The Icicle Works - High Time (Beggars Banquet BEG203T) 1985.

Yet another excellent band from Liverpool formed in 1980, fronted by 20 year old Ian McNabb with Chris Sharrock playing drums and Chris Layhe on bass. On their own volition they released a 6 track cassette followed by an independent single "Nirvana" in 1981 leading to a contract with Beggars Banquet who released their first single on the label's subsidiary Situation 2 "Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream)" selling well but failing to chart. The follow-up was the dramatic "Love Is A Wonderful Colour" which achieved their highest chart position at No.15 with the eponymous debut album charting at No.24 and made the U.S. top forty. For some unknown reason their commercial success stalled somewhat at this point with a re-issue of the excellent "Birds Fly" reaching only No.53, "Hollow Horse" managed No.91 in September 1984 and the following year the Motown flavoured "All The Daughters (Of Her Fathers House)" rather undeservedly failed to chart with the folk influenced follow-up "Seven Horses" at least cracking the top 100 at No.80. The second album "Small Price Of A Bicycle" was a little more promising charting narrowly outside the 50 at No.55 despite its U.K. only release, the non-album single "When It All Comes Down" released soon after again infuriatingly failed to chart. By 1986 they were officially still a trio but keyboardist Dave Green joined the band for all recording work and touring effectivly becoming the fourth member of the band. Beggars Banquet then released a compilation album of all the 12 mixes "Seven Singles Deep" which was again given only U.K. release again doing reasonably well commercially but again failed to crack the top 50 peaking at No.52, the same position as the next single the punky "Understanding Jane" with the follow-up in October 1986 "Who Do You Want For Your Love" and "Evangeline" in February 1987 selling similarly charting at Nos. 54 and 53 respectively, all three singles appeared on the 1987 Ian Broudie produced third album "If You Want To Defeat Your Enemy Sing His Song" which made No.28 in the U.K. album chart. This single "High Time" reached No.76 and did very well in the U.S. Rock chart at No.13. The final album from this line-up "Blind" scraped into the top forty and spawned the singles "Little Girl Lost" which again charted just outside the top 50 in April 1988 and the follow-up "Here Comes Trouble" which scraped into the top 100 in June. At this point Chris Sharrock left to join The La's. he would later drum with World Party, Lightning Seeds, Robbie Williams, Eurythmics and Del Amitri. Layhe also departed soon after and Dave Green would follow in 1989. Undaunted McNabb formed another line-up originally with Zak Starkey (Ringo's son), releasing an album "Permanent Damage" in 1990 with a line-up of McNabb, Dave Baldwin on keyboards, ex-Tull & 10cc drummer Paul Burgess and bassist Ray Corkill. McNabb went solo in 1991 and that's the way it stayed for 15 years until he resurected the band in 2006. This 4 track 12" single and includes two live tracks recorded at The Astoria in London, is housed in its original sleeve and paper liner.   

Track List: Side 1: 1: High Time, 2: Broken Hearted Fool, Side 2: 3: Private Revolution (Live), 4: Travelling Chest (Live).

Matrix Numbers: A: A1 B: B1

Condition: Record: Excellent +. Looks near perfect, under bright halogen light there are just a very few very light surface paper marks. Plays perfectly. Label: Near mint. Sleeve: Excellent -. A little general wear and slight scuffing. Small mark top right where a sticker has been removed.

Postage & Packing: U.K. (First Class): £2.30. Europe (Airmail): £3.50, R.O.W. (Airmail): £5.50.