The Times (band)

Not to be confused with The Times showband.

The Times
The Times, circa 1983. From L to R, John East, Simon Smith and Ed Ball. Photo by Ray Kent
Background information
Origin	West London
Genres	Post punk, Indie
Years active	1980–present
Labels	Whaam! Records
Associated acts	Teenage Filmstars 'O' Level Television Personalities The Love Corporation
Website	www.myspace.com/thetimeslondon
Members
Ed Ball
Past members
John East Dan Treacy Alan McGee Ray Kent Dick Green Paul Damian Paul Heeren Simon Smith Misty Woods

The Times are a British, 1980s-90s, independent band, the brainchild of Ed Ball, co-founder member of the Television Personalities, Teenage Filmstars and 'O' Level.

Whaam! Records 1981-1982

After releasing a string of 7" singles variously as O'Level ("We Love Malcolm", 1978), The Television Personalities ("Part-Time Punks", 1978), Teenage Filmstars ("There's A Cloud Over Liverpool", 1979, "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape", 1980), that culminated with the debut Television Personalities album "And Don't The Kids Just Love It" (1980) on Rough Trade Records, Edward Ball and Daniel Treacy opted for even more artistic control by setting up their own label, WHAAM! Records.

At the same time, recorded as a proposed Teenage Filmstars' debut LP. Ball's 1980 collection of songs was completed as "Go! With The Times", from which the first Times single "Red With Purple Flashes" (1981) was released on Whaam! This was followed by "Pop Goes Art!" (1982), released in individually hand-painted sleeves that executed the band's Pop Art visions.

ArTpOp! Records 1982-1986

On leaving the Television Personalities, and consequently Whaam!, Ball immediately launched the ARTPOP! label with the Times' second single "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape!" (September 1982). This was accompanied by humorous tongue in cheek video based on "The Prisoner" T.V. series that starred Patrick McGoohan. Ball's songwriting took a more serious turn with "This Is London" (1983). Songs like "Goodbye Piccadilly", "If Only", and the title track, match the bleakness and despair of Joy Division, the cutting sarcasm of The Jam. After the experimental electronics of "Hello Europe" (1984), Ball fulfilled a long-time ambition to stage Joe Orton's screenplay for the Beatles "Up Against It" at a West London theatre with Tony Conway from Mood Six. This culminated with the Times' fifth album "Up Against It" (1985). Fancying themselves as pirate televisionaries, the Times proceeded by decimating in fiction, within the parameters of songwriting, every symbol of western civilisation with their final ARTPOP! album "Enjoy".

Creation Records 1988-1999

Given the opportunity by Alan McGee to continue recording his skewed visions as The Times, Edward Ball released "Beat Torture" (1988). "E For Edward" (1989) and "Et Dieu Créa La Femme" (1990), recalls his various abilities to humourise fads and trends ("Manchester", "Aurore Boreale"), register sadness and loss ("No Love On Haight Street", "All Your Life") and generally capture the enveloping drug culture that pervaded the label. "Pure" (1991), which contains a 12-minute version of "Blue Monday" in French ("Lundi Bleu"), sees Ball plunging into his own psyche to create an undisciplined record. Cited by some as the most psychedelic record of the 90s, it reveals the male aspects of group culture ("From Chelsea Green To Brighton Beach") and female distortions and rants ("Another Star In Heaven"), including a performance by Ball's Mum. "Alternative Commercial Crossover" (1993) suggests he is still susceptible to the psychedelics - his combining of James Joyce with Raggamuffin culture ("Finnegan's Break") is a hit-and-miss affair. The album's strength lies in Ball's melodic and sensitive delivery ("All I Want is You to Care", "Sorry I've Written A Melody") that signposts his destiny as a solo artist. "Sad But True" (1997) and "Pirate Playlist 66" (1999) function as secondary tiers to Edward Ball's solo output.

