Ha Ha are a new romantic electro band influenced by Japan, Duran Duran, Talk Talk and Thomas Dolby.

20 MP3 Songs in this album (75:39) !
Related styles: Pop: New Romantic, Avant Garde: Electro-Acoustic, Type: Vocal

People who are interested in Duran Duran Talk Talk Thomas Dolby should consider this download.


Details:
The Story of âVinceâs Ha Haâ

Vince Smith Garcia was well known in the nineties for hits like, âReal Loveâ, by âDrizza Boneâ. He started his musical carreer with Paul Cullen, writing and playing their own songs. Paul was the main songwriter, lead vocals and rhythm guitar.
Vince added his own lyrics and tunes from his own scrapbook, playing base and twelve string treble guitar and singing backing vocals. After making some rough home-made tapes and circulating them, Vince landed a job as a trainee tape operator at Orange Studios. He went on to manage and play in the âSmith and Cullen Contractâ. Gary Brown was brought in on lead guitar with Gary Slade on base, Pete Mc Geary on drums, playing the queens Theatre at Hornchurch in the Capital Radio, âBattle of the Bandsâ, (with an early âIron Maidenâ on the same bill!).

Later lineups included John Carrol on lead guitar, Mark dingle, (x-âHammer and Chaserâ) on base and Martin Brown on drums. This line up was less successful but did play a Jubilee Street party. Next stop, a brief involvement in Gary Sladeâs âFly by Nightâ rehearsal bands, âFriends Jamsâ and âThe Deetrod Stadium Dogsâ. Morphing into âNight Schoolâ, Vince on lead vocals, rhythm and keyboards; Gary Slade on base guitar, Gin Gin on flute and backing vocals and Adam Smith on percussion. This was to become âVinceâs Private Livesâ, supplemented by house musicians. One of these, the sax player joined âHaircut 100â. They recorded three songs; âJust Another Love Songâ, ;â2000 Miles Awayâ and; âDo You Really Love Meâ, included here as bonus tracks.
The three songs came out in London and Essex as a DIY release on TCS; âJust Another Love Songâ, â2000 Miles Awayâ and âDo You Really Love Meâ, enjoying a token play on Essex Radio. These also received some airplay in Australia via relatives.

After a while, âNicknames Driveâ were formed with Vince on vocals, Gary on base, Chris Pearce on lead guitar and Keith Ball, (Kenny Ballâs son), on drums. Keith now sings in the Kenny Ball Jazzmanâs line up. Gary left soon after to form âBramaâ. Vince left just before they changed name to âHolocaustâ, who in turn became âTrade Secretâ with concommitant changes in members, eventually becoming, âThe Resultsâ. They would end up supporting Vinceâs next band, âVinceâs Play Thingsâ, himself on base and vocals. John Cussack, (X-âThis Way Upâ, a British funk band), played keyboards and Steve Greenland was on drums. They were joined by John Carrol, and Mick Todd on guitar. This turned into âThe Stripesâ; Vince, Mick and Steve.

Vince going under the name of âBrick Garageâ, (a piece of post punk garage mod rock), they released a 45 single on the âellie jayâ label, âPinko 1â; âOne Step Aheadâ and âCanteen Girlsâ, included here as bonus tracks!

This brings us to âVinceâs Ha Haâ. By this time, Vince had successfully evolved to not only play in, but also produce this band. Gary, Gin Gin and Vince were joined by Max Rousch, (keyboard and engineer) and supplemented by Mick Todd and sessions with a representative of the chart band, âNew Musikâ.

Recording at Maxâs studio, brief involvement with Pinnacle, led via Transvision Videos, to a âRed Busâ remix of âIn Every Dreamâ, which was put out as a cassette single by Metro for radio only. As a retail single on VG Limited Tapes, with âTodayâ and âTalkâ, on the B side, this DIY Essex only release outsold the latest Japan single, â10 to 1â. The Ha Ha tape LP outsold the latest âWhamâ LP, â5 to 1â, in Romford over a three week period.

Vince stayed with Metro Management and Gary and Gin Gin, (who was also a working fashion model) went on to form âPassion La Motionâ. Ha Ha are a new romantic electro band influenced by Japan, Duran Duran, Talk Talk and Thomas Dolby, Thompson Twins, Howard Jones and Warsaw/Joy Division.

Vinceâs next project was âCain and Ableâ which was Vince and John Carrol, supplemented live by their band, âPushâ. After several years they signed to Rondor Publishing and etc. Management with Billy April from the British funk band, âStrengthâ, joining after the white label recording of âReal Loveâ became the most played white label release on Kiss Radio.

John Carrol went on to form âCut to Tasteâ. He had started with Gary Slade years back in the band, âFrameâ, alias, âFrench Letter and The Condomsâ, playing when âThe Sex Pistolsâ were trading under the name, âThe Strandâ, alias, âThe Wankersâ. After the swingbeat R & B success of âDriza Boneâ, Vincent Garcia was briefly seen in the company of Kate Moss and was last heard of forming a band called, âBloodâ.

Ha Ha are an important part of Essex Pop history from the early â80âs. Thanks for reading this - and if youâre still awake, we all hope you enjoy the free download!

By the way, Iâm Justin Scarlett, (endorphin) and I digitally remastered this album, put the videos together from photos and penned this blog.

PS. Photos by the fabulous Franchesca in The London Studio. Body make up and digital photo editing by Gary.

PSS. This was all Vince's fault... Ha Ha!!!