Passage

The Passage were a post-punk band from Manchester, England, who appeared on several record labels including Object Music, Cherry Red Records, and their own label Night & Day, a subsidiary label to Virgin Records.
The band was formed as a quartet by songwriter and former Hallé Orchestra percussionist Richard Witts in 1978, but later became a trio. Witts produced the band's recordings and sang on most of their releases, the occasional lead vocal being taken by Tony Friel (ex-Fall member) or Andy Wilson. Although they never truly broke into the mainstream, their most successful song was 'XOYO'. The song was an experiment to see whether John Cage's method of aleatoric composition could be successfully applied to popular music composition. XOYO also appeared on the Cherry Red compilation album Pillows & Prayers. The band broke up in 1983.
Richard Witts is now a lecturer and has taught at the University of Edinburgh, Goldsmiths University in London and currently teaches at Edge Hill University in Lancashire. Andy Wilson is a club and radio DJ based mainly in Ibiza. Joe Mckechnie is a producer, remixer, and DJ based in Liverpool.
== Links to Peel ==
Peel discovered The Passage in the late 70's. He was impressed with their 1980 debut album 'Pindrop', calling it one of the most impressive LP's of the year on his 08 September 1980 programme. Further material of the band were played on the show, including three sessions, one live performance and an entry in the 1982 Festive Fifty, but by the time they released their fourth album in 1983, Peel seemed to have lost interest in them and the band split.
== Festive Fifty Entries ==
* 1982 Festive Fifty: XOYO #41
== Sessions ==
thumb|330x330pxSessions 1-3 available on BBC Sessions (2003). Dark Times (session 1 ) available on Manchester, So Much To Answer For (1990).
1. Recorded: 1980-11-18. Broadcast: 27 November 1980. Repeated: 17 December 1980
*Dark Times / Shave Your Head / Devils And Angels / The Shadows
2. Recorded: 1981-09-30. Broadcast: 14 October 1981. Repeated: 28 October 1981, 10 December 1981
*Rod Of Iron / Form And Void / Man Of War / Love Is As
3. Recorded: 1982-05-24. Broadcast: 07 June 1982. Repeated: 21 July 1982, 29 December 1982
*A Day / Empty Words / Horse Play
4. Live performance at the Ritz, Manchester. Recorded: 1982-10-11. Broadcast: 27 October 1982. Repeated: 23 November 1982
*Watching You Dance / Dark Times / Man Of War / Love Is As / Horseplay / Empty Words
== Other Shows Played ==
;1979
*thumb|330x330px15 January 1979: The Competition (EP - New Love Songs) Object
*18 January 1979: Slit Machine / New Kind Of Love (EP – New Love Songs) Object
*13 February 1979: Slit Machine (7" EP - New Love Songs) Object Music
*19 March 1979: Slit Machine/ New Kind Of Love (EP – New Love Songs) Object
*23 April 1979: Slit Machine (7" EP - New Love Songs) Object Music
*28 August 1979: unknown
*10 September 1979: Taking My Time (EP - About Time) Object Music
*10 September 1979: Clock Paradox (EP - About Time) Object Music
;1980
*thumb|330x330px07 June 1980 (BFBS): Slit Machine / New Kind Of Love (7" - New Love Songs) Object
*08 September 1980: Fear (album - Pindrop) Object Music OBJ 011
*09 September 1980: Carnal (album - Pindrop) Object Music OBJ 011
*10 September 1980: Watching You Dance (album - Pindrop) Object Music OBJ 011
*13 September 1980 (BFBS): Fear (album - Pindrop) Object Music OBJ 011
*13 September 1980 (BFBS): Carnal (album - Pindrop) Object Music OBJ 011
*15 September 1980: Fear (album - Pindrop) Object Music OBJ 011
