I admit I'm very late in hearing about It's Immaterial. Charley Radtke, a net friend of mine, did me the favor of turning me onto them recently. Some things just take a while I guess. I tried to find more information about the band on the web, and while I did find information here and there (particularly Japanese), I thought the web could use a good English language page on It's Immaterial, so I decided to create this page.

It's Immaterial isn't a going concern as a band anymore, and even among eighties bands, they seem to have somehow fallen through the cracks. So I thought I would make this website to further the knowledge of this very good but forgotten band.

Many thanks to Charley Radtke for educating me on them in the first place and providing info on their various recordings, and to Zep in Japan who maintains a Japanese fansite for It's Immaterial at http://www2.justnet.ne.jp/~zep/.

| === LATEST NEWS === |

04.JAN.02 : I just received the copy I ordered of Unearthed - Liverpool Cult Classics Vol 2. The song by Palais De Sand is very cool. Henry Priestman wrote the music for Luc Besson's 1990 film "Atlantis" but Besson didn't care for it so it was used in a 92 wildlife documentary. In 96, John Campbell borrowed a cassette from Henry with the intent of dubbing a vocal for one of the tracks. He got them mixed up and dubbed a vocal to the wrong track, but it still turned out quite nice. Ambient vibe and quiet vocals not unlike tracks on "Song".

20.NOV.01 : I'm gradually starting to add additional information. The trickiest part is the singles discography...I would like to document which tracks are on which versions of each single. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

18.NOV.01 : This site is live. I have no current news on any of the band members so if you know something, please let me know. Several sound samples are available.

| === SOUNDS === |

I also have sampled some It's Immaterial rarities for your listening pleasure, including early singles and b-sides, and tracks from their second out-of-print album "Song". Most of these are out-of-print, so hopefully the record co. won't mind me making these samples available. They are streaming RealMedia samples.
 
ALBUM TRACKS
  Space
  Driving Away From Home (4-track demo)
  New Brighton
  Heaven Knows
  Homecoming
 
B-SIDES
  A Crooked Tune
  Trains, Boats, Planes
 
EARLY SINGLES
  Young Man (Seeks Interesting Job)
  A Giant Raft Of The Phillipines
  White Man's Hut

| === PERSONNEL === |

JOHN CAMPBELL: vocals
JARVIS WHITEHEAD: guitar, keyboards
 
...who were occasionally assisted by the likes of:
HENRY PRIESTMAN: guitar, keyboards
JULIAN SCOTT: bass
PAUL BARLOW: drums

| === SUMMARIES === |
SINGLES
   80 Young Man Seeks Interesting Job  
   81 A Giant Raft Of The Phillipines  
   81 Imitate The Warm  
   83 White Man's Hut  
   84 A Gigantic Raft  
   85 The Better Idea  
   85 Ed's Funky Diner  
   85 Driving Away From Home (Jim's Tune)  
   86 Space  
   87 Rope  
   90 Heaven Knows  

ALBUMS
   85 Life's Hard and Then You Die
   90 Song
   ?? (Rumoured unreleased third album)

UNIQUE NON-ALBUM tracks
   Young Man (Seeks Interesting Job)
   Doosha (A Success Story)
   No Place For A Prompter
   The Gigantic Raft (in The Philippines) 12"
   Imitate the Worm
   White Man's Hut
   The Worm Turns
   Solid Piles Of Food
   The Mermaid
   The Better Idea (Push The Boat Out And Dance) (original version)
   Several Brothers (original version)
   Lullaby (original version)
   Fish Waltz
   Washing the Air 7"
   We'll Turn Things Upside Down (The Enthusiasts Song)
   Kissing With Lord Herbert
   Washing The Air (Rub a Dub Mix)
   A Crooked Tune
   Trains, Boats, Planes
   Only The Lonely
   Hearby Hangs A Tale (mix)
   Jazz Bo's Holiday Transatlantique
   River
   Faith
   New Moon

ALTERNATE MIXES
   We'll Turn Things Upside Down (When The Revolution Comes)
   We'll Turn Things Upside Down (traditional)
   Gigantic Raft (in the Philippines)  TEMPEST MIX
   A Gigantic Raft In The Philippines (7")
   Ed's Funky Diner (The Keinholz Caper)
   Ed's Funky Diner (Friday Night, Saturday Morning)
   Driving Away From Home (Wicked Weather For Walking)
   Driving Away From Home (I mean after all, its only 'Dead Man's Curve')
   Space 7" (remix)
   Space 7" instrumental
   Space 12" remix
   Rope (extended)

RELEASED DEMOS
   Ed's Original Funky Diner (from Bugs On A Wire comp)
   Driving Away From Home (4 track demo)

RECORDED BUT NOT RELEASED
(if anyone has these, please contact me. Thanks!
   any entries for this section?


