The Church - Of Skins And Hearts (1981) plus Bonus Single

 (Australian 1980 - Present)

In 1980, the smart money was on edgy new wave. If you looked like Blondie, sounded like the Knack, and wore those “energy dome” hats made popular by Devo, you’d be on the cover of Rolling Stone faster than you could say, “Skinny tie”. Even Billy Joel had a go via his new-wave-lite “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me”. Strange days indeed, and yet, bizarrely, in various locations across the world, young musicians turned away from all that and toward a previously off-limits area for musical inspiration.

After the punk-inspired embargo on the 1960s was finally lifted, a new generation discovered the Byrds, Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd, and 1967-1968 Beatles. Love’s Forever Changes was spoken about in hushed whispers, and everybody coveted that fringed jacket that Neil Young wore in the Buffalo Springfield. New Wave was about black and white; the sound that these musicians wanted to make was Technicolor.

Early shot of The Church

If you could name more than five Australian artists in 1980, you were in the top 5% of pop music know-it-alls. Of course, music was happening on the island, but very rarely did it manage to escape the Antipodes. Does anyone remember The Divinyls? I thought not. This lack of international profile didn’t deter Steve Kilbey — a British-born musician who left the UK with his parents at the age of five — from making music. After a couple of false starts with “nearly-but-not-quite” outfits, he formed the Church in 1980 alongside long-time cohort Peter Koppes, drummer Nick Ward, and traveling Liverpool-born guitarist Marty Willson-Piper.

Bound by a love of jangle, paisley, and mind-altering substances, the band was signed to EMI after a four-track demo recorded in Kilbey’s bedroom caught the attention of a publishing company. Their debut record, Of Skins and Heart, came out in April 1981; the first single from it, the rather pedestrian “She Never Said”, was a flop. Luckily, it was followed quickly by “The Unguarded Moment”, a Top 30 single in Australia and New Zealand. Honestly, that’s where it should have ended, but it didn’t. Forty years later, the band has a unique place in popular music and a voracious and fiercely loyal fanbase. How did that happen?

European Release of The Unguarded Moment

Of Skins and Heart is a curious record. It plays lip service to the prevailing winds of new wave but still manages to contain the ringing Rickenbacker jangle of 1966. Across its original nine songs (the track listing was reconfigured in the US and again in the UK), you get Dylanesque balladry, quality pop-rock, a couple of brave attempts at grandeur, and a bonafide classic in “Bel-Air”. Produced by the unlikely pairing of Chris Gilbey (AC/DC) and Bob Clearmountain (Bruce Springsteen), it’s obvious that the band were not so gently nudged/shoved into making a record that sounded like the kind of thing the Cars would have recorded if they’d have been born a few thousand miles to the right of the map and fallen out with their keyboard player. Nevertheless, there’s just something in these songs that hints at great things to come.

It’s all about the guitars, really. Peter Koppes’ playing was built on classic lines—carefully structured solos and a neat, measured approach to rhythm work. In contrast, Willson-Piper jangled on his 12-string and had a slightly more blatantly “rock” style. Together, they meshed beautifully, like a classic Verlaine/Lloyd pairing for the new decade.

Although Of Skins and Hearts is a solid record, it does hold some weaknesses. The new-wave trappings imposed upon them suck a little life out of a few songs. Likewise, Nick Ward does an adequate job driving the band, but his meat-and-potatoes approach to drumming gives the band little room to breathe. The fact that he was replaced by Richard Ploog shortly after the recording says it all. As a hit single, “The Unguarded Moment” was both a blessing and a curse, as the band quickly tired of playing the song live. It’s easy to see why, too, since the arrangement lacks interest, and the whole piece is saved by some interesting guitar lines and Nick Ward’s mournful backing vocal.

It was a staple of the band’s live set for years, but it was often played perfunctorily as if the band was eager to move on to the next song. “Bel-Air”, however, is a gem. This is the first real example of Kilbey’s unique lyricism, combining a cinematic approach with an insightful, impressionistic touch. Throughout their career, the Church ensured that their words were always worth paying attention to (even if the rest of the tune was a little lackluster).

The centerpiece of Of Skins and Heart is “Is This Where You Live”. Written as an epic stage piece, it gets the full treatment, from the brooding synth and bass opening to the backward guitars and “Hey Jude” style chorus. Whereas the official studio version is a little stiff, the live renditions would take on a life of their own, ramping up the intensity and piling on the pressure. It was a joyous thing to behold.

