The Prisoners 10 Best Tunes

The Prisoners are without a doubt my favorite 80's bands, and one of my favorite bands in general! I was hipped to them back in 1984 by a British pen pal named Debbie Jones who was absolutely besotted with the lead singer Graham Day. I promptly went out and found this American only compilation LP called "Revenge Of The Prisoners" (as did my friend and at the time co-fanzine editor Rudie) that was an interesting mix of Big Beat era material from their second LP "Thewisemiserdemelza" , various 7" tracks and even an unreleased track ("Love Changes") and an alternate version of "Coming Home". After that nothing could stop us as we consumed all things Prisoners. Rudie somehow wound up corresponding with Jamie (James) Taylor through our mate Chris Flip, who's British Mom was best friends with Jamie's Mom. Jamie kindly mailed Rudie two copies of their excellent new LP "The Last Foufathers" (one of which he shared with me) and two copies of the Dentists "Some People Are On The Pitch.." LP and a few Dentists badges (I stupidly sold the LP and used the $ to buy a Skinhead reggae 45, but still have the badge)!  Chris and his Mom were in the process of setting up a U.S. Prisoners fan club but unfortunately the band broke up a few months later (I later managed to purchase their stock of Prisoners t-shirts and badges which In started out selling but I think In eventually just gave them all away to friends). Rudie sadly left this mortal coil by his own hand in August of '86 shortly after we both purchased their final LP "In From The Cold" so I was left alone to spread the gospel of these four guys. If you knew me in the 80's chances are you were the recipient of a Prisoners mix tape!! Fast forward to 1988 and Tim Warren brought the Mighty Caesars over to NYC for a gig which allowed me to meet Graham Day who kindly consented to a mail in interview (which I have reproduced here) and the whole thing came full circle when I got my ass over to England to witness two of their three reunion gigs at Herne Bay a few months back (here) which BLEW MY MIND. With all that said and done I decided that in my grand tradition of doing "Top 10's" here it was time I chose ten by the Prisoners. It wasn't an easy task. I could have easily just chosen ten songs from "The Last Fourfathers", but I tried not to deliberately pick anything from a certain era . But enough babble...here tis:

1. "Reaching My Head" from Various Artists 7" "Trash On The Tube" E.P. Big Beat U.K. SW 98 1984

This track featured on the British TV show "The Tube" (hosted by Jools Holland) where the band were seen miming it in "Star Trek" shirts (you can view the episode here). It's brilliance lies in the well oiled rhythm section of Allan Crockford's thunderous bass and Johnny Symons drumming while guitarist/vocalist Graham Day strums a tough but hypnotic lick and sings of "icy warm lakes in my head" and "a slimy cold rock in my mind". It's underpinned by Jamie Taylor's combo organ (a Jennings transistor organ, similar to a Vox combo organ, thanks Allan!) which is influenced by the groove of Deep Purple's interpretation of "Hush" (a technique that would serve the band well and be the leading inspiration behind 90's acts like The Charlatans and The Inspiral Carpets). Check out this incredibly tight live version from 1984 here. 

https://youtu.be/EEIzCTmc_WI?si=FggEUoBJWDUaCT5r

2. "There's A Time" France single Sky Dog SKI 6103 1983

Back in 1984 when I first discovered The Prisoners, record stores in the New Jersey and New York were a wash with copies of this 45 thanks to the excellent distribution of Midnight Records (run by a French gent named J.D. Martignon)!! When I met him in '88 Graham Day said the band hadn't even received copies of it and later described the label in liner notes to "Rare And Unissued" as "being run by some dodgy Frenchman".  "There's A Time" is, in my estimation, one of the band's most frantic tracks, kicking off with Jamie's combo organ, it's propelled by Graham's gravelly vocals and an absolutely over the top guitar solo that reminds more of a raunchier Dave Davie's solo on '64-'65 Kinks single! It's probably one of the most melodic tracks by them as well (dig the melody on the chorus and the absolute rave up when the guitar solo starts to wind down). 

https://youtu.be/20AzzSMbHhc?si=MW96hSbMMiUEHdFF

3. "Thinking Of You (Broken Pieces)" LP track "The Last Fourfathers" U.K. Own Up OWN UP-3 1985

Easily my favorite Prisoners track of all time on my favorite Prisoners album, "Thinking Of You..."  with it's positively down trodden lyrics is literally a throat punch every time:

"Remember the nightmares took us over, we'll walk barefoot on dreams no more, and strangled by waking hands of insight our world in love has gone to war" 

There's a dirge like quality to Jamie's organ trills (played on his recently acquired Hammond M 100 organ) and the "ba ba ba..." chorus is completely catchy! I was nearly moved to tears when the entire audience sang along when they performed it at Herne Bay a few months back (which they dedicated to yours truly) which you can watch here. 

