The Object Music
Label Discography
Object Music was a Manchester based record label active 1978-81. It more or less grew directly out of the Manchester Musicians' Collective, which initially included Dick Witts [Passage], classical and electronic composers (respectively) Simon Holt and Trevor Wishart, and Tony Friel, whose band The Fall had their first gig at a Collective meeting. This webpage is intended as an information resource and nothing more. Scans of covers will be added ASAP. If you have never heard any of these releases, then I suggest you track down a copy of the Spherical Objects "Elliptical Optimism" LP, an outstanding record. Update 9.feb.2009: For reasons too stupid to waste anyone's time describing, I have been unable to update this website since early last year which is why I am so late with the following piece of very good news: In September 2008, LTM/Boutique released the first four titles of a hopefully complete reissue program of the Object Music catalogue. All four Spherical Objects albums are now available on two CDs, plus an almost complete singles compilation and, somewhat surprisingly perhaps, the Noyes Brothers albums as a double-CD with bonus material. The Grow Up catalogue was a strong contender for the first set of releases but it turns out the band themselves have plans in that regard. See the LTM website for full details. Those titles again are: various artists - Auteur Labels: Object Music (LTMCD 2527) Spherical Objcts - Past & Parcel/Elliptical Optimism (BOUCD 6614) Spherical Objcts - Further Ellipses/No Man's Land (BOUCD 6616) Noyes Brothers - Sheep From Goats 2xCD (BOUCD 6615) Needless to say these are all strongly recommended.Please note that this is a discography, not a sale list! Check the main page for a link to my vinyl trading site. I am looking for Grow Up's "Without Winds" LP and I.Q.Zero's "She's So Rare" single, so please get in touch if you have copies for sale. Send updates/scans/comments to: dmr.records@gmail.com I suggest trying ebay if you are looking to buy these records.
7" Discography
OM-1 Spherical Objects - The Kill / The Knot (10/1978) (PS) +lyric sheet Recorded & mixed at Arrow Sound Studios, Manchester, 10th July 1978, during the same one day the Past and Parcel LP was done. Both tracks by Steve Solamar. Fantastic cover artwork credited to Anon Entity & Malc Ontent and Amblyopic Images
lineup:
Steve Solamar - guitar & vocals
John Bisset-Smith - guitar
Duncan Prestbury - keyboards
Roger Hilton - drums
Fred Burrows - bass
OM-2 Passage - New Love Songs EP (12/1978) (PS) Recorded and mixed at Arrow Sound Studios, Manchester, 4.11.78 on the same day as OM-3 and OM-4.
side one:
Love Song (Dick Witts)
The Competition (Tony Friel)
side two:
Slit Machine (Dick Witts)
New Kind Of Love (Tony Friel)
OM-3 Steve Miro & The Eyes - Up And About / Smiling In Reverse (12/1978) (PS) Recorded and mixed at Arrow Sound Studios, Manchester, 4.11.78 on the same day as OM-2 and OM-4. The Eyes for this recording consisted of members of Spherical Objects Both tracks by Steve Miro
OM-4 Spherical Objects - Seventies Romance / Sweet Tooth (12/1978) (PS) Recorded and mixed at Arrow Sound Studios, Manchester, 4.11.78 on the same day as OM-2 and OM-3. Both tracks by Steve Solamar.
OM-5 Grow Up - Stay Away EP (1979) (PS) Recorded at Revolution Studio, 17.2.79 Both Grow Up tracks on the A Manchester Collection sampler LP (OBJ003) were recorded at the same session. All tracks by John Bisset-Smith.
side one:
Stay Awake / 10 Minutes / Photo
side two:
Lake / River / So Long
lineup:
Billy John MacDonald - drums
Steven Brown - bass
Richard Westwood - sax & clarinet
John Bisset-Smith - guitar & vocals
Steven Westwood - trombone
OM-6 Alternomen Unlimited - Facade EP (1979) (PS) Recorded 8.2.79
side one:
Facade
side two:
For Ever And Ever
Connections
The sleeve lists the B-side as "For Ever And Ever" only; the label lists
"Connections" only.
