British Electric Foundation

History

In 1981, Martyn Ware and Ian Marsh, under the name British Electric Foundation, put out their first release: a set of instrumentals called Music for Stowaways. It came out only on cassette, inspired by the first Sony Walkman, which launched in the UK as the Sony Stowaway. A slightly shorter vinyl version, Music for Listening To, was made mostly for export and included one extra track not on the cassette. A CD from the late 1990s gathered all the tracks from both editions.

The following year, with Heaven 17 already up and running with Glenn Gregory on vocals, B.E.F. released Music of Quality and Distinction Volume One on Virgin Records. It featured various artists covering classic songs. Because this was before the trend of credited featured artists, the record was treated as a Various Artists compilation, similar to those put out by Ronco or K-Tel, so its number 25 spot on the UK albums chart counted as a hit for Virgin, not for B.E.F. The production stuck to the synth-and-LinnDrum sound of Heaven 17 and B.E.F. Glenn Gregory sang covers of Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman" (famous from Glen Campbell) and Lou Reed's "Perfect Day."

Other contributors included Billy Mackenzie, Paul Jones, Paula Yates, Gary Glitter, Bernie Nolan, and Sandie Shaw, whose single "Anyone Who Had a Heart" reached number 71 in Australia. Tina Turner's take on "Ball of Confusion" caught Capitol Records' attention, leading to her signing with the label. Her next single, "Let's Stay Together," co-produced by Ware, hit number six on the UK Singles Chart and also cracked the US top 20.

First live performance

In March 2007, British Electric Foundation performed live for the first time at a London tribute concert for Billy MacKenzie, a three-time guest vocalist for the group, with proceeds going to Sound Seekers. The lineup featured Martyn Ware on keyboards, a guitarist/keyboardist, a bassist, Glenn Gregory, and Billie Godfrey, Heaven 17's female vocalist. Their set included "Free," Heaven 17's "Let Me Go," a version of "Temptation" with guest Claudia Brücken, David Bowie's "Drive-In Saturday," and a slower, stripped-down take on The Associates' "Party Fears Two." After the show, this cover of "Party Fears Two" was recorded in the studio and later appeared on Heaven 17's 2008 album Naked as Advertised.