Genre: soul
Rating: 2 stars **
Title: This Way Upp
Company: Epic
Catalog: PE
34177
Year: 1976
Country/State: UK
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: minor ring wear; US pressing
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5458
Price: $15.00
If you try to find some information on this shortly lived UK quartet, about the only thing you're liable to discover is that the group had a relationship with guitarist Jeff Beck (he produced their first LP and played on both of their studio releases). There's also a good chance that the online material will be in Japanese ... I don't know why, but Beck and all of his side projects seem to have a massive Japanese following. The absence of additional information is kind of surprising given the members' extensive pre and post-Upp musical pedigrees.
Before forming Upp bassist Stephen Amazing and singer/keyboardist Andy Clark had previously been members of the progressive-oriented Hutchinson-Clark. Drummer Jim Copley had been with Spreadeagle.
Expanded to a quartet with the addition of lead guitarist David Bunce, the group's sophomore release "This Way Upp" was produced by Christopher Bond. Musically the set wasn't a major change in direction. Like the debut Clark and Copley penned material like 'Never Gonna Turn My Back On You', Dance Your Troubles Away', 'Groovin' Mood' and 'Get To the Bottom' offered up heavily orchestrated white-boy pseudo-funk numbers. Not a perfect comparison, but imagine Level 42 with more of a disco influence and you'd be in the right aural neighborhood. Easy to picture folks dancing to this in their mid-1970s leisure suites and Saturday Night Fever attire. Elsewhere the instrumental 'Nitto' showcased a jazzier, though no more original sound. Unlike the debut, this time out Beck's participation was limited to performances on a pair of tracks - 'Dance Your Troubles Away' and 'Don't Want Nothing To Change'. Not bad and it should certainly appeal to a certain category of fans., though it didn't do a great deal for me. Elsewhere there was at least two singles off the album. 'Dance Your Troubles Away' apparently never saw a US release, while I've never seen a stock copy of 'Never Gonna Turn My Back On You'.
- 1977's 'Dance Your Troubles Away' b/w 'I Don't Want Nothing' (Epic catalog number S EPC 4020) (English release)
- 1977's 'Never Gonna Turn My Back On You' b/w '' (Epic catalog number 8-50255)
The original UK release sported a different and less interesting cover:
"This
Way Upp" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Never Gonna Turn My Back On You (Andy Clark - James Copley - Fields) - 8:05
2.) Say Goodbye (Andy Clark - James Copley - Fields) - 5:00
3.) Nitto (instrumental) (Andy Clark - James Copley - Fields) - 3:50
(side
2)
1.) Dance Your Troubles Away (Andy Clark - James Copley -
Fields) - 3:40
2.) Don't Want Nothing To Change (Andy Clark - James Copley - Fields) - 3;25
3.) Groovin' Mood (Andy Clark - James Copley - Fields) - 3:20
4.) There's Still Hope (Andy Clark - James Copley - Fields) - 4:00
5.) Get To the Bottom (Andy Clark - James Copley - Fields) - 3:35
Unfortunately by 1977 their white funk sound had been overtaken by the public's embrace of punk and new wave. Shortly after the release of the second LP the band called it quits.
Clark reappeared as a member of Bill Nelson's Be Bop Deluxe.
Copley showed up in a number of bands including Go West and Tears for Fears.
Under the stage name Zak Starstosky Bunce reappeared as a member of Driving Sideways. He also got into producing commercial music and teaching guitar.