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4 December, 1982 The Units album mentioned twelve light years ago is still not available for release, this is due to legal problems in the USA. Their old record company must be so short of money that they claim to need a ransom before the album can be released. Sounds more like blackmail to us. ABM 6 August, 1983 Things have been very hectic of late as usual. I've only just returned home this week from production duties on a forthcoming album by The Units, an electronic combo par excellence from San Francisco, with whom I have worked before. ******* Bill then moved on to working again with The Units. Of whom you have heard before in ABM. Last time Bill flew to San Francisco, the bands home, and they recorded an album in a local studio. The band then fell out with their label and the record has remained in the can ever since due to the contractual problems with 415 Records. The Units have now signed to Epic Records and once again asked Bill to produce them. On this occasion they came to Rockfield Studios in Wales and the recording went very well indeed. aBM 7 September, 1983 After Bill has finished his parts on the Yuki/Bill single he goes back in the studio to finish mixing The Units album for release next year. They should have a mini album out in the USA some time soon with one of Bill's tracks called 'More Alike' and a NY club mix of it done by Ivan Ivan. aBM 8 January, 1984 THE UNITS. As so many of you want to know more about the musicians that Bill has been working with - here is a short biography of The Units. In the early '70s, Scott Ryser, a San Francisco English literature major, switched from guitar to synthesisers to be able to create soundtracks for a number of experimental films. Through mutual friends in the avant-garde rock group Tuxedomoon, Scott met Rachel Webber in 1978, a transplanted New Yorker who was attending art school in the San Francisco bay area. They began to work together on a series of performance art pieces combining elements of theater, film and original synthesiser music. Ultimately growing into three synth players and a live drummer, they became The Units and opened for every one from The Dead Kennedy's to the Go-Go's the following year. Around the same time they released a self-produced EP called HIGH PRESSURE DAYS, followed by a second single later that year. This attracted local label 415 Records who released their first LP DIGITAL STIMULATION in 1980 The band toured with Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark in the USA. Bill bought a copy in Yorkshire and met up with them when playing San Francisco in Spring 1981 (On the Practical Dreamers Tour) That Christmas he returned to produce their next album for them. Due to endless legal problems with 415 the Units parted company and the tapes were never released. ABM 10 (1984) (5-3-1984) There had originally been three dates planned in the Bay area. But because of the changes we had to cut it down to one (On the only day off). Greatly enjoyable show with things all starting to work. We all had a chance to meet up with Scott and Rachel of the Units afterwards. The following day we flew to Toronto getting in late after an all day flight. We had the rest of the night off. The following day the show was at a small club called the El Mochombo I am told it had been sold out for weeks. It was the first time Bill had been to Canada for about six years. Great show and a nice city. |