Crime and the City Solution
Encyclopedia
Crime and the City Solution was a rock music
band formed by Australian singer and songwriter
Simon Bonney
.
They had four distinct line-ups: Sydney
in 1977–78, Melbourne
in 1979, and two groupings in Berlin
from 1985–1990. The only common member in all four line-ups was Bonney.
Other members included: former members of The Birthday Party
(Mick Harvey
and Rowland S. Howard
); former Swell Maps
drummer Epic Soundtracks
; and Alexander Hacke
from Einstürzende Neubauten
.
Crime and the City Solution completed four studio albums and a number of E.Ps
during its existence, and a live album has since been released. Further early recordings have surfaced on the internet. Parallels have been drawn between Crime and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
. Crime were famed for their live performances, where Bonney's delicate physical appearance contrasted sharply with his deep, dark voice. He has since gone on to record solo material.
Melbourne 1979
Berlin/London 1985-1986
Berlin 1987-1990
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band formed by Australian singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Simon Bonney
Simon Bonney
Simon Bonney is an Australian rock musician, best known as the lead singer in Crime and the City Solution. The band was formed in 1977 in Sydney, Australia as an outlet for Bonney's songs and had a number of different line-ups throughout their history, with Bonney as the only constant member...
.
They had four distinct line-ups: Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 1977–78, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in 1979, and two groupings in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
from 1985–1990. The only common member in all four line-ups was Bonney.
Other members included: former members of The Birthday Party
The Birthday Party (band)
The Birthday Party were an Australian rock band, active from 1973 to 1983.Despite being championed by John Peel, The Birthday Party found little commercial success during their career...
(Mick Harvey
Mick Harvey
Michael John Harvey , is an Australian rock musician, composer, arranger and record producer. He is best known for his long-time collaboration with the singer and songwriter Nick Cave...
and Rowland S. Howard
Rowland S. Howard
Rowland Stuart Howard was an Australian rock musician, guitarist and songwriter, he played electric guitar in the post-punk group The Birthday Party. Howard died of liver cancer in December 2009, aged 50 years....
); former Swell Maps
Swell Maps
Swell Maps were an experimental English rock group of the 1970s from Birmingham that foreshadowed the birth of post-punk.Influenced by the disparate likes of T.Rex and the German progressive outfit, Can, they created a new soundscape that would be heavily mined by others in the post-punk era...
drummer Epic Soundtracks
Epic Soundtracks
Epic Soundtracks was the stage name of the British musician Kevin Paul Godfrey . Born in Croydon, Surrey, he was brought up in Solihull, Midlands with his brother Adrian Nicholas, who was known as Nikki Sudden .In 1972 Kevin and Nicholas formed the nucleus of what was to become the post-punk rock...
; and Alexander Hacke
Alexander Hacke
Alexander Hacke is a guitarist, bass guitarist, singer, experimental / industrial / electronic musician from Germany....
from Einstürzende Neubauten
Einstürzende Neubauten
Einstürzende Neubauten is a German post-industrial band, originally from West Berlin, formed in 1980. The group currently comprises Blixa Bargeld , Alexander Hacke , N.U...
.
Crime and the City Solution completed four studio albums and a number of E.Ps
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
during its existence, and a live album has since been released. Further early recordings have surfaced on the internet. Parallels have been drawn between Crime and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian alternative rock band, formed in Melbourne in 1983. The band is fronted by Nick Cave and has featured international personnel throughout their career.-Formation and early releases :...
. Crime were famed for their live performances, where Bonney's delicate physical appearance contrasted sharply with his deep, dark voice. He has since gone on to record solo material.
