Davy Henderson, following the dissolution of Fire Engines in 1981, formed the short-lived Heartbeat with Hillary Morrison -the band's only release being a track on an NME compilation cassette*- before setting up Win with with an ex-Fire Engine Russell Burn (Drums/Keyboards), Ian Stoddart (Bass), Emmanuel "Mani" Shoniwa (Guitar/Bass), Simon Smeeton (Guitar/Bass) and Willie Perry (Keyboards) in 1983. Much more pop-orientated than Fire Engines the band should been massive but despite commercial success in Scotland, Edinburgh's finest super popoid post-punkers never made the big time further afield.
Quite incredible when you think of and listen to they amazing records they released. Tracks like "
Super Popoid Groove" -a song that would make anything by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith of Tears For Fears pale into insignificance- "
Un-American Broadcasting" -with it's wee Kraftwerk-like "
Numbers" bit in the mix, as well as "
You've Got The Power" (featured in a McEwans lager advert in the mid-80s), and the fab "
Shampoo Tears". The band really were the proverbial dog's bollocks popwise.
After half-a-dozen or so singles and two albums the band disbanded in 1989.
Henderson went on to form The Nectarine N°9 and later, The Sexual Objects.
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Photo: The 12-inch "
Un-American Broadcasting" with it's Starspangled Banner sticker cover art - Swamplands (SWX 5), 1985
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* The track is '
Spook Sex' (produced by Bob Last). It's featured on the NME Racket Packet tape (NME 006)
