Mi-Sex - 1980 - Space Race Cassette FLAC

Space Race/Pages And Matches/Living In September/I Don't Know/Slippin' Out/ It Only Hurts When I'm Laughing/People/Good Guys Always Win (Satire)/Ghosts/ Burning Up/Ice Cold Dead


  Mi-Sex (also styled as MiSex) is a New Zealand new wave rock band that was originally active from 1977 to 1986. Led by Steve Gilpin as vocalist, Kevin Stanton as guitarist and songwriter and Don Martin as bassist. They provided top ten singles, "Computer Games" in October 1979 (No. 1 in Australia, No. 5 in New Zealand) and "People" in 1980 (No. 6 and No. 3, respectively). Their first two albums both reached the New Zealand top 10, Graffiti Crimes (July 1979) and Space Race (No. 1, June 1980). They were known for their cutting edge production and dynamic live shows. Gilpin died in January 1992, two months after a serious car accident from which he never recovered.

For their second album, Space Race (June 1980), the label provided a "massive promotional campaign for which 'Are you a clone? . . . No, I'm in the Space Race' was the slogan, and little rubber mannequins of the alien featured on the front cover popped up all over the place." Ed Nimmervoll of Howlspace website felt that the album was "talking about overpopulation, environmental issues, genetic engineering and other issues of great importance for the future."

Dawkins produced the album, recording it in January 1980. In New Zealand it peaked at No. 1 and in Australia it reached No. 6. Space Race provided another top 10 single, "People", which reached No. 3 in New Zealand and No. 6 in Australia. The title track was the next single and peaked in the top 20 in New Zealand and top 30 in Australia. Although Mi-Sex toured Australia and New Zealand through 1981 – performing 366 gigs in that year – the group "found its popularity in slow decline."

Burns told The Australian Women's Weekly's Susan Moore that "When we arrived new wave was very full-on and we had pretty much a street image. Then when we did Space Race, which we felt was an extension of what we were doing, I guess some people didn't like the idea of a concept album ... we copped a lot of flack."

Mi-Sex - 1984 - Where Do They Go (Australian Release) FLAC

Only Thinking/Where Do They Go/Antipodes Army/Blue Day/I Lose Control/Don't Look Back In Anger/5 O'clock In The Morning/Why Did You Leave/Stranger In You/Delinquent Daddy/Lady Janice




It was New Zealand that gave birth to Mi-Sex. A name and a sound in 1977 that grew out of combining the collective creative energies of a cabaret singer Steve Gilpin, an art-rock Bass player Don Martin, a talented Southern drummer Richard Hodgkinson, a frustrated guitarist/song writer Kevin Stanton and a funk/dance keyboard player Murray Burns. Together Kevin & Murray forged a song writing partnership that anchored Mi- Sex throughout its four albums. These five new connections quickly dissolved their pasts, as they reinvented themselves, passing into the new era of new wave/electronic music and uniting fully as the sound that was to become Mi-Sex... Mi-Sex (the name originating from a song they performed by the British group Ultravox), recorded their début single, “Straight Laddie” in New Zealand. A punk parody with hints of Ian Duryesque vocals and a snatch of The Stranglers in the keyboards.

 
 Now setting house records in New Zealand Mi-Sex decided to take their new found sound & look to Australia. Within a very short time, on the strength of their highly energized and semi-theatrical live shows, were soon one of Sydney’s most popular bands. Mi-Sex were signed by A&R/record producer Peter Dawkins to CBS. This relationship proved highly successful, and in 1979  released their début vinyl LP, “Graffiti Crimes” with singles “But You Don’t Care” and the prophetic single, “Computer Games” going top ten in New Zealand, Canadian, German & South African charts. Thanks to strong  initial support from the ABC's Double Jay radio station and its nationally televised pop show ''Countdown'', Mi-Sex went number one in Australia.  In November 1979 this culminated in a landmark performance at the Sydney Opera House in the ''Concert of the Decade'' Quote: “Credit must go to this New Zealand band for its international hit single, "Computer Games," which preceded the glut of similar-sounding British chart entrants by a year or more.” 

