The Affectionate Punch

The Affectionate Punch
Studio album by
the Associates
Released1 August 1980 (1980-08-01)
StudioMorgan Studios (London)
Genre
Length41:25
LabelFiction
Producer
The Associates chronology
The Affectionate Punch
(1980) 		Fourth Drawer Down
(1981)
Singles from The Affectionate Punch
  1. "The Affectionate Punch"
    Released: 1980
  2. "A"
    Released: 1981

The Affectionate Punch is the debut studio album by the Scottish post-punk and new wave band the Associates. It was released on 1 August 1980 on the Fiction label.

The song title "Even Dogs in the Wild" became the title of a novel by Scottish mystery writer Ian Rankin, and the song figured briefly in the story.

Release

The Affectionate Punch was released on 1 August 1980. Michael Dempsey and John Murphy featured in promotional shots and the accompanying tour but did not perform on the record.[4] Alan Rankine recalls that the whole album was recorded with only himself, Billy Mackenzie and a session drummer: "it was great fun. We just never stopped and the ideas just came and came and came."[5]

"The Affectionate Punch" and "A" were released as singles to little commercial success.

The cover of the album features Alan Rankine (in the starting position) and Billy MacKenzie (standing) on the running track of Wormwood Scrubs Prison in the White City district of West London.[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Mojo[7]
Q[8]
Record Collector[9]
Smash Hits6½/10[10]
Sounds[11]
Uncut8/10[12]

Upon its release, The Affectionate Punch was declared "a kind of masterpiece" by Paul Morley of the NME, who described it as "a passionate cabaret soul music, a fulfillment of the European white dance music [David] Bowie was flirting with back then."[3]

Retrospective reviews have also been favourable, with BBC Music reviewer Chris Jones writing, "Few bands today would dare to be so audacious".[13]

Remix and reworkings

The Affectionate Punch
Studio album by
The Associates
Released1982 (1982)
Recorded
  • 1980
  • 1982
Studio
LabelFiction
Producer
  • Mark Arthurworry
  • The Associates
The Associates chronology
Sulk
(1982) 		The Affectionate Punch
(1982) 		Perhaps
(1985)
Singles from The Affectionate Punch
  1. "A Matter of Gender"
    Released: 1982

The album was remixed and re-released in 1982 by order of the Associates' new record company Warner Bros. The remixed record retained all the old tracks but was given typical '80s production values such as new synthesizers as well as some re-recorded vocals by Billy Mackenzie.[citation needed] Both MacKenzie and Rankine expressed dissatisfaction with the results.[citation needed] For years this was the only version available on CD, as the master tapes for the original had been lost. However, a duplicate was later found[citation needed] and the album was reissued by Virgin in 2005.

The remixed version of "A Matter of Gender" was released as a single in 1982.[14]

In 2019 and 2020 material from the album was performed live in Scotland by Band A with Audrey Redpath on vocals.[15][16]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Alan Rankine and Billy Mackenzie

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."The Affectionate Punch"3.30
2."Amused as Always"4.20
3."Logan Time"4.12
4."Paper House"4.54
5."Transport to Central"5.02
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."A Matter of Gender"4.30
2."Even Dogs in the Wild"3.23
3."Would I... Bounce Back"3.59
4."Deeply Concerned"3.38
5."A"3.57
2005 CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."You Were Young"4.04
12."Janice"2.35
13."Boys Keep Swinging (Mono)"3.40
14."Mona Property Girl"3.27

1982 remixed version

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Amused As Always"4.20
2."The Affectionate Punch"4.18
3."A Matter of Gender"4.27
4."Would I... Bounce Back"3.57
5."A"3.49
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Logan Time"4.13
2."Paper House"4.54
3."Deeply Concerned"4.03
4."Even Dogs in the Wild"3.09
5."Transport to Central"4.34

Personnel

The Associates

Additional personnel

Technical

  • Chris Parry – production
  • Mike Hedges – production, engineering
  • Mike J. Dutton – engineering assistance
  • Graham and Flood – "strong tea"
  • Cliff Lewis, David Baker, Gary Bidmead, Louis Austin, Nigel Mills, Paul Fisher, Phill Brown – re-recording and remixing engineers
  • Bill Smith – sleeve artwork

References

  1. ^ Goddard, Simon (6 September 2012). Mozipedia: The Encyclopedia of Morrissey and The Smiths. p. 235. ISBN 9780091927103. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  2. ^ Robbins, Ira (1983). The Trouser Press Guide to New Wave Records. p. 12. ISBN 9780684179438. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  3. ^ a b Morley, Paul (16 August 1980). "...But the Thin White Dukes Do". NME. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  4. ^ a b Doyle, Tom (2011). The Glamour Chase: The Maverick Life of Billy Mackenzie. Edinburg: Polygon.
  5. ^ "The Glamour Chase". Youtube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  6. ^ Kellman, Andy. "The Affectionate Punch – The Associates". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  7. ^ Segal, Victoria (June 2016). "Personal record". Mojo. No. 271. p. 105.
  8. ^ Quantick, David (July 2016). "Track Records". Q. No. 360. pp. 116–17.
  9. ^ Waring, Charles (June 2016). "The Associates – The Affectionate Punch, Fourth Drawer Down, Sulk". Record Collector. No. 454. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  10. ^ Hepworth, David (4–17 September 1980). "The Associates: The Affectionate Punch". Smash Hits. Vol. 2, no. 18. p. 28.
  11. ^ Waller, Johnny (16 August 1980). "Association unknown". Sounds.
  12. ^ McKay, Alastair (June 2016). "The Associates: The Affectionate Punch / Fourth Drawer Down / Sulk". Uncut. No. 229. pp. 85–87.
  13. ^ Jones, Chris (8 May 2003). "Associates The Affectionate Punch Review". BBC Music. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  14. ^ "Associates - A Matter of Gender".
  15. ^ Cooper, Neil (16 January 2019). "Hello Mr Mackenzie: Affectionate tribute to Associates' finest hour". The Herald. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  16. ^ Mayonnaise, Betty (26 January 2020). "Band A". Is this music?. Retrieved 9 March 2020.