| === SINGLES === |
80 Young Man (Seeks Interesting Job) {HIT001} 


 
  Doosha

81 A Giant Raft Of The Phillipines {INEV009}  
  No Place For A Prompter

81 Imitate The Worm {IHM002} 
  The Worm Turns

83 White Man's Hut {ETERNAL JF2T}


  
  White Mans Hut 
  The Worm Turns
  Solid Piles Of Food

84 Gigantic Raft (in the Philippines) (Tempest Mix) {ETERNAL JF4} 
  The Mermaid 

85 The Better Idea (Push The Boat Out And Dance) {Ark / Situation Two}


 
  Several Brothers
  Lullaby
  Fish Waltz

85 Ed's Funky Diner {Siren 8} 
  Washing The Air 7"
  Ed's Funky Diner (Remix) 12"
  Driving away from Home 12"
  Only the Lonely 12"

85 Driving Away From Home (Jim's Tune) {Siren 15}


   
  Driving Away From Home (Wicked Weather for Walking) SIREN1512
  A Crooked Tune 
  Trains, Boats, Planes 
  Ed's Funky Diner (Friday Night, Saturday Morning) 3" cdt26
  Driving Away From Home (I mean after all its only 'Dead Man's Curve') 3" cdt26

86 Space {Siren 34}
  Space, he called from the kitchen 12
  Hearby Hangs A Tale 12
  Washing the air (Rub a dub mix) 7
  Jazz Bo's Holiday Transatlantique

87 Rope {Siren 38} 
  Festival Time

90 Heaven Knows {Siren 129}


   
  River
  Faith


| === ALBUMS === |
LIFE'S HARD AND THEN YOU DIE


UK: 1985, Siren/Virgin

   LP SRN 4

   MC: SRN 4

   CD: SRN 4

US: 1985, Virgin

   LP: ???

   MC: ???

   CD: ???


  Driving Away from Home (Jim's Tune)  
  Happy Talk 
  Rope 
  Better Idea 
  Space 
  Sweet Life 
  Festival Time 
  Ed's Funky Diner (It's Immaterial) 
  Hang on Sleepy Town 
  Lullaby
 (following are CD bonus)
  Washing The Air
  Ed's Funky Diner (The Keinholz Caper)
  Driving Away From Home (I mean after all its only 'Dead Man's Curve')

SONG


UK: 1990, Siren/Virgin

   CD: SRN 27


  New Brighton 
  Endless Holiday
  An Ordinary Life
  Heaven Knows 
  In the Neighbourhood
  Missing
  Homecoming 
  Summer Winds
  Life on the Hill
  Your Voice


| === VIDEOS === |
PROMO VIDEOS (never commercially released)
   Ed's Funky Diner (can someone confirm this?)
   Driving Away From Home (can someone confirm this?)
   (any others?)


| === COMPILATIONS === |
Several 80's compilations feature It's Immaterial tracks:

CLASSIC ALTERNATIVES Vol.3
  Driving Away From Home (Wicked Weather For Walking)

MERSEY BOYS & LIVERPOOL GIRLS (EMI)
  Driving Away From Home

BUGS ON A WIRE (May 1987 SAW3)
  Ed's Original Funky Diner

UNEARTHED - Liverpool Cult Classics Vol 1 (Viper CD 006)
  New Moon (1992, previously unreleased)

CRASH Test Demo - Volume One (1995 CD Release, Gut Records)
  Is It All Right Between Us (previously unreleased) 


| === UNRELEASED SONGS === |
No info currently.


| === PERFORMANCES === |
No info currently. Tours and TV appearances to add?


| === ARTICLES === |
No info currently.


| === AVAILABILITY === |
"Life's Hard and Then You Die" CD is in print in the UK and includes 
three bonus tracks. Best price seems to be from Amazon UK
(I may be able to arrange a £5 credit for new customers...email me 
privately). "Song" CD is long out-of-print but shows up on eBay from 
time to time at reasonable prices. All singles are out-of-print.


| === OTHER PROJECTS === |
JOHN CAMPBELL
pre-It's Immaterial:
   The Yachts

post-It's Immaterial:
   UNEARTHED - LIVERPOOL CULT CLASSICS VOL 2 - 2001
   Track 8: Palais de Sand- The Harbour Song
   w/ Henry Priestman (The Christians)


JARVIS WHITEHEAD
pre-It's Immaterial:
   ???

post-It's Immaterial:
   ???

HENRY PRIESTMAN
post-It's Immaterial:
   The Christians (add more info)


| === OTHER SITES === |
The following sites are likely to be of interest:

Zep's It's Immaterial page (Japanese)
Waste Of Pops (Japanese)
80's Music It's Immaterial entry
Ultra Minor (Japanese)
Moontaxi
Liverpool Then - Eighties Music Archive
The Viper Label - A Liverpool based Independent Record Label

| === THANKS === |

Thanks to the following folks for helping fill in the blanks:

And of course, thanks to John, Jarvis & co. for the wonderful music.

End of discography. Please send any additions or corrections to
Brent Aliverti. Thanks!

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