Method in the Madness album re-released
Gardening by Moonlight were a Duo formed in 1981 by Drummer/Percussionist, Singer/Songwriter, Musician/Composer and Co-Producer John (JJ) Johnson, A.K.A. John Johnson and JJ Johnson, formerly of the Bands, Wayne County and The Electric Chairs, Mystere Five’s, The Flying Lizards, Skids, Low Noise=(Thomas Dolby) and others
And Musician/Composer, Synth/Keyboard player, and Co-Producer Duncan Bridgeman, formerly of Shake Shake, I Level, Tribal Drift, and others, eventually forming the Duo 1 Giant Leap in 2001.
Prior to being part of these various name Bands through the 1970’s and early eighties the Duo met and began recording together around 1981 in a spontaneous, open and experimental way, inspired by many things from The Beatles, Early Roxy Music, British Punk and New Wave to the then emerging 80’s Electronica and Music, which produced an Album and three Singles.
Prior to being part of these various name Bands through the 1970’s and early eighties the Duo met and began recording together around 1981 in a spontaneous, open and experimental way, inspired by many things from The Beatles, Early Roxy Music, British Punk and New Wave to the then emerging 80’s Electronica and Music, which produced an Album and three Singles.
In 1983 the first Single ‘Strange News,’ was released initially on the Imperial Recordings Label, which became Interdisc, followed by the Singles ‘Diction and Fiction’ and ‘Whistling In The Dark’ and The Album ‘Method in the Madness’ through Interdisc Records (an Island Records subsidiary).
Defying current musical genres of the time. It incorporated early Synth Electronica coupled with Real Drums Percussion and Vocals.
Now, on the 40th Anniversary of the Albums Original release the original recordings have been re-released by the GBMMEDIA label and are now Exclusively available on digital distribution platforms.
Gardening by Moonlight’s “Method in the Madness Album re-released by GBM Media October 2022.
Catalogue no: GBM Media 006
Originally released:September 1983
Catalogue no: Interdisc INTO2
REVIEW | HELEN FITZGERALD | MELODY MAKER October 22, 1983
GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT – METHOD IN THE MADNESS Interdisc INTO2
Rich, pure and astonishingly subtle, Gardening by Moonlight’s first album offers layer upon layer of magical invention. Crescendos of percussive symmetry form a backdrop for cleverly twisting atmospheric tangents that elevate GBM to the status of Thomas Leer and bands like Shriekback and The Cocteau Twins.
Astonishingly clever innovations and a more tongue-in- cheek rejection of the saturated neo-disco funk invasion forges a strong identity for GBM. John Johnson on drums and vocals is the musical dice man who traces the revolving, percussive patterns for Duncan Bridgemans pumping synth to decorate. A founder member of Wayne County and The Electric Chairs (I kid you not) and a veteran of The Flying lizards and the Skids, Johnson,s vocal talents have long been overlooked. “Diction and Fiction”, a superbly orchestrated swinging sub-funk jigsaw, forms a tantalising matrix, with mysteriously understated vocals sweeping in and around the music.
Gardening by Moonlight succeed where other purveyors of a “new dance” mode fall short – they offer more than a simple re-juxtaposition of old tricks and much more than mere quality beat. Sculpting almost visual images in the air their only serious rivals at the art must be Swiss electronic eccentrics Yello, whose wackiness shadows their boldly innovative talent. But “Method in the Madness”, a self-explanatory title, surpasses even Yello’s convoluted progressions by combining the polarities of seriousness and fun. Elemental rhythms will give twitching bodies an ecstatic thrill…Camden Palace clones will drool to the beat, but GBM offer the more sedate audience enough intricate delicacy and intrigue to warrant hours of pleasurable discovery.
The kaleidoscope Mardi Gras urgency of “Letters” and the warmly embracing fluidity of the title track owe much to Thomas Leer’s pioneering developments with synthesiser combinations, but GBM successfully avoid plagiarism. If any criticism must be levelled (and they’re hard to fault), its target must be their almost over clever obsession with technique. the production (credit GBM) is wide and deep but seems in places to dally with intricacies rather than ambience.
