Tuff Monks
Encyclopedia
Tuff Monks was a short-lived band consisting of Nick Cave
, Mick Harvey
and Rowland S. Howard
(each a member of The Birthday Party
) with Robert Forster
, Lindy Morrison
and Grant McLennan
(each a member of The Go-Betweens
). Their only release was the 1982 7" 45 rpm single "After the Fireworks", on the Australia
n label Au Go Go Records
.
The collaboration came about when The Go-Betweens and The Birthday Party found themselves by happenstance with overlapping booked studio time at AAV studio in Melbourne. The Birthday Party were having trouble completing their album Junkyard
, and the two bands decided to join forces on a song during downtime. The idea to join forces, as well as the lyrics of "After the Fireworks" are Nick Cave's, while the drums are distinctly Lindy Morrison's. The band's name was coined by Nick Cave's girlfriend, Anita Lane
. The collaboration only ever appeared live once, at Richmond's
Tiger Lounge venue doing a cover version of "Ring of Fire
".
The song was released as a single the same year by Keith Glass, owner of the label Missing Link, who explained that he did so to recoup money he had lost on The Birthday Party in studio time.
Mick Harvey denies that the band even knew that the single was going to be released. Instead, he states that the band members were as surprised as anyone when they learned of the impending release.
Keith Glass, though he does not agree with Harvey's version of events, does take credit for the single's cover picture and for the b side material, which consists of the a side played in reverse. The b side track is named "After, After the Fireworks".
The song is available on the CD release of Drunk on the Pope's Blood (the 1982 split LP between The Birthday Party
and Lydia Lunch
), The Birthday Party's 5 disc box set The Definitive Missing Link Recordings 1979-1982, the second disc of the re-released CD edition of The Go-Betweens' album Send Me A Lullaby
and on an Australian compilation album No Worries on Hot Records.
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
, 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....
(each a member 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...
) with Robert Forster
Robert Forster (musician)
Robert Forster is an Australian singer-songwriter, best known for his work with songwriting partner Grant McLennan, with whom he co-founded The Go-Betweens.Forster grew up in Brisbane, Australia attending Brisbane Grammar School...
, Lindy Morrison
Lindy Morrison
Belinda "Lindy" Morrison is an Australian musician originally from Queensland. She was the drummer in indie rock group The Go-Betweens from 1980 to 1989, appearing on all the band's releases from their first LP in 1981 until the band's first break up on 26 December 1989...
and Grant McLennan
Grant McLennan
Grant William McLennan was an Australian singer-songwriter with the alternative rock band The Go-Betweens, which he co-founded with Robert Forster in Brisbane, Australia in 1977...
(each a member of The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens were an indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Australia in 1977 by singer-songwriters and guitarists, Robert Forster and Grant McLennan. They were later joined by Lindy Morrison on drums, Robert Vickers on bass guitar and Amanda Brown on violin, oboe, guitar, and backing vocals,...
). Their only release was the 1982 7" 45 rpm single "After the Fireworks", on the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n label Au Go Go Records
Au Go Go Records
Au Go Go Records is the name of a Melbourne, Australia based independent record label.It was founded by Bruce Milne and Philip Morland from a house in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy in 1979 and is now operated by Greta Moon....
.
The collaboration came about when The Go-Betweens and The Birthday Party found themselves by happenstance with overlapping booked studio time at AAV studio in Melbourne. The Birthday Party were having trouble completing their album Junkyard
Junkyard (album)
Junkyard is a 1982 album by Australian post-punk group The Birthday Party.The album was recorded with Tony Cohen at Armstrong's Audio Visual Studios in Melbourne in December 1981 and January 1982. Additional tracks were recorded in London's Matrix Studios with punk producer Richard Mazda in May...
, and the two bands decided to join forces on a song during downtime. The idea to join forces, as well as the lyrics of "After the Fireworks" are Nick Cave's, while the drums are distinctly Lindy Morrison's. The band's name was coined by Nick Cave's girlfriend, Anita Lane
Anita Lane
Anita Lane is an Australian singer and songwriter who directly influenced the early 1980s European post-punk landscape.-Birthday Party:Lane was born in Melbourne, Australia in the late 1950s. Lane began singing and writing songs at age 16. She was a classmate with Rowland S. Howard who would...
. The collaboration only ever appeared live once, at Richmond's
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
Tiger Lounge venue doing a cover version of "Ring of Fire
Ring of Fire (song)
"Ring of Fire" or "The Ring of Fire" is a country music song popularized by Johnny Cash and co-written by June Carter Cash and Merle Kilgore. The single appears on Cash's 1963 compilation album, Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash...
".
The song was released as a single the same year by Keith Glass, owner of the label Missing Link, who explained that he did so to recoup money he had lost on The Birthday Party in studio time.
"[The Birthday Party] were in AVV. It was costing top dollar—$1,000 a night... One night they came up with [After the Fireworks] because they had nothing better to do. So I said, "We'll use it as a vehicle to parlay against accrued costs"... I think Nick Cave came up with the idea to put it out as the Tuff Monks... It sold quite a few copies." – Keith Glass
Mick Harvey denies that the band even knew that the single was going to be released. Instead, he states that the band members were as surprised as anyone when they learned of the impending release.
"That single was like a jam session we had in the studio which lasted about 2 hours and we never even finished... How on earth they could release it I really don't know. It's ludicrous, a travesty... The whole point of the exercise was no one was meant to be credited. It was just meant to be 'The Tuff Monks', no explanation, nothing." – Mick Harvey
Keith Glass, though he does not agree with Harvey's version of events, does take credit for the single's cover picture and for the b side material, which consists of the a side played in reverse. The b side track is named "After, After the Fireworks".
The song is available on the CD release of Drunk on the Pope's Blood (the 1982 split LP between 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...
and Lydia Lunch
Lydia Lunch
Lydia Lunch is an American singer, poet, writer, and actress whose career was spawned by the New York No Wave scene...
), The Birthday Party's 5 disc box set The Definitive Missing Link Recordings 1979-1982, the second disc of the re-released CD edition of The Go-Betweens' album Send Me A Lullaby
Send Me A Lullaby
-The Go-Betweens:* Robert Forster - vocals, rhythm guitar* Grant McLennan - vocals, bass guitar, lead guitar* Lindy Morrison - drums, vocals-Additional personnel:* Nick Cave - vocals...
and on an Australian compilation album No Worries on Hot Records.