Between
1978 and 1985 Julian and I shared two things: a desire to
elevate our band beyond the merely average, and a flat in
Latimer Road in West London. The flat was on the 19th floor
of a tower block, and facing east it was flooded with light
in the mornings. At night we were afforded a spectacular view
of the entire city, the lights a million campfires between
us and the illuminated dome of St. Paul’s. It was up
there in No.76 that the lofty idea of ‘The Circle and
The Square’ was born -in our heads if not on tape.
Early on we had very few resources but a lot of time, and
now I see that this was a good juxtaposition. We spent most
days and some nights writing and recording. We had a portastudio,
one of the first, which Ju operated, and I sat hunched over
an acoustic guitar. Excited and absorbed by the process of
weaving tribal chants and rhythms into our compositions and
the rich vein of possibility opening up, we would hold these
positions for hours, sometimes looking up and realising, in
the dark, that the day had gone. Occasionally Ju would jump
up and start that manic, jerky dance of his (see ‘Lean
On Me’ or ‘For America’ videos) and shout
“This is BRILLIANT!”
What we wanted more than anything was for Red Box to have
a distinctive, recogniseable sound but always be a pop group.
So when, having signed to Sire, we arrived at Tapestry Studios
in Barnes in 1984 to cut the record we found the perfect foil
in David Motion. A combination of talented musician and willing
explorer, David was unfazed by the most outlandish ideas.
You want to build a large corrugated-iron teepee and record
the drum kit in it? To B&Q everyone! A 500-voice chant
running through the entire song? We’ll need more tape…Clear
the studio so we can play carpet bowls? No problem, and we
can have a picnic in the teepee afterwards! The album took
nine months to record, and a handful more to mix, which, in
those days, was a long time for a debut album. It certainly
took longer and cost more than any of us, especially Warner
Bros. had anticipated. Without Motion I think we would be
trying to finish it still.
I have amazingly detailed memories of the sessions. So much
so that I really have no better objective opinion regarding
the record than I did the day we finished it. But I’m
going to try….
In 2008 I still think it sounds pretty fresh. Each song is
extremely committed in a given direction and it seems to operate
in a space of its’ own. It has its’ own sound.
As a result it doesn’t really come across like a typical
80’s record. There is a mass of detail, but the overall
effect is quite simple.
We were blessed by those around us. The band was bursting
at the seams with talented, good people; we were close and
I think that warmth is on the record. The band’s performances
are very good, particularly those of the Box Vox. The punch
and vigour in the verses of ‘Living In Domes’
is really quite impressive to me now, and the innocence and
clarity of the girls’ part in the chorus is everything
I could have wanted. I can hear Ginny very clearly there,
and I don’t think she ever sang better than on that
day, and on that song. And ‘Amen’ really is the
Vox Box in all its’ unadulterated glory. The people
have the final word!
The welcome arrival of a couple of hits took the songs around
the world, with us in their wake, for a good deal of ’1985
-’88. We have only the best memories of that time; our
first TOTP, the girls a little ‘squiffy’ on live
TV in Amsterdam, a great show in front of a huge crowd in
Saint Mark’s Square at Venice Carnival, women way out
of our league mysteriously interested in us, a dodgy landing
in Mexico.
If, in 1984, you had suggested to Ju and I that we were making
a ‘concept’ album we would have been horrified.
Looking back, it is an album with a concept, however, and
best summed up in my favourite lyric from the LP:
“Six to start a journey full of grace,
To circumnavigate the human race…”
There are other autobiographical band references knocking
around in the lyrics and if we could choose just one to sum
up what ‘The Circle and The Square’, and, indeed,
Red Box meant to us, and still does, it would have to be:
“Round and round, circular sound,
We’re the beat spectacular!”
Fittingly, it is the completion of a full circle with this
re-issue finding its’ long way home to Cherry Red, who
released our first record ‘Chenko’ in 1982.
We are so happy that this album is still important to some
of you. It is, after all, why we did it.
