Odessa (band)

ODESSA was a Scottish Synth Pop band that existed between 1985 and 1990. The original incarnation comprised Frank Anderson ( keyboards, synthesizer), Susan Thomson (vocals).

Career

This Glasgow based band was formed in the summer of 1985 and recorded their first demo material at Bob Last’s (Human League) Soundsite Studios in Edinburgh in September 1985. The first demo tracks “Tears for the Hunter” and “Love Lies Lost” were co-written and produced with Peter Thompson from Glasgow band Secession. Additional demo tracks were written by Frank Anderson and Susan Thomson and recorded at Centre City Studios in Glasgow in early 1986. The first public live performance by Odessa was at what is now called the Sub Club in Glasgow on the 14th May 1986 which showcased their first demo material. The first gig had the original line up of Frank Anderson on keyboards and Susan Thomson on vocals, whilst Ian Martin a local DJ from Maestro’s night club provided slide projection and smoke effects.

Odessa recorded their first single “Tears for the Hunter” at Backshop Studios in Glasgow in the Autumn of 1986 and worked on the project on and off for six months primarily due to cost restraints. Susan Thomson attended College and Frank Anderson was employed as a private investigator and debt collector to support the self financing of studio time and having to use cheaper studio overnight lock ins (off the books) before eventually settling on the final sound and feel for the first single.The two tracks recorded were “Tears for the Hunter” and “All Fall Down”. David Elliott was brought in to provide percussion on both tracks and as the recording process evolved, an improvised clarinet solo completed in one take on “Tears for the Hunter” by college friend Ernie Odoom and for the first time a rhythm guitar was added courtesy of Stephen Penders to the all electronic sound for the B side track, “All Fall Down”. Additional vocal chorus were provided by Fiona McKenzie. The single was released as a 12” White label in the summer of 1987 and was used to promote the band around Glasgow and London and received positive critical feedback, though due to the band’s focus on lengthy recording time rather than live performances, very little momentum around the Glasgow music scene was achieved as a result. A management deal was signed with Yen Sound in London in the autumn of 1987.

Further studio time at the Backshop in late 1987 resulted in the recording of the second single “Pillow Talk.” This time the band decided to expand and build on the electronic and woodwind mix of the first single. The down tempo number relied on strings and Chinese flutes and the saxophone solo provided by session player Michael Servadai delivered the improvised haunting and cinematic new feel in one take. Frank Anderson and band manager John McFarlane met Zoe Pollock in “Zanzibars”, London in the autumn of 1987 and she was invited to add additional vocals to the now completed "Pillow Talk" recording in Glasgow. The recording session went so well that it was decided to use the Zoe vocals as lead for “Pillow Talk” and to add a remix of “Tears for the Hunter” using Susan Thomson’s vocals on the B side. The 12” single was released through the band’s own Tyrell label in the summer of 1988 and started to achieve evening radio play on Radio Clyde for the first time, with particular praise for Zoe’s vocals and the new sound. Articles in the Glasgow Evening Times, Glasgow Herald and Sunday Post picked up the momentum. Zoe’s first live appearance with Odessa was appearing as lead vocalist at ”The Wag Club London comes to Glasgow”, a city centre warehouse gig in Glasgow in April 1988.

With a showcase live performance at the famous Rock Garden, Covent Garden, London taking place in the Summer of 1988 and an Eastern European tour on the horizon, Zoe became lead singer following the departure of Susan Thomson. Following a night out in “Hurricanes”, Glasgow, Frank Anderson and Brian Kilpatrick met each other when they discovered that they had inadvertently being sharing the same girlfriend. Brian shortly joined Odessa as guitarist to complete the new trio line up. For the upcoming live performances, additional session musicians were recruited, Dubliner, Cieran Edgeworth (Hothouse Flowers on saxophone, and Glaswegian drummer, Ross McFarlane (later of The Proclaimers and Sharleen Spiteri) and additional vocalist Jacqui Brookes (Fingerprintz). Live rehearsals took place between Wet Wet Wet‘s studios in Glasgow and Clink Street Studios in London over the summer with more emphasis placed on developing the live sound. The Eastern European tour was to include performances in Poland and Russia and Odessa would have been the first Scottish band to play live behind the "Iron Curtain". Disagreements began to surface during rehearsals after the Rock Garden gig over musical direction and content which resulted in Brian Kilpatrick, Cieran Edgeworth and Ross McFarlane leaving the live line up to join former Big Supreme singer Barry Flynn on recording his first single through the Yen Sound management team that also managed Odessa.

Following Zoe’s decision to leave the band to focus on a solo career, a revised live line up of Frank Anderson (Keyboards), Lynette Kearney (vocals), Kenny Andrews (keyboards), David Elliott (percussion) performed showcase gigs at The Bad Ass Club in Glasgow in October 1988 and re-joined by Cieran Edgeworth (saxophone) at Glasgow College of Technology in December 1988. Yen Sound failed to deliver the financial sponsorship for the European tour and as a result Odessa had to cancel the European tour. Alternative discussions with Scottish band Big Country management who had announced a gig in Russia for the end of 1988 fell through when they requested a five figure appearance fee for Odessa to appear as a support act. Work on an EP called “Brother Sun and Sister Moon” began in 1989 at Backshop Studios but the band’s management began to put pressure on Frank Anderson to move in a more commercial song writing direction and develop the instrumental sound of the first single B side “All Fall Down” into a more Acid/House Music genre. Yen Sound eventually chose a track “Altered State” to release as the third single. Following an acrimonious split with Yen Sound Management over musical direction and financial support, climaxing with Odessa’s refusal to promote “Altered State”, the band decided to wait out the expiry of the management contract rather than compromise on musical direction. The “Brother Sun and Sister Moon” EP was shelved and no further Odessa tracks were released.

Zoe Pollock penned and released her debut solo single in 1990, "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" though it failed to reach the UK Top 40, however it was remixed and re-released in 1991 and it became a Top 10 hit, peaking at #4. Her début album, Scarlet Red and Blue included "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" and another moderately popular song, "Lightning", which peaked at #37 on the UK Singles Chart. The album, however, did not sell well, reaching only #67 on the UK Albums Chart. It featured similar dance-pop tracks as well as soulful ballads. "Holy Days" was the last single from Scarlet Red and Blue, released in February 1992, but only managed #72.[1] In 1991, Zoë sang backing vocals on Bananarama's Pop Life album, which was produced by Youth. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVnE3HHbaQo

Discography

1. "Tears for the Hunter" (Thompson/Anderson/Thomson) Tyrell, 12” white label format only – Released 1987 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXXQwNeMg4E

2. "Pillow Talk" (Anderson/Thomson) Tyrell, 12” format only – Released 1988 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELItqitFxd0

3. "Altered State" (Anderson) Tyrell/Pacific, 7” format only – Released 1990 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PMKNtoRKQI

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