Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Ghost Dance - Word To The Wise 12"


Ghost Dance is best known for having Gary Marx (ex-Sisters Of Mercy) and Annemarie (ex-Skeletal Family) in the band. Both left their previous bands and got in contact with eachother to form Ghost Dance. Other well known members of the Bradford/Leeds scene were contacted like Aky (ex-Southern Death Cult) to form this 'supergroup'. Well you can read the whole history on their official website.
I was planning to rip the 'Gathering Dust' LP, a compilation of the early 7"/12" tracks. But it is recently reissued and you can order it from the Ghost Dance website.
'Word To The Wise' is the last release on indie Karbon before they signed to major Chrysalis. Never heard their later releases. The 'Gathering Dust' album is great although I always skip the cover songs.

Word To The Wise 12" (Karbon-KAR 608T-1987)
1. When I Call
2. Fools Gold
3. Cruel Light
4. Holding On

Word To The Wise

16 comments:

John Liedown said...

I used to love Ghost Dance. Lot of New Model Army fans used to follow Ghost Dance as well. Great live band. The later stuff started to get a bit 'rock' a'la the cult who they supported quite a bit late on.
Cheers for this curious.

Highlander said...

Thanks for this curious guy - was gonna post my copy of 'Gathering Dust', saw your post and followed the link and it looks like the CD-R version has been discontinued so I may yet do. Had my eye on a copy of 'Word To The Wise' on ebay as well so you've saved me a few quid!

Anonymous said...

THIS IS A GOTH CLASSIC !

THANKSS.

Anonymous said...

When you talk about GhostDance ,you automaticaly think about their previous bands (Sisters of mercy , Skeletal family, Southern death cult , also Red lorry yellow lorry). However, the band suceeded in sounding on their own with small influence of previous bands.
What is worth mentioning also is strange deviation in their releases. For instance, if you want all songs from their single Down to the wire, you have to buy all formats , because of various songs (7" B-side is Blood still flows, 12" B-side is Doctor Love while CDsingle got song Mirror blind)
Too bad they change sound to more commercial after Gathering dust, and too late they didn't last too long...

Fritz die Spinne said...

I have those final Chrysalis releases on vinyl and CD--rather a sad change in sound toward more commercial feel. However, if anyone is interested I could rip the LP and singles from the discs.

I have the earlier stuff on vinyl, and a live gig that has some cool covers. Oddly I think the band did too many covers!

Anonymous said...

By the way, guy standing in front on the EP cover with Annemarie Hurst is not Gary Marx. This guy with curly hair over his face is Etch.

Fritz die Spinne said...

Oh yeah--oddly this EP was omitted from the "Gathering Dust" collection, but marks the last release on Karbon before moving to Chrysalis.

The Ghost Dance live show I have at Croydon Underground 05.12.85 incleds a SOM cover--"Poison Door," and Skeletal Family's "She Cries Alone."

I also have some demos from 1985-1986

Once upon a jacket I had painted the GD logo with snakes on the bottom back edging.

J said...

Cheers!

Curious Guy said...

Very interested in the demos Fritz. Even never heard the Chrysalis stuff so I can't give an opinion. Most of the time it's a bad move for an indie band signing to a major. Some never learn...
You're right marx, not Gary but Etch on the front sleeve.

Fritz die Spinne said...

Demos posted:

www.fritzdiesspinne.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

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music obsessive said...

I loved Ghost Dance and saw them a couple of times in the late 1980s.
The early original stuff is undoubtedly the best and 'A Word to the Wise' is probably their best effort. The later 'proper' album on Chrysalis just doesn't do it. It sounds flat lifeless and very drab. Such a shame.
If you're going to own one disc, aWttW is the one.

Curious Guy said...

New link for Ghost Dance.

Curious Guy said...

New link. Enjoy!