Wire have proved to be a band who have come and gone from active duty many times over their nearing fifty year history. Often with several years of inactivity between each period, something seemingly compels the complex magnetism that exists between the band members, flipping poles to re-attract and re-form. The ‘Ahead’ single is from the period of Wire’s first reactivation (Wire (Mark 2) aka the ‘beat combo’ and partnership with Mute Records for their recordings) following their split in 1980 and their departure from existiing label, EMI/Harvest records.

It was quite the year, 1980, the short while it lasted for the band. They had a second attempt at recording their ‘Our Swimmer’ single (first recorded late 1979) with an aim to release it as the calling card for their post-EMI existence, including a possible release on Charisma Records – see Side by side: Wire – ‘Our Swimmer’ and ‘Second Length’ versions, for further details. More famously, February 1980 witnessed an  infamously self-immolating live appearance at the Electric Ballroom in London. By standard logic, a band that had freed itself from a label (and Wire were at pains to point out that they had walked away from EMI) might be more inclined to make use of such a gig as something of a commercial shopfront to woo a new a label. But no such intent from Wire. Its outright commercial suicide note of a performance put light to Wire (Mark 1) and torched it. But that gig is another story and will be documented before too long on VersionCrazy. Continue reading “Wire – ‘Ahead’ UK 7″ and 12″ (Mute, 7 MUTE 57 / 12 MUTE 57, 1987)”