DAVID WESTLAKE - DISCOGRAPHY

DAVID WESTLAKE

	Text by Derek Sozou.
	THE SERVANTS She's Always Hiding 7" Single SONGS She's Always Hiding/Transparent LINE-UP David Westlake - vocals & guitar; John Mohan - guitar; Philip King - bass; John Wills - drums PRODUCER Richard Preston STUDIO Alvic, Baron's Court, London RECORDED 31 January 1986 RELEASED March 1986 LABEL/NUMBER Head 1 Early 1985, David Westlake was 19, living in west London. Into Lennon/McCartney, Dusty Springfield, Doug Yule-era Velvet Underground. Put a band together using the want ads in the NME. Name came from Joseph Losey's film The Servant. First gig at the Water Rats Theatre in London's King's Cross, July 1, 1985. Head Records was set up by Creation employee Jeff Barrett and NME contributor Bill Prince.
	THE SERVANTS John Peel session BBC Radio One SONGS A Fleeting Visit/Rings On Her Fingers/You'd Do Me Good/She Whom Once I Dreamt Of LINE-UP David Westlake - vocals & guitar; John Mohan - guitar; Philip King - bass; John Wills - drums PRODUCER Dale Griffin STUDIO BBC Stuidios, Maida Vale, London RECORDED 16 March 1986 FIRST BROADCAST March 1986 DJ John Peel read a review of the Servants and invited the band to record a session for his radio programme. The band got some OK gigs, opening for Sonic Youth, the Go-Betweens and others.
	THE SERVANTS Transparent NME C86 Compilation RECORDING INFORMATION as for She's Always Hiding, above RELEASED 1986 The NME put together a compilation of a new bunch of bands. They invited the Servants to contribute a track. Unfortunately, being on C86 put across a wrong message about the Servants. It turned out that most of the other bands on the NME compilation were into the so-called "shambling" scene that started up around then. The Servants were not part of that scene. They had wanted to keep a distance from that scene.
	THE SERVANTS The Sun, A Small Star 12" EP SONGS The Sun, A Small Star/Meredith/It Takes No Gentleman/Funny Business LINE-UP David Westlake - vocals & guitar; John Mohan - guitar; Philip King - bass; John Wills - drums; Amanda Brown - violin on The Sun, A Small Star PRODUCER Richard Preston STUDIO Elephant, Wapping Wharf, London RECORDED 8 August 1986 RELEASED October 1986 LABEL/NUMBER Head 3 By the time this record came out, this line-up of the Servants had split. The record company had dropped the band. There was no live work arranged. Westlake looked around for a new chance for to get to make the next Servants record, but without luck. John Mohan and Philip King already had live and recording work lined up with other bands. With no real reason for them to get together and rehearse in the Servants at the time, the line-up drifted apart. The band had come together through musicians wanted ads, and had had some kind of luck right away. But they had not been together long enough for there to be any sort of camaraderie. So as soon as the luck ran out, it was over.
	DAVID WESTLAKE & THE GO-BETWEENS Janice Long session BBC Radio One SONGS The Word Around Town/Dream Come True/Faithful To 3 Lovers/Everlasting LINE-UP David Westlake - vocals & guitar; Robert Forster - guitar; Robert Vickers - bass; Amanda Brown - violin, oboe & backing vocals; John Wills - drums PRODUCER Barry Andrews STUDIO BBC Studios, Maida Vale, London RECORDED 14 January 1987 (mixed 12 February 1987) FIRST BROADCAST February 1987 Westlake set about putting together a new band line-up in November 1986. DJ Janice Long invited him to record a session for her evening show on the BBC. Luke Haines answered an ad in December 1986. John Wills was still around on drums and knew the songs. But there was not enough time to find and rehearse-in new people to do the session. Go-Between Robert Forster offered to play. He brought in Robert Vickers and Amanda Brown. The Go-Betweens became friends when the Servants opened for them on tour.
