I was lucky enough to see this band on a few occasion back in the day, but the very first time sticks in the mind clearest as they weren't even a band at the time!
Let me explain.
Dexys were on tour just as Geno was beginning to break on the radio and, as the tour was rolling into (relatively nearby)Swindon at The Brunel Rooms, a coach trip was hastily arranged from my local boozer in Gloucester. The tour was a three band bill featuring funk band The Black Arabs, still cashing in on their albeit brief connection with the Pistols Rock and Roll Swindle film, and a totally unheard of band called The Upset.
The Black Arabs were dreadful, but The Upset came on and absolutely blew evryone away. Their sound was pure Stax, with the greasiest sounding horn section that even put the headliners to shame. They only played for around 30 minutes but that was enough.
Fast foward to Rowland's petulant split from the original incarnation of Dexys towards the rubbish that involved violins instead of saxophones, and an announcement in the music press the The Bureau would shorly be issuing a debut single along with dates to follow.
Imagine the surprise at Only For Sheep, it put Dexys to shame. The live dates confirmed that the band had formed from the ashes of Dexys and The Upset, and their live shows were truly astonishing. I was fortunate enough to get to know the band and was truly blessed to have an advance copy of the original release of this album. The legal wranglings that eventually scuppered the release, and indeed, that of the bands career was an absolute travesty.
Great to see this available again, but a shame that the band couldn't bask in its undoubted glory when it was originally conceived.