But this album is more about overall feel than technique and falls not one inch short of creating a new in-road in intelligent dance-orientated music. GBM have made their point – it can be done.
HELEN FITZGERALD- MELODY MAKER October 22, 1983.
Method in the Madness by Gardening by Moonlight
album credits
GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT TRACKS TAKEN FROM THE LP METHOD IN THE MADNESS
& the Singles, STRANGE NEWS, DICTION AND FICTION, AND WHISTLING IN THE DARK.
ORIGINALLY RELEASED IN 1983 BY IMPERIAL/INTERDISC/ISLAND RECORDS.
Special Thanks to PAULA ADDAMS and CAROL WILSON.
© 1983 Warner Chappell/CBS Songs/Interdisc/Island Records/GBM
NOW IN 2022 RE-RELEASED by GBM MEDIA catalogue no. 006 ℗ & © 2022
Written, performed and arranged by John Johnson and Duncan Bridgeman.
JOHN JOHNSON : Lyrics, Music, lead vocals, backing vocals, real drums, real percussion , trumpet, tape spin-ins, co-production.
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, keyboards, synthesiser, programming, tape spin-ins, backing vocals, co-production
Track listing and credits
METHOD IN THE MADNESS
JOHN JOHNSON : Lyrics, Music, lead vocals, backing vocals, real drums, real percussion.
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, keyboards, synthesiser, programming.
MATTHEW SELIGMAN : Bass
BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY : Backing vocals
Recorded at THE CHAPEL.
Thanks to MATTHEW SELIGMAN and BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY
Written, Produced, Arranged, and Performed by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT.
Mixed by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT and NIGEL WALKER Mix Engineer at AIR STUDIOS.
LETTERS
JOHN JOHNSON : Lyrics, Music, lead vocals, backing vocals, real drums, real percussion
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, keyboards, synthesiser, programming, samples.
BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY : Backing vocals
DICTION AND FICTION
JOHN JOHNSON : Lyrics, Music, lead vocals, backing vocals, real drums, real percussion, programming.
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, keyboards, synthesiser, programming, samples, backing vocals.
VICKI ASPINALL : Violin
MATHEW SELIGMAN ; Bass guitar
KEVIN ARMSTRONG : Guitar on outro
RICK WOOLGAR : Saxophone.
Recorded at THE CHAPEL.
Thanks to JOE DWORNIAK and BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY
Written, Produced, Arranged, and Performed by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT.
Mixed by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT and NIGEL WALKER Mix Engineer at AIR STUDIOS.
WHISTLING IN THE DARK
JOHN JOHNSON : Lyrics, Music, lead vocals, backing vocals, real drums, real percussion, programming,tape spin-ins, vibraphone
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, keyboards, synthesiser, programming, tape spin-ins,, backing vocals.
JOE DWORNIAK : Bass Guitar.
GEORGIE BORN : Cello.
BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY : Backing Vocals
Recorded at THE CHAPEL.
PRODUCED BY GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT. Mixed by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT and NIGEL WALKER at AIR STUDIOS.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
JOHN JOHNSON : Lyrics, Music, lead vocals, backing vocals, real drums, real percussion
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, keyboards, synthesiser, programming, samples.
BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY : Backing vocals
Produced,Performed,Recorded at THE CHAPEL by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT.
Mixed by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT and NIGEL WALKER at AIR STUDIOS
STRANGE VIEWS (IS IT SAFE)
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, keyboards, synthesiser, programming, samples.
JOHN JOHNSON : Music, real vocals, real percussion, trumpet, samples.
PASCAL GABRIEL : Syn drum
Recorded at MOODY STUDIOS Produced, Engineered, Performed and Mixed by Duncan Bridgeman and John Johnson.
CHANCE
JOHN JOHNSON : Lyrics, Music, Lead vocals, backing vocals, real Drums/real percussion,
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, piano, synthesisers, programming, backing vocals.
Recorded at MOODY STUDIOS Produced,Engineered, performed and Mixed by Duncan Bridgeman and John Johnson.
STRANGE NEWS 12″
JOHN JOHNSON : Lyrics, Music, lead vocals, backing vocals, real drums, real percussion, trumpet, samples.
