Blue Orchids

Biography

This experimental UK pop band was a spin-off from the Manchester-based indie mavericks the Fall. Una Baines (keyboards/vocals) and Martin Bramah (guitar/vocals) both found themselves outcasts from that band as the 80s dawned. They put together the Blue Orchids with Rick Goldstar (guitar), Steve Toyne (bass), and Joe Kin (drums), producing a sound that echoed the less esoteric moments of their former employer. Lyrics were usually spoken or half-sung, leaving a sinister and enticing set of songs that deserved a wider audience. These included their debut single, ‘The Flood’/‘Disney Boys’, after which Ian Rogers became the first in a succession of drumming replacements. After the follow-up, ‘Work’, the band embarked on a debut album. Toyne had left, leaving Bramah to fill in on bass, as their third drummer, ‘Toby’ (ex-Ed Banger And The Nosebleeds), came into the line-up. The Greatest Hit (Money Mountain), released in 1981, was...

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