Essential Logic
Encyclopedia
Essential Logic was a UK
post-punk
band
formed by saxophonist Lora Logic
after leaving X-Ray Spex
.
The band initially consisted of Lora Logic on saxophone
and vocals, Phil Legg on guitar
and vocals, William Bennett (later of Whitehouse
) on guitar, Mark Turner on bass guitar
, Rich Tea on drum
s, and Dave Wright on saxophone
. Turner was later replaced by Jon Oliver on bass.
They formed in 1978
with Logic fresh out of art school. Their first 7" was released on their own record label
; Cells. They released a self-titled EP
on Virgin Records
in 1979, before signing to Rough Trade
. Their debut album
, Beat Rhythm News - Waddle Ya Pay? was released in 1979, followed by several 7"s before the band split in 1980. In 1980-81 Logic also performed as a member of Red Crayola, as well as playing on recordings
by The Raincoats
, and The Swell Maps
.
Lora Logic released a solo
LP, Pedigree Charm, in 1982 on the Rough Trade label. Soon afterwards she gave up recording and performing when she turned to the Hare Krishna
religion, though she did record and perform under the X-Ray Spex name again when they reformed in 1995. She resumed with Essential Logic in 2001, and released a four-track EP of new material. The new line-up included ex-members of the ska
group Bad Manners
and guitarist Gary Valentine
of Blondie
. A year later, a further four tracks from a recording session in 1998 were made available from the website
, Vitaminic.
In 2003, an anthology of Essential Logic recordings was issued, entitled Fanfare in the Garden, on the Kill Rock Stars
record label.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
formed by saxophonist Lora Logic
Lora Logic
Lora Logic is a British saxophonist and singer. She was briefly a member of the band X Ray Spex, although she had been sacked from that group by the time they recorded their first album, which nevertheless used her saxophone arrangements. A year later she formed Essential Logic...
after leaving X-Ray Spex
X-Ray Spex
X-Ray Spex were an English punk band from London that formed in 1976.During their first incarnation , X-Ray Spex were “deliberate underachievers” and only managed to release five singles and one album...
.
The band initially consisted of Lora Logic on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and vocals, Phil Legg on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and vocals, William Bennett (later of Whitehouse
Whitehouse (band)
Whitehouse are a pioneering English power electronics band formed in 1980, largely credited for the founding of the power electronics subgenre.-History and personnel:...
) on guitar, Mark Turner on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Rich Tea on drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, and Dave Wright on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. Turner was later replaced by Jon Oliver on bass.
They formed in 1978
1978 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1978.-January–April:*January 14 – The Sex Pistols play their final show at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom....
with Logic fresh out of art school. Their first 7" was released on their own record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
; Cells. They released a self-titled EP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
on Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
in 1979, before signing to Rough Trade
Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
. Their debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Beat Rhythm News - Waddle Ya Pay? was released in 1979, followed by several 7"s before the band split in 1980. In 1980-81 Logic also performed as a member of Red Crayola, as well as playing on recordings
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
by The Raincoats
The Raincoats
The Raincoats are a British post-punk band. Ana da Silva and Gina Birch formed the group in 1977 while they were students at Hornsey College of Art, London, England.-Career:...
, and The 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...
.
Lora Logic released a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
LP, Pedigree Charm, in 1982 on the Rough Trade label. Soon afterwards she gave up recording and performing when she turned to the Hare Krishna
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
religion, though she did record and perform under the X-Ray Spex name again when they reformed in 1995. She resumed with Essential Logic in 2001, and released a four-track EP of new material. The new line-up included ex-members of the ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
group Bad Manners
Bad Manners
Bad Manners are an English 2 Tone ska band. They quickly became the novelty favourites of the UK pop scene through their bald outsized frontman's on-stage antics, earning early exposure through their Top of The Pops exploits and an appearance in the live film documentary, Dance Craze.They were at...
and guitarist Gary Valentine
Gary Valentine Lachman
Gary Lachman, born December 24, 1955 in Bayonne, New Jersey, is an American writer and musician. Lachman is best known to readers of mysticism and the occult, in the numerous articles and books he has published...
of Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
. A year later, a further four tracks from a recording session in 1998 were made available from the website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
, Vitaminic.
In 2003, an anthology of Essential Logic recordings was issued, entitled Fanfare in the Garden, on the Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in 1991 by Slim Moon and based in both Olympia, Washington and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, making it difficult to pigeonhole as having any one artistic mission...
record label.