Reading, writing and records

THE last loose end of the ancient regime, which was promised a while back so we'll nail it down now ... back by hysterical popular demand, it's the third and final part of Where Are They Now And Do You Think They'll Ever Reform, our contemporary take on those bands that thrilled and spilled and are still not forgotten.

The Sundays: Their first gig, at the Falcon in Camden Town in 1988, has almost become the stuff of legend, attended as it was by more A&R people than paying customers. The four-piece London band, fronted by Harriet Wheeler, was one in many of a long line of post-Strangeways Here We Come bands to be hailed as the new Smiths, but to be honest they always had more in common with The Cocteau Twins - still on comparisons, The Cranberries were known as the "Irish Sundays" when they first started. The Sundays' debut album, Reading, Writing And Arithmetic (1990) fulfilled all promises and promptly went to No 4 in the album charts (it also breached the American top 40). The band's notoriously slow songwriting stalled their progress - they were signed to the Rough Trade label and when Geoff Travis wanted to put out a single off Reading he couldn't because the band had no B-side to put on the flip. Despite their being voted Best Foreign Newcomer by Rolling Stone magazine, financial problems at Rough Trade led to them signing with Parlophone and in 1992 they brought out the less than ecstatically received Blind album. Despite the Stone Roses-like delay, there is still talk of a third album, but don't hold your breath. Needless trivia: The Sundays penned the music for Baddiel and Newman's BBC comedy programme.

The Replacements: Formed in Minneapolis in 1979 by the Stinson brothers (Tommy and Bob) and Paul Westerburg, they were originally called The Impediments. Signed to a local indie label, Twin-Tone, their early work was more than a bit reminiscent of Husker Du but the Let It Be album (1984) saw them growing out of their influences - incidentally Let It Be is still regarded by musos as a mini-classic. By the time Bob Stinson had left the group and they had signed to Seymour Stein's Sire label, they had begun to incorporate folk, country and blues idioms into their rock'n'roll roots. Albums like Pleased To Meet Me (1987), which featured some wonderful Westerburg songs such as Skyway, seemed destined to see them cross over into the mainstream but despite another excellent album in All Shook Down, the record-buying public remained ignorant of their charms. The Replacements disbanded in 1992 with most members going on to have solo careers. Bob Stinson died of a drug overdose in 1995. Paul Westerburg is now writing songs with Carole King which should be released by the end of the year. Meaningless trivia: their 1987 single, Alex Chilton was about the Big Star mainman.

Gang Of Four: This Leeds four-piece was the original of the "agit-prop" species, combining as they did a heavy, almost industrial sound with all manner of Marxist calls to subversion in their lyrics. Their debut three-track EP, Damaged Goods (1978) is now a collector's item but didn't hit the charts the same way their first album, Entertainment (1979, released on the EMI label) did. The album contained the hit single, At Home He's A Tourist but there were censorship problems over the use of the word "rubbers" (condoms) in the lyrics - what innocent times. They were one of the first bands to use dance rhythms (properly): their 1982 album, Songs Of The Free remains arguably their best work. Again though, they ran into censorship problems when the album's lead-off single, I Love A Man In Uniform was banned because of the Falklands "conflict". They broke up soon after but reformed in 1990 and still do periodic tours. Meaningless trivia: Noted author, Greil Marcus (Lipstick Traces, Dead Elvis etc;) cites the Gang Of Four as one of his favourite bands.

The Pixies: Formed in 1986 when singer and guitarist Black Francis put an ad in a newspaper looking for people to join a "Husker Du/Peter, Paul and Mary band" this punky, hardcore outfit were surprisingly signed by English indie 4AD, a label more at home with the likes of the Red House Painters. Their second album, the incendiary Surfer Rosa (1988) was deservedly made album of the year across the board but they only hit Top 10 status with the release of the less brilliant Doolittle the following year, aided and abetted by the hit single Monkey Gone To Heaven. An awesomely good live band, subsequent releases such as Bossanova (1990) and Trompe Le Monde (1991 - which contains a great Jesus and Mary Chain cover in Head On) cemented their reputation as one of the best earthy rock bands of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band broke up in 1992 with bassist Kim Deal devoting more of her time to The Breeders. Black Francis became Frank Black and went on to release two under-par solo albums, Frank Black and Teenager Of The Year but even they couldn't take away from the importance and brilliance of The Pixies. Meaningless trivia: Frank Black has been known to team up with Glen Matlock (ex-Sex Pistol) in a tribute band called Frank Black and the Stax Pistols.