- Included among the Record Descriptions of Favorite Albums (Part 1).
- Yachts evolved out of an earlier R&B band called Albert Dock. Some of the song titles have some boating lingo, “Yachting Type” and “Semaphore Love”.
Yachts – Yachts (1979): Yachts is a power-pop new-wave band from the fertile musical landscape of Liverpool that was formed by several art students there in 1977. Yachts evolved out of an earlier R&B band called Albert Dock; they opened for Sex Pistols at one infamous early concert in 1976. Some of the song titles have some boating lingo, such as “Yachting Type” and “Semaphore Love”. The original bandmembers in Yachts are Bob Bellis (drums, vocals); John “J. J.” Campbell (vocals); Martin Dempsey (bass guitar, vocals); Henry Priestman (vocals, keyboards); and Martin Watson (guitar, vocals). At their first live concert, Yachts opened for Elvis Costello; and that led to a recording contract with Stiff Records, resulting in their catchy single “Suffice to Say” that was produced by Will Birch of the Records.
Along with fellow Stiff Records recording artists Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe, and shortly after J. J. Campbell left the band, Yachts signed with the well-regarded Radar Records, then newly formed. Their first single for Radar is “Look Back in Love (Not in Anger)” that was originally recorded in 1968 by Teddy and the Pandas; followed two months later by a band original, “Yachting Type”. The band went to New York City to record their debut album, Yachts, with all songs being written by the bandmembers with the exception of “Look Back in Love”. Most of Yachts – sometimes called S.O.S. (at least the American version, the edition that I have, though that name is not on the record label) – was produced by Richard Gottehrer, who also produced the debut albums by Blondie and the Go-Go’s. Prior to the album’s release, another single came out, “Love You, Love You”; a single having a live version of “Suffice to Say” – this is evidently the version of their early hit that is included on my album – was included with initial copies of Yachts. Another single, “Box 202” was released shortly after the album. Besides the five singles, I also really like “Semaphore Love”, “Mantovani’s Hits”, “Then and Now”, and “Heads Will Turn”. Yachts released a second album in 1980, Without Radar, to reflect their leaving Radar Records; the band broke up shortly thereafter.