Endgames (band)
| Endgames | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Enjoyment Club |
| Origin | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Genres | New wave, synthpop |
| Years active | 1980–1985 |
| Labels | Mercury, Virgin, MCA |
| Past members | David Rudden Paul Wishart David Murdoch Douglas Muirden Willie Gardner David Wilde Brian McGee |
Endgames were a Scottish pop band, who had some success in the 1980s with singles such as "First-Last-For Everything", "Waiting for Another Chance", and "Ecstasy". Not being among the power players in their day, they are still a charming reminder of the new wave heyday.
Endgames were formed in Glasgow by David Rudden, Paul Wishart (Guitar, Saxophone, Flute) and David Murdoch (Keyboards).
The band started to gig clubs and colleges in Glasgow - one of their first public appearances being a support act to Simple Minds in late December 1979, for which they received a rather lukewarm mention in the "New Musical Express" ("Pleasant rather disturbing, End Game [sic!] have some good, if half-formed ideas... but at least they don't sound like the Berlin Blondes"). During the second half of 1980, Endgames started playing in London area. By that time they were joined by the drummer David Wilde. Their early style is represented on several various artists compilations released during 1980–1981: Beyond the Groove and Live Letters (both on Polydor Records), which documented bands that played in the well-known South London club 101; and Heat from the Street (on Charisma). They also attracted interest of the famous BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel and recorded their first session for his show (which was broadcast in March 1981). Recordings were done not only in London, but in Glasgow, too - for example, Endgames were the last band to do a recording session at the second home of Ca Va Studios in May 1981. During this time they played synth-rock characterised by cold-sounding synths, stiff rhythms and dark, brooding vocals reminiscent of Philip Oakey. This didn't sit well with the labels searching for the "next big thing" or the press, generally not very supportive of the "futurist"/electronic movement. Various commitments and endeavours of its members during this time (Wishart, for example, guested with Simple Minds on their "Empires and Dance Tour" in 1980 and with Skids on their 1981 tour and album Joy) also slowed down the band's progress.
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