OM-7 Warriors - Martial Time / Martial Law (1979) Recorded 22.4.79 Produced by the Mighty Sol Fish
OM-8 Passage - About Time EP (10/1979) (PS) +insert Produced by David Cunningham & Passage
side one:
Taking My Time (Tony Friel)
Clock Paradox (Tony Friel)
side two:
Sixteen Hours (music: Dick Witts/lyrics: Witts & Friel)
Time Delay (Dick Witts)
lineup:
Tony Friel - bass guitar, guitar, vocals
Lorraine Hilton - roland organ, string machine
Dick Witts - drum kit, percussion, string machine, cello, vocals
OM-9 I.Q.Zero - Everybody Kills Insects EP (1979) (PS) All songs by Mick Duffy.
side one:
Insects
side two:
Electromotion
Quirky Pop Music
lineup:
Joe Duffy - bass & vocals
Mick Duffy - vocals & guitar
Gordon Holden - drums
Mick Potts - guitar & vocals
OM-10 Steve Miro & The Eyes - Dreams of Desire / Queens of the Sea (1979) Recorded 4.7.79
OM-11 Contact - Future/Past EP (1979) (PS)
side Future:
Fascinated By Time?
Constant Beat
side Past:
Nite Time
Someone Like You
OM-12 Grow Up - Joanne (1980) (PS) Recorded and mixed at Revolution, Cheadle Hulme, 10.4.80 Engineered by Phil Ault.
side one:
Joanne (John Bisset-Smith)
side two:
1a. Affirmation of Existance 1b. Reaffirmation of Existance 1c. Swept Away (Roger Blackburn)
2. GGGDADGADADAD (John Bisset-Smith)
lineup:
John Bisset-Smith - guitar and vocals
Roger Blackburn - bass and guitar
BJ McDonald - drums
Richard Westwood - sax
LP Discography
OBJ-1 Spherical Objects - Past and Parcel (6/1978) with lyric sheet remastered version with front cover sticker Recorded and mixed at Indigo/Arrow Sound Studio, Manchester, 10.7.78 The debut single "The Kill" was recorded during the same session. The band was unhappy with the mastering of the first pressing [1000 copies]. When a better mastering studio was found (first used for OBJ-1) and the first pressing of "Past and Parcel" had sold out, the album was remastered at this new studio and subsequent pressings are from this second, superior master. A sticker on the front cover identifies this second version. So it is not a remix, as previously reported, but a remaster. All songs by Steve Solamar.
side one:
Born To Pay
Situation Comedy
You Can Become
The Crystal Tree
If I Can Choose (Oh Babe)
Lover Flow
side two:
Drama Queen
The Face I Want To See
What Goes On
Past And Parcel
lineup:
Steve Solamar - vocals and guitar
John Bisset-Smith - guitar
Duncan Prestbury - keyboards
Frederick Burrows - bass
Roger Hilton - drums
OBJ-2 V/A - Indiscrete Music - Dubious Collaboration (1979) +insert Limited edition of 500 copies.
"A collage of improvisations full frequency claustrophobic sound."
24 untitled recordings from 1971-76 featuring Keith Davis, Martin Fruhstuk,
Chris Gribble, Steve Miro, Alan Robinson, Steve Solamar.
Salvaged at Graveyard Sounds, Prestwich, from rough tapes and cassettes.
OBJ-3 V/A - A Manchester Collection (1979)
Grow Up - 1.You Are The One 2.Night Rally
I.Q.Zero - 3.I'm In Love 4.I Must Obey
Fast Cars - 5.Why 6.What Can I Do?
Mediaters - 7.Monotony
Fireplace - 8.Fireplace 9.Dutchman //
Picture Chords - 10.First Floor 11.Levitating Ladies
Manchester Mekon - 12.The Cake Shop Device
Property Of... - 13. Property Of...
Vibrant Thigh - 14.Wooden Gangsters
F.T.Index - 15.Working On The Line
Slight Seconds - 16.Double Face 17.New Me
OBJ-4 Spherical Objects - Eliptical Optimism (1979) with inner sleeve Recorded and mixed at Pluto Studio, Manchester. Engineer Phil Ault. Produced by Spherical Objects, Phil Ault and Andy MacPherson.
side one:
1. Metropolis
2. Show Me
3. Comedians
4. Eliptical Optimism
5. Ten To Nine
6. Another Technique
side two:
7. I Should Have Left Him
8. It's So Good To Be Alive (Tonight)
9. Lying Again
10. I Don't Remember
11. Walk Away
12. Lucy
13. I Remember You
lineup:
Steve Solamar - vocals, guitar & harmonica
John Bisset-Smith - guitar & vocals
Duncan Prestbury - keyboards; lead vocal on "It's So Good To Be Alive"
Frederick Burrows - bass, trumpet & guitar
Roger Hilton - drums & percussion
OBJ-5 Grow Up - The Best Thing (1979)
side one:
1. Instrumental
2. The Best Thing
3. Missing
4. She's Always There
5. Dear Isobel
6. Do You Want To Dance
7. Her Song
side two:
8. Too Much Love
9. Spilt Tea
10. Autumn Movie
11. Golden Promises
12. No Mirror
13. The Peak
14. David
OBJ-6 V/A - Objectivity The Object Singles Album (1979) Compiles OM-1, OM-3, OM-4, OM-5 (A-side), OM-6 (A-side), OM-7 and OM-10. Both sides of OM-7 are spliced together into one track.
