It's Immaterial
OriginLiverpool, England
GenresNew wave, indie pop
Years active1980–present[1]
LabelsHit Machine, Inevitable, L.H.M., Eternal, Ark, Siren, Virgin
MembersJohn Campbell
Jarvis Whitehead
Past membersPaul Barlow
Martin Dempsey
Henry Priestman

It's Immaterial are an English indie pop band from Liverpool, England, formed in 1980. They are best known for their 1986 single "Driving Away from Home (Jim's Tune)", which reached number 18 on the UK Singles Chart.[2]

Career

It's Immaterial were formed by three former members of Yachts – Mancunian John Campbell (vocals), Martin Dempsey (guitar), and Henry Priestman (keyboards) – in addition to Paul Barlow (drums). By 1984, the band had been reduced to a duo – Campbell and Jarvis Whitehead, on guitar and keyboards, who joined in 1982.[3]

On 11 November 1981, around the time of the release of the band’s third single, It's Immaterial recorded the first of four sessions for John Peel at BBC Radio 1. The track listing was "A Gigantic Raft (In the Philippines)", "Imitate the Worm", "White Man's Hut", and "Rake".[4] "A Gigantic Raft" was featured on the soundtrack of Jonathan Demme's 2004 The Manchurian Candidate.

In April 1985, the band recorded their fourth and final John Peel session, with the tracks: "Rope", "Hang On Sleepy Town", "Space" and "Festival Time". In the same month, the band's Fish Waltz EP reached number 30 on the UK Indie Chart.[5]

Less than a year later the band had a hit single with "Driving Away from Home (Jim's Tune)".[6] This song was their biggest hit and has since featured widely on television advertisements and on 1980s-based compilation albums.

Another minor hit followed, "Ed's Funky Diner (Friday Night, Saturday Morning)", with accompanying video, before the release of the band's debut album, Life's Hard and Then You Die, in September 1986.[7][8]

In 1990, they released their second album Song. As before, the music was of a subdued, understated nature, with wry wit in the manner of an indie Pet Shop Boys.[9] The album was a commercial flop, despite receiving positive reviews in the music press. The album was produced by Calum Malcolm, best known for his work with Glasgow band the Blue Nile. In the same year as Song, former It's Immaterial keyboard player Henry Priestman had a UK number one album The Christians with the band of the same name.

In 1993, the band started to work on a new album which remained uncompleted for many years.[10] Since 2010 some unreleased songs from the album have appeared on different internet music channels: "Just North of Here", "New Moon", "Is It Alright (Between Us)", "House for Sale" and "How Can I Tell You".

A deluxe edition of their album Life's Hard and Then You Die was released on 1 July 2016. The double-CD issue contains the original album remastered plus bonus tracks of single versions, B-sides, remixes and one of the group's John Peel sessions.[11]

On 23 September 2016, the group launched the campaign to produce and release their "lost and found" album House for Sale via Pledge Music. The pledge target was reached, although an initial tentative release date of spring 2017 was later postponed to early 2018.[12] The album was finally released on 18 September 2020, through Burning Shed Distribution.[13]

Discography

Studio albums

Year Title Chart positions
UK
[14]		 AUS[15]
1986 Life's Hard and Then You Die
  • Label: Siren
 62 100
1990 Song
  • Label: Siren
 —
2020 House for Sale
  • Label: Burning Shed
 — —

Singles and EPs

Year Title Chart positions
UK
[14]
1980 "Young Man (Seeks Interesting Job)"

"Doosha (A Success Story)"

  • Label: Hit Machine
 —
1981 "A Gigantic Raft (In the Philippines)"[16]

"No Place for a Prompter"

  • Label: Inevitable
 —
"Imitate the Worm"

"The Worm Turns"

  • Label: L.H.M
 —
1982 "A Gigantic Raft (In the Philippines)"
  • Label: Wonderful World
 —
1983 "White Man's Hut"

"The Worm Turns"

"Solid Piles of Food"

  • Label: Eternal
 —
1984 "A Gigantic Raft (In the Philippines)"

"The Mermaid"

  • Label: Eternal
 —
1985 Fish Waltz (EP)

"The Better Idea (Push the Boat Out)"

"Several Brothers"

"Lullaby"

"Fish Waltz"

  • Label: Ark
 —
"Ed's Funky Diner"
  • Label: Siren
 -
1986 "Driving Away from Home (Jim's Tune)"
  • Label: Siren
 18
"Ed's Funky Diner (Friday Night, Saturday Morning)"
  • Label: Siren
 65
"Space"
  • Label: Siren
 —
1987 "Rope"
  • Label: Siren
 —
1988 Driving Away from Home (CD EP) —
1990 "Heaven Knows"
  • Label: Siren
 —

References

  1. ↑ "It's Immaterial: New Album: House for Sale on PledgeMusic". Pledgemusic.com. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017.
  2. ↑ "Retrochart for Late April 1986 - everyHit.com". Retrocharts.com. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  3. ↑ Strong, Martin C.:The Great Alternative & Indie Discography, 1999, Canongate, ISBN 0-86241-913-1
  4. ↑ "Radio 1 – Keeping It Peel – Sessions: It's Immaterial Session 1". BBC. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  5. ↑ "Indie Hits". Archived from the original on 23 September 2006. Retrieved 29 November 2007.
  6. ↑ "John Campbell puts his foot down on the pedal – ever so gently – to cruise out along the M62. A Mini-Midwestern road movie transported to Liverpool" – Du Noyer, C. (2002) Liverpool – Wondrous Place: From the Cavern to the Capital of Culture, Virgin Books, London, p. 264; ISBN 978-0753508404
  7. ↑ It's Immaterial – Ed's Funky Diner on YouTube
  8. ↑ https://www.allmusic.com/album/lifes-hard-and-then-you-die-mw0000192658
  9. ↑ Larkin, C. (2003) The Virgin Encyclodepia of 80's Music, Muze, London, p. 264, ISBN 978-1852279691
  10. ↑ 'We got there!' Cult pop band It's Immaterial back after 27 years The Guardian 15 September 2020
  11. ↑ "It's Immaterial / Life's Hard and Then You Die reissue track listing revealed". superdeluxeedition.com. 4 June 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  12. ↑ "It's Immaterial". pledgemusic.com. Archived from the original on 8 October 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  13. ↑ "House for Sale". Burningshed.com. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  14. 1 2 "IT'S IMMATERIAL | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  15. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 150. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  16. ↑ "45cat - It's Immaterial - A Gigantic Raft In The Philippines / No Place For A Prompter - Inevitable - UK - INEV 009".
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