KVR Audio

Aloysius · Post by **Aloysius** » Tue May 05, 2020 2:13 am

Quick Google reveals ...

The Stranglers' side-project.

The Purple Helmets is an ad hoc band, playing 1960's R and B numbers. The recording line-up was: Jean-Jacques Burnel, Dave Greenfield, John Ellis, Alex Gifford (a member of the Stranglers horn-section) and Manny Elias (drummer with Tears For Fears). The band was ostensibly put together (from an earlier incarnation) so that JJ and Dave could do some gigging between Stranglers projects.

Forgotten · Post by **Forgotten** » Tue May 05, 2020 3:16 am

Aloysius wrote: Tue May 05, 2020 2:13 am Quick Google reveals ...

The Stranglers' side-project.

The Purple Helmets is an ad hoc band, playing 1960's R and B numbers. The recording line-up was: Jean-Jacques Burnel, Dave Greenfield, John Ellis, Alex Gifford (a member of the Stranglers horn-section) and Manny Elias (drummer with Tears For Fears). The band was ostensibly put together (from an earlier incarnation) so that JJ and Dave could do some gigging between Stranglers projects.

Yep. I think they only ever recorded two albums, but the first one is near impossible to find.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Tue May 05, 2020 5:07 am

Let's not forget that The Stranglers did the best ever version of Walk On By, too.

Aloysius · Post by **Aloysius** » Tue May 05, 2020 5:32 am

Them and Dionne Warwick

machinesworking · Post by **machinesworking** » Tue May 05, 2020 6:53 am

Don't know if Facebook links are sharable? One of the few successful musicians I know posted this.
https://www.facebook.com/bgouldfnm/post ... 1102137786

I could listen to Man they Love to Hate probably every day and my only issue would be the bass being too high at one point.

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Tue May 05, 2020 9:10 am

That era is eminently forgettable, thank Dog it didn't last. La Folie and Feline were The Stranglers at their lowest ebb as far as I'm concerned. After The Raven, La Folie sounds like demos and out-takes from a decade before. (I think of the Meninblack album as more of a side-project, not part of the main canon.) At least Feline sounds like they meant to do it.

Mind you, I'm not big on Aural Sculptures or Dreamtime, either, but at least I can listen to those albums without tasting bile in the back of my throat.

Aloysius · Post by **Aloysius** » Tue May 05, 2020 1:33 pm

yeah dawg

revvy · Post by **revvy** » Tue May 05, 2020 2:22 pm

RIP DG. Listening now.

Erisian · Post by **Erisian** » Tue May 05, 2020 2:39 pm

Greenfield was my favourite of The Stranglers. He had a really interesting singing voice and an elaborate keyboard style similar to Ray Manzarek of The Doors. Genetix and Four Horsemen are two of my favourite Stranglers songs.

codec_spurt · Post by **codec_spurt** » Tue May 05, 2020 5:20 pm

WatchTheGuitar · Post by **WatchTheGuitar** » Tue May 05, 2020 8:22 pm

Dead Ringer's the best wind up ever. All the kids who'd turned up at the gig because they'd only heard Peaches fell for it hook line and sinker

raiderpdog · Post by **raiderpdog** » Tue May 05, 2020 10:40 pm

dammit, RIP, another influence. Sadly under-appreciated, but to fans he really brought a lot to like on the keys and to the group.

Never saw them live though, damn. Their stuff still stands up great.

vurt · Post by **vurt** » Tue May 05, 2020 10:44 pm

WatchTheGuitar wrote: Tue May 05, 2020 8:22 pm Dead Ringer's the best wind up ever. All the kids who'd turned up at the gig because they'd only heard Peaches fell for it hook line and sinker

nothing wrong with peaches,great track

vurt · Post by **vurt** » Tue May 05, 2020 10:47 pm

tbf, i was 3 when it was released, so didnt see them before id heard a lot more

Erisian · Post by **Erisian** » Tue May 05, 2020 10:48 pm

I saw them live at The Oasis in Swindon back in the eighties and they opened with "Down In The Sewer" That was an unforgettable evening.

Dave Greenfield died