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From: Dublin
Active: 1980-86
Style: New Wave
Lineup:
- Gay Woods - vocals
- Trevor Knight - keyboards
- Mark Megaray - bass
- Robbie Brennan - drums
l-to-r: Mark Megaray, Robbie Brennan, Gay Woods, Trevor Knight
Bio:
In 1970 Gay Woods was a member of Steeleye Span with her husband Terry (ex
Sweeney's Men, pre The Pogues).
They left to form the
Woods Band and later
recorded a series of excellent LPs as a duo for Polydor Records through the
rest of the seventies. This work is predominantly folk rock. The couple split
and Gay pursued her own projects including Auto Da Fe, formed in 1980 with
Trevor Knight.
Auto Da Fe was a theatrically-inclined, keyboard/electronics dominated new wave
band formed in Holland with new partner Trevor Knight (ex jazzrockers
No Buckets and 'experimental jazz fusion' [AKA jazzrock] band Naima, ex
Jimi Slevin Band) and as
such a radical departure for Gay. The lineup was rounded out by Mark Megaray
(AKA Mark Hogan, ex Radiators) on bass and Robbie Brennan
on drums. They built a
strong following based on spontaneous, colourful live performances which they
never quite captured fully on record despite the attention and efforts of
Phil Lynott. Mark Megaray left in 1983 and Phil Lynott filled in on bass for live
gigs. One such occasion was captured by the BBC In Concert crew in November
1983 and later released on the Songs for Echo CD in 2001.
Robbie Brennan left in late 1983.
The band regrouped in 1984 with a new
rhythm section and added a fifth member on lead guitar, but it wasn't the same.
This lineup included Finn Corrigan later of
Sid & The Stonecrushers / The Boy The Boy.
The recordings from this later period are more slick.
There was a late name change to Operaracket in 1986 before finally
disbanding. Operaracket returned briefly in 1989 as a duo of Knight and
Woods, playing a completely new set of more experimental material but it didn't
last.
Trevor Knight is now a contemporary composer. Gay Woods returned to Steeleye Span
and contines to perform. For a full bio, see her
website.
See also the Videos page.
Phil Lynott's involvement as producer on their early singles has generated a
constant level of interest in the band.
Discography
• November November / For Rich People
7" - ADF Records - ADF-003 - IRL - 1982 - pink PS
7" - Rewind Records - 13 - UK - 1983 - purple PS
Recorded Dublin 1982.
Notes:
Some sources also list the UK edition as Rewind #15
but this was a Q-Tips single. Perhaps there were plans to reissue
Rewind #13 for superstitious record buyers a la Raw Records!
• Bad Experience / Lot 3 (live instrumental)
7" - ADF Records - ADF-004 - IRL - 1982 - PS
7" - Rewind Records - ?? - UK - 1982 - PS
Recorded Dublin 1982, with Phil Lynott
• Man Of Mine / Auto Da Fe
7" - Rewind Records - 14 - UK - 1983 - PS
Recorded Dublin 1983, with Phil Lynott
• Somethings Gotten Hold Of My Heart / Cellophane Rain
7" - Red Hot Records - RHS 201 - IRL - June 1984 - PS
7" - Rewind Records - 18 - UK - 1984 - PS? - credited to Gay Woods (solo)
Recorded London 1984. Reached #24 in Irish singles chart.
• 5 Singles And 1 Smoked Cod
mini-LP - Stoic Records - STILP 1003 - IRL - 1984
side one
November November (A-side)
Bad Experience (A-side)
Man of Mine (A-side)
side two
Somethings Gotten Hold of My Heart (A-side)
All Is Yellow - Hot Hot Hot (A-side)
There They Stood (B-side)
Notes:
Singles compilation with 5 A-sides and one B-side
• Credo Credo / Blood Into Life
7" - Red Hot Records - RHS203 - IRL - 1984 - PS
• All Is Yellow Hot Hot Hot / There They Stood
7" - Spartan Records - SP18 - UK - 1985 - PS, some on yellow vinyl
7" - Spartan Records - SPP18 - UK - 1985 - car shaped picture disc with cardboard stand
12" - Spartan Records - SPT18 - UK - 1985 - PS, some on yellow vinyl
A-side recorded Dublin 1984, B-side recorded at Slane Castle - 1984
Reached #27 in Irish singles chart.
• Tatitum
LP - Spartan Records - SPLP003 - IRL - 1985 - lyric insert
side one
1. Man of Mine
2. Somethings Gotten Hold of My Heart
3. All Is Yellow - Hot Hot Hot
4. Blood Into Life
5. Bad Experience
side two
1. November November
2. Magic Moments
3. The Merchant
4. Credo Credo
5. Friday
Notes:
Recorded in Chester in February 1985 except tracks A2 & A3 recorded at
Amazon Studios in November 1984 and track B1 recorded in Dublin in 1982.
The re-recordings of older songs are slicker and more heavily produced.
A1-5 & B4 are re-recordings of tracks previously released as singles.
B1 & B2 were released as singles.
• Magic Moments / Wrong Number
7" - Spartan Records - SP128 - UK - 1985 - PS?
• various artists - RTE Radio 2 Presents In Concert
LP - RTE Records - RTE 92 - 1985
See Compilations section for full track listing.
tracks:
November November (live)
Credo Credo (live)
• various artists - Live for Ireland
2xLP - MCA Records - MCGD 6027 - IRL - 1988
See Compilations section for full track listing.
tracks: Exiles (live)
• Gazette EP
7" - GMN Records - 001 - 1988 - PS
K7 - GMN Records - 001 - 1988 - PS
tracks:
Bring Me A Bouquet
Round the Twist
Good For Nothing
Good For Nothing (acoustic)
• Songs for Echo
CD - Hut Records - HUX022 - UK - 2001
Collects two BBC Radio 1 "In Concert" broadcasts.
The second concert features Phil Lynott on bass and backing vocals.
1. The Merchant
2. Auto Da Fe
3. Girl Boy Difference
4. When The Curtain Goes Bang
5. He Is Just An Irish Catholic
6. Cellophane Rain
7. Traitor
8. November November
9. Man Of Mine
10. Bad Experience
11. The Merchant
12. Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart
Notes:
Tracks 1-5 recorded 30.03.83 and broadcast 16.04.83
Tracks 6-12 recorded 09.11.83 and broadcast 03.12.83
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.
See Also:
Radiators
External Links:
Gay Woods website
Punk & New Wave A-Z 60s & 70s A-Z Compilations Record Labels
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