	DAVID WESTLAKE Westlake Album SONGS The Word Around Town/Dream Come True/Rings On Her Fingers/Everlasting/She Grew And She Grew/Talk Like That LINE-UP David Westlake - vocals & guitar; Luke Haines - guitar & piano; Martyn Casey - bass; Alsy MacDonald - drums PRODUCERS Paul Gadd and Steve Nunn STUDIO Greenhouse, Islington, London RECORDED 18/19 April 1987 RELEASED November 1987 LABEL/NUMBER Creation CRELP 019 RE-ISSUED 1993 on CD: Creation CRECD 019 1987. Luke Haines had settled. John Wills had gone with noise-band Loop. Bass players came and went. No drummers at all. Creation Records asked Westlake to make a record. But there still was not a full band. Westlake and Haines recorded some songs with the Triffids' rhythm section. Creation put out the songs later in 1987 as Westlake.
	THE SERVANTS It's My Turn 7" Single/12" EP SONGS It's My Turn/Afterglow/Faithful To 3 Lovers/Do Or Be Done LINE-UP David Westlake - vocals & guitar; Luke Haines - guitar & bass; Hugh Whitaker - drums; Susan Tanner - violin on It's My Turn and Faithful To 3 Lovers PRODUCER Harold Burgon STUDIO Elephant, Wapping Wharf, London RECORDED 19 November 1988 RELEASED September 1989 LABEL/NUMBER Glass 056/Glass 12056 Drummer Hugh Whitaker left chart band the Housemartins and joined the Servants in June 1987. The Servants did not fit in with Creation's rock and roll pretensions and were dropped. Glass Records invited the band to record an album. The day the band went into the studio a call arrived explaining that Glass was running out of money, better make it a single instead. It would take more than a year for Glass to release the single.
	THE SERVANTS Disinterest Album SONGS Move Out/The Power Of Woman/Restless/Third Wheel/Thin-Skinned/Self Destruction/Hush Now/They Should Make A Statue/Hey, Mrs John/Look Like A Girl/Big Future/Afterglow LINE-UP David Westlake - vocals & guitar; Luke Haines - backing vocals, guitar & piano; Alice Readman - bass; Andy Bennett - drums PRODUCER Mark Dawson STUDIO Goldust, southeast London RECORDED 17/18 April 1990 RELEASED July 1990 LABEL/NUMBER Paperhouse PAPLP005/PAPCD005 Desperate times led to a desperate measure. The Servants signed with Fire Records in 1990. Band morale was low, and this produced some strangely angular material.
	THE SERVANTS Look Like A Girl 7" Single SONGS Look Like A Girl/Bad Habits Die Hard/It's My Turn LINE-UP Look Like A Girl line-up as on Disinterest. Other songs: David Westlake - vocals & guitar; Luke Haines - backing vocals & guitar; Jonathan Scullion - bass; Hugh Whitaker - drums A-SIDE RECORDING INFORMATION as on Disinterest B-SIDE RECORDED BY Martin Schori, live in Biel, Switzerland, 4 May 1989 RELEASED August 1990 LABEL/NUMBER Paperhouse PAPER004 The Servants were under contract, but with nothing going on and nothing about to go on. Twelve months later, the band played its last show at the Rock Garden in London's Covent Garden. August 21, 1991. Everyone said good night.
	DAVID WESTLAKE Take Me To Your Heart Performance #1 Compilation CD RELEASED June 2002 LABEL/NUMBER Intercontinental ITC 8 French label Intercontinental asked Westlake to contribute a track for a compilation they were putting out. He gave them a demo of a song that wouldn't be included on the upcoming album, "Take Me To Your Heart".
