Tony Koklin (Tony Coughlan) recorded a fine new wave pop single backed by Casanova OK
who consisted of Brendan Bonass (guitar), Paul Ashford (bass) and Robbie Brennan (drums).
This lineup goes a long way to explaining why it's his best single.
He signed to Chiswick Records and began rehearsing with a new band for his debut
album. This band included John Ryan (keyboards) and Phillip Cullen (bass/vocals). A
late change in drummer just before recording started was a serious blow. The
material was reputedly poorly served by producer Roger Bechirian to boot. The
resultant album "Time Chaser" certainly doesn't deliver on the promise of the
debut single and is a little too reminiscent of Elvis Costello at times,
but it contains several good songs and is worth hearing.
Though it has become
somewhat difficult to track down, it is not particularly collectable and should
be quite cheap. It received a bad review (followed by a hostile interview) in
Hot Press at the time. His career never really seemed to recover.
Tony Koklin & Wall To Wall circa April 1981. left-to-right:
Tim McStay, Earl Gill, Tony Koklin, Paul O'Reilly, Philip Cullen
Unhappy with how his career was progressing, Tony
parted company with his manager Pete Cummins (Granny's Intentions, etc) in early 1981.
The split was amicable.
He assembled a new band called Wall To Wall with Tim McStay (keyboards) and
Paul O'Raghallaigh (guitar) of The Resistors and Earl Gill on
drums.
This lineup played the Lisdoonvarna festival twice, in 1981 and 1982.
The 1981 program notes read:
"Tony Koklin is a Dublin born songwriter who has been writing songs as
long as he can remember. He cites Lou Reed, John Cale and Elvis Costello
as his principal influences. Tony first came to prominence when Freddie
White sang his songs and the Freddie White Band recorded two of his songs,
"Down On Main" and "Death in the Subway". Tony Koklin has just released a
first album of songs on the Chiswick label, entitled Time Chaser. For his
debut at [the] Lisdoonvarna Festival, Tony will be joined by his band Wall
To Wall with Philip Cullen (bass), Paul One (guitar), Earl Gill (drums) and
keyboard player Kelso"--bio taken from the 4th Lisdoonvarna Festival
Official Programme 1981
A second LP is rumoured but I am pretty sure it never came out. The relationship
with Chiswick probably ended by 1982. Tony has a track on the 1983 Scoff sampler
Stock 'N Trade, so it's likely there were further recordings after 1981 which
might have included plans for a 2nd LP but these were probably shelved. If anyone
knows more details or has the tapes, let us know!
Discography
• Cinderella / Living With The Times
7" - Mulligan Records - LUNS 735 - IRL - 1979 - PS
• Claude Monet / Lucky Man
7" - Chiswick Records - CHIS 137 - UK - 1980 - PS
• Time Chaser
LP - Chiswick Records - CWK 3017 - UK - March 1981 - inner sleeve
LP - Chiswick/Metronome Records - 0067.075 - Germany - 1981
side one
Movie Faces
Slow Dancing
Claude Monet (Reincarnation of an Artist)
Lucky Man
Death in the Subway (with Steve Naive on keyboards)
So Strange
side two
Museums
On Pop
Easy Street
Struttin'
You Waste My Time
Time Chaser
• various artists - Stock 'N Trade
LP - Scoff Records - DTLP30 - IRL - 1983
See Compilations section for full track listing.
tracks: Watching For My Blue Eyes
Help!
We need your help to correct and/or complete this entry. If you can provide more
information about this band, have scans, photos or any other memorabilia we can
use, or spare copies of any releases,
then please get in touch.
