Medium Wave Band (The) - So Tender / Games (Instrumental)

Sourcing rare records to reissue can involve meticulous research and
years of digging, but then occasionally, Lady Luck smiles upon you
We probably would have never heard of the Medium Wave Band if Gary from Mr
Bongo hadn't known Wolverhampton- based record dealer, Steve Ward. Whilst
offering Gary some records for sale, he remembered he had a spare copy of an
old 7" single that he thought Gary might like. Steve didn't know much about the
release, and it had never sold on Discogs . Looking at the record itself, it was
minimalist in appearance and information, there wasn't much to go on other than
that it was from the Birmingham area. The mystery drew us in...
The A- side, 'So Tender', is a late- night, jazzy slow- jam, with beautifully sultry,
soulful female vocals which sounded vaguely familiar. On listening to the B side,
'Games (Instrumental)', you are rewarded with a superb example of Britfunk /
independent UK jazz- funk . The pulsating, bass- led dancefoor groove and
sensibility is a sound reminiscent of productions usually found on labels such as
Elite, but the 7" was not released on a label, it was a private press by the band
themselves. So who are the enigmatic The Medium Wave Band?
After some fruitful internet digging and correspondence, we got the answers. The
band lineup featured Elliot Browne on guitar (lead & rhythm), Ron Lyseight on
guitar (rhythm), Andrew Proverbs on keyboards, Tony Peart on drums, Paul Snook
on bass, Linton Levy on saxophone, and surprisingly, the beautiful vocals we had
been enjoying were those of Jackie Graham, aka the hugely successful UK
vocalist, Jaki Graham. Maybe best known for her pop hit with David Grant, 'Could
It Be I'm Falling In Love' , but also featuring on the cult classic track 'Fire In My
Heart' by Escape From New York.
Infuenced by artists and bands including George Benson, Ronnie Laws, Weather
Report, George Duke, Azimuth and Chick Corea to name a few, the guys booked
into a studio near the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham and recorded the two
tracks that make up this 7". Only 200 copies of the original 7" were ever pressed
and were sold mostly in Birmingham at Summit Records by the band's friend DJ
Frenchi, as well as at live shows. Despite its limited distribution channels, the
record received solid support from fans and those in the music industry, including
Morgan Khan of the infuential record label, Street Sounds . DJ and journalist,
Lindsay Wesker , reviewed the release and this led to the band travelling to
London for several radio interviews. They played live shows across the country,
including at the prestigious Ronnie Scott's in London, and supported both
Shakatak and Weapon of Peace in Birmingham.
Thanks to all those involved bringing this release into fruition and for solving the
mystery behind a wonderful Britfunk and UK soul record that could have
otherwise been lost in the mists of time.

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