Peter Cook by Pete Astor live at the launch party

Pete Astor single launch

if you are in London on 10th October, why not come along to Pete Astor's single launch at the Betsey

release date - Pete Astor

Earlier this year Pete Astor spent a day in the studio with The Wave Pictures’ rhythm section, Johnny Helm and Franic Rozycki.


Back in 1980 Pete Astor was in The Living Room, who went on to become The Loft, who signed to Creation – releasing the label’s 9th and 15th singles. In 1986 he was in The Weather Prophets, who released two albums for Creation. By 1990 he had gone solo, releasing another two long players for the label. 1992 saw a move to Danceteria in France for a further two albums.

After a busy start, the 1990’s were a quiet decade for Pete musically, but he returned before the millennium with Ellis Island Sound (who signed with Heavenly Recordings) and The Wisdom of Harry (who eventually signed to Matador Records).

The 21st century has seen regular solo and Ellis Island Sound releases on hip young labels, most recently Static Caravan, Fortuna POP!, Slumberland and Tapete.

He works as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Westminster, where he teaches, researches and writes about music; in 2014, he published his study of Richard Hell and the Voidoids' Blank Generation, as part of Bloomsbury's 33⅓ series.

Peter Cook was part of a four-man group satirical stage show, Beyond the Fringe, with Jonathan Miller, Alan Bennett and Dudley Moore. In the 60’s, Cook opened The Establishment club in Soho, provided financial backing for the satirical magazine Private Eye, made the tv show Not Only... But Also, as well as the film Bedazzled, both with Dudley Moore. He co-hosted Saturday Night Live, released three Derek and Clive LPs, and in 1978, Cook appeared on the British music series Revolver as the manager of a ballroom where emerging punk and new wave acts played… AND he was the Impressive Clergyman in The Princess Bride. He died on 9 January 1995, aged 57.

“When I was thinking about who to ask for new seven inches to be a part of the seventh (and final) wiaiwya-7777777 singles club it occurred to me that the person I had consistently been a fan of for the longest was Pete Astor - I came to Lou Reed, Jonathan Richman, the Spice Girls, Scott Walker and Kraftwerk much later, and I may have liked the Smiths, Peter Gabriel, the Kids From Fame and Nik Kershaw before I heard Mayflower by the Weather Prophets, but I think we can agree they have all gone off the boil a little in the last 30 years. Pete Astor, on the other hand, is always great.”

Pete Astor's records have arrived

came home last night to find these on the doorstep - the 47th single of 49

and you can get your copy here:

77 days is too long - Pete Astor

When I was thinking about who to ask for new seven inches to be a part of the seventh (and final) wiaiwya-7777777 singles club it occurred to me that the person I had consistently been a fan of for the longest was Pete Astor - I came to Lou Reed, Jonathan Richman, the Spice Girls, Scott Walker and Kraftwerk much later, and I may have liked the Smiths, Peter Gabriel, the Kids From Fame and Nik Kershaw before I heard Mayflower by the Weather Prophets, but I think we can agree they have all gone off the boil a little in the last 30 years. Pete Astor, on the other hand, is always great.



back at school Jim Little gave me a C90 tape, called Demented Folkies On Speed Extravaganza, and one side was the first Weather Prophets LP - all the songs seemed to be about rain, and I loved that... still do...


back in 2015, Pete and Dave Shepherd released a new Ellis Island Sound LP - if you don't have it yet, you should!


there was the Loft too:

 
and, of course, Pete wrote THIS: