THIS is the Age Of Chance:
…born in Leeds. Mid-eighties.
Original line-up:
Steven
E (mob-orator)
Geoff T (all nite bass frequencies)
Neil H (power-noise generator)
Jan P (beat dominator)
Years ahead of their time musically... creators of 'Sonic-Metal-Disco'- a collision of punk, rap, dance, industrial-rock, hip-hop & pop:
“It’s the inner-city: the space between the industrial estates & leading out to the suburbs with shops & computer buildings in the middle. We just want to, perhaps unconsciously, capture that sound, of driving through cities, past factories with this echoing row”.
Musical influences:
Tamla Motown, The Funky Four, Northern Soul, The Pop Group, Suicide.
2 self-funded
singles (Motorcity & Bible Of The Beats)
followed by a deal with Sheffield’s Fon Records.
In 1986 their outstanding cover version of Prince’s Kiss
explodes at the top of the UK indie charts.
“Prince’s version is just the sound of cocktail glasses tinkling & wine bar small talk. We wanted to make a dance sound that represented iron foundries, civil unrest & motorway fatalities.”
Grinding, stabbing guitars, pounding drums, a feedback solo & Steven’s rusty larynx. “SING IT KIDS!!!”…
The Designers Republic provide an ultra-strong graphic indentity to the band's record sleeves.
On stage: raucous & relentless. A whole set in 30 minutes flat!
Cycling gear as a fashion statement (???)…
Crush Collision is released. Their mini-LP showcases another distorted cover version (The Trampps’ ‘Disco Inferno’), Kiss + 4 original songs.
Major deal
offers from big-time record labels. Age Of Chance sign up with Virgin Records
in early ’87.
They record their first single for Virgin, ‘Who’s
Afraid Of The Big Bad Noise!’... A collaboration with DJ Power-Cut,
who scratches chunks of Van Halen, The Clash & Luther Vandross into the
mix.
“If you don’t like to dance, you don’t like to live”…
‘1000 Years Of Trouble’ LP is recorded. Age Of Chance (including DJ Power-Cut) showcase the new songs on a national tour.
The next single
‘Don’t Get Mad… Get Even!’ is
used during Channel 4’s American Football coverage. A brilliant set of
remixes pushes the song to number 5 in the US Dance Chart.
Late ’87: ‘1000 Years Of Trouble’ is
unleashed.
“There’s
a BEAUTIFUL NOISE coming up from the street
A Demolition rhythm and a CRUSH-go-BEAT…”
A third single is released. The ‘Take It!’ twelve inch features a remix by Public Enemy.
Work starts on the next album. Steven Elvidge decides to leave the band. He sets up his Mad Love project (which eventually fizzles out).
The remaining members have an album recorded & mixed but no one to sing on it. The search is on…
Charles Hutchinson joins the band in January 1989. Steven’s vocals are replaced with Charlie’s velvet smooth tones.
New voice, new sound:
“…Charlie’s voice is great. It’s taken our songs to another plane. It means we can leave more room for him when we write. The songs aren’t so cluttered…”
Goodbye to The Designers Republic. '3a' take over sleeve design duties...
Age
Of Chance release a new single ‘Time’s Up’.
Pop / rock is the order of the day...
The second, ‘Higher Than Heaven’, is voted
‘record of the week’ by Radio 1’s breakfast show listeners.
It narrowly misses entering the UK Top 40 chart.
The new LP, ‘Mecca’, is released. Thrashing guitars & break-neck beats are toned down with synth string washes, sequencer lines & Charlie’s soulful vocals. Only the opening track, ‘4 More Years’, hints at the sound of earlier recordings.
The band remix ‘Playing With Fire’ as the third single to be released from ‘Mecca’...
Age Of Chance are dropped by Virgin. Charlie bows out, leaving remaining members to soldier on as a three-piece.
The band record two great dance tracks (featuring Jan on vocals). ‘Slow Motion Riot’ & ‘She Is Filled With Secrets’ are put out as white-label promos. They get rave reviews but don’t receive a full commercial release.
August 1992. The Age Of Chance finally comes to an end:
“…our last show was a rave in Roundhey Park. It was a good way to finish.”
