Biography
Scottish pop outfit Friends Again enjoyed only a brief existence, issuing a modest run of singles alongside their sole long-player, the 1984 set Trapped & Unwrapped, which continues to be celebrated as an overlooked classic of its time. Their ringing guitar-driven style, angular yet memorable hooks, and emotionally charged singing aligned closely with those of fellow Scots Orange Juice and Aztec Camera; like those acts, the group’s fusion of folk-rock, soul, and refined pop left a lasting mark on numerous subsequent artists.
Formed in 1981 in Glasgow’s outskirts by guitarists James Grant and Andrew McGurk, drummer Stuart Kerr, bassist Neil Cunningham, and keyboardist Paul McGeechan, the lineup soon changed when McGurk departed and vocalist/guitarist Chris Thomson—occasionally an actor—stepped in. This configuration proved durable, prompting the musicians to enter Edinburgh’s Palladium Studios, where they recorded the demos “Honey at the Core” and “Sunkissed.” Both tracks received prompt airplay on Radio Clyde, securing the band a publishing agreement and a Phonogram Records contract. Their opening release, the demo take of “Honey at the Core,” appeared in 1983 on the Phonogram-backed imprint Moonboot; “Sunkissed” followed on the parent label proper. Returning to Palladium for fresh demos, the group then moved to London’s RAK studio to track their debut album under new-wave veteran Bob Sargent, with legendary arranger Paul Buckmaster—known for prior work with David Bowie and Elton John—supplying orchestrations to “State of Art,” issued as the third single of 1983. Its commercial disappointment led Phonogram to shelve the completed record.
After regrouping for live dates, Friends Again resumed work at Palladium and also traveled to London to cut “Swallows in the Rain” under the guidance of Television’s Tom Verlaine. Mercury Records gathered several of these newer recordings, along with remixed earlier material, for the 1984 Friends Again EP. A subsequent tour supporting like-minded sophisticates the Bluebells preceded the band’s dissolution; one final 1984 single, “South of Love,” preceded Grant’s departure, after which Mercury issued Trapped & Unwrapped just weeks later. Thomson launched the Bathers, while Grant formed the successful Love and Money, soon joined there by McGeechan, Kerr, and Cunningham. Over time Trapped & Unwrapped attained cult status, prompting multiple reissues, among them a 2019 deluxe two-disc edition from Cherry Red.
Formed in 1981 in Glasgow’s outskirts by guitarists James Grant and Andrew McGurk, drummer Stuart Kerr, bassist Neil Cunningham, and keyboardist Paul McGeechan, the lineup soon changed when McGurk departed and vocalist/guitarist Chris Thomson—occasionally an actor—stepped in. This configuration proved durable, prompting the musicians to enter Edinburgh’s Palladium Studios, where they recorded the demos “Honey at the Core” and “Sunkissed.” Both tracks received prompt airplay on Radio Clyde, securing the band a publishing agreement and a Phonogram Records contract. Their opening release, the demo take of “Honey at the Core,” appeared in 1983 on the Phonogram-backed imprint Moonboot; “Sunkissed” followed on the parent label proper. Returning to Palladium for fresh demos, the group then moved to London’s RAK studio to track their debut album under new-wave veteran Bob Sargent, with legendary arranger Paul Buckmaster—known for prior work with David Bowie and Elton John—supplying orchestrations to “State of Art,” issued as the third single of 1983. Its commercial disappointment led Phonogram to shelve the completed record.
After regrouping for live dates, Friends Again resumed work at Palladium and also traveled to London to cut “Swallows in the Rain” under the guidance of Television’s Tom Verlaine. Mercury Records gathered several of these newer recordings, along with remixed earlier material, for the 1984 Friends Again EP. A subsequent tour supporting like-minded sophisticates the Bluebells preceded the band’s dissolution; one final 1984 single, “South of Love,” preceded Grant’s departure, after which Mercury issued Trapped & Unwrapped just weeks later. Thomson launched the Bathers, while Grant formed the successful Love and Money, soon joined there by McGeechan, Kerr, and Cunningham. Over time Trapped & Unwrapped attained cult status, prompting multiple reissues, among them a 2019 deluxe two-disc edition from Cherry Red.
Live
