ATF at the suagr shack
bright lights
In early Feb, ATF announced a few dates to try out new material, before leaving for Germany to record a new album in Munich (which was scheduled for release later in the year.) The dates confirmed started at Sussex University in Brighton on 11th Feb, and finished at Wakefield's Unity Hall on 1st March. Also Banks was putting down 8 track demos for use in the forthcoming album, including some vocals from Judy Piercy which were destined to be flown-in to Space Walking.
In March, the band flew out to Munich to record the new album, again with producer Mack . They had been due to go earlier in March, but were persuaded by ELO to postpone the use of the studio for a couple weeks while they finished recording, for which ELO were very grateful. For the first time since signing with CBS, they had been given the opportunity to record an album properly, from the beginning, in one studio, with one producer.
Flying out from Heathrow, the band arrived in Munich on 21st April, and retired to the hotel to clean up, before venturing down to the Sugar Shack - a club venue that they would become more than familiar with during their stay in Germany.
ATF at the suagr shack
The following day, Banks, King and Russell spent the day rowing on a local lake, before soundchecking between 6:30-8pm. After eating at the Café D'Accord, they arrived again at the the Sugar Shack about midnight to play a late-night set. They got a good reception, and earned one encore. Producer Mack met up with them afterwards, and they were joined by the venue's manger Klaus who was 'over the moon' with the gig, and provided lots of Champagne and drink - "The ice has broken" , as Banks would later write in his diary.
They slept much of the next day, before sound-checking at 6:30pm, and another meal at Café D'Accord. They played a second night at the Sugar Shack, with Mack watching the whole set, plus two encores. He was very happy with the set, including the mix. Klaus took them all out after to the market in the city centre where they literally spent all night sampling food and drink at the different stalls, not returning to bed until 8:30am. After only four hours sleep, Klaus took them away again to Welberg, and south to see the mountains. They took a cable car up one, then climbed the last bit to the summit.
The 25th involved a train journey up to Hamburg for an important club-gig the next day at Frabrique, with CBS in attendance. They relaxed during the day on the 26th, but in the evening, there were problems with the lighting and the sound-check was time-consuming. Nevertheless, the show went well ( "absolutely amazing" , according to Banks), and the label took them out to eat afterwards.
The next day, Monday, they caught the train back to Munich at 2:30pm ( "Long and tiring" ). After freshening up at the hotel, they did their usual routine at Ludwig's and the Sugar Shack.
On Tuesday, 28th March, they began working in the studio on their 'third' album.
The first task was start on the backing vocals, and to transfer the 8-track recordings that had been prepared before they flew out, though on the first day in the studio, the tape machine broke-down. On the Wednesday, they recorded more backing vocals and tackled some solo parts in Sometimes, which were completed the next day, after which lead vocals began and continued into the weekend. Piercy was working on his main vocals during the Sunday, assisted by Banks. The other two had gone off to see a Whitesnake gig in the evening, but they all met up again as usual in Ludwig's, then the Sugar Shack - where Banks reported bumping into John Lord in the toilet.
On Monday, 4th May, Banks' Jupiter 8 arrived at the studio and he spent the day doing mostly keyboard overdubs. He also worked on a new version of Little Bit Me, Little Bit You using the Arpeggiator. The next day Banks continued the overdubs with the Jupiter 8 working his way through the tapes, and "got loads done!". Wednesday was spent mostly on lead vocals, and Thursday on backing vocals, and guitar & drum overdubs, which continued into the weekend. On Saturday, 9th May, after a few more 'bits' had been done, they finished recording.
The next day, Sunday 10th, they began the task of mixing, and finished Sometimes, Sailing Ship, and Stuck In Paris. Mixing continued on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, Space Walking and The Stranger were mixed and the sequence combined. On Friday, they worked on Carry Me Home in the morning, and completed the final mix of it in the evening.
Saturday, 16th was spent copying and sequencing tracks, until the master tapes were complete, and the new album was ready. Manager Peter Brown arrived at the studio to break out some celebration drinks, and to hear the finished tapes. Everyone was happy with the results. Writing in the Friends magazine soon after, Russell spoke of the finished album thus:
"We feel we've captured the spirit of ATF in a way never quite achieved before."
