The Monochrome Set

4-28-09 The Monochrome Set

Checked my index, couldn’t find a blog about The Monochrome Set! I really got into them a few years back…I was there initially, but lost interest before album #3. I likely totally lost interest when they never came – in the early 80’s. I was pleased as punch when Mr. Bid came and played shows.

7" 405 LINES / GOODBYE JOE DINDISC UK DIN 23

1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" ALPHAVILLE / HE'S FRANK IRS US IR 9002

1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" ALPHAVILLE / HE'S FRANK ROUGH TR UK RT 005

1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" APOCALYPSO / FIASCO BONGO DINDISC UK DIN 26

1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD B&W MINSTRELS (Collection) CHERRY RED UK CDMRED 118

1995 16 TRK Collection

7" CAST A LONG SHADOW CHERRY RED UK CHERRY 51

1982 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD CHARADE CHERRY RED UK CDBRED 102

1993 14 TRKS

LP CHARADE CHERRY RED UK BRED 102

1993 14 TRKS

CD COMPENDIUM 1975-1995 (Collection) CHERRY RED UK CDBRED 128

1996 22 TRK Collection

CD DANTE'S CASINO VINYL JAPAN ASKCD 4

1990 10 TRKS original CD issue

LP DANTE'S CASINO VINYL JAPAN ASKLP 4

1990 10 TRKS autographed

7" EINE SYMPHONIE DES GRAUENS / LESTER LEAPS IN ROUGH TR UK RT 019

1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD ELIGIBLE BACHELORS SUMMIT UK SUMCD 4096

1982 11 TRKS re-issue

LP ELIGIBLE BACHELORS CHERRY RED UK BRED 34

1982 11 TRKS

LP FIN CHERRY RED UK ACME 3

1986 19 TRKS Live, autographed

CD5 FOREVER YOUNG CHERRY RED UK CDCHERRY 126

1993 3 TRK CD Single CD5

CD GOOD LIFE, THE RICHMOND UK MONDE 8CD

1992 19 TRKS Live; same as "Fin"

7" HE'S FRANK (SLIGHT RETURN) ROUGH TR UK BL 1

1979 3 TRKS no pic sleeve

CD5 I LOVE LAMBETH CHERRY RED UK CDCHERRY 138

1995 4 TRK CD Single CD5

CD JACK HONEYMOON MONOCD 1

1991 10 TRKS

LP JACK HONEYMOON MONOLP 1

1991 10 TRKS

12" JACOB'S LADDER BLANCO Y NEG NEG 4-T

1984 5 TRKEP; with poster, autographed

7" JACOB'S LADDER BLANCO Y NEG NEG 4

1984 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" JET SET JUNTA / LOVE GOES DOWN THE DRAIN CHERRY RED UK CHERRY 60

1983 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" KILLING DAVE HONEYMOON JAKK 1T

1991 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD5 KILLING DAVE HONEYMOON JAKK 1C

1991 3 TRK CD Single CD5

CD LIVE CODE 90 UK NINETY 4

1993 20 TRKS Live 1990, CD-only release? From a UK TV appearance.

CD LOST WEEKEND, THE WEA JPN WPCR-1461

1985 11 TRKS

LP LOST WEEKEND, THE BLANCO Y NEG BYN 5

1985 11 TRKS

LP LOVE ZOMBIES DINDISC UK DID 8

1980 10 TRKS with art prints

7" MATING GAME, THE / J.D.H.A.N.E.Y. CHERRY RED UK CHERRY 42

1982 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD MISERE CHERRY RED UK CDBRED 114

1994 11 TRKS CD-only release?

7" MONOCHROME SET, THE / MR. BIZARRO ROUGH TR UK RT 028

1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" REACH FOR YOUR GUN (BID solo) EL UK GPO 10T

1986 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP STRANGE BOUTIQUE DINDISC UK DID 4

1980 11 TRKS autographed

7" STRANGE BOUTIQUE, THE / SURFING S.W. 12 DINDISC UK DIN 18

1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" TEN DON'TS FOR HONEYMOONERS PRE UK PRE 18

1981 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD TOMORROW WILL BE TOO LONG VIRGIN UK CDOVD 458

1995 21 TRK Collection (1st 2 albums)

CD TRINITY ROAD TOYS FACTORY JPN TFCK-88854

1995 16 TRKS Japanese pressing, CD-only release?

LP VOLUME, CONTRAST, BRILLIANCE Vol. 1 CHERRY RED UK MRED 47

1983 14 TRK Collection

CD VOLUME, CONTRAST, BRILLIANCE Vol. 1 re P-VINE JPN PCD-22072

1983 25 TRK Collection ('04 issue), 9 x bonus tracks

12" WALLFLOWER BLANCO Y NEG NEG 12-T

1985 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD WESTMINSTER AFFAIR (Collection) TOYS FACTORY JPN TFCK-88803

1990 19 TRK Collection, 5 x bonus tracks

LP WESTMINSTER AFFAIR (Collection) EL UK ACME 17

1988 14 TRK Collection

CD WHAT A WHOPPER! (Collection) RICHMOND UK MONDE 2CD

1992 16 TRK Collection

I would love to do the obsessive collector thing with these guys, but it doesn’t appear that the final two initial works by ‘em ever made it to LP format, “Trinity Road” and “Misere”. No, I don’t have all the 7” singles, either.

