This Heat
This Heat were an experimental British rock band widely considered a link between avant-prog and such later experimental genres as post-punk, post-rock, and noise-rock. They were formed in late-1975 in Brixton, London, United Kingdom by multi-instrumentalists Charles Bullen (guitar, clarinet, viola, vocals, tapes), Charles Hayward (percussion, keyboards, vocals, tapes) and Gareth Williams (keyboard, guitar, bass, vocals, tapes). Their music touched on numerous different styles and genres Read Full BioThis Heat were an experimental British rock band widely considered a link between avant-prog and such later experimental genres as post-punk, post-rock, and noise-rock. They were formed in late-1975 in Brixton, London, United Kingdom by multi-instrumentalists Charles Bullen (guitar, clarinet, viola, vocals, tapes), Charles Hayward (percussion, keyboards, vocals, tapes) and Gareth Williams (keyboard, guitar, bass, vocals, tapes). Their music touched on numerous different styles and genres, and was frequently confrontational and politically charged.
Their first radio airplay came from legendary DJ John Peel, to whom they sent a demo tape (recorded in a disused meat factory known as Cold Storage) in early 1977. During this time, they also recorded a session with Ghanaian musician Mario Boyer Diekuuroh, parts of which later appeared on a 1982 split cassette with Albert Marcoeur, released by the French experimental rock magazine Tago Mago.
Their self-titled debut album was recorded between February 1976 and September 1978, and surfaced in August 1979. It was characterized by heavy use of tape manipulation and looping, combined with more traditional instrumental performance, to create dense, eerie, electronic soundscapes and dub-inflected experimental rock. Also released in this period was an EP, Health & Efficiency, which foreshadowed the more rock-oriented sound of Deceit (1981), the band's second and final album. Produced with help from reggae mixer Martin Frederick, Deceit found the band incorporating more influence from punk rock, and consolidating the world music influences in their work. Although, like all of This Heat's releases, it sold poorly, Deceit is now seen as a classic of the post-punk era, on par with Joy Division's Closer or Public Image Ltd.'s Metal Box.
This Heat split up in 1982 after a final tour with new members Trefor Goronwy and Ian Hill following Williams' departure. Hayward went on to form Camberwell Now with Goronwy and former This Heat soundman, Stephen Rickard, and remains active musically with groups including Fred Frith's Massacre. In 1993 a new album of previously unreleased This Heat recording was unearthed. Repeat featured three long tracks, including the title track - a 20 minute remix of "24 Track Loop." Out of Cold Storage - a box set of all the band's official recordings - was released in June 2006 on This is!, a Recommended Records sub-label set up by Charles Hayward and Charles Bullen to re-release This Heat's back catalogue. It comprises This Heat, Deceit, Health and Efficiency, Made Available - a compilation of the band's Peel Sessions - and Repeat, plus Live 80/81, a CD of concert recordings.
Gareth Williams later formed Flaming Tunes with Mary Currie and released a cassette of new material in a much softer style than that of This Heat. He died in late 2001.
Official website: http://www.thisheat.org
Their first radio airplay came from legendary DJ John Peel, to whom they sent a demo tape (recorded in a disused meat factory known as Cold Storage) in early 1977. During this time, they also recorded a session with Ghanaian musician Mario Boyer Diekuuroh, parts of which later appeared on a 1982 split cassette with Albert Marcoeur, released by the French experimental rock magazine Tago Mago.
Their self-titled debut album was recorded between February 1976 and September 1978, and surfaced in August 1979. It was characterized by heavy use of tape manipulation and looping, combined with more traditional instrumental performance, to create dense, eerie, electronic soundscapes and dub-inflected experimental rock. Also released in this period was an EP, Health & Efficiency, which foreshadowed the more rock-oriented sound of Deceit (1981), the band's second and final album. Produced with help from reggae mixer Martin Frederick, Deceit found the band incorporating more influence from punk rock, and consolidating the world music influences in their work. Although, like all of This Heat's releases, it sold poorly, Deceit is now seen as a classic of the post-punk era, on par with Joy Division's Closer or Public Image Ltd.'s Metal Box.
This Heat split up in 1982 after a final tour with new members Trefor Goronwy and Ian Hill following Williams' departure. Hayward went on to form Camberwell Now with Goronwy and former This Heat soundman, Stephen Rickard, and remains active musically with groups including Fred Frith's Massacre. In 1993 a new album of previously unreleased This Heat recording was unearthed. Repeat featured three long tracks, including the title track - a 20 minute remix of "24 Track Loop." Out of Cold Storage - a box set of all the band's official recordings - was released in June 2006 on This is!, a Recommended Records sub-label set up by Charles Hayward and Charles Bullen to re-release This Heat's back catalogue. It comprises This Heat, Deceit, Health and Efficiency, Made Available - a compilation of the band's Peel Sessions - and Repeat, plus Live 80/81, a CD of concert recordings.
Gareth Williams later formed Flaming Tunes with Mary Currie and released a cassette of new material in a much softer style than that of This Heat. He died in late 2001.
Official website: http://www.thisheat.org
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
Paper Hats
This Heat Lyrics
well, what do we expect
paper hats?
or maybe even roses?
the sound of explosions?
oh no, is this any easier?
comfy? climax? ego?
decorations up or down?
the sound of explosions
what does this tune signify?
what is its meaning?
is it really that straight forward?
or are our ears beyond words?
Contributed by Brayden S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
RycheRageForOrder
The percussion work is bad-ass! A very unique musical composition. Mind-blowing! Some tracks on the album remind me of the band Korn, i.e. the emotional screaming and erratic staff, clefs, rhythm, notes, and rests, meter and time signature, et al. My Dad may have told me about this band and played it to me as a child...he and his friend we're into this odd sounding music. However, I don't remember and was to young at the time. The lyrics and music remind of the philosophers :
Music is what life sounds like ~ Eric Olsen
When words leave off, music begins ~ Heinrich Heine
Music expresses that which cannot be said ~ Victor Hugo
Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music ~ Sergei Rachmaninov
Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul ~ Plato
Music is an outburst of the soul ~ Frederic Delius
Music is the universal language of mankind ~ Longfellow
It is a trip how many expressions/views can be displayed in a picture and through music. This band is one of the giants.
Even though it is not metal, metal bleeds through it...in the emotional vocals and technicality of expression through musical composition.
Gary
it's funny, bands people consider innovative these days barely approach what this heat were doing 30 years ago
Venice Lockjaw
@Mister Scallop to me swish swash by crack cloud always sounded like a rendition of paper hats.
https://youtu.be/yM7-RXWp3Q8
Venice Lockjaw
You can really hear their influence in this band.
https://youtu.be/lm87SFvzBiY
fandango cirrhosis
@Mister Scallop this is crazy, but i looked up if anyone's ever talked about this before, but I instead found an interview where they actually talked about This Heat! https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/03/preoccupations-share-a-track-by-track-breakdown-of-their-new-album-new-material-stream/
Regarding their song Antidote: "That song was just bass and drums until the day before it got mixed. We were trying to rip off Health and Efficiency [by This Heat], but then we just never did really."
Badhuman Records
40 years ago!
pigammon
@Mister Scallop fucking hell you're right as well
soltwedel
This song should be in karaoke bars.
ciao wutang
i work in a gentrified neighbourhood in Rome, Italy and a bar there was blasting SPQR once lol
Sasse Daniel
I would love to shriek out: Iiiiiiiit issss the sound of explosions!
Lucas Ferreira
this is by far the weirdest guitar riff i've ever heard. congratulations, this heat.