801 was a short interlude in prog’s history but a glorious one. This wasn't your typical band. It was more of a fascinating confluence of talents, a sort of supergroup-in-gestation, really.
The key figure here was Phil Manzanera and his rather distinctive guitar style. He'd already made his mark with Roxy Music, a band that was never afraid to be a bit different. And 801, in a way, felt like Manzanera indulging a slightly more raw, perhaps even experimental, side of his musical inclinations.
The genesis of 801, as I recall, was rather intriguing. It wasn't a case of months of rehearsals and carefully crafted demos. It was more of a spontaneous coming together, a bunch of musicians, many of whom had crossed paths in various corners of the music scene, deciding to see what sonic sparks might fly if they locked themselves in a studio for a brief, intense period.
801 performed three critically acclaimed concerts: in Norfolk, at the Reading Festival and the final concert on 3 September at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall. This last concert was recorded live and released as the album 801 Live. The music consisted of more or less mutated selections from albums by Manzanera, Eno, and Quiet Sun, plus a full-scale rearrangement of Lennon-McCartney's "Tomorrow Never Knows" and an off-the-wall excursion into The Kinks' 1964 hit "You Really Got Me".
Released at the height of the punk rock revolution in the UK, the LP was not a major commercial success, but it sold well worldwide, particularly because it gained rave reviews from critics both for the superb performances by the musicians and for its groundbreaking sound quality.
Alongside Manzanera, you had Brian Eno. Eno was always a bit of a sonic architect, a dabbler in all sorts of electronic textures and unconventional approaches. His presence in 801 certainly added a layer of the unexpected. Then there was Bill MacCormick, a solid bassist with a pedigree in Matching Mole, and Francis Monkman, a former Curved Air keyboardist with a classical background who could certainly add a touch of the cerebral to the proceedings. Simon Phillips, a drummer who would go on to make quite a name for himself with the likes of Jeff Beck, provided the rhythmic backbone. And not forgetting the vocal contributions of Lisa Strike and Doreen Chanter, adding another dimension to the sound.
Their live performances were a potent mix of improvisation and structured pieces, a real sense of musicians feeling each other out, pushing boundaries, and seeing where the music might take them. The album "801 Live," is a testament to this energy, a snapshot of a band operating in the moment, full of raw intensity and unexpected twists and turns. When they deconstructed and reassembled Tomorrow Never Knows and it was fantastic.
The thing about 801, though, is that it wasn't really designed for the long haul. It felt more like a fleeting but intense musical adventure, a chance for these talented individuals to explore different sonic avenues before returning to their various other projects. It was a moment in time, a brief but brilliant flash of collaborative energy.
In 1977, hoping to capitalise on the success of 801 Live, a revised line-up of the band (now officially billed as "Phil Manzanera/801") recorded and released Listen Now. This was a studio album with additional collaborating musicians, including Tim Finn of Split Enz, but without Lloyd Watson.
In late 1977, 801 reformed as another live group around Manzanera and MacCormick for a promotional tour of the album, Listen Now. Their concert at Manchester University was finally released as the album 801 Manchester in 1997, and I’ve got a copy of the CD signed by Phil Manzanera!
A fleeting but intense musical adventure...
