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April 2017 - p.34
The group was formed in 1981 by guitarist Mike
Holmes and keyboard player Martin Orford.
They recruited bassist Tim Esau that year,
followed by vocalist Peter Nicholls and
drummer Paul Cook in 1982, when they
released their first cassette album ‘Seven
Stories Into Eight’. Constant gigging throughout
the UK led to them becoming a regular fixture
at London’s legendary Marquee Club. Their first
vinyl album ‘Tales From The Lush Attic’ was
released in 1983, with the classic ‘The Wake’ in
1985 and the live set ‘Living Proof’ in 1986.
Tensions within the band, plus a punishing live
schedule, resulted in the departure of Peter
Nicholls in 1985, at the end of a UK tour with
Wishbone Ash. With new singer Paul Menel,
the band secured a lucrative record deal with
Phonogram and released studio albums
‘Nomzamo’ in 1987 and ‘Are You Sitting
Comfortably?’ in 1989.
Both albums were promoted by extensive
European tours, with Magnum and Mike And
The Mechanics.
Dissatisfied with the lack of support from
Phonogram, Paul Menel and Tim Esau left IQ in
1990. The remaining members recruited Les
'Ledge' Marshall on bass. That year, Peter
Nicholls rejoined the band but tragedy struck
when Les died suddenly and unexpectedly in
the summer.
The 1991 release of the live and rarities album
‘J'ai Pollette d'Arnu’ was a significant event,
being the first release on Giant Electric Pea, a
new label founded by members and associates
of IQ. This year also saw the arrival of John
Jowitt as the band’s new bassist. With a stable
line-up once more, IQ resumed live work in the
UK, Europe and North America while also
writing new songs which would form the basis
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