Update

Hi, I'm sorry it went a bit quiet here for a while.
There's not been an awful lot of news or anything to report, and i kinda lost enthusiasm for a little while. I will post more stuff on the website and here over the next few weeks.

News so far: The Wolfmen have released their first single, Kama Sutra, which you can buy as mp3s or 7" single here.
They had a launch party last tuesday, that was lots of fun.
They are off to the USA later this week for a month of promotion and radio stuff.


Adam has finished signing the books. No more signings are planned, and as for what else IS planned all I know of is the documentary which to be shown on ITV in the uk in November.



There is a Smash Hits book out which features Adam's interviews from 1981 which I posted on here a while ago, that can be bought in shops and Amazon.
This is worth getting for itself anyway if you grew up reading Smash Hits in the 80s and it is a nice reminder of a very good magazine and time, both of which I miss greatly, for the most part anyway!


The annual Ant Disco run by Madam Stan is next saturday, tickets can still be bought online, go here for information about that. As far as I know Terry Lee Miall will turn up as will Kevin Mooney again to do a dj slot later on in the evening. I shall of course be there, with lots of other motley people I have come to know and love/ hate!









And that's about it for now folks. The Remasters were re-released as Jewel packs (Dirk, kings and PC only), and the full 7 set box set is also now available, the first set of 4 and original cased ones are also still around to buy.

Adam was on radio 6 last week, go to the radio 6 website to hear it.

Marco has the questions for Vive le Rock, not sure if he will answer them before he goes to the States, he may not have time, so we will have those when he is ready. Keep checking back!

Over and out!

Some videos for your pleasure

From youtube:

Killer in the Home Something Else 1980



Ants Invasion Whistle Test 1980



Antmusic and Dog Eat Dog, Kevin Mooney's last appearance with the Ants, Royal Variety Show at London Palladium theatre 1981



Dog Eat Dog 1980 Manchester



Antmusic Tom Snyder 1981


Interview Tom Snyder


Los Rancheros Tom Snyder

We will be fine.............

Here we have Marco Pirroni's comments on Apollo 9 and B Side Baby. Me normal text, Marco italics. Enjoy!


How was Apollo 9 written?
2 Guitars a pen and some paper.

What were you listening to around this time?
Old british rock and roll, Tommy Steele,Billy Fury etc, a lot of Cajun which you hear in Apollo 9 and Kraftwerk. Don't ask me how this all works together, it just did in our minds.

Who came up with the drum pattern for it?
Bob

Was there a demo and why wasn't it on the remaster of Vive?
Never really a demo as such, but bits of it started life as something else on other unfinished demos, the most complete "demo" was on Adam's dictaphone, but thats lost forever now.

How much input (if any) did Chris and Bob have on the Vive sessions?
They played bass and drums isn't that enough?

What was Tony Visconti like to work with?
Very workmanlike, I had decided to simplify my guitar playing I thought 2/3 parts were better than the usual 25 tracks i did, but Tony was a bad influence and we went mad over dubbing guitars, he also played that "violin" on the end of the last track (I cant remeber what its called the dr strangelove one (P.O.E)) It's not a violin, its a synth guitar, but all producers sit there and are desperate to play guitar on something so I usally let them, I cant stand those pleading eyes they make, it's the same look that dogs have when want a bit of cheese.

B Side Babies- a return to old Ant songs for a b side- what other songs were tried out?
None, I tend to like 95% of old ants stuff so I think Adam said he'd like to do it, I said fine, it's all good really. I was suppised when he got this harmonica out, coz I didn't know he could play, and he's pretty good at it ,and contrary to popular opinion playing harmonica isn't easy.

How long did Apollo 9 take to record?
About a week.

There were 2 remixes for this single (Orbit mix and Splashdown mix) as well as the unheard 7" mix put onto Vive remastered- why were there so many remixes?
Sony wanted remixes.

Who's idea was it to do the remixes?
Sony

Who suggested Francois Kervokian? Were you aware of any of his work before doing Apollo 9?
I suggested him, because he had mixed Electric Cafe.

Remind me again, where did the plaster on Adam's forehead come from- it was a film right?
Requiem for a Heavyweight and Grace Jones.

Where did Adam get the ideas for the words from for Apollo 9?
The Right Stuff

What is the chorus a reference to? (Whoopsin a whoopsin, jan jan jammerin, yabba yabba ding ding, delta hey max 9)?
Is it just cartoony stuff, like Little Richard's Wop bop a loo bop a wham bam boo?
Yes that's exactly what it is.