WHITE & TORCH John Peel Session 10th March 1984

Roy White & Steve Torch, “White & Torch” I knew of in a previous life when they were in one of my favourite Liverpudlian post punk outfits PINK MILITARY. I knew that they had a number of singles out previous to this session, but I only knew of their existence because PEEL said “they have had a number of singles out previous to this session”… So where they the natural progression to PINK MILITARY’s post punk airy meanderings? No! What we got was something akin to blueprint to Robert Palmer’s 80’s chart success .. A cross between Righteous Brothers pop pomp, nasty early 80’s synths replacing the “wall of sound” instrumentation & possibly a cough induced by the tongue being firmly imbedded in the cheek.

It was so alien to anything that PEEL was playing at the time, I like to think if they had come from a Home Counties or Medway town as opposed to Greater Merseyside that demo tape would have been flying out of the window of his car before he left Greater London on his nightly drive back to PEEL ACRES. I glad he didn’t. It is such an oddity & further proof you could never predict what the old bugger would like. My particularly favourite is “Bury My Heart” which sounds like that they have just taken the titles of their favourite Northern Soul songs & made them into a chorus. It has also inadvertently got me to engage the “Dad at the disco shuffle” incorporating the pointy dance… To which my loving Wife has just observed “You fat twat!”

Please note that this is a tape that got bitter & twisted which I have restored with sellotape & a stanley knife, so if the nasty synths sound wobbly & nastier than you would expect.. You know why.

• mp3: WHITE & TORCH John Peel Session 10th March 1984

1. Dont' Be Shot
2. Can You Feel The Heart-Beat
3. No, Not I!
4. Bury My Heart