Category: Desert Wolves

The Desert Wolves were Martin King (vocals, guitar), Nick Platten (lead guitar), David Platten (rhythm guitar), Richard Jones (bass guitar, trumpet) and Craig Wolf (drums).

The back of the second, and last, single, says:-

Here it is, the second vinyl helping from the Desert Wolves – just the thing to warm your romantic hearts after the dark and bitter winter.

“Speak to me, Rochelle” sees the Wolves on a Parisian faray among a jangle of Platten guitars and yearning vocals. Feel the heartache in every line. Don’t be so cruel when I adore you.

“Mexico” appears by popular request with Richard blowing a mean trumpet and the rest of the group coasting along down south of the border. Tasty.

Side Two opens with “Besotted” – one of my particular Desert Wolves favourites and a song close to my heart. Craig and Richard hold down a loping beat while the guitars battle it out with the late night lyric. Play it to the one who shares your chocolate cake.

“Speak to me, Rochelle” returns to bring the curtain down on this particular collection. Or perhaps you could plat it as an apertif before you flip the disc and start again.

Au Revoir,
Martin
x

The sleeve also reveals that the songs were recorded in December 1987 at Out of the Blue Studios, Manchester and that the producer was Marc Radcliffe who would go on to make a great name for himself as a radio/tv presenter and writer, while the engineer was Nick Garside who would later work with many other Manchester bands, most notably as engineer/producer with James and also Inspiral Carpets. Quality stuff all around.

mp3 : The Desert Wolves – Speak to me, Rochelle
mp3 : The Desert Wolves – Mexico
mp3 : The Desert Wolves – Besotted
mp3 : The Desert Wolves – La petit Rochelle

I also found this home made promo for the single which I featured yesterday:-

I think these past two days of posts do highlight that The Desert Wolves were one who slipped through the net, deserving of much more success and longevity than they achieved. I know there’s countless bands like that out there….if anybody wants to use this space to recall one of them, then feel free to fire over a guest posting. Or multiple guest postings if you’re so inclined.

JC

They were a band I knew nothing of until I came across this track on the C88 boxset:-

mp3 : The Desert Wolves – Love Scattered Lives

The accompanying booklet to the boxset advises that they were signed by local Manchester label Ugly Man and this was their 1997 debut, mixing up Bart Bacharach with the style of neighbours Morrissey and Marr. A four-track EP Speak to Me Rochelle was released the following year but that proved to the swansong.

Lover Scattered Lives is a genuinely excellent piece of music, remiscent in places of Lloyd Cole but there’s also a hint of the sound of Wild Swans/Care in the tune. It’s almost beyond belief to think that something as joyous and infectious as this sunk without trace, but I suppose it was one of those instances where the smallness of the record label meant the distribution of the 45 was limited.

I’ve gone digging and managed to unearth the two tracks which were on the 12″, which was in fact the only format it was commercially released on:-

mp3 : The Desert Wolves – Stopped In My Tracks
mp3 : The Desert Wolves – Desolation Sunday Morning

These too, are excellent tunes. The latter confirmed my inital views of Care/Wild Swans but with added poignant trumpet….and a hint of Edwyn-inspired vocal delivery. So much so, that I ended up doing extra digging and will bring you some more of this undeservedly short-lived group tomorrow.

JC