Kitchenware Records was an independent record label based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, founded in '82 by Keith Armstrong, Paul Ludford and Phil Mitchell (not that Phil Mitchell, now that would have made for an interesting label). Home over the years to the likes of Editors, Prefab Sprout, Hurrah!, The Kane Gang and Martin Stephenson and The Daintees it was one of those rare labels that released quality material virtually at will. Much as I love all those above I have always had a soft spot for Hurrah! after seeing them on The Tube. They released 4 early singles on Kitchenware, including the mighty Gloria, before making that inevitable move to a major. Their major label debut album release failed to set the charts on fire, reaching a paltry number 71, but did include one of the best tracks of the 80's in Sweet Sanity. At the time I genuinely thought this track was going to a numero uno hit but yet again it was not to be. It did manage to get its video banned in parts of The States as it featured a couple of women holding hands which was apparently a tad too much for some parts of America in 1986. They also supported both U2 and Bowie in 1987, before going their seperate ways in 1991.
Well worth checking out for fans of 80's indie guitar bands, another of those many bands that should have been on TOTP every week but never quite achieved the success they should have.
Those early Kitchenware singles were really in my wheelhouse. I discovered them on the Boxed comp in '85. I wasn't too interested in them after that, but you are right on about Sweet Sanity.
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