China Crisis

1985 line-up

**China Crisis** are a new wave pop group from Liverpool, UK formed in 1979 by core-members Gary Daly and Eddie Lundon. Initially part of the alternative Liverpool music scene, they gained some attention with their first independent single African and White.

The group recorded two sessions for John Peel, the second of which was broadcast just as their single Christian was about to break the UK charts in early 1983. Follow-up singles were less successful although Wishful Thinking, taken from their second album, gave them their first Top 10 single in early 1984.

The group's albums were generally critically acclaimed and debut *Difficult Shapes and Passive Rhythms (Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain)* (1982) and *Working With Fire and Steel (Positive Pop Songs Vol. 2)* (1983) both made the lower reaches of the UK charts. Their commercial peak came with the Walter Becker produced *Flaunt the Imperfection* (1985), their third album for Virgin, which spawned hit singles Black Man Ray and King in a Catholic Style (Wake Up). The group had also by this point expanded to a five-piece.

Later output was less successful and after *What Price Paradise* in 1986, *Diary of a Hollow Horse* was their last album for Virgin in 1989. An independent release *Warped By Success* in 1994 was evidence that China Crisis were still producing quality music, and the live album *Acoustically Yours* released a year later showed their repertoire as well-crafted songs which stood up well to performance in the voguish acoustic style of the time. A further live album *Scrap Book Vol 1: Live At The Dominion Theatre* released in 2002 documents their imperial 'Flaunt the Imperfection' period in a live context.

Continuing to tour and play live, new material finally came in 2015 in the form of a new album *Autumn in the Neighbourhood* released via the Pledge Music site. *Diary of a Hollow Horse* was given the remastered and expanded treatment in 2013, while the same attention was finally given to their first three albums, re-issued in 2017.

Founder member and frontman Gary Daly issued his first solo album *Gone From Here* in 2019 with a compilation of early Portastudio tracks entitled *Luna Landings* due in February 2020.

China Crisis, still led by Lundon & Daly, continue to tour extensively in the UK and overseas.

## Discography

UK only

1. ↑ original version
2. ↑ single release only not included on *Difficult Shapes* album
3. ↑ edited version of album track
4. ↑ original title King In A Catholic Style
5. ↑ as promotion for the *Diary: A Collection* album but not featured
6. ↑ single release only prior to *Autumn in the Neighbourhood* album

## Significant dates

### 1982-1985

* 01 April 1982: first session for John Peel show broadcast [1][2]
* 13 May 1982: Scream Down At Me single of the fortnight in *Smash Hits*
* 25 May 1982 Kid Jensen session. [3]
* 05 August 1982: review of African & White in Smash Hits [4]
* 12 November 1982: Debut album *Difficult Shapes*... released.
* 18 November 1982: the group join Simple Minds as support act on the second UK leg of their New Gold Dream tour (27 dates until end of year)
* 27 January 1983:
	+ first appearance on Top of the Pops with Christian at no.42 (enters Top 40 01 February at no.22).
	+ second Peel session broadcast (recorded 15 January 1983)
* 10 February 1983: second time for Christian on TOTP with the single at no.18. It will reach its peak position of no.12 the week after (15 February).
* 17 February 1983: Smash Hits feature 'The Chinese Way' [5]
* 14 March 1983: Peter Powell (R1) From the Range High School, Formby featuring special guest artists CC
* 18 March 1983: Oxford Road Show[6]
* 26 March 1983: new BBC session for Janice Long. [7] [8][9]
* 25 October 1983: BBC session for Kid Jensen
* 19 January 1984: Wishful Thinking on TOTP. The single is at no.16 and reaches its peak pos. of no.9 a week later. The "Fire & Steel" album enters the charts again and reaches no.20.
* 24 February 1984: live performance on Channel 4's *The Tube* of Working With Fire and Steel and Hanna Hanna.
* 1984-03: Hanna Hanna released as a single. Reaches no.44.
* 25 May 1984: begin tour of USA & Canada as support to Simple Minds.[10]
* 18 March 1985: sixth and final BBC session (Janice Long)
* 1985-03: Black Man Ray single released. Eventually reaches no.40 in April. The single is briefly mentioned as a "breaker" at no.32 on TOTP on 11 April 1985.
* 18 April 1985: First and only studio performance of Black Man Ray on TOTP at no.19. The single reaches peak position of no.14 a week later.
* 25 May 1985: Graham Bannerman (R1) direct from the Watershed in Bristol, including at 9.0 a live concert from CC
* 28 May 1985: BBC Two *Whistle Test* live performance.
* 05 June 1985: *Smash Hits* cover photo and interview/feature "Tougher than you think".
* 15 June 1985: No.1 magazine cover and colour feature
* 20 June 1985: First and only studio performance of King in a Catholic Style (Wake Up) on TOTP with the single at no.26. It will reach its peak position of no.19 a week later.
* 11 November 1985: new single The Highest High performance on *Wogan*.
* 27 September 1986 / 02 October 1986: City to City (R1) 1. Liverpool. Mark Page drives around the city with Eddie Lundon of China Crisis
* 07 November 1986: *Singled Out* (R1) - Eddie Lundon guest reviewer

* 23 January 2007: Janice Long - live session
* 09 January 2016: Liz Kershaw
* 15 July 2016: *Radcliffe & Maconie* (6 Music) - CC chat about their new album[11]

## See also

* Liverpool - The New Wave (R2) - Part Three: Into the Pleasuredome - Electro-pop and the Eighties

## External links

* Official Facebook
* musicbrainz
* Discogs
* Smash Hits tagged pages
* Official charts archive