Blanket of Secrecy

Blanket of Secrecy (BoS) was a short-lived English new wave band formed in 1982. The band was notable for the fact that its band members, true to their band name, were never officially identified at the time - only the pseudonyms Tinker, Tailor and Soldier were disclosed to refer to the main members - as well as mention of Spy. This led to some speculation in the music press regarding the true identity of the members, with rumours that they might be the Attractions (Elvis Costello's backing band) and speculation that the lead singer was Jack Hues of Wang Chung. However, they were eventually revealed to be Peter Marsh (Tinker, the lead singer), Andy Howell (Tailor), Roger Bechirian (Soldier) and Phil McWalter (Spy). Their music was synth-pop, similar to their contemporaries A Flock of Seagulls, although comparisons to the Attractions were also made.

History

Releases and chart history

The band's first LP was titled Walls Have Ears in the UK, and Ears Have Walls in the US. The album cover, ultimately to become an iconic classic, was designed by Barney Bubbles. The group can be seen in shadow on the album's back cover, in a photo by Brian Griffin, and in mostly obscured images on the cover of the single "Say You Will". They are seen full-face, and much more clearly, in the video for "Say You Will". Released in 1982, the album and single received significant airplay on both sides of the Atlantic, featuring in the Tipperade in the Netherlands for four weeks. At the time Ears Have Walls was recorded, BoS also recorded an entire second album, but the band broke up before it was released. It was eventually released, known simply as "2" on 24 August 2017 through Trick Records

Speculation about the band's identity

At the time of the group's one and only LP release, there were three main theories about the identity of the musicians involved with Blanket of Secrecy.

Actual identity

Extensive research by Blanket of Secrecy fan Gary L. Maher eventually identified the participants definitively as: Jack Hues of Wang Chung also confirmed the identity of Peter Marsh in an interview by Russell A. Trunk for Exclusive Magazine. Additionally, the single "Say You Will" bears a writing credit of Tinker/Spy. ASCAP has identified "Spy" as Phil McWalter. The song "Yo Yo" was credited to Tinker/Sailor, and Maher has identified "Sailor" as artist Ron Chadwick. The Attractions connection trumpeted by some was proven to have been entirely incorrect, as no involvement by any of the Attractions in the Blanket of Secrecy project has ever come to light, although Pete Thomas played drums on two songs recorded for the second, never-released album - and Elvis Costello had performed as a backing vocalist on the track "Ads", released as a single several years earlier by Peter Marsh's former band, Twist. The song "Lovers", meanwhile, was written by Jack Hues and Nick Feldman (a.k.a. Nick De Spig) of Wang Chung, and arranged by Hues. One-time Wang Chung member "Hogg" (Dave Burnand) also appears on the album. The connection between the two bands is that Bechirian co-produced Wang Chung's first album, back when that group was known as Huang Chung.

Life before and after Blanket of Secrecy

All three BoS members had a hand in Carlene Carter's C'est C Bon record from 1983. Bechirian produced, and all three played on the album, as well as co-writing two of the songs. Bechirian also produced Nick Lowe's 1983 album The Abominable Showman, which featured backing vocals from Marsh and a Marsh–Howell song called "Cool Reaction".

Discography

Walls Have Ears/Ears Have Walls is still waiting for a CD re-issue – although in 2013 the tracks were digitally remixed by Roger Bechirian and released for digital download on iTunes. The previously-unreleased second album, BOS2, was released in August 2017.

Album credits

Walls Have Ears / Ears Have Walls

Side One: Side Two: All songs written by Tinker/Tailor except as indicated All songs published by Intersong Music/Plangent Visions Music, Inc. ASCAP except as indicated Copyright 1982 Warner Bros. Records, Inc. Produced and directed by Roger Bechirian Recorded at Ampro Studios and Rockfield Studios Mixed at Rockfield Assistant engineers, Rob Keyloch at Ampro and Paul Cobbold at Rockfield Additional musicians: Hogg – saxophone Jack Hues – arrangements on "Lovers" Originally mastered by Aaron Chakraverty at The Master Room LP design – Heeps Willard (a pseudonym for Barney Bubbles) Photography – Brian Griffin