It's Immaterial are a post-punk band hailing from Liverpool, UK. Formed in 1980 they issued a number of singles on independent labels before finally releasing their debut album Life's Hard And Then You Die (1986), distributed and marketed by Virgin Records and featuring the hit single Driving Away From Home which reached no. 18 in April 1986. By that time the group had been reduced to the core-duo of John Campbell (vocals) and Jarvis Whitehead (keyboards and guitars). A re-release of earlier single "Ed's Funky Diner" failed to follow-up the chart success, and a follow-up album Song didn't see the light of day until 1990. The duo planned to release their 'lost and found' third album House For Sale via Pledge Music although plans were again shelved as the label folded in July 2019. (Read more on Wikipedia...)
Links to Peel[]
Peel had probably become aware of It's Immaterial via the thriving Liverpool music scene of the early 80s, and he played their debut single, the self released "Young Man (Seeks Interesting Job)" in September 1980. The city's Inevitable label, springboard also to other local acts China Crisis, Wah! Heat and Dead or Alive, released the follow-up single "A Gigantic Raft" (aka "A Giant Raft"), which Peel also played frequently on the show even into the nineties. The group recorded no less than four sessions for Peel, the last of which in 1985 featured tracks which would eventually appear their debut album a year later.
Festive Fifty entries[]
- None
Sessions[]
Four sessions. Session 1 available on CD3 of Birth Of A Nation: Inevitable Records – An Independent Liverpool 1979-1986 Singles, B-Sides and Peel Sessions, 3xCD (April 2019)[1]. Session 4 available on the bonus disc of the Life's Hard And Then You Die re-issue (2016)[2].
IT'S IMMATERIAL John Peel 11th November 1981
1. Recorded 1981-11-11. First broadcast 19 November 1981. Repeated 15 December 1981.
- A Gigantic Raft / Imitate The Worm / White Man's Hut / Rake
2. Recorded 1982-07-17. First broadcast 09 August 1982.
- Huzah Huzah Physic Stick / Life's My Favourite Instinct / Speak / Washing The Air
IT'S IMMATERIAL John Peel 12th November 1983
3. Recorded 1983-11-12. First broadcast 21 November 1983. Repeated 06 December 1983.
- Let's Murder The Moonshine / Challo / White Man's Hut / The Worm Turns
4. Recorded 1985-04-21. First broadcast 06 May 1985. Repeated 17 June 1985.
- Rope / Hang On Sleepy Town / Space / Festival Time
Live[]
- The Peel and Jensen Merseyside Music Show (1983-03-15) from the Royal Court Theatre. Liverpool, also feat. Icicle Works and Wah!.[3]
- unknown tracks
Other Shows Played[]
- 1980
- 03 September 1980: Young Man [Seeks Interesting Job] (7") The Hit Machine HIT 001A
- 13 September 1980 (BFBS): Young Man [Seeks Interesting Job] (7") The Hit Machine HIT 001A
- 1981
- 01 June 1981: A Gigantic Raft (In The Philippines) (7") Inevitable INEV 009
- 07 June 1981 (BFBS): A Gigantic Raft (In The Philippines) (7") Inevitable INEV 009
- 02 July 1981 (BFBS): A Gigantic Raft (In The Philippines) (7") Inevitable INEV 009
- 14 July 1981: A Gigantic Raft (In The Philippines) (7") Inevitable INEV 009
- 14 December 1981 Imitate The Worm (7") IHM
- 17 December 1981 (BFBS) Imitate The Worm (7") IHM
- 1982
- 15 March 1982: A Gigantic Raft (In The Philippines) (7") Inevitable INEV 009
- Peel 80's Mixtape: A Gigantic Raft (In The Philippines) (7") Inevitable INEV 009 not above play
- 1983
- You'll Never Walk Alone(2): A Gigantic Raft (In The Philippines) (7") Inevitable
- 12 October 1983 (BFBS): White Man's Hut (7") Eternal JF2T
- 24 October 1983 (BBC World Service): White Man's Hut (7") Eternal
- 28 November 1983 (BBC World Service): White Man's Hut (7") Eternal JF2T
- 1984
- 08 February 1984: A Gigantic Raft (In The Philippines) (7") Eternal JF4
- 22 February 1984: A Gigantic Raft (In The Philippines) (7") Eternal JF4
- 1985
- 12 March 1985: The Better Idea (Push the Boat Out) (12" - Fish Waltz) ARK / Situation Two DOVE 3
- 14 March 1985 (Radio Bremen): TThe Better Idea (Push the Boat Out) (12" - Fish Waltz) ARK / Situation Two DOVE 3
- 18 March 1985: The Better Idea (Push the Boat Out) (12" - Fish Waltz) ARK / Situation Two DOVE 3
- 18 March 1985 (BBC World Service): The Better Idea (Push the Boat Out) (12" - Fish Waltz) ARK / Situation Two DOVE 3
- JG Tape 8 Sometimes Peel April May 1985: The Better Idea (Push the Boat Out) (12" - Fish Waltz) ARK / Situation Two DOVE 3
- 07 October 1985 (BBC World Service): Ed's Funky Diner (7") Siren
- 11 November 1985: Ed's Funky Diner (7") Siren
- 1986
- 29 January 1986: The Better Idea (Push The Boat Out) (12" - Fish Waltz) Situation Two
- 18 March 1986: Driving Away From Home (Jim's Tune) (7") (Siren)
- 24 March 1986 (BBC World Service): Driving Away From Home (Jim's Tune) (7") Siren
- 01 April 1986: Driving Away From Home (Jim's Tune) (7") Siren
- 10 April 1986 (BFBS): Driving Away From Home (Jim's Tune) (7") (Siren)
- 24 September 1986: Space (LP - Life's Hard And Then You Die) Virgin
- 1987
- 22 April 1987: Ed's Funky Diner (12") Siren
- 1988
- 24 May 1988: A Gigantic Raft (In The Philippines) (7") Inevitable INEV 009
- 1991
- 29 September 1991: A Gigantic Raft (In The Philippines) (7") Eternal JF4 249498-7
- 1993
- 07 April 1993 (John Peel Is Jakki Brambles): A Gigantic Raft (In The Philippines) (single)
- 1998
- 20 May 1998: A Gigantic Raft In The Philippines