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Unofficial Monochrome Set love - sharing the (criminally underrated) genius of one of the best post punk bands."Primordial soup: Andy Warren and Bid went to school together, Lester Square and Adam Ant both attended Hornsey School of Art. The latter two formed a band called "The B-Sides", which Andy joined sometime in 1976. Bid also joined a couple of months later, and Adam left shortly after. Lester, Andy and Bid occasionally continued to write and rehearse together, until Adam formed The Ants with Lester and Andy. Whilst Andy continued on with Adam to record the first Ants album, Lester left The Ants in 1977, to form, firstly The Zarbies & The Ectomorphs with Bid and Jeremy Harrington, and then The Monochrome Set with Bid (Jeremy joined later)." Thus, The Monochrome Set were born.
(Source: 200troubledteenagers)
Don’t Touch - The Monochrome Set (via: danielnolan)
“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord, he was driving down 14th Street in a ’67 Ford, I said, “Hi, you won’t remember me, but we met some time ago” and he said, “No, no, no, no, no, don’t touch me, please just go away, no, no, no, no, no, don’t talk to me, I’ve got nothing to say to you.” I have builded him an altar right above my stereo, with a couple of picks, a lock of hair, and an autographed photo. Well, I know his lyrics off by heart and I sing them every day and he said, “No, no, no, no, no, don’t touch me, please just go away, no, no, no, no, no, don’t talk to me, I’ve got nothing to say to you.” I have read a fiery gospel ‘bout his meteoric rise, due to his performing miracles and the colour of his eyes. Well, I smoke his brand of cigarettes and I wear his kind of clothes and he said, “No, no, no, no, no, don’t touch me, please just go away, no, no, no, no, no, don’t talk to me, I’ve got nothing to say to you.”
- From the album ‘The Lost Weekend’, released on WEA in 1985
Andy Warren: "Lester refused to have a sex change."
Q: Why did she leave?
Andy Warren: "She refused to have a sex change."
Q: Then why did Morris leave?
Andy Warren: "He refused to shave his moustache off. And his ears."
Q: Er, and why did Nick return?
Andy: "He actually did find a tap-dancing gerbil called Jason. Foz was its agent."
Copyright: The Monochrome Set MySpace
I Love Lambeth - The Monochrome Set (Source: danielnolan)
“I try to breathe, I try to breathe but all I get is a lung full of fumes from an old Chevette. This cold’s been hanging around for years. I try to eat, I try to eat but all I can buy is a piece of tough meat that’s red with the dye. This cold’s been hanging around for years. I love Lambeth, with all the dirt on the streets, there’s no better place for your feet. If you were a beetle or if you were a tsetse fly, this would be heaven. I need some space, I need some space but in the day the streets are all crowded for a long holiday. These kids’ve been hanging around for years. And I love Lambeth, with all the poison in the air, there’s no better place for your hair. If you were a lizard or Telly Savalas, this would be heaven. I need a walk, I need a walk but wherever I go there’s the smell of the putrid and the feel of a hole. This pain’s been hanging around for years. I love Lambeth, with all the mud on its face, for romance there’s no better place. If you were a hydra or the Bishop of Durham, this would be heaven.”
- Released on Cherry Red in 1995. The B Sides: Kissy Kissy/All Over/Closing Time
May 85: Bid, Marian, a driver, Nick Wesolowski, Mark Alleyne (friend, roadie, made the Trinity Road artwork), Foz, Carrie Booth, Andy. Copyright: Martians Go Home Page. “Photograph courtesy of Bid.”
Bid: "The truth is, Andy and I were going through a book of indie record labels, and ringing every one. It made sense to us. We started at "A", and by the time we got to Cherry Red, we'd got a deal. Lucky really, further down the same page were Crap Platters and Cunt Records."
“Conducting a chaotic interview at a friend’s Manhattan apartment, the members of The Monochrome Set give the impression of being totally mismatched. Drummer John Haney looks academic and says next to nothing. Bassist Andy Warren could be a real live punk; he confines his remarks to wisecracks. Lanky Lester Square plays affable host, often taking refuge in a hapless pose when talk gets heavy. Singer Bid, clean-cut and low-key, often resorts to put-ons and evasions to avoid revealing himself. When asked by what he means by a certain remark, he says, “Nothing”. His ace in the hole is to lower his voice to an inaudible mumble.
Apparently nothing about The Monochrome Set is sacred, including the name, which is a term for a black and white television.
“People sit there watching it, don’t clap, that sort of thing,” Square says.
“I think it’s a terrible name, to be honest,” Warren comments.
“I think Andy Warren’s a stupid name,” Bid retorts.”
(Text Extract taken from The Monochrome Set Official Site)
Goodbye Joe - The Monochrome Set (Source: matthewedwards)
“Walking to the big screen and he looks so good in Technicolor. Kissing him in your dreams and, you know, Paul Newman’s that much duller than him; and you know it’s true, it’s a sin when he sees you, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye. Watching him from the back row and in bed he looks so wonderful. Sucking chocolate in Pepsi flow and all the pretty girls, they drool for him; and you know it’s right when he wins the one in the light, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye. Coming close to the big times and he sounds so good in stereo. Italian name on a long sign and all the Greta Garbos know that it’s good, when he’s touching the shy as he should, when he’s making your life, g oodbye, goodbye, goodbye.”
- Released on Dindisc in 1980 as a B Side to 405 Lines, it also was included in their debut album ‘Strange Boutique’ which was released later that year.
Love Zombies was released in 1980 on the label of Dindisc. It was banned in Woolworths, due to the “pornographic” cover art.