side one:
Spherical Objects - 1.The Kill 2.The Knot
Steve Miro & The Eyes - 3.Dreams Of Desire 4.Queen Of The Sea
Grow Up - 5.River 6.Stay Awake 7.10 Mins
Alternomen Unlimited - 8.Facade
side two:
Warriors - 9.Martial Time/Martial Law
Steve Miro - 10.Up And About 11.Smiling In Reverse
Spherical Objects - 12.Seventies Romance 13.Sweet Tooth
OBJ-7 V/A - The Waiting Room (1980)
side one:
Slight Seconds - 1. And... 2. Puppet On A String 3. Building Bridges
4. Where Were You? 5. Slight Seconds 6. Lost Love 7. Fallen (Again?)
8. Chameleon Lens 9. "Further Down The Line"
side two:
Mediaters - 1. Silent Battles 2. Ego Drift 3. Time's Your Own?
4. The Waiting Room 5. Mirror Image
Picture Chords - A Cause Des Voisins
Recorded and mixed at Cargo Studio November 1979
OBJ-8 Steve Miro & The Eyes - Rude Intrusions (1980) All compositions written by Steve Miro and arranged by The Eyes Recorded at Revolution Studio, Cheadle Hulme Engineered by Andy MacPherson and John Glude Produced by Andy MacPherson Front cover artwork by Terry Crossley
side one:
Choke It Back
Hammer And Tongs
An't You Got No Life
Making Money
Give Me Back My Dice
Shadow Screen
side two:
Gin Video
Breaking
Jeans For China
Good Looking Girl
It's A Long Way To Paris
Stuck For Words
lineup:
Steve Miro - guitars
Jimmy Carter - bass
Brian Martin - drums
Duncan Prestbury - keys
Lead vocals by Steve
Back vocals by everyone
guests:
Steve Solamar - harmonica
Frederick Burrows - trumpet
OBJ-9/10 Noyes Brothers - Sheep From Goats 2xLP (1980) foc The cover states "This is a limited edition". Subtitled "100 Minutes of Solamar/Miro". Recorded October 1979 to May 1980 at Graveyard Sounds, Prestwich, Manchester. Engineer: Stuart Pickering
side one:
Impending Doom
Away We Go
Repercussion
Bo Scat Um I.D.
Marlene
Night Sky Vision
Byte To Beat
side two:
Why Did It Fade
I Am You
On The Outside
Dream
Archetypal Memory
It Must Be Vibration
Pointless
The Mutant
Ingmar The Dog
Some Times
side three:
Outnuendo
Decision Time
Pnumonia Bridge
Resurrection In Chaos Minor
Do End New Out
side four:
It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time
credits:
Solamar - vocals, guitar, organ, synthesisers, bass, percussion, drums,
drum machine, harmonica, flute, cacophone, jawharp
Miro - vocals, guitar, organ, piano, synthesiser, bass, percussion, drums.
Jae Boyer - vocala on "Archetypal Memory", "It Must Be Vibration" and "Pointless"
OBJ-11 Passage - Pin Drop (11/1980) Recorded at Graveyard July 1980 Engineered by Stuart Pickering Produced by The Passage Songs & treatments by Dick Witts except "16 Hours" text by Tony Friel & Dick Witts
pin (side one):
Fear
Troops Out
Carnal
Watching You Dance
Hunt
Anderton's Hall
From The Heart
drop (side two):
Locust
2711
16 Hours
Carmen
A Certain Way To Go
Prelude
OBJ-12 Spherical Objects - Further Ellipses (1980) with inner sleeve Recorded and mixed at Revolution Studios. Engineered and produced by Andy MacPherson.
side one:
Regular Condition
Take A Chance
The Root
Don't Worry About Me
The Final Part
Buy It
side two:
Moving On The Run
Mama Tried
Places And Spaces
The Conductor
Set Free
OBJ-13 Tirez Tirez - Etudes (8/1980) with inner sleeve All Songs by Mikel Rouse Recorded and mixed at Downtown Sound, NYC, between April 2 and April 23, 1980 Produced by Tirez Tirez Tirez Tirez's manager brought the art work and master tapes to Steve Solamar.
side one:
Radiation Dance
Razorblade
A Summary
World War
Hair
side two:
I'll Be That
West Led The Diamond King
Strike
Vowels
Observation
lineup:
Mikel Rouse
Rob Shepperson
Jeff Burk
OBJ-14 V/A - Do The Maru (1981) Recorded at Graveyard.
side one:
Steve Solamar - Forewarned
41 Degrees - Just...My Crazy Mind
Roger Blackburn - In Memory
side two:
Noyes Bros. - Good Question
Notes:
Recorded and mixed at Graveyard Studios, Prestwich.
