Gorky's Zygotic Mynci

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Gorky's Zygotic Mynci were a Welsh popular music band, formed in Carmarthen, west Wales in 1991. They sang songs in both Welsh and English. They split up in May 2006.

1 Biography
2 Discography
- 2.1 Albums
- 2.2 Top 75 Singles
3 External links

[edit] Biography

The group was formed by Euros Childs (vocals and keyboards), John Lawrence (guitar) and Richard James (bass) whilst still at school, naming themselves after Russian writer Maxim Gorky [1]. With Sion Lane (keyboards) and Steffan Cravos (violin) they recorded the self-released cassette "Allumette" (1991). Sion and Steffan left, the latter going on to form Welsh language rap group Tystion and drummer Osian Evans was recruited for second cassette "Peiriant Pleser" (1992), after which Euros Childs' sister Megan (violin) joined the group and the band signed to the Welsh Ankst record label.

The band's first release on Ankst was Patio (1992), a 10" collection of various live, home and studio recordings (this was later expanded for the 1995 CD version) which John Cale once proclaimed to be his 'favourite album ever'. In 1994 their first full studio album, Tatay appeared. In 1995, Euros Rowlands replaced Osian Evans on drums in time for second album Bwyd Time. Both albums were produced by Alan Holmes who also provided their colourful artwork. These early releases show a huge range of influences and styles: "Thema o Cartref", the opening track of Tatay, for example, is a relatively gentle harmonium-backed song, while "When You Hear the Captain Sing" appears to be a tribute of sorts to Captain Beefheart and "Amsermaemaiyndod/cinema" presents one song in the right channel and a completely different one in the left.

The band were often championed by legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel; other than that it was extremely rare to hear Welsh language music on such a station.

Gorky's also released a number of singles and EPs on Ankst. Running through all the Ankst records is a kind of psychedelia and playfulness evidently inspired by the Canterbury scene of the 1960s and 1970s (Kevin Ayers' album Shooting at the Moon is cited in the notes to Tatay as "the best LP of all time", and the record also includes a version of Robert Wyatt's "O, Caroline"). Bwyd Time in particular also features a wide range of instruments, with parts for the celesta and sitar credited on "Iechyd Da", for instance. The 1996 compilation Introducing Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, their first release in America, was a compilation of this material from the Ankst years.

For their next album, Barafundle (1997), produced by Gorwel Owen (who had also worked with the Super Furry Animals) they moved to the larger Fontana label. The wide-ranging instrumentation remained ("Diamond Dew" has a prominent part for the jew's harp) and there were still psychedelic touches, but the album as a whole is more laid back than their earlier work, tending more towards folk music.

This gentler direction was largely maintained and refined in their later records, though the occasional poppier and rockier number, such as "Poodle Rockin'" from Spanish Dance Troupe or "Mow the Lawn" from Sleep/Holiday, continued to crop up.#

In 2000, Gorky's appeared with John Cale in a movie called 'Beautiful Mistake', in which they performed 1994 album track 'O Caroline II' [2].

Original member John Lawrence had already left the band in 1999, and Sleep/Holiday would prove to be their last album, with Euros Childs and Richard James working on separate projects for a time, until in May 2006, the band announced that they had split. [3]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Patio (Ankst, 1992 as 10", expanded CD version in 1995)
Tatay (Ankst, 1994)
Bwyd Time (Ankst, 1995, #150)
Barafundle (Fontana, 1997, #46)
Gorky 5 (Mercury Records, 1998, #67)
Spanish Dance Troupe (Mantra, 1999, #88)
The Blue Trees (Mantra, 2000, #126)
How I Long to Feel That Summer in My Heart (Mantra, 2001, #76)
Sleep/Holiday (Sanctuary, 2003, #132)

[edit] Top 75 Singles

Gorky's have the ignominious distinction of being the only group with 8 UK Top 75 singles without ever making the Top 40. They have, however, had singles peaking at 41, 42 and 43. That Petrol Emotion and BK have had 7 Top 75 singles without making the Top 40.