Biography
Inspired by the artistic currents running through 1970s New York and punk’s rejection of conventional ambition, Edinburgh natives Paul Haig on vocals and guitar, Malcolm Ross on guitar, and Ronnie Torrance on drums assembled under an unprintable name. Gary McCormack, later of the Exploited, briefly occupied the bass chair before departing, after which the remaining trio adopted the name TV Art. David Weddell then joined on bass, and the group performed regularly in their hometown. By the close of summer 1979 they had cut a demo and adopted the name Josef K.
In November of that year the nervy single Chance Meeting appeared on the short-lived Absolute label. A handshake agreement with Alan Horne and Edwyn Collins of Orange Juice led to a string of releases on the Postcard label. The first of these was a double-pack single that paired Josef K with the funk- and soul-inflected Orange Juice, helping establish the press-coined “Scottish Sound.” Late in 1980 the band tracked an album’s worth of material in under two weeks. Horne and the musicians shelved the resulting, somewhat polished Sorry for Laughing because it favored the rhythm section over guitars and live energy. Months afterward they recorded The Only Fun in Town in less than a week; issued officially, it reached the summit of the U.K. indie chart and remains the sole album released by both the band and the Postcard label. Satisfied that they had achieved enough, Haig disbanded the group after a series of successful concerts. Ross subsequently joined Orange Juice and later played with fellow Scots Aztec Camera. Haig launched a solo career that brought collaborations with Alan Rankine, Billy Mackenzie, Cabaret Voltaire, and Mantronix. Weddell and Torrance became part of the Happy Family alongside Nick Currie, better known as Momus.
Several archival projects appeared after the breakup. Supreme International Recordings issued Young and Stupid in 1987, gathering singles, a BBC session, and outtakes from the unreleased debut; the collection has since been reissued twice with differing track lists. Les Temps Modernes paired Sorry for Laughing with The Only Fun in Town on CD in 1990 and has been re-released by Rev-Ola and LTM. In 1998 Marina compiled the band’s highlights as Endless Soul, while Domino assembled the retrospective Entomology in 2006. Despite periodic revivals of interest, the musicians have declined to reunite.
In November of that year the nervy single Chance Meeting appeared on the short-lived Absolute label. A handshake agreement with Alan Horne and Edwyn Collins of Orange Juice led to a string of releases on the Postcard label. The first of these was a double-pack single that paired Josef K with the funk- and soul-inflected Orange Juice, helping establish the press-coined “Scottish Sound.” Late in 1980 the band tracked an album’s worth of material in under two weeks. Horne and the musicians shelved the resulting, somewhat polished Sorry for Laughing because it favored the rhythm section over guitars and live energy. Months afterward they recorded The Only Fun in Town in less than a week; issued officially, it reached the summit of the U.K. indie chart and remains the sole album released by both the band and the Postcard label. Satisfied that they had achieved enough, Haig disbanded the group after a series of successful concerts. Ross subsequently joined Orange Juice and later played with fellow Scots Aztec Camera. Haig launched a solo career that brought collaborations with Alan Rankine, Billy Mackenzie, Cabaret Voltaire, and Mantronix. Weddell and Torrance became part of the Happy Family alongside Nick Currie, better known as Momus.
Several archival projects appeared after the breakup. Supreme International Recordings issued Young and Stupid in 1987, gathering singles, a BBC session, and outtakes from the unreleased debut; the collection has since been reissued twice with differing track lists. Les Temps Modernes paired Sorry for Laughing with The Only Fun in Town on CD in 1990 and has been re-released by Rev-Ola and LTM. In 1998 Marina compiled the band’s highlights as Endless Soul, while Domino assembled the retrospective Entomology in 2006. Despite periodic revivals of interest, the musicians have declined to reunite.
Albums
Bridges to Sechura
2023
Oceano
2019
Young and Stupid
1987
The Only Fun in Town
1981
Sorry for Laughing
1980
Singles
