...Tale of Two...A Tale of Identity Crisis' debut...
The year was 1988 and fresh from live performances, underground club gigs and Beer sponsored major concerts in Manila, comes an upcoming black-clad band called Identity Crisis. Aside from performing great live versions of their favourite new wave songs, from Siouxsie's "Cities In Dust", "Israel" or "Happy House", to X-Mal D.'s "Matador", to "Two Rivers", "Suffer The Children", "China", "Ink and Paper", "Duel", etc.etc.etc. the band was more popular for creating some classic originals like "Imagining Oktober", "Requiem", "Sumigaw, Umawit Ka" and the ultra cool "My Sanctuary".um, did i say black clad? well, I meant most of the time....
In that same year, the band took their goth/4AD-influenced fashion sense and their new wave, darkwave and rock influences into the studio to hammer out their debut album called "...Tale Of Two" under Dyna Records. When the album came out, this was one of the best packaged vinyl LPs that I've ever seen in Manila. Jet black with silver logos, goth themed and look, complete with inner sleeves and lyrics, picture vinyl labels and all the goodies you'll find in foreign pressed LPs, they actually set a high bar for other record companies to hopefully imitate with this release. Unfortunately no other vinyl LP would come out with so much eye candy after this one. My only complaint is the different sequence of the tracks from the LP cover and the actual vinyl...
The vocal duties on the album were shared by the band's two lead vocalists, DWXB Radio DJ 'Cool Carla'* and 'Buddy Boy'*...who both provided exceptional range on their respective songs while also providing additional melodies and back-up vox. Lenie* provided the delicate noise from her synthesizers and piano. Both Cool Carla and Lenie would eventually form the band/s Mariya and then Mariya's Mistress after a few years. The pounding drums and percussion was done by Marvin* while Resty* contributes the ethereal soundscapes of his electric and acoustic guitars and Bogs* completes the band with his thumping bass guitar licks. This debut album was a solid release, full of great singles and album tracks...although I'm just wondering why the song "One Day" was never included here, Im not too sure if that song was ever released officially. Any info on this song would be greatly appreciated.
*the band members were always known by their nicknames only (they never printed their last names on their albums) so even though I managed to get all their full names, i'll just respect their wishes to keep their God-given names off the blog.
The band was supposed to play a reunion of sorts with The Late Isabel backing them up....this was about a year or so ago but nothing materialized. This was due to the former band members' busy personal schedules as their other alter egos (identity crisis?) as Chef, Flight Officer, Architect, etc, etc got in the way of comeback performance...hopefully, one day they can grace us again with more of their original and powerful songs as Identity Crisis. Mmmm, when that happens please make a bootleg copy for me. For sure Dyna Records is contemplating on re-releasing this album...I hope they add extra tracks, outtakes and some goodies...um, anybody out there who knows someone from Dyna??? Maybe a bigwig, big cheese in the company?...go tell them...sell the idea of a great packaged re-issue complete with extra goodies...
Identity Crisis - ...Tale of Two
(LP/Tape/1988/Dyna Records/DYP-86-10/PH)
**********************
Side 1
1. Imagining Oktober
2. Whispering Castles
3. Blank Pages
4. Sumigaw Umawit Ka
Side 2
5. My Sanctuary
6. When The Son Will Shine
7. Requiem
8. Anthem
posted by ourpeboritp!o!p! @ 8/07/2006 12:41:00 PM
9 Comments:
Just to confirm...
Were you referring to Ultravox's "One Small Day"? I'm no longer sure now if that particular song they used to play live was an original entitled "One Day" or just an Ultravox cover.
Thanks for another trip down memory lane. I never owned a copy of this album, yet Whispering Castles reverberates in my mind at the background now--owing much to your post. I suddenly remembered the people I used to hang out with in my high school sophomore year.
ahhh, two posts...one is trying to remember something while the other is fondly remembering old friends...Alf, I read somewhere that they had an original song called "One Day"....and because it's been decades since I saw Identity Crisis Live so I'm not even sure myself! hehehe! hopefully some band members can enlighten us on this...
Volume-Addict, go crazy and reminisce! Its free and it feels good! play it loud!
this a good post, those were the days. i've been looking for a copy of that album, do you have any info were i can get one. thanks
Hi, Forever New Wave...the best bet is to ask old collectors for spare copies. Or wait until the old record company starts to re-issue them. Good luck on the hunt!
Thanks for the write-up on Identity Crisis. Did you know that XB102 can now be heard online at http://www.live365.com/stations/xb_102? I'm listening to DJ Cool Carla at the moment.
Hi Alf and anybody else who's interested with the extra IC info...a bit late on this reply but I had to hunt down for the answer...eventually having to ask several people to ask some of the band members to fill in the blanks...here's the reply from Cool Carla (answering us in between her busy schedule of cooking or singing or DJing...Thanks!)
here's the email from Cool Carla...
"Regarding the email you sent me about the person asking the IC
song....Yes, IC has a song called "One Day" which was submitted to DYNA but not included in the album. Unfortunately I dont have a copy of that said song. I have some unreleased demos/songs of IC but I can't release them for legal reasons...and besides the quality is so like 'demo' hahahaha!. "
So there you go, one unreleased song that they used to play LIVE but was never officially released...If you work for DYNA...maybe there is still a copy somewhere...
PeboritPopster,
Thanks for the IC info. Yeah, hunt those demoes.
Only today was I able to hear RM's covers album. Great! I like the versions. Most of all, I appreciate the efforts and creativity Rico and the gand had put on the project. My kind of thing.
Naunahan nga lang ako sa idea. Hahaha! Remember more than a year ago when I confided to you that when I return home I with HLHD will try to record and release a covers album ng Fil NW icons namin? Silos' "Things Within" at IC" Sumigaw" e kasama sana. Hahaha.
Ang hindi lang naisama na gusto ko talagang gawan ng cover e House of Beth's "Radical" at Introvoy's "Just a Dream."
Anyway, beter luck next time.
thanks for article. i love identity cris! theyre way way ahead of their time!
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