From the blurb in the Big Gold Dreams box set, from which today’s offering is lifted.
The 1980 debut single by Edinburgh five-piece The Delmontes was a groovy slice of sixties-inspired indie that pre-dated Stereolab‘s Pan-European exotica and mixed gender dynamics across a three-women/two-man line-up fronted by chief chanteuse Julie Hepburn. Guitarist Mike Berry, bassist Gordon Simpson, keyboardist Gillian Miller and drummer Bernice Campbell completed the line-up.
Tous Les Soirs and follow-up Don’t Cry Your Tears were released on Allan Campbell‘s unsung Rational label. Various flirtations between The Delmontes and assorted major labels bore little fruit, although a compilation, Carousel, was released on LTM Recordings in 2006. Campbell went on to be in The Pastels while more recently Berry could be spotted playing with former drummer of The Freeze, Neil Blackwood, and bass -playing theatre director Mark Thomson as The Bail Sheriffs.
mp3: The Delmontes – Tous Les Soirs
A rather fabulous three minutes of pop music that was one of my favourite discoveries right across the box set. I’d never heard of the band beforehand.
JC
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 