I don’t think that Australian music television show Countdown could have picked a better backdrop for The Church to perform in front of for one of their most memorable songs—“The Unguarded Moment” from their 1981 album Of Skins and Heart—than a stage rigged with lighting that resembled church-style stained glass. This 40 year-old footage is really quite surreal

In his 2014 autobiography, 'Something Quite Peculiar', Church vocalist Steve Kilbey, (who also hosted Countdown himself a few times) recalls how that very performance on made such an impact overnight that people were turned away at the door of at their gig the following eveing, as the venue was quickly (and quite unexpectedly) packed to capacity. Kilbey also fondly refers to the early days of The Church’s career as his “halcyon days” thanks to the rather sudden fame the band experienced back in 1981 (as they had only formed the year before).

In 2011, the Church joined up with a 40 piece orchestra to breathe new life into their #1 hit 'The Unguarded Moment" and is brilliant!

In 2022, the Church appears to be thriving again (despite only Kilbey and Koppes surviving from the band that trooped into Studio 301 in 1980 to record Of Skins and Heart). Twenty-four albums later, the band is soon to embark on a short tour and a dedicated and loyal fanbase is rubbing their hands together in glee. They have had messy fallouts, critical acclaim, and critical damnation in the interim, not to mention a gold album with 1988’s Starfish (their breathtaking international breakthrough record). 

Of course, that first album turned 40 last year, which was cause for celebration. The band has carved out a unique place in popular music from an unlikely location and with the most unlikely set of influences. Long may they swim against the tide. [Extracts from Popmatters, By Ian Rushbury 21 April 2021] 

This post features FLACs ripped from my 'Orange Label' Parlophone vinyl and also includes full artwork for CD and vinyl media. As a bonus, I have also include the non-album B-Side to The Unguarded Moment single, "Bus Driver". In my opinion, this album deserves a place in the 'Top 10' Aussie albums of all time.

Tracklist

01 For A Moment We're Strangers 3:52

02 Chrome Injury 4:02

03 The Unguarded Moment 4:17

04 Memories In Future Tense 4:44

05 Bel-Air 3:56

06 Is This Where You Live    7:38

07 She Never Said 3:16

08 Fighter Pilot 4:23

09 Don't Open The Door To Strangers 3:24

10 Bus Driver (Bonus B-Side Single)   4:03

The Church were:

Steve Kilbey - Lead Vocals, Bass, Keyboards

Nick Ward - Drums, Percussion, Backing vocals

Marty Willson-Piper - Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Backing vocals

Peter Koppes - Lead Guitar, Slide Guitar, backing vocals

The Church Link (263Mb) New Link 01/10/2025

The Church - Persia (1984) 12" EP

(Australian 1980-Present)
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Hypnotic Australian guitar rock band The Church enjoyed a successful '80s career as a cult band specializing in atmospheric early alternative music. They formed in 1980, originating in Canberra & Sydney, Australia. The Church are pioneers of neo-psychedelic-new-wave-gothic-rock; dark alternative pop characterised by driving percussion and bass, jangly melodic guitars in the high-register with romantic melancholic lyrics usually sung in a low dreamy manner. The Church achieved early chart success in Australia with songs such as 'The Unguarded Moment' and 'Almost With You' that were also released internationally. The band also gained recognition for its' distinctive jangled harmony guitar style which was originally instigated by Peter and sometimes mistakenly attributed solely to 12 string electric guitar. Through five albums and a handful of EPs released during the decade, the group managed to carve a career during its initial years that would have been more than enough to cement a permanent place among rock royalty. Over the years, though, The Church has continued to record and perform with regularity and quality results.

Founding members are Steve Kilbey on lead vocals and bass guitar, and Peter Koppes and Marty Willson-Piper on guitars. Drummer Nick Ward played only on their first album; through the 1980s the band's stable drummer for eight years (1982-1990) was Richard Ploog, who left the band after Gold Afternoon Fix. Jay Dee Daugherty (ex-Patti Smith Band) played drums for the band 1990-1994, after which Tim Powles became the longest-serving drummer; having played with the band, since 1996 he has now been a member for 18 years. Three of the members recorded material as The Reformation in 1997.

The Church's debut album, Of Skins and Heart (1981), delivered their first radio hit "The Unguarded Moment". They were signed to major labels in Australia, Europe and the United States. However, the US label was dissatisfied with their second album and dropped the band without releasing it. This put a dent in their international success, but they returned to the charts in 1988, with the album Starfish and the US Top 40 hit "Under the Milky Way". Subsequent commercial success proved elusive, however, and the band weathered several line-up changes in the early 1990s.
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Review1
'Persia' is an EP by The Church, released in August 1984. The follow-up to February 1984's Remote Luxury, Persia continues in a similar stylistic vein. Brighter in feel than its earlier companion EP, it is usually regarded as the stronger of the two. While Remote Luxury heavily bore Steve Kilbey's stamp, Persia features one track penned by guitarist Willson-Piper, "Volumes," as well as a band composition, "Shadow Cabinet," long a favorite among fans.

