MOD MUSIC DNA OF T HE DEEP S I X – A B RI E F OVERVIEW

Following the ’79 Mod revival came the second wave of bands during the early 80's. Right at the vanguard of that second wave were West Midlands based four-piece Makin’ Time. Blending elements of guitar fired power pop with a blue-eyed soul leaning, Makin’ Time were right at the forefront of the UK 80s Mod scene. Their debut single Here Is My Number was released in 1985. Makin’ Time took their name from a song by influential late 60s mod/pop art outfit Creation, whose name was utilised by Alan McGee for his innovative independent label Creation Records. They released three singles, three studio albums and one live album. Makin’ Time consisted of Mark ‘Syd’ McGounden who went on to form Upper Fifth. Fay Hallam, queen of the 80s Mod scene. Fay has been involved in several solo projects such as Phaze, Fay Hallam Trinity, The Gift Horses as well as more recently an album where she collaborated with The Bongolian, and an involvement with Speakeasy. Plus solo albums for Blow Up! Corona (2015) and Well Suspect, House Of Now (2016). Bassist Martin Blunt went on to be a founder member of The Charlatans. Drummer Neil Clitheroe was for a short time with the Mod band The Moment, more recently he briefly joined forces with Mark McGounden for the first incarnation of The Deep Six.

The Upper Fifth were McGounden’s first band after Makin’ Time. They formed in 1997 gigged regularly, including playing alongside The Bluetones, in the 90s, and From The Jam during the noughties. They released a single and an album, the latter produced by Dodgy singer Nigel Clark. The band called it a day early in 2013.

The Threads formed in Lincolnshire in 1982 when Paul Hooper-Keeley and Tim Mitchell Smith, at the time both young Mods with a Small Faces obsession bought their first guitars. The two Boston College students were the core members of The Threads, who had a fluid membership until settling on the definitive line-up of Tony Wheeler (drums), Guy Brader (lead guitar), David Tetley Abrahams Edley (guitar) and Michael Myk Bull (keyboards). The Threads ended up caught between Russell Brennan’s Britannia List and Mark Johnson’s Phoenix List, both 80s mod societies, as to which set up to go with for their first release. Eventually, The Threads went with Mark Johnson’s Unicorn records. Ed Ball, front man of Creation Records’ Mod outfit The Times produced their tracks for the Phase III EP. The Threads also released material via Twist, a label run by Mark Le Gallez who fronted The Risk. After touring the UK seven times and Europe three times, The Threads split up in 1991. In 2001 they re-formed on the back of a 22-track album. The Threads played the prestigious Small Faces Convention in the early Noughties. Sarge