*20 September 1980 (BFBS): Hunt (album - Pindrop) Object Music OBJ 011
*20 September 1980 (BFBS): Anderton's Hall (album - Pindrop) Object Music OBJ 011
*20 September 1980 (BFBS): 16 Hours (album - Pindrop) Object Music OBJ 011
*23 September 1980: Anderton's Hall (album - Pindrop) Object Music OBJ 011
*27 September 1980 (BFBS): Carmen (album - Pindrop) Object Music OBJ 011
*02 October 1980: Carmen (album - Pindrop) Object Music OBJ 011
*04 October 1980 (BFBS): From The Heart (album - Pindrop) Object Music OBJ 011
*18 October 1980 (BFBS): Fear (album - Pindrop) Object Music OBJ 011
*01 November 1980 (BFBS): Watching You Dance (album - Pindrop) Object Music OBJ 011
;1981
*thumb|330x330px22 February 1981 (BFBS): Devils And Angels (7") Night & Day
*24 February 1981: Watching You Dance (7" - Devils And Angels) Night & Day AMPM 24:00
*26 April 1981 (BFBS): Hip Rebels (7" - Troops Out) Night & Day
*29 April 1981: Hip Rebels (b/w 7" - Troops Out) Night And Day
*11 June 1981 (John Walters): Dark Times (album - For All And None) Night & Day
*24 June 1981: One To One (LP - For All And None) Night and Day
*25 June 1981: Shave Your Head (LP - For All And None) Night and Day
*June 1981 (mixtape): Shave Your Head (LP - For All And None) Night and Day
*02 July 1981 (BFBS): Dark Times (album - For All And None) Night & Day
*16 August 1981 (BFBS): Watching You Dance
*17 November 1981: Taboos (12") Cherry Red 12 CHERRY 30
*10 December 1981 (BBC World Service): Taboos (12") Cherry Red 12 CHERRY 30
*14 December 1981: Taboos (12") Cherry Red 12 CHERRY 30
;1982
*thumb|330x330px06 January 1982: Taboos (12") Cherry Red 12 CHERRY 30
*06 January 1982 (BFBS): Taboos (12") Cherry Red 12 CHERRY 30
*08 March 1982: XOYO (7") Cherry Red CHERRY 35
*14 March 1982 (BFBS): XOYO (7") Cherry Red CHERRY 35
*19 April 1982: XOYO (12") Cherry Red 12 CHERRY 35
*19 April 1982: Born Every Minute (12" - XOYO) Cherry Red
*25 April 1982 (BFBS): XOYO (12") Cherry Red 12 CHERRY 35 John says that this latest version was rerecorded due to an unexplained change of lyrics
*29 April 1982: XOYO (7") Cherry Red CHERRY 35
*03 May 1982: Born Every Minute (flexidisc) Issued with Melody Maker
*02 June 1982: Go To Seed (album - Degenerates) Cherry Red B RED 29
*23 June 1982 (BFBS): Go To Seed (album - Degenerates) Cherry Red B RED 29
*23 June 1982 (BFBS): Love Is As (album - Degenerates) Cherry Red B RED 29
*23 June 1982 (BFBS): Born Every Minute (album - Degenerates) Cherry Red B RED 29
*07 July 1982 (BFBS): Go To Seed (album - Degenerates) Cherry Red B RED 29
*08 July 1982: Empty Words (album - Degenerates) Cherry Red B RED 29
*22 July 1982: Animal In Me (12" b-side - XOYO) Cherry Red
*06 September 1982: XOYO (single) Cherry Red
*20 October 1982 (BFBS): Wave (7") Cherry Red CHERRY 50
*21 October 1982: Wave (7") Cherry Red CHERRY 50
*01 November 1982: Wave (7") Cherry Red CHERRY 50
*01 December 1982 (BFBS): Wave (7") Cherry Red CHERRY 50
*16 December 1982: XOYO (album - Degenerates) Cherry Red B RED 29 FF #41
;1983
*12 April 1983: Sharp Tongue (7") Cherry Red CHERRY 58
*17 April 1983 (BFBS): Sharp Tongue (7") Cherry Red CHERRY 58
*16 May 1983 (BBC World Service): Horseplay (album - Enflame) Cherry Red B RED 45
*14 December 1983: Sharp Tongue (LP - Through The Passage) Cherry Red
;1984
*07 July 1984 (BFBS): Fear (album - Pindrop) Object Music OBJ 011
;1985
*21 October 1985: Hip Rebels (7" - Troops Out) Night & Day
== External Links ==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
*Official Website
Category:Artists