"Well we had it all but we lost it baby and there's nothing gonna take it's place, we're building our love on the broken Pieces of a heart that only sees your face..."

https://youtu.be/4GZisWB949Q?si=0KVxwL8JNmL1USg9

4. "Melanie" from the U.K. E.P. "Electric Fit" Big Beat SW 98 1984

One of the band's most popular numbers, "Melanie" is The Prisoners at their most garage band with it's catchy chord progression and groovy organ trills. The production by Milkshake Russell Wilkins (also responsible for twiddling the knobs on their "Last Fourfathers") is fantastic and Graham unleashes another edgy Dave Davies '65 guitar solo. Check out the band playing it live on European TV in '85 with Jamie on his new Hammond and Johnny beating seven bells out of his kit here. Back in the 80's when I was on my fervent religious quest to bring The Prisoners to the masses this was an obligatory addition to any Prisoners mix tape I did. 

https://youtu.be/wlrEF9TeMHo?si=TmDbaf2GiJlfXiE4

5. "Nobody Wants Your Love" LP track "The Last Fourfathers" U.K. Own Up OWN UP-3 1985

The lead off track of the band's third (and my favorite) LP "The Last Fourfathers" , "Nobody Wants Your Love" was penned by Graham Day and Milkshake Billy Childish. Starting off with someone retching the number has an incredible groove with Graham's chunky Hendrix meets the Troggs licks perfectly meshing with Jamie's soulful organ trills on his newly acquired Hammond M-100. The lyrics, like most on the LP are cynical and a total put down about an unfaithful partner. The number features a moody clarinet solo by Graham (he's pictured holding one on Thee Mighty Caesars debut 1985 LP "Beware The Ides of March") which adds to the odd feel to it. 

https://youtu.be/LOPxInjEN1A?si=vcBuZASkVMn8wjM2

6. "Better In Black" LP track "A Taste Of Pink" U.K. Own Up Own Up -2 1982

It's hard to believe that the same year The Jam released their final LP this quartet from Medway were in the studio recording and releasing (self financed no less!) their debut LP! It equally boggles my mind that Jamie Taylor was using a Casio set to "organ" and run through a large amp on this LP because the keys sound so powerful! Lyrically it picks up the theme of the Pretties "Midnight To Six Man" singing about the joys of nocturnal living backed by rapid fire guitar chord and a catchy chorus ("dead and lonely, dark and peaceful I hope you're having fun like we do...") all served up with an amphetamine 101 mph drive.

https://youtu.be/Q5c0mDBtFjg?si=5-RMmp6vqKuxiG-G

7. "Tonight" LP track "Thewisermiserdemelza" U.K. LP Big Beat WIK 19 1983

This tune is one of the band's darker numbers from an LP that is full of some pretty dark tunes. Despite being about suicide ("tonight it would be easy to throw my life away, tonight tomorrow's an ugly game I play..tonight when people are dead they cannot cry") it's absolutely beautiful. Graham's voice and Jamie's Chopin-esque piano playing are highlighted by some regal trumpet that strangely works well with Graham's slashing guitar and mournful lyrics ("I've heard about true everlasting love and I know when it's cold outside you need somewhere to hide..."). 

https://youtu.be/LFLi1iomWKY?si=wgREGSVblBUctx4K

8. "Mourn My Heath" LP track U.K. "In From The Cold" Countdown DOWN 2 1986

Some might say this is the album that broke up The Prisoners. In a case very similar to The Pretty Things "Emotions" LP, the band were not happy with the finished product, especially the horns that were added after (I have always wanted to hear a remix of the LP as the band wanted it). In an even stranger twist the band refused to promote the LP (and in an even more stranger twist they performed it live for the very first time with a horn section this past February!). At the time of it's release I honestly don't recall being too put off by the horns (I found an old fanzine review I did and I seemed to expect it with their being signed to Countdown) and over the years I think I have let the band's feelings influence me on the matter resulting in my paying less attention it it!! All that out of the way there are some VERY good tracks on it. "Mourn My Health" is a frightening ode to alcoholism, the band were legendary in their day for alcohol consumption (Graham Day especially). Graham was 22 at the time!! Delivered with sparse musical accompaniment , "Mourn My Health" is backed by bass, drums and a swampy Hammond organ as Graham croons woefully (and quite soulfully I might add): "as I stumble to the darkened pub I know I'm alone, I know I'm alone, with my last round, with my last pound they'll neglect me...so I'm all alone yes I'm all alone, they've left me here to mourn my health", and the strangely, there's a violin solo which REALLY works with the track. 

https://youtu.be/5WX4CU0yIL0?si=U1h2by8AvWmHingi

Demo version:

https://youtu.be/StbnfYC_ewY?si=jNu3DPLi0bz_Rkk_

9. "A Dream Is Gone" LP track "Thewisermiserdemelza" U.K. LP Big Beat WIK 19 1983

