1980-F

In January's Buzz, the controversy over Piercy's review of How The West Was One raged on, as more readers write in, this time to defend him. As well as the review of the Rainbow gig, another Reader's Poll is published, with ATF sweeping the board. They were voted Most Appreciated Live Artist (followed by the Bill Mason Band), Best UK Album, with almost twice the number of votes as the nearest contender - Bryn Haworth's Keep The Ball Rolling, and 2nd place for Best Album Sleeve.

More significant perhaps, were the results of Melody Maker's poll, in which the band are voted 9th in the Brightest Hopes category.

The band conducted a quick club tour during February, in which punters were invited to wear fancy dress. By way of a thank-you, some fortunate punters were handed a free individually numbered white label 7" promo containing two more live tracks from the Rainbow gig.

The band made an internal switch of labels, from CBS to Epic, as the record company continued to experiment with the bands' marketing strategy.

They continued sessions in the studio with Tony Mansfield recording tracks for the third album. A test pressing of the new album was made at Tape One, with the following track listing:

side one
Starflight
High Fashion
Another World
Can You Face It?
Operator

side two
Love Will Always Make You Cry
1980-F
Satellite In Orbit
Who's Gonna Love You
Billy Billy
Starflight (reprise)

Also recorded is Every Mother's Son.

Presenting what they regard as a finished product to the record company, they are jolted when the company promptly rejects it as below standard. This caused considerable upheaval, and a planned single release for 11th April - an edit of Love Will Always Make You Cry - was cancelled, although a few copies did make it into some hands. Some copies of the album itself did leak out as a white label cassette, but the author possesses what may be the only existing acetate copy of the album in this form, pressed at Tape One.

To compound their problems further, things do not work out with Brotherwood either, and he leaves the band (subsequently training to become an Anglican minister.)

Their long time manager Jonathan Cooke took the opportunity to depart too, leaving the band without representation. By the end of April, the band was had no drummer, no management, a rejected album, and a planned tour due to begin in May having to be cancelled, including another visit to the Rainbow Theatre. They had completely ground to a halt.

first publicity photo with King

While another search was made for a new drummer and management, efforts were made in the studio to re-construct their third album. An Epic press release suggested that they auditioned almost 100 drummers in their search. They eventually enlisted ex-Fly's drummer Pete King, and the final ATF line up became:

Peter Banks (backing vocals, keyboards)
Andy Piercy (vocals, bass)
John Russell (guitar)
Pete King (drums)

Production for the new album is put in the hands of German producer Mack - known for his work with Queen and ELO, and the band began the task of re-building the album at London's Utopia studios. In re-making the album, Mack kept some of the backing tracks that had already been recorded (1980-F, Can You Face It?, Starflight, Billy Billy, It's High Fashion), and embellished them with extra instrumental and vocal texture. Two tracks (Love Will Always Make You Cry, and Who's Gonna Love You) were completely re-recorded. Three of the original songs were abandoned altogether (Another World, Operator, and Satellite In Orbit), as well as the reprise of Starflight, and three new ones added (Wild West Show, Why Can't We Be Friends?, and Joanne). One reel contains these three songs in addition to Help! and A Little Sun, A Little Rain, which suggests that the latter two songs had been considered for inclusion. After three weeks at Utopia, the album is finally finished. The final version of the album was as follows:

side one
1980-F
Love Will Always Make You Cry
Can You Face It?
Who's Gonna Love You (When Your Old And Fat And Ugly)?
Starflight

side two
Wild West Show
Billy, Billy
It's High Fashion
Why Can't We Be Friends?
Joanne

A hastily arranged gig, supported by Tour de Force, was planned for 31st May at the Fulcrum Centre in Slough, where King makes his debut with the band. He was very nervous about it, but is pleased the warm reception he is given. Speaking in the Friends magazine, he said:

"I would just like to give a special 'Thanks' to all the fans who came to my first gig with ATF and giving me such a warm welcome. I don't think I've ever been so scared to go on stage as I was then."

The gig is followed up by two more dates in June at Durham and Streatham.

King's debut gig at The Fulcrum

The management situation is also solved, when in August '80, they sign with Peter Brown and Harvey Goldsmith at AMP.

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