1)Canadian songwriter who released the album “Theory of Your Life” and the single “Skates” in 2006. 2) Ian North (singer, guitarist, synthesist, producer and songwriter) was the leader of Long Island’s finest contribution to pop punk rock, Milk ‘n’ Cookies. HATES folk music.| Ian North was present at the birth of the New York punk scene - playing CBGB’s shows with The Ramones and Talking Heads, among many others, with Milk N’ Cookies in their cute baseball. The band’s sole LP — recorded in 1975 but released two years later — is full of catchy melodies, twee lyrics and energetic fizz-pop guitar hooks. Awfully early for the power pop revival, it never was very popular; however, fans of bands like Shoes and Sparks might appreciate its preciously naïve charms. | North’s subsequent solo career has taken several turns. Living in London for a while, he led a new wave band called Neo at the time of the English Punk explosion. At the outset, NEO, fronted by Ian North, was actually called Ian North’s Radio, but the band only managed one gig supporting Ultravox in November 1976, before Martin Gordon (ex-Sparks, ex-Jet ) left to be replaced by George Dyner on bass. when the latter himself left, remaining members Ian North (vocals, guitar) and Paul Simon (drums) roped in Paul’s brother Robert Simon (aka Robin Simon) on guitar. with Ian North switching to bass, an instrument he had never played before, the last piece of the NEO puzzle had fallen into place, and the sibling band embarked on an incessant schedule of rehearsals and gigs. NEO contributed two tracks “Small Lives” and “Tell Me The Truth” to the “Live At The Vortex” album, released by Nems Records in December, 1977. NEO released the 7” “Trans-Sister”/”Failed Pop Song” on Jet Records in 1978. Still in 1978, the Simon brothers were replaced by Steve Byrd (guitar) , John McCoy (bass) and Bryson Graham (drums). Paul Simon would later join Radio Stars and the band of Thomas Dolby. His brother Robin re-emerged in Ultravox and Magazine. Byrd and McCoy soon left for the Ian Gillan Band. Their replacement was found in the names of Stephen Wilkin ( ex-Wired, ex-Masterwitch - guitar) and Nick South (bass - later in Time UK). Next change occured when Graham and South were replaced by Mark Steed (ex-Masterwitch ) and Derek Quinton. The band collapsed after recording an unreleased album. Ian North released a self-released album called “Neo” in 1979 on Aura Records. the group then ceased to exist in name with Ian North pursuing his solo career. Returning to New York in the late 70s - and heavily influenced by Kraftwerk - Ian decided to utilize the now affordable synth technology and recording equipment to record in his apartment in Brooklyn. On completion Ian was unable to get a deal in the UK, being told by various record companies that electronic music was just a passing fad. |He released the album “My Girlfriend’s Dead” and it’s follow up EP “Rape Of Orchids” (which were both re-released on a single CD in 2006)) in the US where the video for Only Lover Is Left Alive, a track from Rape Of Orchids, was shown heavily on MTV and was featured on the first day of the station’s broadcast. It remains a play list regular on New York radio stations such as WFMU. At its time of the release of My Girlfriend’s Dead there were only a handful of other artists such as John Fox, OMD, The Human League and The Normal who were working in the same field of electronic music. Albums by IAN NORTH: |Neo (UK Aura) 1979|My Girlfriend’s Dead (Cachalot) 1980|Rape of Orchids (Neo) 1982 MILK ‘N’ COOKIES|Milk ‘n’ Cookies (UK Island) 1977 |
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