OmnibusThursday, October 6, 19883
6wtj, " 1
Ten Ten's smokin'
sound better the
second time around
By JENNY LIVINGSTON
Omnibus Assistant Editor
Ten Ten is coming around again.
They're pared down, roughed up
and hotter than ever. They Ve rid
themselves of an extraneous
guitarist and an overbearing
record label. They've ditched the
slick pretty-boy image imposed on
them by pop producers. And
they've bled their sound of the
pseudo-British synth stylings that
had homogenized their music and
deadened their originality, in
short, Ten Ten Is now the pow
erful, original trio it was meant to
be.
Unfortunately, the comeback
trail this band is traveling is an
uphill climb, marked by indifferent
record companies and forgetful
fans.
It all started four years ago in
Richmond with four local guys and
a few rough ideas. They took their
name from the date they formed
the band: October 10. By the
following October, Ten Ten had
released the independent album,
Ordinary Thinking, toured the U.K.
and signed on with Chrysalis
Records in Londoa
In the next year, Ten Ten
released their first Chrysalis album,
Walk On, in England, Europe and
Scandanavia, as well as the united
States. They toured both sides of
the Atlantic to support the album,
opening for the likes of Simple
Minds, The Alarm, Paul Young, INXS
and The Cure. They even produced
a video for "When It Rains" which
aired on mtv.
Ten Ten's success was not with
out its price, however.
"Record companies are real
success-oriented," said singer and
guitarist Mark Lewis. They make
you start thinking in that mode."
Ten Ten didnt mind the success,
but they did mind Chrysalis inter
ference with their creativity,
interference which the company
seemed to think necessary to
ensure Ten Ten's rise to the top.
"They kept giving us tapes of
pre-published songs, wanting us to
record them," Lewis said. "I dont
have anything against doing other
people's music, but it was nothing
l would even listen to, much less
record."
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A new Ten Ten brings Its hotter-than-ever brand of rock to Raleigh's Fallout Shelter Friday night
The label wanted, reasonably
enough, to come up with a hit
single that would propel the band
to the top. Unfortunately, the
company's idea of what that
single should be had little to do
with the high-energy band Ten
Ten really was.
The result of all this was an
effort that no one was happy
with, and it was never released.
Soon afterwards, in June 1 987, Ten
Ten severed their ties to Chrysalis
and went in search of a more
cooperative label. They also
dropped their fourth member,
leaving Lewis, bassist Peter Bell and
drummer Lee Johnson to pursue
their own direction as the
revamped Ten Ten.
Since then they've received only
tentative offers to be signed, but
have continued playing out No big
arenas or MTV videos this time,
just the hard roads of the club
circuit
"We were probably doing a lot
better a year ago business-wise,"
said Lewis, "but the creative
process is easier and more natural
without the label. WeVe got more
ideas and more direction than
we've had before."
The commercial viability of their
new direction is still a question
mark, but nobody can dispute the
quality of today's Ten Ten. With
Johnson's compelling beat, Bell's
burning rhythms and Lewis' new
harder-edged guitar work, the
band's live performances are
riveting.
The comeback trail may be
steep, but its unlikely that this
incredible band will pass unnoticed
the second time around. With a
little luck, Ten Ten should be able
to parlay their past successes and
their current reforms into a long
career on the stage and on wax.
NOW WE HAVE 5 FLAVORS EVERYDAY INCLUDING
NEW HONEY AfflLLAI COME CHECK IT OUT.
WE'RE SERVING CHAPEL HILL BETTER THAN EVER!
K
942-PUMP
106 W. Franklin St.
(next to Pizza Hut)