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| The Times | |
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 The Times, circa 1983. From L to R, John East, Simon Smith and Ed Ball. Photo by Ray Kent
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| Background information | |
| Origin | West London |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Label(s) | Whaam! Records |
| Associated acts | Teenage Filmstars 'O' Level Television Personalities The Love Corporation |
| Website | www.myspace.com/thetimeslondon |
| Members | |
| Ed Ball | |
| Former members | |
| John East Dan Treacy Alan McGee Ray Kent Dick Green Paul Damian Paul Heeren Simon Smith Misty Woods |
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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.
Contents |
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.[1].
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. The 1990 ARTPOP! vinyl re-issue of this album even featured individually hand-painted picture discs.
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.[2]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. [3]. 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".[4].
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
 (November 1980) |
 (January 1982) |
 (May 1983) |
 (November 1983) |
 (September 1984) |
 (March 1985) |
 (January 1986) |
 (December 1986) |
 (October 1989) |
 (August 1990) |
 (August 1990) |
 (April 1992) |
 (April 1993) |
 (March 1997) |
 (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 / Three Cheers For The Sun
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
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(Artpop! Records, October 2005) |
(Artpop! Records, October 2006) |
(Artpop! Records, October 2006) |
See also
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"
References
- ^ "Ed Ball: Interview with the modernist musical alchemist.". Creation Records (August 2005). Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
- ^ ""The Times - I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape"".
- ^ "Edward Ball of the mighty Times and Television Personalities answers our Questions of Doom!". POPTONES INTERVIEW (06/10/2005). Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
- ^ Ball, Edward (December 1989). "http://www.popfloor.com/tvps/press/bigelvis.html They Could Have Been Bigger Than Elvis A Ten Year History Of The Times, The TV Personalities, The Teenage Filmstars and O Level]". Spiral Scratch #11. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
