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:''For the strait between Sweden and Denmark, see Oresund.''
'The Sound' was a British post-punk band fronted by Adrian Borland, which evolved from his previous band, The Outsiders. Their career spanned 1978 to 1987. They were labelmates of fellow literate, intense post-punk groups such as Echo & the Bunnymen and The Chameleons. They shared stages with bands such as The Bunnymen, The Au Pairs, Comsat Angels, Felt, Medium Medium, U2, Public Image Ltd., U.K. Subs, Eyeless In Gaza, The Stranglers, China Crisis, Fiat Lux, The Cardiacs, Shriekback, Aztec Camera, and The Jazz Butcher. (See gig list link at bottom.)

Contents

Band history

Legacy

Discography

Albums

EPs, Singles

Compilation albums, Live albums

See Also

External links

Band history

After The Outsiders were threatened with a lawsuit by an earlier band of the same name, they morphed into a lineup and were rechristened The Sound in 1979. The Sound consisted of: Adrian Borland (vocals, guitar), Benita "Bi" Marshall (keyboards, saxophone, clarinet), Graham Bailey (bass guitar), and Mike Dudley (drums). The band signed to Warner Bros.' post-punk imprint Korova Records after issuing an indie EP titled ''Physical World'' on their manager's label. Colvin "Max" Mayers replaced Marshall on keyboards in 1981.
Borland's brooding lyrics generally consisted of existential ruminations (e.g., "Counting The Days," "Sense Of Purpose," "Longest Days") and reflections on man's tendency towards self-destruction (e.g., "Fatal Flaw," "Missiles," "New Dark Age," "Skeletons"). They found the majority of their fame in the U.K. and Holland, rarely touring in the U.S. They recorded several Peel sessions and performed the single "Sense Of Purpose" on the TV show Old Grey Whistle Test (circa 1981). Lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Borland had a nervous breakdown onstage during the first date of The Sound's 1987 tour, causing the cancellation of the tour; this was the group's last-ever live performance. The band quickly dissolved, and Green moved to New Orleans, LA, where he still resides. Max Mayers died in 1993.
Following the disbanding of The Sound, Borland had a solo career for approximately a decade, and helmed the bands White Rose Transmission and the irreverent Honolulu Mountain Daffodils (in which he gave himself the humorous alias Joachim Pimento). Never able to conquer depression, Borland committed suicide on April 26th, 1999, on train tracks. (In the 1981 Sound song "Sense Of Purpose," he had sung, "I'll take my life... into my own hands/ I'm the one that I will blame.")

Legacy

Shortly after his death, The Sound's back catalogue was remastered and reissued by Renascent Records, a label which was originally founded to perform solely that task. (''Thunder Up'' is the band's only studio album to not see reissue.) In June 2006, members of notable British bands held a concert called "The Sound Of Adrian Borland;" various guest singers who had been close friends with Borland (such as Mark Burgess of The Chameleons) filled in on vocals. Also in 2006, "I Can't Escape Myself" was given an ironically-cheery bossa nova remake (retitled "Escape Myself") by the band Nouvelle Vague.
There is a biography (published in both English and Dutch editions) of Borland/ The Sound, entitled ''(The Book Of) Happy Memories''. In 2001, a tribute album titled ''In Passing - A Tribute To Adrian Borland And The Sound'' was released. Another tribute album is forthcoming in 2007, titled ''There Must Be A Hole In Your Memory''.

Discography

Albums

★ ''Jeopardy'' (Korova, 1980)

★ ''From the Lion's Mouth'' (Korova, 1981)

★ ''All Fall Down'' (Warner Bros. [WEA], 1982)

★ ''Heads And Hearts'' (Statik, 1985)

★ ''Thunder Up'' (Play It Again Sam [a.k.a. PIAS]/ Nettwerk, 1987)

EPs, Singles

★ ''Physical World'' (Torch, 1979)

★ "Heyday" (b/w "Brute Force") 7" (Korova, 1980)

★ ''Live Instinct'' EP (Korova [Holland only], 1981)

★ "Sense Of Purpose" 7"/12" (b/w "Point Of No Return," "Coldbeat") (Korova, 1981)

★ "Hothouse" (b/w "New Dark Age" [live in Holland]) 7" (Korova, 1982)

★ "Counting The Days" (b/w "Dreams Then Plans") 7" (Statik, 1984)

★ "One Thousand Reasons" 7"/12" (b/w "Blood And Poison," "Steel Your Air") (Statik, 1984)

★ ''Shock Of Daylight'' EP (A&M [U.S.]/ Statik, 1984) (contained on the CD reissue of ''Heads And Hearts'')

★ "Temperature Drop" (b/w "Oiled") 7" (Statik, 1985)

★ "Under You" (b/w "Total Recall") 7" (Statik, 1986)

★ "Hand Of Love" 7/12" (b/w "Fall Of Europe," "Such A Difference") (Play It Again Sam, 1987)

★ "Iron Years" 7"/12" (b/w "Fall Of Europe," "I Give You Pain (live)") (Play It Again Sam, 1987)

Compilation albums, Live albums

★ ''Counting The Days'' CD (Statik, 1986; best-of compilation)

★ ''In The Hothouse'' 2xLP (Statik, 1986; live at The Marquee in London, Aug. 27&28, 1985) (reissued twice, each time on 1 CD)

★ ''Propaganda'' CD (Renascent, 1999; 1979 studio session)

★ ''The BBC Recordings'' 2xCD (Renascent, 2004; live 1980-85)

★ ''Dutch Radio Recordings'' (''Vols. 1 - 5'') (live 1980-85) (2006, Renascent)

See Also

★ Stan Getz

★ Kevin Hewick

External links

★ Renascent label website

★ Brittle Heaven, the official website of Adrian Borland and The Sound

★ Gig list

★ 1984 ''Shock Of Daylight'' press release (.jpg)

★ Trouser Press entry

★ View the "The Sound Of Adrian Borland" tribute concert