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, keyboards, synthesiser, Bass Synth, programming, samples, backing vocals.
PHIL SMITH : Saxophone
JACQUI CALLIS : Backing vocals
ALAN COWLEY : Backing vocals.
Produced, Arranged, Engineered and Mixed by Duncan Bridgeman and John Johnson.
Recorded at MOODY STUDIOS and THE CHAPEL and Mixed at THE CHAPEL by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT.
METHOD AGAIN
Instrumental medley of Alternative ‘Stripped Down” Mixes of the songs: Strange News, Whistling in the Dark, Letters, Method in the Madness.
Strange Clues Dub mix by Adrian Sherwood of ON-U Sound
RECORDED at THE CHAPEL and MOODY STUDIOS, MIXED at THE CHAPEL and MUSIC WORKS STUDIOS.
Produced and engineered by Duncan Bridgeman and John Johnson. All other tracks mixed by Duncan Bridgeman and John Johnson.
BONUS TRACKS
GREEN LIGHT
(From 7″ Vinyl B Side of Diction and Fiction.)
JOHN JOHNSON Music, Vocals, Real Drums, Real Percussion, Samples.
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, Keyboards, Synthesiser, Programming, Samples.
Recorded at THE CHAPEL.
Produced and Mixed by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT at MUSIC WORKS STUDIOS.
HISTORY:
(From 7″ Vinyl B Side of Whistling In The Dark.)
JOHN JOHNSON Music, Real Drums, Real Percussion.
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN Music Keyboards, Synthesiser.
Recorded at THE CHAPEL.
GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT are JJ and DB.
Special thanks to Christine Robertson @bluegenemedia for co-design, Website and Digital management and all round “wonderfulness”.
Special thanks to DAVE KITTO @ www.cliftonbankstudios.com for Audio Transfer.
And DALE LUNHAM-HARRISON for Tape Tracing and Retrieval.
METHOD IN THE MADNESS LP ARTWORK CREDITS.
Foreground Photography, RICHARD HAUGHTON.
Background Photography by TREVOR KEY.
Calligraphy by GEOFF HALPIN.
Design and Typography by PETER SAVILLE ASSOCIATES.
Special Thanks to PAULA ADDAMS and CAROL WILSON @ INTERDISC.
Original release: P & C 1983 INTERDISC / 249-251 Kensal Road, London W10 5DB.
Distributed by ISLAND.
STRANGE NEWS 12″ and 7″ SINGLE ARTWORK CREDITS.
Photography RICHARD HAUGHTON
Design WICKENS for PETER SAILLE ASSOCIATES.
Special Thanks to PAULA ADDAMS and CAROL WILSON @ INTERDISC.
Original Release : ℗ & © IMPERIAL RECORDINGS LTD/INTERDISC 1983.
DICTION AND FICTION 7″ and 12″ SINGLE ARTWORK CREDITS.
Photography RICHARD HAUGHTON.
Typography PETER SAVILLE ASSOCIATES.
Original Release : ℗ & © 1983 INTERDISC 1983.
WHISTLING IN THE DARK 7″ SINGLE ARTWORK CREDITS.
Cover Design PETER SAVILLE ASSOCIATES.
Re – release – GBMMEDIA catalogue no. 006 ℗ & © 2022
7″ Single:cat no. IN-3
The first G.B.M. release on that label was STRANGE NEWS / IS IT SAFE, a 7 inch single, (cat no. M P E 2 ), and STRANGE NEWS, ext mix STRANGE VEIWS ( IS IT SAFE? ), mixed by G.B.M. and STRANGE CLUES, dub mix, which was mixed by ADRIAN SHERWOOD of ON-U- SOUND, on the 12″ single.They were released in February 1983.
12″ Single:cat no.M P E 2 February 1983
DICTION AND FICTION was released on 23rd of May 1983 in a 7″ ( cat no.IN-3 ) version, containing the tracks:
12 inch ( cat no.12 IN-3 )Club mix version with the track DICTION AND FICTION extended mix.
7 inch singleCat no.IN-3
12inch single Cat. no. 12 IN-3
Released: May 1983
