Loved Ones
From Summerofweird
Contents |
Members
Steve Wilde Vocals
Paul Ryan Guitar
Kevin Phillips Bass
Andy Meakin Drums
Other members:
Ray Jeffries Guitar
Kris Dollimore Guitar
John Head Drums
Johnny Burman Guitar
Matt Bass
Barry Drums
Vom Ritchie Drums
Biography
The Loved Ones was the brainchild of London singer/ songwriter Steve Wilde.
In 1986 Wilde co-opted the services of Wimbledon guitarist Paul Ryan to record a track entitled "Sweetest Thing" under the name of "Elegant Thrash"
Borrowing heavily from the Rolling Stones song "Gimme Shelter" the recording was used as an audition tool to recruit members for the embryonic Loved Ones.
Answering an add placed in NME, drummer Andy Meakin and bassist Tim Whittington (Lympin Spyder) from the Midlands auditioned for the band but declined an invitation to join not actual join. However,the two did record "Bop City" at Toad Hall Studios later that year.
Following the failure to secure Meakin and Whittington Steve recruited North London bassist Kevin Phillips and a drummer called Barry.
This first line up commenced rehearsals at Tweeters Rehearsal rooms in Kingston upon Thames and were soon ready to gig. For some unknown reason the drummer departed for the band, and Wilde asked Meakin to step in for a proposed gig at The Marquee. Although the gig never went ahead, Meakin became the Loved Ones drummer for the next two years.
Ryan continued to run his own band Beautiful in parallel with The Loved Ones, but in 1988 it was mutually agreed that he would reduce his involvement in the latter as a replacement guitarist seemed promised in the form of former Batfish Boys guitarist Johnny Burman. It was with this line up that the band went into Tin Pan Alley Studios in 1989 to record "Wired", "Up to Your Neck" and yet another version of "Love Junkies".
Later that year the band produced a video under the supervision of former Lympin Spyder guitarist Pete Brooks. Burmans refusal to participate in the shooting of this led to Ryan reprising his role as guitartist for the video and later rejoining the band. The actual audio track used for the video was the original "Bop City" recorded with Meakin and Whittington two years earlier.
By 1990 Ryan had finally been replaced by Ray Jeffries and rehearsals had moved to Head Studios in Rotherhithe. However, due to the bands lack of success, Meakin and Phillips departed from the group later that same year, to be replaced by John Head and Matt on drums and bass respectively.
However The Loved Ones had effectively run out of steam. Their final gig was played at the Cartoon in Croydon in 1991 as a testimonial to Ray Jeffries who had died of an overdose. The final line up included Kris Dollimore on guitar and Vom Ritchie on drums, both of whom went on to form The Godfathers
Recordings
Toad Hall:
- 1987
Bop City Meakin, Ryan, Whittington, Wilde
- July 88
Up To Your Neck
Love Junkies
Liberty
Refrigerator
Meakin, Phillips, Ryan, Wilde
- September 88
Love Junkies
Burnt Out Meakin, Phillips, Ryan, Wilde
Denmark St
- 1989
Wired
Up To Your Neck
Burman, Meakin, Phillips,Wilde
