Post-Distractions

The original Distractions may have fizzled out in 1982 but that didn't stop Mike Finney and co.  This Bronze Records biography of Mike's new group, The Secret Seven, was distributed with promo copies of their splendid single, Hold On To Love b/w Up In Smoke. (7" standard and 12" 'club' versions).

BRONZE

BIOGRAPHY

THE SECRET SEVEN

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The Secret Seven are in fact four - Mike Finney (vocals), Julie Middlehurst (vocals), Bernard Van Den Berg (keyboards/drums), and Alan Usher (bass).

The nucleus of The Secret Seven took shape in February of last year following the demise of Finney, Van Den Berg and Usher's previous band, The Distractions.  Looking for raw talent they recruited Julie Middlehurst, a former nurse who had worked in an old peoples home.  Initially called The Famous Five, the band's original idea was to take a cabaret approach to the ultra-hip rock clubs and ultimately, to take some of the ultra-hip to the cabaret audience.

Demos were completed which resulted in The Secret Seven playing their debut gig with Delta Five at Manchester's Hacienda last August.  It was a bizarre event, with Mike and Julie holding hands, gazing into each others eyes and opening with a soft, twee version of "I'll Be Your Mirror" in front of a drunken Saturday night audience.  The show worked and resulted in considerable press acclaim.

Since then The Secret Seven have adopted a policy of only playing the occasional selective gigs; always provoking a strong audience reaction.

The band have signed to Bronze Records; releasing their debut single "Hold On To Love".  Produced by Martin Hayles - currently enjoying chart success with Orange Juice - "Hold On To Love" sees a new dimension in The Secret Seven's sound with the augmentation of three guest musicians - Danny Cummings (percussion), Don Garbutt (keyboards) and Martin Hayles (guitar).

April 1983.

Simon Porter.
01-267 4499.

BRONZE RECORDS LIMITED, 100 CHALK FARM ROAD, LONDON, NW1 8EH, ENGLAND