A Witness - Threaphurst Lane CD OVER 88VP CD

A Witness cut their own determined groove through mid-80s Manchester, but it would not be completely out-of-line to suggest that their path lurched energetically between Beefheart, Factory, C-86, and Messthetics' favourites Gods Gift – while helping to establish the iconic perversity/lunacy of the Ron Johnson, er, "sound".

In five years they released one album, four 12" singles and an American-only compilation, survived the collapse of Ron Johnson Records, recorded four Peel sessions – and also featured on NME's epoch-making "C-86" sampler. In 1989, however, guitarist Rick Aitken was killed in a climbing accident and A Witness disbanded. Band members eventually moved onto other projects: Keith Curtis played guitar for John Robb's Membranes then switched to bass in Gold Blade, and Vince Hunt recorded soundscape albums before forming Marshall Smith in 1997 with Alan Brown and former Pram drummer Daren Garratt.
12-page booklet with rare photos, bio, lyrics, and complete discography. $12

tracks: Sharpened Sticks / I Love You, Mr Disposable Razors / Tomorrow Never Knows / O'Grady’s Dream / The Loudhailer Song / Zip Up / Dipping Bird / Smelt Like A Pedestrian / Hard Day’s Love / Car Skidding / Lucky In London / 4.49 Stool / Nodding Dog Moustache / Red Snake / Faglane Morris Wind / Threaphurst Lane / Break On Through / Dudefield