It’s a four-for-one deal today.
The alphabetical rundown has reached The Wake. They’ve been on the blog a couple of times before, but here’s a reminder of the potted and far from complete history.
They were formed in Glasgow in 1981 by Gerard McInulty (aka Caesar), on guitar and vocals, Steven Allen on drums and Joe Donnelly as bassist. Previously Caesar had played with Altered Images, and was responsible for the superb Dead Pop Stars, but he left prior to the band enjoying chart success with Happy Birthday.
The Wake released their first single on their own Scan 45 label, coupling together “On Our Honeymoon” and “Give Up”. This single eventually caught the attention of Rob Gretton, who helped the band sign to Factory Records in 1982 by which time Bobby Gillespie had replaced Donnelly on bass and Carolyn Allen (the drummer’s sister) had joined to play keyboards.
The album Harmony appeared in 1982, followed by a number of singles in ’83 and ’84. The band toured with New Order in 1983, shortly after which Gillespie was asked to leave in 1983.
It is reckoned by most observers that The Wake’s best recordings came towards the end of their time with Factory, and in particular the album Here Comes Everybody (1985) and then a 4-track EP, Something That No One Else Could Bring (1987).
Copies of that quite excellent EP, which has a catalogue number of FAC 178, are very few and far between on the second-hand market, and as such the asking price has now reached £100. I’ve not got a copy, but I do have all four tracks in digital form:-
mp3: The Wake – Gruesome Castle
mp3: The Wake – Pale Spectre
mp3: The Wake – Furious Sea
mp3: The Wake – Plastic Flowers
In 1988, disillusioned with the lack of proper promotion and indeed apathy from Factory Records, The Wake left the label and signed to Sarah Records, for whom they released two singles and two LPs, the last being 1994’s Tidal Wave of Hype. When Sarah shut down in 1995, The Wake effectively dissolved.
Fast-forward to 2009. The Wake reformed as a two-piece consisting of McInulty and Carolyn Allen and recorded a new album, A Light Far Out, but it wasn’t released till April 2012 on LTM Records In July 2013. Later in the year, The Wake performed at the Indietracks Festival.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
Excellent article, thank you
Thanks JC. Their albums are about to be re- issued again I think.
I saw The Wake perform a solid set at Ayr Pavilion supporting New Order in April 1983. That live set at Ayr was recorded and ended up being released as part of The Wake’s “Assembly” CD (LTMCD 2334) alongside BBC sessions and some Sarah singles..
There really is a mine of information leafing through this blog. Great responses.
You know, I never had the faintest idea they were Scottish! As JC has said before, further evidence of the limited transmission of music scene info between the two major cities in the same country barely 40 miles apart!