CHINA CRISIS (New Wave/Synthpop)

Origin: Kirkby, Merseyside, UK
Years active: 1979–present
Genre(s): Alternative, Art rock, Post-Punk, New Wave, Synthpop

Members:
Gary Daly
Eddie Lundon
Gazza Johnson
Brian McNeil

Former members:
Dave Reilly
Walter Becker
Kevin Wilkinson

China Crisis are an English pop/rock group formed in 1979 in Kirkby, near Liverpool, Merseyside, UK with a core band of vocalist/keyboardist Gary Daly and guitarist Eddie Lundon. Their output was pop music similar in style to that of the new romantics, but with strong similarities to the post-punk movement of the early-1980s, namely inclusion of a broader range of musical influences and occasional flirtation with political commentary.

Throughout their career, China Crisis has seen moderate success in the United Kingdom, Western Europe, Australia and the Americas.

Sharing an affection for Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, and Brian Eno, Daly and Lundon had become burned out from playing with various Knowsley post-punk groups. Daly quit school and then spent much of his time indoors tinkering with synthesizers and a drum machine. Along with Lundon, Daly began writing songs using his high-tech toys. Feeling creatively stifled by the drum machine, the pair eventually asked percussionist Dave Reilly to join them, and in 1982 they released the single African & White as China Crisis on the independent label Inevitable.

Adding Gary "Gazza" Johnson and Kevin Wilkinson to the line-up, the band was signed to Virgin Records and recorded their debut album, Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, released in December 1982. A re-release of African & White became China Crisis' first hit in the U.K., reaching #45, and another single, Christian, made UK #12 in early 1983. The album peaked at #21.

A second album, Working With Fire & Steel : Possible Pop Songs - Volume 2 was released in November 1983. This was regarded as a more consistent effort, with standout tracks being 'Tragedy and Mystery' (released as a single six months earlier), 'Hanna Hanna' and the upbeat title track, Working With Fire & Steel, which became a hit single in Australia. The album was a Top 20 success in the UK, and China Crisis spent 1984-1985 making their biggest chart run, beginning with their first (and last) UK Top 10 hit single, Wishful Thinking, which peaked at #9.

Their third album, Flaunt The Imperfection, was produced by the sympathetic Walter Becker (of Steely Dan fame) and reached #9 in the UK charts in May 1985. The LP was previewed by the #14 UK hit single Black Man Ray, which also enjoyed international success. The follow-up, King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up) was also a Top 20 UK single (#19), but it would prove to be the band's last substantial hit. A third release from the album, You Did Cut Me, stalled at UK #54.

In 1986, the band returned with the lower-key What Price Paradise, the key tracks being Arizona Sky (the LP's first single release and another Australian hit), 'June Bride', 'The Understudy' and 'A Day's Work For the Dayo's Done'. A second single from the album, Best Kept Secret, made UK #36 in early 1987.

The band worked with Becker once more on 1989's Diary Of A Hollow Horse, which earned critical acclaim though little commercial success and spawned the singles 'St Saviour Square' and 'Red Letter Day'.

Sometimes misunderstood by critics, China Crisis distinguished themselves from their Liverpudlian contemporaries such as Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, The Teardrop Explodes, and Echo & The Bunnymen by digesting a cornucopia of musical genres, everything from jazz to progressive rock.[citation needed] Despite the stylistic deviations, China Crisis maintained their distinctive sound through a number of albums in the 1980s and 1990s.

Since 1992 there have been four compilation albums of their work for the UK and U.S. markets and three live DVDs.

On 17 July 1999 drummer Kevin Wilkinson committed suicide by hanging himself at the age of 41. Wilkinson had played with a wide variety of bands including The Waterboys, Fish, The Proclaimers, Squeeze and Howard Jones. In 2000 Daly contributed a track to a tribute compilation to Wilkinson, Green Indians.

China Crisis accumulated a body of work consisting of six studio albums and two live albums between 1982 and 1995. In the UK they achieved one Top 10 hit single, three further Top 20 singles and five other Top 50 singles. Their albums sold an estimated 2.5 million records in the process.[citation needed]

China Crisis toured the UK during January and February 2007 as part of their 25th anniversary.

Discography

Studio albums:
* Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun To Entertain V 2243, Virgin, UK - 1982 - UK #21
* Working with Fire and Steel - Possible Pop Songs Volume Two V 2286, Virgin, UK - 1983 - UK #20
* Flaunt the Imperfection V 2342, Virgin, UK - 1985 - UK #9
* What Price Paradise V 2410, Virgin, UK - 1986 - UK #63
* Diary of a Hollow Horse V 2567, Virgin, UK - 1989 - UK #58
* Warped By Success STALP1, Stardumb, UK - 1994

Live albums and compilations:
* Collection: The Very Best of China Crisis V 2613, Virgin, UK - 1990 - UK #32
* Diary: A Collection CD VVIPD 117, Virgin, UK - 1992
* Acoustically Yours (Live) TLG CD 005, Telegraph, UK - 1995
* Collection: The Very Best of China Crisis (US-Only Reissue) CD CAROL 1117-2, Caroline, US - 1997
* The Best of China Crisis CLP 0350-2, Purple Pyramid, US - 1998
* Wishful Thinking (Repackaged Acoustically Yours and Warped by Success) SMDCD 117, Snapper Music, UK - 1999
* Scrap Book Vol. 1 (Live at the Dominion Theatre) (Concert from 1985) CHVP101CD, Crisis, UK - 2002
* Diary: A Collection (Copy-protected reissue, changed album art) 7243 5 95404 2 1, EMI Gold, EU - 2003


Singles:
* "African and White" INEV 011, Inevitable, UK - 1981 UK #45
* "Scream Down at Me" VS 495, Virgin, UK - 1982
* "No More Blue Horizons" VS 521, Virgin, UK - 1982
* "Christian" VS 562, Virgin, UK - 1982 UK #12
* "Tragedy and Mystery" VS 587, Virgin, UK - 1983 UK #46
* "Working with Fire and Steel" VS 620, Virgin, UK - 1983 UK #48
* "Wishful Thinking" VS 647, Virgin, UK - 1983 UK #9
* "Hanna Hanna" VS 665, Virgin, UK - 1984 UK #44
* "Black Man Ray" VS 752, Virgin, UK - 1985 UK #14
* "Animalistic" 1985 VS1266DJ, Virgin, CAN Promo - 1985
* "King in a Catholic Style (Wake Up)" VS 765, Virgin, UK - 1985 UK #19
* "You Did Cut Me" VS 799, Virgin, UK - 1985 UK #54
* "The Highest High" VS 829, Virgin, UK - 1985 UK #82
* "Arizona Sky" VS 898, Virgin, UK - 1986 UK #47
* "Best Kept Secret" VS 926, Virgin, UK - 1987 UK #36
* "St. Saviour Square" VS 1168, Virgin, UK - 1989 UK #81
* "Red Letter Day" VS 1188, Virgin, UK - 1989 UK #84
* "African and White (The Steve Proctor remix)" VS 1197, Virgin, UK - 1990
* "Everyday the Same" 12STA001, Stardumb, UK - 1994
* "Black Man Ray (Live)" tlg cd 006, Telegraph, UK - 1996