A follow up album, 1980's “Space Race”, was also a multi platinum hit, with singles “People”, “Space Race“ and “It Only Hurts when I’m Laughing”. 1981 Mi-Sex undertook a ground breaking tour of America & Canada, playing venues with “The Ramones” and “Iggy Pop”, also selling out most of their own East & West coast shows. During this time, back in Australia, MiSex were awarded 'Most Popular Album', 'Best Australian Single' and 'Best New Talent' in the 1980: TV Week/Countdown Music Awards. The band was greeted at the airport with a televised presentation of these awards by Molly Meldrum when they arrived back from America/Canada... In 1981 drummer Richard exited, replaced by Paul Dunningham who spurred the infectious single “Castaway”. Their third album “Shanghaied” was released in 1982 which included “Falling in and Out”and the brooding single “Shanghaied” sung by Kevin Stanton. In 1983 Mi-Sex decided musically to become a 6 piece adding new member Colin Bayley, a previous Wellington band mate of Murray Burns, and songwriter of "I Wanna Be with U" from the “Graffiti Crimes” album. Colin added second guitar, vocals and with Murray, co- wrote the timeless “Blue Day”. 

 This new line up carried on to record album No 4 “Where Do They Go”, produced by Bob Clearmountain. The singles “Blue Day” &  “Castaway” both had strong chart success in several states of the USA & Canada. 1984 Mi-Sex semi-retired from touring & living on the road as one identity. They agreed to take a well deserved break and to seek solo ventures. Always remaining the very closest of friends they came  back together in the late 80’s for two more Australian tours. The summer 1990 saw the band collectively begin writing fresh material and talking of recording again... Sadly that was just before Steve Gilpin’s fatal car crash in November 1991, lapsing into a coma from which he never recovered. Steve died in Southport Hospital on January 6, 1992.... Shortly afterwards the cream of Australian artists and performers collaborated to hold consecutive concerts in Sydney & Melbourne to farewell & celebrate Steve Gilpin’s wonderful life & achievements. Mi-Sex became the sleeping giant laid to rest with Steve.

Mi-sex - Blue Day

Blue Day/Lady Janice

Mi-Sex was a New Zealand / Australian new wave rock band active from 1978 to 1984. Led by Steve Gilpin as vocalist, they were best known for their singles "Computer Games" in 1979 and "People” in 1980.Mi-Sex evolved from the band Fragments of Time, a band which itself formed from members of earlier bands Father Thyme and Think. The band centred on a trio of performers: Steve Gilpin (vocals), Murray Burns (keyboards), and Kevin Stanton (guitar/vocals).In 1978 they changed their name to Mi-Sex, this name taken from an Ultravox song title, "My Sex". They released their first single, "Straight laddie” (originally intended simply as a demo), during 1978. In August 1978 the band headed to Sydney, where they quickly became a major live drawcard. They were soon signed to the Australian division of CBS Records by the label's then A&R manager/House producer Peter Dawkins, himself an expatriate New Zealander who is best known for his productions with another former NZ group based in Australia, Dragon.Their first single for CBS, "But You Don't Care" / "Burning Up", was released in Australia in June 1979 and their debut album, Graffiti Crimes was issued in July 1979 to coincide with their national tour as the support act for Talking Heads. The LP included their biggest hit, the synthesizer-driven "Computer Games”, a Burns/Stanton composition released in Australia on October 1, 1979. The single went to #1 in Australia, made the Top 5 in New Zealand, and also charted in 20 countries including Canada and South Africa. The follow-up album, Space Race sold well and produced another big single, "People”, but the band were unable to maintain their early momentum and two later albums failed to produce the same popular interest. Mi-Sex disbanded in March 1984. The single "Blue Day" lifted from the last album Where Do They Go failed to chart in Australia but made #36 in NZ the B-Side "Lady Janice" is a non album track.