Chris Edwards: Tracks from my 80s band days

Two Bands - Two Record Deals

Motion Pictures

Signed with State Records - released single Twisted Avenues in 1980 ... recorded demos in New York with Ron St Germaine at Media Sound Studios and were managed by Sid Bernstein and Stan Bernstein ... CBS America offered $1 million record deal which management messed up because they initially turned it down as they were negotiating with A&M and other companies ... when those negotiations fell through and they went back to CBS the offer had been withdrawn.

From 2018 Twisted Avenues started to appear in American Fox TV Franchise Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and other TV shows and films

Manteau

Signed with Riva Records and were managed by Billy Gaff who discovered and managed Rod Stewart ... Recorded 4 tracks with Phil Thornalley in RAK Studios in 1984 ... these were never released as Billy Gaff was trying to sign Manteau to an American Label ... they came to see Manteau and liked the band and songs but not the lead singer (Brian who played bass and sounded like Tony Hadley) - rather than move Brian sideways and get a new lead singer which would have meant an American record deal the band refused and were dropped by Riva.

Here is a link to some YouTube Videos ...

A few videos ...

On the left Motion Pictures and the right Manteau

My Journey

Back in the 1980s, I played in two bands that landed record deals, shaping my love for music and performance. Each project took 5 years ... so I was a professional musician earning a living doing what I loved and travelling the world and having some great experiences for 10 years. Ultimately it all came to nothing and I had to - in the words of my then-wife ... 'get a proper job'. Both bands came close to becoming something big - in each case signing to an American record label and starting another journey in the USA. It wasn't to be in both cases due to circumstances beyond my control. With Motion Pictures our New York management messed things up and with Manteau the other band members made a stupid decision that could only lead to us getting dropped by Riva and not signing an American record deal.

When Manteau were dropped by Riva I was 30 years old, getting married and having our first child. We had come so close with both bands and the music business is so much down to luck as well as talent that I didn't think I would get another chance like those - it was time to do something different!

Now

I fell into a career in data and analytics and have run a number of my own companies specialising in building data for analytics. I've been really lucky to find a second career that I really enjoy and now turn to music for relaxation and therapy. I still have a recording setup at home and although I don't play as often as I would like I think there's still some life left in the old dog!

Although most of my songs have survived in some kind of recording there are one or two that I'm re-recording from memory as there are no recordings I can find. 'When the morning comes' seems to have been a favourite of our followers in Motion Pictures and although we recorded it in New York I've not been able to find a copy ... so that could be a bit of a project!

Couple of Songs

Just before I decided to retire from the music business at the grand old age of 30 I wrote and recorded two songs with an amazing singer from Liverpool called Ronnie Ellis who sounded a bit like Otis Redding. We recorded in a demo studio in Chelsea with a brilliant sound engineer called Doug who later became quite well known in the industry. I touted them round a bit but nobody was interested and to be honest my heart wasn't really in it ... however - when I listen to them today they still mean a lot and I think they are decent songs and productions.

I wrote and produced them and played every instrument on them - the only thing I didn't do was sing!

Have a listen ... Can't Believe and Jeopardise ...

Gallery

Snapshots from my 1980s band days and studio moments.

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