Chris Thomson

The jangle pop sound of Scotland’s Postcard label might have been the predominate influence in the country’s underground music artists in the first ’80s, but Chris Thomson (vocals, tempo guitar) defied the trend but still continues to check out his own artistic calling. Originally an associate from the punk group the Craniums, Thomson produced Friends Once again in 1982 with Adam Offer (lead electric guitar, vocals), Neil Cunningham (bass), Paul McGeechan (keyboards), and Stuart Kerr (drums). Rather than emulating the Postcard method, Friends Once again courageously bared their funk and nation affects, and Thomson was frequently in comparison to David Bowie. The music group was authorized to CBS Information, and in 1984 they released their debut LP, Trapped and Unwrapped. Nevertheless, the album had not been successful, so when Offer departed from Close friends Again that calendar year, the group split. Thomson then produced the Bathers, documenting the LP Uncommon Areas to Die in 1987. Darker and moodier than Close friends Once again, the Bathers shown Thomson’s uncompromisingly unbiased eyesight; exchanging his Bowie-esque vocals for the Tom Waits-like growl, Thomson’s use the Bathers gained him the most significant acclaim he’d ever obtained. In 1990 the Bathers released Special Deceit on Isle Information to glowing testimonials. But Special Deceit, like Uncommon Areas to Die, was a industrial dud; rather than dropping the music group, Island Information asked Thomson to collaborate with guitarist Neil Clarke and drummer Stephen Irvine, previously of Lloyd Cole & the Commotions. Naming themselves Bloomsday, they documented Fortuny. The record received little interest in the U.K. press, and far of it had been negative. Sense indifferent to Bloomsday’s even more rock-oriented strategy, Thomson returned towards the Bathers. In 1993, the Bathers had been offered a agreement with the German label Marina Information. Marina Information released three Bathers albums — Lagoon Blues, Sunpowder, and Kelvingrove Baby — prior to the group agreed upon with Wrasse Information in 1999, documenting the record Pandemonia.