China Crisis are a post-punk/pop band from Kirkby, Liverpool formed by core members Gary Daly and Eddie Lundon around 1979, and still active. Dave Reilly was on drums until leaving to join Building 44 in 1983.
The group released their first single African and White in 1981 and achieved mainstream success in 1983 with their Top 20 single Christian and debut album Difficult Shapes and Passive Rhythms. Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain.
The group, which later expanded to a five-piece, had their biggest hit in early 1984 with the single Wishful Thinking and reached the peak of their commercial success in 1985 with the album Flaunt The Imperfection (produced by the late Walter Becker of Steely Dan) which spawned the hit singles Black Man Ray, King in a Catholic Style and You Did Cut Me.
Declining commercial success towards the end of the eighties meant that the group were dropped by Virgin and eventually split up. A comeback album Warped By Success issued in 1994 failed to make any great impact although a live album Acoustically Yours released in 1995 achieved critical acclaim.
Daly and Lundon have since reunited with former bandmates Gazza Johnson and Brian McNeill and they continue to record and play live. Their latest album Autumn in the Neighbourhood was released in 2015 exclusively through the Pledge Music site.
Links to Peel[]
China Crisis were part of a group of Liverpool bands such as OMD, Echo & The Bunnymen, Dead or Alive, emerging from the post-punk scene from 1979 onwards, to whom Peel was glad to give airtime. Their song Wishful Thinking, premiered for their second Peel session in January 1983, became the group's first and only Top 10 hit over a year later.[1]
On the programme of 10 September 1994, Eddie Lundon phoned in his match review of Liverpool v West Ham (a goaless draw).
Sessions[]
CHINA CRISIS John Peel 22nd March 1982
The group recorded two sessions for John Peel. The first one is available on Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It’s Fun to Entertain (2CD deluxe edition, Sept. 2017), the second one on Working With Fire And Steel – Possible Pop Songs Volume Two (3CD deluxe edition, Sept. 2017).
Both sessions on Working With Fire and Steel (2 x LP, 2024)
1. Recorded 1982-03-22. Broadcast 01 April 1982, repeated 26 April 1982.
- Seven Sports For All / This Occupation / Be Suspicious / Some People I Know To Lead Fantastic Lives
2. Recorded 1983-01-15. Broadcast 27 January 1983, repeated 17 February 1983 and 24 March 1983
- A Golden Handshake For Every Daughter / Wishful Thinking / Watching The Rainclouds / Greenacre Bay
Festive Fifty Entries[]
- 1982 Festive Fifty: African And White #22
Other Shows Played[]
- 28 January 1982: African And White (7") Inevitable
- 15 February 1982: African And White (7") Inevitable
- 19 February 1982 (BBC World Service): African And White (7") Inevitable
- 26 May 1982 (BFBS): Scream Down At Me (7") Virgin VS 495
- 11 November 1982: Some People I Know To Lead Fantastic Lives (LP - Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms - Some People Think It's Fun To Entertain) Virgin
- 23 December 1982: 'African And White (7")' (Inevitable Music) FF #22
- 27 December 1982 (BBC World Service): Seven Sports For All (LP - Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms - Some People Think It's Fun To Entertain) Virgin
- 1983
- 04 January 1983: Christian (LP - Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms - Some People Think It's Fun To Entertain) Virgin V 2243
- 19 January 1983 (BFBS): Christian (7") Virgin VS 562
- 24 January 1983 (BBC World Service): Christian (album - Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms - Some People Think It's Fun To Entertain) Virgin V 2243
- 07 February 1983 (BBC World Service): Christian (7") Virgin VS 562
- February 1983 (BBC World Service): Seven Sports For All (album - Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms - Some People Think It's Fun To Entertain) Virgin V 2243
- 20 February 1983 (BFBS)): Seven Sports For All (album - Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms - Some People Think It's Fun To Entertain) Virgin V 2243
- 05 June 1983 (BFBS): Tragedy And Mystery (7") Virgin VS 587
- 24 October 1983 (BBC World Service): Working With Fire And Steel (7") Virgin
- 27 October 1983: Working With Fire & Steel (7", Virgin)
- 28 November 1983 (BBC World Service): Papua (album - Working With Fire And Steel (Possible Pop Songs Volume Two)) Virgin V2286
- 05 December 1983 (BBC World Service): The Gates Of Door To Door (LP - Working With Fire And Steel (Possible Pop Songs Volume Two)) Virgin
- 1984
- 31 March 1984 (BFBS): Dockland (7" - Working With Fire And Steel) Virgin VS 620
- 1985
- 04 March 1985: Black Man Ray (7") Virgin
- 11 March 1985 (BBC World Service): Black Man Ray (7") Virgin
Top Of The Pops[]
- 11 April 1985 (TOTP): Black Man Ray (breaker at no. 32)
- 05 February 1987 (TOTP): Chart rundown comment “Oh so yummy China Crisis at 39, “Best Kept Secret".”