Big Country special with Mark Brzezicki in conversation with David Eastaugh
Big Country comprised Stuart Adamson (formerly of Skids, vocals/guitar/keyboards), Bruce Watson (guitar/mandolin/sitar/vocals), Tony Butler (bass guitar/vocals) and Mark Brzezicki (drums/percussion/vocals). Before the recruitment of Butler and Brzezicki an early incarnation of Big Country was a five-piece band, featuring Peter Wishart (later of Runrig and now a Scottish National Party MP) on keyboards, his brother Alan on bass, and Clive Parker, drummer from Spizz Energi/Athletico Spizz '80. Parker had approached Adamson to join his new band after the demise of Skids.
Adamson auditioned Parker (1980) at The Members' rehearsal room in Ladbroke Grove, London and the next day was called on to play drums on demos for CBS Records at their Whitfield Street studios. The demos were produced by Adam Sieff and just featured Adamson, Parker and Watson. Adamson had asked bassist Dave Allen from Gang of Fourto join the band but he declined. Adamson asked Parker to join the band, which led to eight months of rehearsal in Dunfermline in a disused furniture warehouse.
The culmination was a concert at the Glen Pavilion at Dunfermline and an interview with BBC Radio Scotland where the CBS Studio demos were utilised. The band then played live with Alice Cooper's Special Forces tour for two concerts in 1982 at The Brighton Centre.
Butler and Brzezicki, working under the name 'Rhythm for Hire,' were brought in to play on "Harvest Home." They immediately hit it off with Adamson and Watson, who invited them to join the band.
The Sweetest Ache - Peter Stone
Blue Ash, Stiv Bators & Deadbeat Poets - Frank Secich
Squirrel Bait, Codeine & The Red Krayola - David Grubbs
Melys with Andrea Parker & Paul Adams
David Ford - Easyworld
Flux of Pink Indians with Colin Latter
Crazyhead with Kev Reverb
Henry Lowther - Keef Hartley
That Petrol Emotion - Raymond Gorman
Flesh for Lulu & Wasted Youth - Rocco Barker
Bam Bam - Scott Ledgerwood
Gavin Hogg & Hamish Ironside - We Peaked at Paper: An Oral History of British Zines
Jay Bergen - John Lennon
Helen O’Hara - Dexys Midnight Runners & Tanita Tikaram
The Cassandra Complex - Rodney Orpheus
Liquid Liquid - Sal Principato
David Palmer - Space, The Balcony & Moongoose
The Gymslips with Karen Yarnell
That Petrol Emotion with Steve Mack
Bow Wow Wow - Leigh Gorman
Join Podbean Ads Marketplace and connect with engaged listeners.
Advertise Today
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Irish Songs with Ken Murray
Immediately Kinfolk
Turned On
Resident by Hernan Cattaneo
Markus Schulz presents Global DJ Broadcast