Discography

Studio albums

• Go! With The Times (November 1980)
• Pop Goes Art! (January 1982)
• This Is London (May 1983)
• I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape (November 1983)
• Hello Europe (September 1984)
• Blue Period (March 1985)
• Up Against It (January 1986)
• Enjoy The Times (December 1986)
• Beat Torture (November 1988)
• E For Edward (October 1989)
• Et Dieu Créa La Femme (August 1990)
• Pure (August 1990)
• The Times At The Astradome (April 1992)
• Alternative Commercial Crossover (April 1993)
• Sad But True (March 1997)
• Pirate Playlist (December 1999)

Compilations

• 1. Pink Ball Brown Ball Ed Ball - July 1991
• 2. Welcome To The Wonderful World of Ed Ball - March 1995
• 3. Here's To Old England! - October 2005

Singles & EPs

Red With Purple Flashes

Red With Purple Flashes / Biff! Bang! Pow!

7" Whaam! (WHAAM 002) May 1981

Here Comes The Holidays

Here Comes The Holidays (Voici Les Vacances) / Three Cheers For The Sun

(A-side credited to Joni Dee Featuring The Times)

7" Artpop! (POP 50) June 1982

I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape

I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape / Theme from 'Danger Man'

7" Artpop! (POP 49) September 1982

Boys Brigade

Boys Brigade / Power Is Forever

7" Artpop! (POP 46) 1984

Blue Fire

Blue Fire / Where The Blue Begins

7" Artpop! (POP 45) 1984

Boys About Town EP

David Jones (Is On His Way) / Victim 1960 / Up Against It / Song For Joe Orton

12" Artpop! (POP 43DOZ) 1985

London Boys

London Boys / (Where To Go) When The Sun Goes Down

7" Unicorn (PHZ 1) 1986

Times TV

Times TV / Trailer From "Enjoy"

7" Fire Records (BLAZE 16S) 1986

Times TV / Trailer From "Enjoy" / The Polite Force / El Aragua / Pick It Up

12" Fire Records (BLAZE 16T) 1986

Manchester

Manchester / Love And Truth

7" Creation Records (CRE071) Jan 1990

Manchester / DaDa Won't Buy Me A Bauhaus / Manchester (extended)

12" Creation Records (CRE071T) Jan 1990

Manchester / Manchester (extended) / Ulysses / Shoom!

CD Creation Records (CRESCD71) Jan 1990

The Mods Are Back!

The Times 'Extase' / Biff Bang Pow 'Sleep'

Split 7" Caff Corporation (Caff 13) 1990

Lundi Bleu

Lundi Bleu / Lundi Bleu (Instrumental)

7" Creation Records (CRE114) 1992

Lundi Bleu (Praise The Lord Mix) / Lundi Bleu (The Grid's World Communication Mix) / Lundi Bleu ('Smiling' Remix)

12" Creation Records (CRE114T) 1992

Lundi Bleu (Radio Edit (4:01) / Lundi Bleu (Praise The Lord Mix) / Remix (The Grid) / Lundi Bleu (The Grid's World Communication Mix) / Lundi Bleu ('Smiling' Remix) / Lundi Bleu (Brazilian Vocal Edit) / Lundi Bleu (Japanese Vocal Edit) / Lundi Bleu (German Vocal Edit) / Lundi Bleu (Spanish Vocal Edit)

CD Creation Records (CRESCD114) 1992

Finnegan's Break Finnegan's Break / Heartbroken Lost In Blue

7" Creation Records (CRE158) 1993

Finnegan's Break [Edit] / Heartbroken Lost In Blue / Soul Tight / Come Alive

12" Creation Records (CRE158T) 1993

CD Creation Records (CRESCD158) 1993

Baby Girl Baby Girl / The Colour Of My Love

7" Creation Records (CRE162) 1993

Baby Girl / The Colour Of My Love / Mash It Up / Primrose 0822

CD Creation Records (CRESCD162) 1993

Re-issues

• "Here's To Old England!" A Compilation (Artpop! Records, October 2005)
• "This Is London" (Artpop! Records, October 2006)
• "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape" (Artpop! Records, October 2006)

Compilation Appearances

• 1. A Splash Of Colour (WEA Records 1981) "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape"
• 2. The Countdown Compilation (5-4-3-2-1 Go!) (Countdown 1985) "Whatever Happened To Thames Beat"

See also

• Ed Ball (musician)
• Creation Records
• Television Personalities
• Scenes From Oblivion (soundtrack)

External links

• For more on The Times and Edward Ball
• The Times' myspace site
• For more about The Times' Up Against It
• Myspace site dedicated to "E For Edward"