Fish Co. (UK)

Can't Be Bad Myrrh 1975

Beneath the Laughter Grapevine 1978

Fish Co were formed by acoustic guitar playing duo Steve Rowles and Steve Farnie. They met in Bristol, U.K. and as teenagers and formed their first group 'The Pink hat Christianity blues band'. Later they formed Fish Co in 1975 and recorded their debut album 'Can't be bad' on the Myrrh label. A lot of the songs on the album were about people they had met and situations they had been in.

The second album 'Beneath the laughter' (1978) was a far more gritty record with even more emphasis on peoples lives. By this time the duo has expanded to a full band adding Bev Sage on vocals, Jules Hardwick on guitar, John Gordon on bass (later replaced by Nick Battle), and Rowan O'Duffy on the drums. The songs were more retrospective especially on the title track and the haunting 'Sail away'.

Later that year they performed at the Greenbelt Arts Festival and changed their name from Fish Co to Writz. This aim was to perform a more secular set and appeal to a larger audience. The recorded a single 'Night nurse' in the hope of a secular hit record and recorded a jungle for Radio and TV personality Noel Edmonds. Almost on the verge of a major breakthrough success still eluded them and the band split.

They later emerged as Famous Names, The Casual Tease and then Farnie and Sage formed a duo The Techno Twins in the eighties.

Mike Edmunds