"Thewisermisterdemelza" album is often dismissed by the band who considered the production by the late Phil Chevron as "slick" and "overproduced" but I still love it. The album in general has a sinister feel to it, both musically and lyrically and this number has both. It's like they ate a lot of acid and binge watched a bunch of 70's Satanic exploitation and early 70's Hammer films and then started writing. Starting with some positively ominous descending organ scales (with incredible oscillation on them) and Graham's absolutely sinister yet soulful vocals he sings "See a red sky, see your broken heart weeping cross the land..." (and much later "See a green rock, see your mildew mild, man it's hard to be sane...") before the tempo picks for the bridge with Graham's vocals changing from a plaintive forlorn tone to a venomous yet soulful Steve Marriott style snarl and these indifferent "la la la la" s . 

https://youtu.be/VWMPk1PAwrg?si=aV6p-BZknAUPrUPQ

10. "Something Better" LP track "Morning Star" U.K. LP Own Up Own Up U-6 2024

I don't, as a rule like band reunions, and I seriously dislike reunion albums, and this one was no exception at first. It took hearing this track performed live at the Herne Bay reunion gigs a few months back for me to really grow to enjoy this track (and other bits of the LP). It has everything you need from an incredible Prisoners tune: Graham's incredible vocals (unlike lots of other artists from the 80's Graham has always sung the tracks within his range as he grew older) and his punchy guitar licks, Jamie's/Jame's swirling organ, and of course the engine that is rhythm section of Alan and Johnny bringing it all up. There's an almost Inspiral Carpets/Charlatans feel to it which shows the band coming full circle, musically.

https://youtu.be/8PrTU5g4fk0?si=flxbDJLwNYhojoXF

The Prisoners Live @ Herne Bay 2/27 and 2/28

 

I have been a Prisoners fan ever since I bought their U.S. only LP comp "Revenge Of The Prisoners" (a bastardization of their second long player "Thewisermiserdemelza" with substitute tracks from their "Electric Fit" E.P. and other Big Beat era releases to fill it out) at the urging of my cool U.K. mod girl pen pal Debbie Jones back in late 1984. Fast forward to September of 2026 when word went out that the band would stage a three night reunion takeover of King's Hall in the sleepy Kent seaside town of Herne Bay to perform tracks from three of their albums: their second album "Thewisermiserdemelza" the first night, their third (and my favorite) "The Last Fourfather's" on the second and their fourth (that ultimately contributed to the malaise that killed them in 1986) "In From The Cold" on the third and final night. Well despite not setting foot in Britain since 1984 the writing was on the wall. I was heading back to jolly old England to see my favorite 80's band reunite.

Now I had never seen the band perform. The closest I ever came was seeing Graham Day bash the shit out of a kit with The Mighty Caesars back in NYC in November 1988 for Time Warren's "Bad Musick Festival" (read a cool interview with Tim where he discusses the event on my pal Jeff's blog "Shake Some Action" here). I ambushed a hapless Graham and pestered him about the Prisoners before the show. He was surly, moody, aloof and in retrospect asking him about The Prisoners two years after their painful demise was probably akin to asking a grieving divorcee about the happiest times of their marriage two years after the separation papers ink dried, BUT to his credit he not only gave me his address so I could mail him interview questions (which I have republished here) he actually took the time to answer AND mail them back to me AND when their set was over returned to hang with my friends and I and share whiskey with us while the rest of the venue (who had no idea who he was) mobbed Billy Childish! I'm going to be frank. Prior to the release of their latest LP "Morning Star" (2024), "In From The Cold" was my least favorite album by the band. And it did strike me as odd that they were playing it because they spent the past three decades disowning it and insisting that it was never meant to have horns (ala The Pretty Thing's and "Emotions"), so that was a no brainier. I'd head to England and catch the first two nights, easy peasy.

NIGHT ONE 2/27:

The train down to Herne Bay from London was interesting, I passed all the towns and places I had heard mentioned in various Medway books and songs and spied them from my train window: Rochester, Strood, Chatam etc. I even spied the Nag's Head pub from the window, a place Billy Chidish used to sign off at (under his pen name of William Loveday) on the back of Hangman album's thirty years ago! I was staying at a hotel in Herne Bay that was literally overrun with older balding men in black coats, black jeans and the occasional black fisherman's cap and checking in was amusing as I met people from all over (Germany, The Netherlands, etc so far I was "furthest traveled"). I managed to secure a cab into town (the venue was probably a mile away) by a small miracle because the town's Uber and cab system would soon by overwhelmed by this influx of gig tourists taxing the modest local taxi scene. I met my other two American friends (Amy from Seattle and the legendary Johnny Bluesman from New York respectively) at a lovely pub called The Ship and then off to the gig we trod! I was immediately struck by the observation that seaside towns in the U.K. don't believe in lighting things up in the night like they do here in the States, the venue area was pitch black denying me the opportunity to see what it looked like irl! 

