The Wild Swans were a post-punk band from Liverpool, UK originally founded in 1980. Its core-members and founders were Paul Simpson, formerly of Teardrop Explodes, with Ged Quinn and Jeremy Kelly. Their debut 1982 single release "Revolutionary Spirit" (part-financed and produced by Pete de Freitas of Echo & the Bunnymen who also played drums on the record) gained the band critical acclaim, live support slots and two Radio One sessions. The bassist for the group at the time was Rolo McGinty, who would leave the group shortly after the release of the single, and found The Woodentops. Notwithstanding a certain degree of success, but with no album forthcoming, the group split up within the year with Kelly and Quinn going on to form The Lotus Eaters with Peter Coyle. Simpson meanwhile formed his own new band Care with Ian Broudie, later of Lightning Seeds. In 1986 Simpson, Kelly and Quinn re-formed The Wild Swans ("Mk. 2") spurred on also by the official release of their Peel session that year. In 1988 the group finally managed to issue their debut album, Bringing Home the Ashes, although Quinn had since dropped out of the band. A second album Space Flower was released on Sire in 1990, subsequent to the departure of Kelly, produced by and featuring Ian Broudie as well as Ian McNabb and Chris Sharrock of former Peel session band The Icicle Works in the line-up. (Read more on Wikipedia)
Links to Peel[]
Peel will have become aware of The Wild Swans as originating from the Liverpool scene of the late seventies and early eighties and gave airplay to their single "Revolutionary Spirit", the last release on Zoo Records, when released. On playing the record on the 29 December 1982 show, when it had made it to no. ten of the 1982 Festive Fifty, he commented, "I'm with you on that one, brothers and sisters". The group recorded just one three-song session in May of the same year, although sessions for Kid Jensen and Janice Long were also recorded. "Revolutionary Spirit" was played regularly throughout the eighties and even as late as 1992, after Peel had met a listener at his former National Service camp 144 SU at Ty Croes Camp Anglesey, who had specifically requested the single. Peel's preference for the track seems to have remained constant too. On playing 'No Bleeding' from the session, which had been officially released on Strange Fruit after listeners' requests on the 05 July 1988 (BFBS) show, he commented that the final piano solo of the song was "a bit Elton John" and that he "was never terrifically keen on this, facts have to be faced".
Festive Fifty Entries[]
- 1982 Festive Fifty: 'Revolutionary Spirit' #10
Sessions[]
The Wild Swans-Thirst (Peel Session 1st May, 1982)
One session. Available on "The Peel Sessions" Strange Fruit SFPS 006, 12" & cassette, and on "Incandescent", 2 x CD, Renascent, RENCD 7 and 2 x LP, Vinyl 180, VIN180LP064 (also feature Jensen and Long sessions).
1. Recorded: 1982-05-01. First broadcast: 13 May 1982. Repeated: 02 June 1982, 25 July 1983
- No Bleeding / Enchanted / Thirst
Other Shows Played[]
- 1982
- 28 February 1982 (BFBS): 'Revolutionary Spirit (12")' (Zoo 12 CAGE 009)
- 14 March 1982 (BFBS): 'Revolutionary Spirit (12")' (Zoo 12 CAGE 009)
- 15 March 1982: 'Revolutionary Spirit (12")' (Zoo 12 CAGE 009)
- 21 March 1982 (BFBS): God Forbid (12" - Revolutionary Spirit) Zoo 12 CAGE 009
- 24 March 1982 (BBC World Service): Revolutionary Spirit (12") Zoo
- 19 May 1982 (BFBS): 'Revolutionary Spirit (12")' (Zoo 12 CAGE 009)
- 31 August 1982: 'Revolutionary Spirit (12")' (Zoo 12 CAGE 009)
- 01 September 1982 (BFBS): 'Revolutionary Spirit (12")' (Zoo 12 CAGE 009)
- 1983
- 19 December 1983: 'Revolutionary Spirit (12")' (Zoo 12 CAGE 009)
- 1986
- 02 October 1986 (BFBS): 'Revolutionary Spirit (12")' (Zoo 12 CAGE 009)
- 08 October 1986: Enchanted (12" - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
- 1987
- 04 October 1987 (BFBS): God Forbid (12" - Revolutionary Spirit) Zoo 12 CAGE 009
- 09 October 1987 (BFBS): 'Revolutionary Spirit (12")' (Zoo 12 CAGE 009)
- 1988
- 05 July 1988 (BFBS): 'No Bleeding' (12"-The Peel Sessions)' (Strange Fruit)
- 27 July 1988: 'Bible Dreams' (7")' (Sire)
- 06 August 1988 (BFBS): 'Bible Dreams' (7")' (Sire)
- 09 August 1988: Bible Dreams (7") Sire
- 14 September 1988: Northern England (LP - Bringing Home The Ashes) Sire
- 1989
- 02 December 1989 (BFBS): 'Revolutionary Spirit (12")' (Zoo 12 CAGE 009)
- 1990
- 18 November 1990: Revolutionary Spirit (v/a album - 'The Zoo' Uncaged 1978-1982) Document
- 1992
- 26 September 1992: 'Revolutionary Spirit (12")' (Zoo 12 CAGE 009)