	DAVID WESTLAKE Play Dusty For Me Album SONGS Play Dusty For Me/Song For John/Back On Track/An Ocean Away/Say When/Stupid Love/The Lonely City/I Can't Give You The Life You Want/Nowhere Days/I Die For Love/Patience/Even If/Life On The Edge/Hi You/Life Goes On LINE-UP David Westlake - vocals & guitar; Dan Cross - guitar; Cormac Moore - bass; Willis Moore - drums RECORDED BY Cormac Moore MIXED BY Willis Moore STUDIO P.Boy Studios, Kilkenny, Ireland RECORDED August 2001 RELEASED 11 December 2002 LABEL/NUMBER Mahlerphone CDA 001 After a twelve year absence, Westlake pressed up an album of new material in 2002. It was recorded in Kilkenny, Ireland with a band including ex-Perfect Disaster guitarist Dan Cross. The songs are slower than before, but stronger. (Click on the Press page for reviews.)
	THE SERVANTS Reserved Album SONGS The Sun, A Small Star/A Fleeting Visit/You'd Do Me Good/Afterglow/She Whom Once I Dreamt Of/It Takes No Gentleman/It's My Turn/Rings On Her Fingers/Meredith/She's Always Hiding/Do Or Be Done/Faithful To 3 Lovers/Transparent/Funny Business/Loggerheads/Search Under Stones/Water Baby Blonde/Hey, Mrs John/Who's Calling You Baby Now?/I Just Wasn't Made For These Times RECORDED BY Cormac Moore RELEASED 27 March 2006 LABEL/NUMBER Cherry Red CDM RED 297 The Cherry Red label issued this compilation in 2006, making twenty tracks available for the first time on CD. It includes the Servants' singles 1986-1989, and the BBC John Peel session. Luke Haines tells the story of the band in his sleevenotes.
	VARIOUS ARTISTS cd86: 48 tracks from the birth of indie pop Compilation album RELEASED Late 2006 LABEL/NUMBER Sanctuary CMEDD1420 DISC ONE 1. Primal Scream: Velocity Girl / 2. The Servants: The Sun, A Small Star / 3. Hurrah: Around And Around / 4. The Loft: Why Does The Rain / 5. East Village: Vibrato / 6. Sea Urchins: Pristine Christine / 7. Siddeleys: What Went Wrong This Time / 8. Another Sunny Day: Anorak City / 9. The Clouds: Get Out Of My Dream / 10. Boy Hairdressers: Golden Shower / 11. Chesterfields: Ask Johnny Dee / 12. Raw Herbs: He's Blown In / 13. Laugh: Paul McCartney / 14. The Hit Parade: You Didn't Love Me Then / 15. Weather Prophets: Like Frankie Lymon / 16. June Brides: Sunday To Saturday / 17. Dentists: I Had An Excellent Dream / 18. Mighty Mighty: Everybodys Knows The Monkey / 19. BMX Bandits: E102 / 20. Tallulah Gosh: Talulah Gosh / 21. Jasmine Minks: Cut Me Deep / 22. Razorcuts: I'll Still Be There / 23. Bodines: Therese / 24. TV Personalities: Paradise Estate DISC TWO 1. Jesus And Mary Chain: Upside Down / 2. Primitives: Really Stupid / 3. Groove Farm: It Always Rains On Sunday / 4. Pop Will Eat Itself: Black Country Chainsaw Massacre / 5. 14 Iced Bears: Come Get Me / 6. Fizzbombs: Sign On The Line / 7. Wolfhounds: Anti Midas Touch / 8. Wedding Present: This Boy Can Wait / 9. Age Of Chance: Bible Of The Beats / 10. Shop Assistants: Safety Net / 11. Close Lobsters: Just Too Bloody Stupid / 12. Half Man Half Biscuit: Dukla Prague Away Kit / 13. Meat Whiplash: Don't Slip Up / 14. Flatmates: I Could Be In Heaven / 15. Darling Buds: If I Said / 16. This Poison: Poised Over The Pause Button / 17. Bachelor Pad: Jack And Julian / 18. Pooh Sticks: On Tape / 19. Revolving Paint Dream: Flowers Are In The Sky / 20. Soup Dragons: Whole Wide World / 21. McCarthy: Frans Hals / 22. Mighty Lemon Drops: Like An Angel / 23. Big Flame: Why Popstars Can't Dance / 24. Pastels: Baby Honey Twenty years on, and better than C86.