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Years move on. 20 of them in fact. I have moved to California. I get a call one day from Seymour. He is dressed as a nun, but at the time I don't know this because he's on the telephone. Do I have any master tapes still ? Why yes I do in fact. I have all of them. Are any of then of The Shapes? Why yes, one or two are. There's a company that wants to release an album for us. After ascertaining that this wasn't a joke, and to cut a long story quite short, we hook up with the delightful Mr. John Esplen of Overground records and release everything (just about), that we had ever recorded, including the out of tune warblings of The Shapes Mark I. Truck Drivin' Man and Stick It PSU are notable by their absence. It's a riot dragging it all up again, and I travel to the UK to reunite with the band to sign contracts and collect our advance. We are all older, and clearly none the wiser, for we take our advance, retire to the nearest pub and spend it all in one evening. Then we get into a fight, and conclude the evening at each others throats. It's pretty much as I remember it in fact. The CD gets the kind of rave reviews that we could have done with the first time around, and it gets record of the week in all sorts of weird places. Some reviewers are good enough to say very nice things about my bass playing, and it has to be said that I agree with them. I travel the world, and wherever I go, there it is. Everywhere that is except Royal Leamington Spa. There is renewed interest in The Shapes, and more licensing deals are done for more compilations and collections. Fan mail arrives, and gigs are offered, but we know when to quit while we're ahead, and besides which, the van probably won't start, and the tax disc has said "Tax in Post" since 1980. I think Graham, our roadie is still living in it anyway. All told, very gratifying, and as they say, and better late then never. Almost as soon as that compliation receded from view, than another came out. The Shapes were featured on the late Bad Teeth #1 collection from Hyped To Death Records, and of course on Messthetics #103. Add to that, the Shapes tracks on the Dojo and Good Vibrations compilation from Anagram, and it's beginning to look like we actually achieved a little permanance. I saw our first EP on eBay for nearly $50. It might amuse the buyer of it to know that that's almost as much as it cost to record it. So what are we all up to now ? Well, it's pretty much covered in the elegantly written, and it has to be said, completely fabricated liner notes to The Shapes album "Songs For Sensible People". I stayed on in the music business for another eternity, recording, touring, and partaking of the falling down powder. I did quite nicely too thank you, but decided to leave in the late 80's and became a professional skydiver. It sounds like bullshit, but do a web search if you don't believe me. I currently live in California, where after all these years, I actually had to get a real job. I still jump at weekends, and build Harley-Davidsons in my spare time. I have a bass rig the size of Luxembourg in my spare bedroom, but as yet, wisely, nobody has invited me to come and play it for them. Seymour still gives tirelessly for his art, which these days centers around a sort of performance art based on gender identity. Basically, he's a cross dressing multimedia artist. He can currently be seen as the transvestite art critic nun Sister Bendy on the delightful TV program Eurotrash. He still gives of his muse musically, working with various fab beat combos and with solo performances. You can find what he's up to here. Tim lives in Herne Bay and still suffers for his art. I shared a flat with him for five years in Brixton and believe me, I suffered for it too. He's never got over being not quite as handsome as me, but we do still stay in contact. He still plays from time to time, but has as yet to launch the triple disc concept album about a man's love for his photocopier that he threatened after The Shapes disbanded. It's still his turn to make the tea.
Dave Gee owns a recruitment agency in Northampton and is doing very nicely thank you, but don't ask for any money. He has about 10 wives, thirty-five children, and two hundred dogs, if tales are to be believed. Presumably, he's still punching his clients. You can view his website here. You can also view him here. Mind you, he looks as if time has taken him up an alley and beaten the shit out of him. Dave is the one on the left I think.
You can also write demanding more information, records, money,
or your stuff back that we stole at Toodle Pip ! |
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Steve Richards popped out of the
woodwork as soon as the album was released, but it was too late. We'd already spent the
money on drink. Despite this, he was a true gentleman about it all. He currently lives in Andover where he
