Names, The - Spectators of Life

Belgian post-punk band The Names are best remembered for a string of excellent singles and an album released via Factory and Les Disques du Crépuscule between 1980 and 1982, all produced by Martin Hannett.

This archive collection includes all three tracks from their rare debut 7-inch from 1979, plus 10 live tracks taped between 1979 and 1981, of which 8 are songs that were never studio-recorded. The earliest of these gigs, a concert for Belgian radio, features Nothing To Fear, Memories and a version of the classic Factory single Nightshift. The show from Oostakker in 1980 includes Questions & Answers, Other Enquiries and I Wish I Could Speak Your Language.

Also included are two Crépuscule compilation tracks (Tokyo Twilight and Ballade à Tervuren), and two b-sides Shining Hours and Revenge (from TWI 111). Two outtakes from the later Jazz project also feature, including a cover of I'm In Love With a German Filmstar, originally a hit for The Passions in 1981.

The CD runs for 73 minutes and is remastered from original master tapes. Booklet includes detailed liner notes. Artwork by Benoît Hennebert.

Tracklist:

1. Spectators of Life (7")
2. White Life (7")
3. The Drive (7")
4. Nothing to Fear (live 1979)
5. Foreign Rendezvous (live 1979)
6. Actually (live 1979)
7. Memories (live 1979)
8. Nightshift (live 1979)
9. Mirrors (live 1980)
10. Questions & Answers (live 1980)
11. I Wish I Could Speak Your Language (live 1980)
12. Other Enquiries (live 1980)
13. Burn (live 1981)
14. Tokyo Twilight
15. Shining Hours
16. Revenge
17. Virtual (Jazz outtake)
18. I'm In Love With a German Filmstar (Jazz outtake)
19. Ballade à Tervuren