Mr. Bid came to Los Angeles a few year back, and that explains my autograph collection herein. His current incarnation trades as Scarlet’s Well. Both The Monochrome Set and Scarlet’s Well are popular in Japan. When I got so into them, I wrote to them c/o Cherry Red Records in England, and Mr. Lester Square wrote back!

This band proves to me that it’s possible I could be wrong about dumping / banning a band from my consciousness.

RK 50: Monochrome Set

8-28-08 RK 50: Monochrome Set

7" ALPHAVILLE / HE'S FRANK ROUGH TR UK RT 005 1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" EINE SYMPHONIE DES GRAUENS / LESTER LEAPS IN ROUGH TR UK RT 019 1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" MONOCHROME SET, THE / MR. BIZARRO ROUGH TR UK RT 028 1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" HE'S FRANK (SLIGHT RETURN) ROUGH TR UK BL 1 1979 3 TRKS no pic sleeve

LP STRANGE BOUTIQUE DINDISC UK DID 4 1980 11 TRKS autographed; on CD as “Tomorrow Will Be Too Long”

LP LOVE ZOMBIES DINDISC UK DID 8 1980 10 TRKS with art prints; on CD as “Tomorrow Will Be Too Long”

7" STRANGE BOUTIQUE, THE / SURFING S.W. 12 DINDISC UK DIN 18 1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" 405 LINES / GOODBYE JOE DINDISC UK DIN 23 1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" APOCALYPSO / FIASCO BONGO DINDISC UK DIN 26 1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" TEN DON'TS FOR HONEYMOONERS PRE UK PRE 18 1981 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP ELIGIBLE BACHELORS CHERRY RED UK BRED 34 1982 11 TRKS

CD ELIGIBLE BACHELORS SUMMIT UK SUMCD 4096 1982 11 TRKS re-issue

7" MATING GAME, THE / J.D.H.A.N.E.Y. CHERRY RED UK CHERRY 42 1982 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" CAST A LONG SHADOW CHERRY RED UK CHERRY 51 1982 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP VOLUME, CONTRAST, BRILLIANCE Vol. 1 CHERRY RED UK MRED 47 1983 14 TRK Collection

CD VOLUME, CONTRAST, BRILLIANCE Vol. 1 re P-VINE JPN PCD-22072 1983 25 TRK Collection ('04 issue), 9 x bonus tracks

7" JET SET JUNTA / LOVE GOES DOWN THE DRAIN CHERRY RED UK CHERRY 60 1983 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" JACOB'S LADDER BLANCO Y NEG NEG 4 1984 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" JACOB'S LADDER BLANCO Y NEG NEG 4-T 1984 5 TRKEP; with poster, autographed

CD LOST WEEKEND, THE WEA JPN WPCR-1461 1985 11 TRKS

LP LOST WEEKEND, THE BLANCO Y NEG BYN 5 1985 11 TRKS

12" WALLFLOWER BLANCO Y NEG NEG 12-T 1985 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP FIN CHERRY RED UK ACME 3 1986 19 TRKS Live, autographed

CD GOOD LIFE, THE RICHMOND UK MONDE 8CD 1992 19 TRKS Live; same as "Fin"

12" REACH FOR YOUR GUN EL UK GPO 10T 1986 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP DANTE'S CASINO VINYL JAPAN ASKLP 4 1990 10 TRKS autographed

CD DANTE'S CASINO VINYL JAPAN ASKCD 4 1990 10 TRKS original CD issue

CD JACK HONEYMOON MONOCD 1 1991 10 TRKS

LP JACK HONEYMOON MONOLP 1 1991 10 TRKS

CD5 KILLING DAVE HONEYMOON JAKK 1C 1991 3 TRK CD Single CD5

12" KILLING DAVE HONEYMOON JAKK 1T 1991 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD CHARADE CHERRY RED UK CDBRED 102 1993 14 TRKS

LP CHARADE CHERRY RED UK BRED 102 1993 14 TRKS

CD LIVE CODE 90 UK NINETY 4 1993 20 TRKS Live 1990, CD-only release? I can’t seem to locate an LP of this title.

CD5 FOREVER YOUNG CHERRY RED UK CDCHERRY 126 1993 3 TRK CD Single CD5

CD MISERE CHERRY RED UK CDBRED 114 1994 11 TRKS CD-only release? I can’t seem to locate an LP of this title.

CD TRINITY ROAD TOYS FACTORY JPN TFCK-88854 1995 16 TRKS Japanese pressing, CD-only release? I can’t seem to locate an LP of this title.

CD5 I LOVE LAMBETH CHERRY RED UK CDCHERRY 138 1995 4 TRK CD Single CD5

I remember buying the first few M Set LP’s and singles when they were new releases – but I did not keep them in the gush of 80’s UK new wave entrants. I found a collection CD (“Compendium”) about ’96 or so – and it clicked. It was fairly easy to find all of their releases. I have not listed every collection LP/CD here – there are quite a few of them!

I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Bid a few years ago, when he came to L.A. to play some shows, hence the autographs. My friend Joe found an M Set laser disc in Japan – I wish it had been me! I got a DVD of their performance on “Bedrock” on UK TV (as an NTSC AC:1 DVD!). I guess the last few M Set albums were never made as vinyl LP’s – I have never seen vinyl copies of “Misere” or “Trinity Road” – do they exist as LP’s?

And Bid’s alter ego, Scarlet’s Well, keeps on releasing albums on CD – I think there are 6 of them now! How time flies!