While Persia isn't as consistently excellent as its precursor, it does continue the sonic diversity found on Remote Luxury; in particular, "Constant in Opal" and "Violet Town" are among the more sonically adventurous "pop" songs The Church committed to tape in their early years, as it meshes the jangly Post-Punk of their initial recordings with the dark psychedelia they would mine throughout the mid-to-late eighties. While not as consistently memorable as full-length albums such as The Blurred Crusade, Seance, and Heyday, this EP offers a glimpse of The Church in a transitional phase, pushing their sound into new regions with admittedly mixed results, but on the songs they get it right, to quote Kilbey once again, "The Church stop messing about and hit home."
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Review2
Most of the songs on the EP Persia were written by Kilbey, but the atmospheric sound was lighter and less bleak than on their previous LP Seance. Persia contained the distinctive guitar sound of the band complete with keyboards of guest musicians such as Davey Ray Moor and Craig Hooper. Songs like "Violet Town" and "No explanation" had evoked a relaxed summer atmosphere. Made as a kind of parody of American country, improvised and unexpected arrangements of music synthesizer dominated, still largely considered a failure by fans and band.
Because of the interest aroused in the United States, The Church left the manager Michael Chugg in Sydney and signed with the owner of Malibu's Management, John Lee, who promoted it with a tour of the country during October and November 1984, which raised more a thousand people in cities like New York and Los Angeles, but hardly had other half-hundred.  In financial terms, the band lost thousands of dollars a week.

In conclusion, the band felt as if they had reached the ceiling in 1984. Unable to repeat the success of their first two albums, they perceived that their creativity was extinguished. Kilbey later commented: "I think we published some records that were not as good as they should have been, after The Blurred Crusade ... The band was sailing in a sea of apathy, I did not write songs as good and did not play too well, causing the enthusiasm around the world to fall. " [extract from The Fringe Magazine]
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This post consists of an MP3 rip (320kps) taken from a 'virgin' vinyl copy (still shrink wrapped after 30 years) and includes full album artwork and label scans.  I did own their other EP 'Remote Luxury' some years ago but sold it at a trade fair for a nice pricely sum, but still regret parting with it.  Hope ya enjoy this 12" E.P.
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Track Listing

01 - Constant In Opal
02 - Volumes
03 - No Explanation
04 - Violet Town
05 - Shadow Cabinet
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The Church were:
Steve Kilbey (Vocals, Bass)
Peter Koppes (Guitar)
Marty Wilson-Piper (Guitar)
Richard Ploog (Drums)
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The Church Link (51Mb) New Link 21/04/2026

The Church - Live At The Palace Melbourne (1991) Ex SB

(Australian 1980-Present)

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The Church is an Australian rock band formed in Canberra in 1980. Initially associated with New Wave and the neo-psychedelic sound of the mid 1980s, their music later became more reminiscent of "progressive rock," featuring long instrumental jams and complex guitar interplay.
The Church's debut album, Of Skins and Heart (1981), earned them their first radio hit "The Unguarded Moment." They were signed to major labels in Australia, Europe and the U.S. However, the U.S. label was dissatisfied with their second album and dropped the band without releasing the album. This put a dent in their commercial success, but they made a comeback in 1988, with the album Starfish and the American Top 40 hit "Under the Milky Way" which is one of my all time favourite songs. Subsequent commercial success proved elusive, however, and the band weathered several line-up changes in the 1990s. The last decade has seen them settle on their current lineup, which features the original three founding members plus drummer Tim Powles. (wikipedia.com).

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Recorded at The Palace, Melbourne, April 25, 1991, this is a stereo soundboard recording. Also goes under the title of 'Postcard'.
A great sounding bootleg... much better than I expected. Plays loud and full in the car. Turn it up, and it almost feels like you're there. The master tape is suffering from some age (there is some subtle playback "wow" and "flutter" on the CD, and a bad glitch in the middle of "When You Were Mine"). Still, it is a worthwhile document of a time when the band was on the cusp of undergoing some monumental lineup changes. A "must-have" if you are a Church fanatic.

The rip was taken from CD at 192kps and includes full artwork.

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Track Listing

01 When You Were Mine

02 Tristesse

03 North South East and West

04 Almost With You

05 Hotel Womb

06 An Interlude

07 Fading Away

08 Under The Milky Way

09 Grind

10 Destination

11 Myrrh

12 Reptile
13 Is This Where You Live (Encore 1)
14 You're Still Beautiful (Encore 2)

15 Friction (Television song)

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Band Members:

Steve Kilbey - Bass, Lead Vocals

Peter Koppes - Guitar

Marty Willson-Piper - Guitar, Vocals

Jay Dee Daugherty - Drums

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The Church Link (108Mb) New Link 27/08/2015

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