleep No More) Polydor POLS 1038
- 23 August 1981 (BFBS): Be Brave (album - Sleep No More) Polydor POLS 1038
- 27 August 1981: The Eye Dance (album - Sleep No More) Polydor POLS 1038
- 31 August 1981: Diagram (album - Sleep No More) Polydor POLS 1038
- 03 September 1981 (BFBS): Sleep No More (album - Sleep No More) Polydor POLS 1038
- 03 September 1981 (BFBS): Be Brave (album - Sleep No More) Polydor POLS 1038
- 10 September 1981: Our Secret (album - Sleep No More) Polydor POLS 1038
- 15 September 1981: Light Years (album - Sleep No More) Polydor POLS 1038
- 24 September 1981 (BFBS): Our Secret (album - Sleep No More) Polydor POLS 1038
- 19 October 1981: Do The Empty House (7") Polydor COMS 1
- 27 October 1981: Do The Empty House (7") Polydor COMS 1
- 12 November 1981 (BFBS): Do The Empty House (7") Polydor COMS 1
- 1982
- 17 March 1982: Diagram (album - Sleep No More) Polydor POLS 1038
- 27 April 1982: It's History (7") Polydor POSP 432
- 02 May 1982 (BFBS): It's History (7") Polydor POSP 432
- 19 May 1982 (BFBS): It's History (7") Polydor POSP 432
- 19 July 1982: Gone (white label album - Sleep No More) Polydor
- 06 September 1982: Birdman (album - Fiction) Polydor POLS 1075
- 07 September 1982: Ju-Ju Money (LP - Fiction) Polydor
- 15 September 1982 (BFBS): Birdman (album - Fiction) Polydor POLS 1075
- 15 September 1982 (BFBS): After The Rain (album - Fiction) Polydor POLS 1075
- 15 September 1982 (BFBS): Not A Word (album - Fiction) Polydor POLS 1075
- 22 September 1982 (BFBS): Not A Word (album - Fiction) Polydor POLS 1075
- 22 September 1982 (BFBS): More (album - Fiction) Polydor POLS 1075
- 18 October 1982: After The Rain
- 08 November 1982: 'After The Rain (Remix) (7")' (Polydor)
- 1983
- 23 January 1983 (BFBS): Do The Empty House (7") Polydor
- 16 March 1983 (BFBS): Total War (album - Waiting For A Miracle) Polydor
- 23 March 1983: On The Beach (album - Waiting For A Miracle) Polydor
- 27 March 1983 (BFBS): On The Beach (album - Waiting For A Miracle) Polydor
- 17 April 1983 (BFBS): Eye Of The Lens (12") Polydor
- Peel Late March to Early May 1983: Mass (LP - Enz.) Polydor
- 08 May 1983 (BFBS): Mass (LP - Enz.) Polydor
- 09 May 1983: Mass (LP - Enz) Polydor
- 08 June 1983: Zinger (LP - Fiction) Polydor
- 28 July 1983: Will You Stay Tonight? (7") Jive JIVE 46
- 07 August 1983 (BFBS): Will You Stay Tonight? (7") Jive JIVE 46
- 29 August 1983 (BBC World Service): Will You Stay Tonight? (7") Jive JIVE 46
- 1984
- 25 September 1984: Day One (single) Jive
- 1985
- 07 January 1985: Diagram (LP – Sleep No More) Polydor
- 13 January 1985 (BFBS): 'Restless'
- 1990
- 24 February 1990 (BFBS): 'Total War (7")' (Polydor)
- 1997
- 05 May 1997: Sleep No More (LP - Sleep No More)
- 2000
- 26 July 2000: Eye Of The Lens (12") Polydor