The Names
Spectators Of Life
Rare & Collectible Vinyl Records

Rare 1979 Three Track 12" Single. "French 'Bored Teenagers'!" Written On The Back Cover In Red Ink. “After A Demo Tape Caught The Attention Of WEA's Belgian Office, The Label Offered The Passengers A One-Off Single Deal, Chiefly As A Means Of Testing The Market For Home-Grown New Wave. Declining A Producer, The Band Elected To Press The Record Straight From The Original Demo. Although This Was A Move They Later Came To Regret, Spectators Of Life Remains A Gem, Combining A Piano-Led Europop Feel With An Urgent, Modern Dynamic. Backed With White Life And The Drive (Redolent Of Wire And Magazine Respectively), The Single Was Also Issued As A 12" On Celluloid. Surprisingly, This Excellent Debut Failed To Sell In Large Quantities, And Is Today A Scarce Collector's Item. Probably It Was Too Commercial For A Post-Punk Audience, Yet Too Edgy For The Mainstream. Before The Single Appeared The Group Became The Names, A Move Prompted By A Fleeting Mention Of A Rival Set Of Passengers In The NME. Since The Band Already Harboured Ambitions In The UK, A Swift Change Of Identity Was Deemed Necessary, The Names Being Adopted Following An Ironic Suggestion From A Friend.” – LTM Recordings