Certainly the resulting album was the most mature to date, and definately the most cohesive. The album sounded 'whole'. It had a consistant sound that bound the songs together, and it displayed evidence of the shift away from the new wave influences and back towards the their rock origins with a much greater use use of musical textures. It was a more analogue record, with piano and acoustic guitar, and ambient sections. The final form of the album was as follows:
side one
Short Change
Frozen Rivers
Sometimes
Sailing Ship
I Don't Understand Your Love
The Stranger
side two
Rich Boys
Carry Me Home
Dancing In The Shadows
Space Walking
Gina
Stuck In Paris (Nowhere To Go)
Bright Lights
And one other track recorded that would see the light of day was Nobody Else But You.
With the studio work done, they immediately drove to Hamburg on the Sunday, for a gig the following day, which Banks rated as "superb".
The next day, Tuesday, they flew home to the UK and had a day off on Wednesday. On Thursday, 21st May, they attended the premierre of comedian Billy Connolly's show in London, where they were to be seen mixing with B. A. Robertson, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon, and others. On the Friday, they had to fly out again, this time to Rotterdam for a gig there on Saturday, and where they also met up with about 40 of the Friends fan club, who had travelled out especially for the Rotterdam festival gig at the Ahoy. There were several acts on during the day, including Billy Preston. ATF came on to briefly soundcheck then about 4pm, in front of about 3000 punters, they performed their set, including Sailing Ship with vocals, which surprised many fans. They finished in less than an hour, and as the event was running late were not allowed an encore. After the show, the Friends met up with the band at an Indonisian restaurant that Banks had sought out the day before, and enjoyed a meal whilst they sang 'happy birthday' to Piercy.
They crossed into Germany on the Sunday for another gig, which proved disappointing with a low attendance. On Monday they drove down to Frankfurt for a board meeting with CBS Frankfurt on Tuesday where they sat around a table as the CBS people listened to the album. Later, they went round the town for photos. The next day they had a gig in a venue full of trams, buses, cars and aircraft, with CBS in attendance, where they perform two sets which went well.
The next day they drove to Hannover for another gig which was particularly well according to Banks: "Absolutely amazing, 350 leaping people!"
The German tour continued into DDR with a show in Berlin on Friday 29th, after a radio interview for the BFBS. On Saturday, they drove on to Breman for a gig in the foyer of the Civic Offices. Then they had another 378 mile drive to Zeebruge through an electrical storm for an evening ferry back to the UK where there a few more dates to fulfil.
Capitalising on thier growing popularity on the continent, a single was released in Germany and Holland: 1980-f b/w Joanne. This instrumental track had quickly proved popular with TV and radio, and was often used as background music for links, etc. Already the BBC had used it for TV programming link items, and it had been used by a Dutch radio station, and became the theme tune to Thomas Gottschaltz' German TV show Na Sowas, becoming familiar to a generation of German viewers. In fact it became one of the top thirty selling singles in Germany for a period of five years following it's release there.
At the end of June, dates for the Summer Hop tour with Q-Tips were announced. Also called the Bucket and Spade Tour, it would take place in British ballrooms. Presented by Harvey Goldsmith in association with Radio Luxembourg, the double header shows also featured DJ Stuart Henry who provided a special disco between live acts. The gigs were expected to feature 'star events and surprises'.
Epic A 1378
In the UK, the single Dancing In The Shadows was released on 3rd July 81 as a 7" only. Art work for a picture sleeve was prepared, featuring a Lighthouse graphic, but not used. The single topped the Capital Radio Hit Line. Also in July, release of the new album, titled Batteries Not Included is announced for September 4th.
Another big change took place as the decision was made to officailly shorten their name to ATF, though in practise this did not too rigid a decision.
In mid July, the London venue for the Summer Hop tour was announced as the big Top in Battersea Park on 11th August, with a matinee for youngsters, and evening shows. The Scunthorpe Tiffany's show was cancelled because Q-Tips were appearing with Thin Lizzy at the Milton Keynes Bowl. ATF's new album was now due in September. At the end of the month, adverts for the Summer Hop tour with the dates appeared, featuring the Lighthouse graphic.
Also in July, Q-Tips parted company with Chrysalis Records, despite the success of thier hit Stay The Way You Are. The Summer Hop tour, therefore, took place while Q-tips were between record companies, and without a deal as such, though one was being negotiated. The London venue was changed to the Rainbow.
The Summer Hop started as planned, but only reached Plymouth before being cancelled, due to illness of Paul Young. All subsequent dates were cancelled with the reasons cited as "general illness in the band, you know the sort of thing" , also, "setting up and sorting out a new recording deal." It was hoped to reschedule the London date for September.