Discography
- The Dangling Man (EP, 1985)
- Just South of Heaven (Mini LP, 1985)
- The Kentucky Click/Adventure (EP, 1986)
- Room of Lights (LP, 1986)
- Shine (LP, 1988)
- The Bride Ship (LP, 1989)
- Paradise Discotheque (LP, 1990)
- The Adversary- Live (LP, 1993)
Bandmembers
Sydney 1977-1978- Simon BonneySimon BonneySimon Bonney is an Australian rock musician, best known as the lead singer in Crime and the City Solution. The band was formed in 1977 in Sydney, Australia as an outlet for Bonney's songs and had a number of different line-ups throughout their history, with Bonney as the only constant member...
- vocals - Don McLennan - drums
- Harry Zantey - guitar
- Phil Kitchener - bass
- Dave MacKinnon - soprano & tenor saxophone
Melbourne 1979
- Simon Bonney - vocals
- Don McLennan - drums
- Dan Wallace-Crabbe - guitar
- Lindsay O'Meara - bass (ex-Voigt/465Voigt/465Voigt/465 were an Australian post-punk band based in Sydney. They were a feature of the Sydney inner-city music-scene during the late 1970s and their music was critically acclaimed. Their sound was influenced by Krautrock and has been described by a band-member as an “unsettling mixture of...
) - Chris Astley - keyboards
- Kim Beissel - alto saxophone (ex-→ ↑ →Tsk Tsk Tsk→ ↑ → was an Australian experimental music project formed in Melbourne in 1977 and led by Philip Brophy. Aside from performing music the project produced artwork, films, videos, live theatre, multi-media, and wrote literature.-History:...
)
Berlin/London 1985-1986
- Simon Bonney - vocals
- Mick HarveyMick HarveyMichael John Harvey , is an Australian rock musician, composer, arranger and record producer. He is best known for his long-time collaboration with the singer and songwriter Nick Cave...
- guitar - Rowland S. HowardRowland S. HowardRowland Stuart Howard was an Australian rock musician, guitarist and songwriter, he played electric guitar in the post-punk group The Birthday Party. Howard died of liver cancer in December 2009, aged 50 years....
- guitar - Harry Howard - bass
- Epic SoundtracksEpic SoundtracksEpic Soundtracks was the stage name of the British musician Kevin Paul Godfrey . Born in Croydon, Surrey, he was brought up in Solihull, Midlands with his brother Adrian Nicholas, who was known as Nikki Sudden .In 1972 Kevin and Nicholas formed the nucleus of what was to become the post-punk rock...
- drums
Berlin 1987-1990
- Simon Bonney - vocals
- Mick Harvey - drums
- Bronwyn Adams - violin
- Chrislo Haas - synthesizer
- Alex HackeAlexander HackeAlexander Hacke is a guitarist, bass guitarist, singer, experimental / industrial / electronic musician from Germany....
- guitar - Thomas Stern - bass
Miscellaneous
- Wim WendersWim WendersErnst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German film director, playwright, author, photographer and producer.-Early life:Wenders was born in Düsseldorf. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen in the Ruhr area. He then studied medicine and philosophy in Freiburg and Düsseldorf...
, who was a fan of the band, featured them performing "Six Bells Chime" in his film Wings of DesireWings of DesireWings of Desire is a 1987 Franco-German romantic fantasy film directed by Wim Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of the human inhabitants and comfort those who are in distress...
. Also, the song "The Adversary" was included in the soundtrack to the Wenders film Until the End of the WorldUntil the End of the WorldUntil the End of the World is a 1991 film by the German film director Wim Wenders; the screenplay was written by Wenders and Peter Carey, from a story by Wenders and Solveig Dommartin. An initial draft of the screenplay was written by American filmmaker Michael Almereyda...
. - Bandmember Bronwyn Adams is married to vocalist Simon Bonney. Her late brother Bruno Adams was the vocalist in the band named "Once Upon A Time", who were produced by Mick HarveyMick HarveyMichael John Harvey , is an Australian rock musician, composer, arranger and record producer. He is best known for his long-time collaboration with the singer and songwriter Nick Cave...
, he was later in the band named "Fatal Shore" (Prague/Berlin).
External links
- www.fromthearchives.org, which has a complete discography.
- [ Allmusic Guide entry]