Lord Rochester

First on were Lord Rochester, a trio composed of Medway legend Russ Wilkins, Saskia Holling on bass and Embrook Lois on the skins. They performed a spirited but brief set built on a wonderful mix of a Bo Diddley beat and frantic '64 Kinks meets Sutch's Savages. Unfortunately I was not really familiar with much by them so I can't really tell you what they played, but it was over before I knew it!

The Len Price 3

Next up were The Len Price 3, who unlike Lord Rochester, I DID know a lot of songs by. I have been a fan of these guys for the past 20+ years and I have missed seeing them play on the East Coast more times than I care to admit. Their set was a whirlwind and I honestly can't recall everything they played, but I definitely recall "My Grandad Jim", "Swing Like A Monkey", and a few tunes I recognized off their latest LP "Misty Medway Magick",  regardless of what they played it was VERY good, I can't wait to see them in a room with 40 other people next week in Hightstown, New Jersey at their sold out gig a local record shyster's record store....

The Prisoners 

Then it was time for the headliners....tonight's selection was tracks from "Thewisermiserdemelza", the brain clouds but I distinctly remember "Love Me Lies", a poignant reading of "Tonight" (with James on a grand piano, see below!), "Melanie", "Far Away", "A Dream Is Gone", "I'm Coming Home" etc! All delivered incredibly sharp, not bad for an album that the band probably hasn't played since it came out in 1983!! The band pitched in four or five tunes from their newest LP ("Morning Star", 2024) as well as tracks from their brand new (and only available via pre-order with delivery in person at these gigs) double single "For Your Ears Only". I will admit, tactfully that none of these really moved me (I kept thinking of Homer Simpson bellowing "Play the old crap!"), but to each his and her own. I did decide that I LOVED "Something Better" while they were playing it, so there's hope for me yet!

 

 

NIGHT TWO 2/28:

Lord Rochester kicked things off again and I remember them doing the Sex Pistols interpretation of "Whatcha Gonna Do About It", only this time it was The Masonics who were in the second spot tonight. I didn't know much about them but they were so damn loud I fled to the lobby to chat with some friends because I was overwhelmed by their volume. Sorry boys. And then the moment I had been waiting for!

"The Last Fourfathers" is without a doubt my favorite Prisoners album, and quite possibly my favorite 80's album as well, in fact knowing that the band were going to be playing it was literally the draw that led me to decide to skip over the pond and to make this happen. The band played the entire LP (not in any particular running order) along with four or five "newer" songs (see above). "The Last Fourfather's" is a bleak album lyrically. Lots of the songs are about broken hearts, broken romance, self pity, self destruction etc and the band did them all: "The Drowning", "Who's Sorry Now", "I Drink The Ocean", "I Am The Fisherman", "Whenever I'm Gone", "Take You For A Ride", "Thinking Of You (Broken Pieces)" etc. The album came across and still does, like Pink Floyd '67 meets Joe Meek, thanks to the brilliant production by Russ Wilkins and has a gritty lo-fi feel to it that gets back to a raw sound (though I enjoy it I always felt that "Thewisermiserdemelza" had a very "polished" feel to it). Once again the band did not disappoint as they played all of these tracks above as well as the album's incredible instrumentals "Night Of The Nazgul" and "Explosion On Uranus" (which segued into "Reaching My Head" and Deep Purple's "Hush"). I can't be sure if they performed the other instrumental "Mrs. Fothergill", but the highlight for me was them not only saving my album favorite "Thinking Of You (Broken Pieces)" for their last encore bit also dedicating it to yours truly (see video below) which had me ABSOLUTELY a gobsmacked and beaming for the rest of the night!! The band also threw in the incredible "Till The Morning Light" from their debut LP "A Taste Of Pink" and closed with, I believe, a cover of Deep Purple's "Hush" (as they did the previous evening), ALL to a thunderous applause from a packed to the gills venue (I'm told Saturday night's performance sold out).

 

 As mentioned above I opted not to attend the third night so I cannot report on that but as I walked out into the dark (why do they not believe in lighting up the sea front in British coastal towns!?), damp night of Herne Bay I knew I had witnessed something spectacular! Well done fellas!!

Johnny Bluesman repping the Empire State and yours truly, the Garden State Boy, Herne Bay 2/28/06

Graham Day Interview 1988

Back in late 1988 I conducted a mail in interview with Graham Day (of The Prisoners fame) for my fanzine "Smashed Blocked" which I published in issue #4 in early 1989. I decided to locate it an digitize it and reprint it here:

Graham Day with yours truly, Bad Music Seminar, NYC 11/88

THE PRISONERS RETURN!!!