Sudden Sway

Sudden Sway were an English band from Peterborough, formed in 1980. The band was formed in 1980 by Mike McGuire (vocals) and Steve Rolls (guitar) after disbanding first generation punk band the Now. They recruited Pete Jostins (bass), Shaun Foreman (guitar/keyboards) and Colin Meech (drums), with various others contributing in their early days.They were initially influenced by fairly standard indie bands such as A Certain Ratio and Shriekback. 
Their first releases were two self-financed singles, "Jane's Third Party" and the To You, with Regard EP, in 1980 and 1981 respectively. The latter was recorded with the core line up of McGuire and Jostins plus new guitarist Simon Childs; this trio constituted the band on all further releases. Together with two well received John Peel radio seasons, they were sufficiently successful to attract major-label interest from CBS and Virgin Records. After a further single ("Traffic Tax Scheme") on their own Chant label, they signed a deal with Warner's subsidiary Blanco y Negro, debuting on the label in 1986 with eight versions of the single "Sing Song". After releasing the Spacemate package - a double LP, book, poster, set of cards and instruction manual, packaged together in a soap box container and designed by Jon Wozencroft, the band moved on to indie label Rough Trade Records, where they would stay for the rest of their career. 
Their fondness for short songs was evident on their first Rough Trade release, a 7-inch EP featuring eight, one minute songs and titled Autumn Cut Back Job Lot Offer, released in early 1987. The following year, they released their second album, '76 Kids Forever, which they described as a "soap opera musical". The band continued for one final effort, 1990's Ko-Opera album, a very different proposition as they utilized contemporary dance beats to deconstruct early '90s consumerism. This was to be their swan song with the band splitting up soon after, with an unheard and unreleased album (minus Simon Childs) in the can.
==Links to Peel==
The band did two sessions for Peel's programmes and were played quite regularly on his shows during the 80's. After the 90's, Peel sporadically played their 'Lets Evolve' track, which came from their Peel Session EP.
==Sessions==
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1. Recorded: 1983-11-16. First Broadcast: 24 November 1983. Repeated: 13 December 1983, 09 February 1984, 24 October 1984
*Let's Evolve / Relationships
2. Recorded: 1984-09-11. First Broadcast: 21 November 1984. Repeated: 11 December 1984
*In The Park / A Problem-Solving Broadcast (Part 1) / A Problem-Solving Broadcast (Part 2) / T Minus Tranquillity
==Other Shows Played==
;thumb|220x220px1981
*31 August 1981: Alleluia! The Psychic Sons (12" - To You With Regard) Chant
*17 September 1981 (BFBS): Tales Of Talking Town (12" EP - To You, With ReGard) Chant 
*10 November 1981: Tales Of Talking Town (12" - To You, With ReGard) Chant 
;1983
*12 September 1983: Sir Savoir: Her Valoir (7" - The Traffic Tax Scheme) Chant
;1984
*02 January 1984: Tales Of Talking Town (12" - To You, With ReGard) Chant 
*05 January 1984: Tales Of Talking Town (12" - To You, With ReGard) Chant
;1986
*05 March 1986: Singsong (d-o-8-6-s-i-n-g) (12" - Singsong) Blanco Y Negro
*10 March 1986 (BBC World Service): sINg sONg (7") Blanco Y Negro
*11 March 1986: sing Song (7" - sing Song (Version 3)) Blanco Y Negro
*11 March 1986: Creative Marketing In 8 Dimensions (7" - sing Song (Version 3)) Blanco Y Negro
*12 March 1986: SINg SONg (Version 4) (7") Blanco Y Negro
*15 March 1986 (BFBS): 'sINg sONg (No. 3-Adrian Sherwood Remix) (7")' (Blanco Y Negro)
*15 March 1986 (BFBS): 'Creative Marketing In 8 Dimensions (7")' (Blanco Y Negro)
*17 March 1986: sINg sONg (Version 5) (7") Blanco Y Negro
*17 March 1986 (BBC World Service): sing-song (8x7" - SING SONG) Blanco Y Negro
*25 March 1986: sING sONG (7") Blanco Y Negro
*20 August 1986: Drink Xtravite (2xLP - Spacemate) WEA
*10 September 1986: Let's Evolve (12" - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
*05 October 1986 (BFBS): 'sINg sONg (No. 3-Adrian Sherwood Remix) (7")' (Blanco Y Negro)
;1987
*03 February 1987: Job Lot Offer (single) Rough Trade
*25 February 1987: Gary Guerilla Household Militia / You / Latest Autobation Rug / Father's Eyes (7" - Autumn Cutback Job Lot Offer) Rough Trade
*11 December 1987 (BFBS): 'Barmy Army (12"-Sat'day Morning Episode)' (Rough Trade)
*14 December 1987: Barmy Army (12" - Sat'day Mornin Episode) Rough Trade
;1988
*03 May 1988: I've Got A Tinnitron Amusement Centre (LP - 76 Kids Forever) Rough Trade
;1993
*24 September 1993: Let's Evolve! (12" - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
*01 October 1993 (BFBS): Let's Evolve (12" - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit 
;2001
*30 August 2001: Let's Evolve (Peel Session EP) Strange Fruit
==External Links==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
Category:Artists