Various Artists - "Objectivity : the Object Singles Album (expanded version)" 1978-80

A handy,expanded,compilation of ,Manchester based,Object Musics first years singles.
Object Music was a Manchester based record label active 1978-81. It more or less grew directly out of the Manchester Musicians' Collective, which initially included Dick Witts [Passage], classical and electronic composers (respectively) Simon Holt and Trevor Wishart, and Tony Friel, whose band The Fall had their first gig at a Collective meeting.

Also added to this file are all the singles Object Music released before and after the original LP,(courtesy of Mutant Sounds who have saved me a lot of work,thanks lads we miss you).
It obviously includes the Spherical Objects, but also the great proto-indie pop of Grow Up and the slightly less great Steve Miro. A document of what 1978 sounded like, of musicians trying to escape the straight jacket of three chord thrash; many tried and failed.

Here are a few of my choice picks from this treasure trove of sonic delights:

Contact – "Future / Past EP" (Object Music OM11) 1979:

Tony Friel has appeared on three of the greatest e.p.’s of the Independant era, “Bingo Masters Breakout”, “New Love Songs”(see beelow), and the retro-futurism of this e.p. by Contact; which Friel formed, with Duncan Prestbury, after splitting with The Passage. It has the naivety and innocence  that disappeared from the records of The Fall and The Passage, notably after Friel left these groups. It suitably has an off kilter version of The Seeds classic “Nite Time”, another great Le Rock Naiveté exponent of yesteryear. It also has the honour of having a track featured on one of the Messthetics compilations(“Someone Like You”). A Great low tech re-enactment of a future that would never happen. Unfortunately the real future became the one we have now; where the only popular musical advance  is for women to get their tits and arses out, and boys expose their abdominal muscles. Intelligence has never been as marginalised and frowned upon. What was so great about music from 76 to 83 was basically how sexless it was. It was there but you had to make an effort to find it.

The Passage - "New Love Songs" + "About Time e.p." (Object Music OM02/OM08) 1978/1979

Love Song is my favourite Object Music tune, which was unfortunate enough not to have been the subject of a BBC ban. It could have been a hit in 1978, with its puerile references to certain sex acts; but its far more intelligent than that. Its cynical message is about the selfishness of a sexual relationship, which are largely based on a narcissistic need to be worshipped and to be in control.This is a Love Song 1978 style.
This early Passage release, when Fall founder member and the man responsible for naming Paedo-Peels' favourite band, Tony Friel, was still in the group; finds a band still finding its own identity. But its an identity than is far more attractive to the Passage of 1980 onwards, where Dick Witts' ego takes over, and they became an irritatingly over-clever version of the Pet Shop Boys.

 Tony Friels swansong with the band, produced by Flying Lizard David Cunningham. Good raw minimal DIY pop. If Tony leaves a band you know they're good,but he usually takes the good with him!

Spherical Objects ‎– "The Kill / The Knot" (Object Music OM01) 1978

As I now officially "like" The Spherical Objects,after recently playing their first LP after buying it 35 years ago,hating it,then filing it away until 2013; I searched out this early single from the same one day session that produced the first album. Predictably, its more of the same, second division Blue Orchids fronted by a nasally challenged Roland Rat(Steve Solomar,who incidentally is now a woman!), but still attractive in its sheer Non-rockness. No foot on monitor posturing for these chaps. Nice cover art too; note the ransom note lettering for the singles title to attract the punks, and the stencil lettering to attract Clash fans. Excellent marketing tools in '78 when the flood of releases were just beginning.All this and a lyric sheet to sing-a-long to, with words that suggest a fashionable message to boot! Art skool punk that borrowed a few tricks from that nice Mr Capitalism man.

Track Listing(not necessarily in the correct order,but it is chronological.):

OM-1 Spherical Objects - The Kill / The Knot (10/1978) recorded 10.7.78
OM-2 Passage - New Love Songs EP (12/1978)
tracks: Love Song / Competition // Slit Machine / New Kind Of Love
OM-3 Steve Miro & The Eyes - Up And About / Smiling In Reverse (1978)
recorded 4.11.78 Steve Miro backed by Spherical Objects
OM-4 Spherical Objects - Seventies Romance / Sweet Tooth (1979) recorded 4.11.78
OM-5 Grow Up - Stay Away EP (1979)
tracks: Stay Awake / 10 Minutes / Photo // Lake / River / So Long
OM-6 Alternomen Unlimited - Facade / Connections (1979) recorded 8.2.79
OM-7 Warriors - Martial Time / Martial Law (1979) recorded 22.4.79
OM-8 Passage - About Time EP (10/1979)
tracks: Taking My Time / Clock Paradox // Sixteen Hours / Time Delay
OM-9 I.Q.Zero - Insects // Electromotion / Quirky Pop Music (1979)
OM-10 Steve Miro & The Eyes - Dreams of Desire / Queens of the Sea (1979) recorded 4.7.79
OM-11 Contact - Future/Past EP (1979)
tracks: Fascinated By Time? / Constant Beat // Nite Time / Someone Like You
OM-12 Grow Up - Joanne EP(1980) Recorded and mixed at Revolutuon, Cheadle Hulme, 10.4.80
tracks: Joanne // Affirmation of Existance/Reaffirmation of Existance/Swept
Away / GGGDADGADADAD

DOWNLOAD with your new expanded objectivity HERE!