China Crisis

Of course, I mentioned Walter before when Rosie Vila came up in episode seven and the fact that he produced a lot of bands during Steely Dan's hiatus, the likes of Fra Lippo Lippy, Ricky Lee Jones, Michael Franks, all of which I need to get on the podcast because they're here in the record room.

But one notable act he worked with was China Crisis, producing two of their albums, one of which was Flaunt the Imperfection.

So let's take you back to April 1985, as you remember, Becker, on this episode and a track from that album.

This is King in a Catholic Style.

With all my, with all my makeup, and your big money business smart.

For what you want, take me instead.

Considered pretty much to be the best album by China Crisis that's taken off flaunt the imperfection produced by the late great Walter Becker.

He also was involved for the most part in 1989's Diary of a Hollow Horse by the band four years later but for now that is King in a Catholic style as we remember him nine years on this week with those two tracks.

The veteran British record producer was behind the mixing desk for Culture Club's first three multi-platinum selling albums of the 1980s.

Steve's also worked with artists as diverse as Gary Moore, Ziggy Marley, Quarter Flash, The Honeys, China Crisis and Motorhead.

Steve also writes music for TV, gaming and film, won a Grammy Award in 1988 for his work with Denise Williams and was a Brit Award winner as Producer of the Year in 1984.

Now he's going back to the 80s, remixing a self-titled album he first produced for some superstar clients.

We know he's a sought-after guy, and we know we talked about him producing some Scottish band, Love and Money, you know.

We talked about Walter Becker going on to produce China Crisis, all people, you know, in the sort of post-breakdown of Stevie Dam.

And as you say, Steely Down still continues in spite of Becker's death, which is weird because, you know, you'd assume that it can't really.

But Donald Fagan could and does.

Welcome back to Omnibus.

That was Arizona Sky, the second track and the top single off the fourth studio album from China Crisis, What Price Paradise.

It was released in 1986, and oh my, what a year it was.

It was a great year for me and for 99...

It's not like, you know, we haven't talked to some of the local promoters to bring people.

some of these acts over because i i've talked to some of these guys till i'm blue in the face but once again i can go and see china crisis for the 55th time and i can see flock of seagulls for the 60th time and not see level 42 and and not see the stranglers and not see stiff little fingers and these other bands that have not been here in ages and ages.

So good on the Americans for doing that Level 42 campaign.

And, you know, David Marsden, you know, they did a campaign to bring, when in the early 70s, before the Dark Side of the Moon record came out, that Pink Floyd wasn't coming to Toronto.

he was on one album i think that that he had the beard or something and then for some reason he said that's it i made a beeline to cut it off so anyway

those were crazy beards

they really were so we also lost uh the china crisis basis to gary gaza johnson uh he was only 61 a specific cause of death not revealed

right and the band were here on wednesday so i mean condolences to the to the band for you know still carrying on they were here at the phoenix a couple of nights ago so