Engineer: Stuart Pickering.
OBJ-15 Steve Miro & The Eyes - Second Sentence (1981) with lyric sheet All titles by Steve Miro With thanks to Frederick Burrows Recorded, engineered and produced at Revolution Studios under the expert supervision and guidance of Andy MacPherson.
side one:
Gone Riding
Hit and Run
Something in a Nutshell
Mixed Opinions
Stories To Tell
side two:
Stand Inside The Light
Steps Up
Fire Away Son
Hiding It All Away
Mutiny
OBJ-16 Spherical Objects - No Man's Land (1981) Produced by Andy McPherson Recorded and mixed at Revolution Studio, Cheadle Hulme. Engineers: Andy McPherson, John Gluck, Phil Ault.
"Special thanks to everyone who has supported us. Bye"
side one:
One Way Out
Terminal Romance
Cruelest Twist
Jericho
Memories in Blue
side two:
Thirst
Don't Ask
Wipe
Resting Place
No Man's Land
lineup:
Steve Solamar - guitar & vocals
Roger Blackburn - guitars
Roger Hilton - drums
Mike Rabbit - guitar
Mike Zee - bass
Notes: • Alternomen Unlimited Steve Miro & Steve Solamar • Roger Blackburn • Contact Collaboration between Tony Friel (Fall, Passage, Teardrops) and Duncan Prestbury (Steve Miro & The Eyes, Spherical Objects, Future Primitives, Warriors). • 41 Degrees From Manchester. I recently acquired a copy of their LP and will supply more info here ASAP. lp Open Heart (own label 41-001, UK 1982)
• Grow Up
John Bisset-Smith (g/v), Richard Westwood (sax/clarinet), Steven Westwood (trombone),
Steve Brown (b), Billy John MacDonald (d)
Described by Paul Morley somewhere as "Beefheart for softies" (which sounds a bit like
a put down and really isn't very accurate!), the debut LP is fantastic and well worth
searching for.
Other releases:
lp Without Winds (Up Records GROW-1, 12/1981)
• I.Q.Zero
From Blackburn.
Mike Duffy (g/v), Paul Cronshaw (g), Joe Duffy (b), Gordon Holden (d)
Other releases:
7" She's So Rare / Crazy Dolls (Phoney-Gram SRTS/80/CUS-6, 1979) very hard to find
7" She's So Rare / Crazy Dolls (Logo GO 374, 1979) (PS)
• The Mediaters
Mark Wreghitt (v), Andy Burrows (g), Karl Drinkwater (sax), Brian Robertson (b), Philip Rathbone (d)
• Steve Miro & The Eyes
From Manchester.
Steve Miro (g/v), Duncan Prestbury (k), Jimmy Carter (b), Brian Martin (d)
with Delroy Smith (sax)
Other releases:
lp Trilemna (Glaze Recordings, 1984)
A contemporary, unrelated band called The Eyes recorded two singles for Raw Records:
7" - I Like It / Once Ain't Enough (Raw Records RAW16, 3/1978) (PS)
7" - Once Upon A Lifetime / Hello I Love You (Raw Records RAW29, 1978) (PS)
• Noyes Brothers
These 'noise' brothers were Steve Miro and Steve Solomar.
• Passage
From Manchester.
Tony Friel (v/g/b) (ex Fall), Lorraine Hilton (k), Dick Witts (d)
The Passage story is well documented on this excellent tribute website.
• Picture Chords
Paul Copp (v), Andy White (g), Peter Pojuner (synth/tapes), Andy Hannay (d)
• Slight Seconds
From Stockport.
Kevin Eden (g/v), Martin Shaw (b), Pete Hibbert (d)
• Spherical Objects
From Manchester.
Steve Solamar (g/v), John Bisset-Smith (g), Duncan Prestbury (k), Fred Burrows (b), Roger Hilton (d)
This Trouser Press entry completely misses the point.
• Tirez Tirez
A US band founded by Mikel Rouse. I don't know how their modest but enjoyable
debut LP came to be released on Object Music.
Tirez Tirez went on to release several records on Crepuscule and Primitive
Man/Rough Trade USA. Rouse also released material under his own name and as
Broken Consort among others. See www.trouserpress.com for details.
• Warriors
Steve Solamar (harmonica), T. Mack (g/b), Duncan Prestbury (organ, melodica), Roger Hilton (d).
Reggae instrumental.