Rise of the Mood Elevators The three original members of the Mood Elevators (David Ditchfield, Noel Green, and Jenny Jones) met after literally being thrown together following a street fight. A group initially named Inside Out was soon formed from the three. Practice was held regularly in a hardware shop owned by Jenny's parents located in Maypole, Birmingham. Once ready to gig in early 1980, the band began to book spots at pubs around Birmingham. These gigs earned them a following and it was not long until they got noticed.
On April 16, 1980 the Beat attended one of the Mood Elevators' gigs at the Barrel Organ pub after being enticed by a flyer for it. Impressed by the performance they witnessed, the Beat requested a demo and even hinted at the possibility of an opening spot for one of their tour dates. Consequently the three went in to M.C.R. Studios to record a 10-song demo for submission. A supporting spot on the Beat's lineup was indeed granted to the band. After the first at Friars, Aylesbury, they were then invited to join in on the rest of the tour. Being a three piece band with very little equipment, the Mood Elevators were even able to travel along with The Beat. A firsthand account of the rise of the Mood Elevators by their original bassist, Noel Green who was with the band until around mid-1981:
Go Feet and Beyond
Releases 
Only two 7-inch singles were released by the band. Their first, Annapurna, was released on the Go Feet label in 1981. This single was a big hit on the indie scene and soon led to the band being invited on for a session on Radio One by Richard Skinner. In fact, the session went over so well that the Mood Elevators were soon asked to return for another session "by popular demand" (N.M.E.). Later that year, the Mood Elevators released a second single on Red Records (a division of Fresh Records); it is home to such bands as the Material and the Lines. Titled Georgie Girl (RS 013), this single was also recorded with the help of the Beat's production and features the guest vocals of Ranking Roger on the B-side. This was expected to be the single that would allow the band to break into the charts; however, it was never embraced by the disc jockies. Both are equally satisfying releases that are well worth the investment should you be fortunate to come across them.
Original Adveritisements For Annapurna (Click
To Enlarge):
Where Are They Now? Jenny left the music scene some years ago and is now training to be a nurse in Scotland UK. Noel now resides in France where he works for the European Space Agency. Dave was involved in a really bad accident which involved him being pulled under the wheels of the train. By a miracle he survived, losing his little finger and nearly an arm. He is now painting and preparing his first exhibition.
Gigography To view a list of Mood Elevator performances from between December 1979 and June 1981, click here.
Special thanks go out to Noel Green for all of his insight, materials,
and of course contributions to the band as well as to Paul Flanagan
for submitting the above advert and the following wonderful article
about the Mood Elevators:
If you have any information about this band, please do not hesitate to submit it so that others may utilize it. |
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The
Beat had been impressed by the band's live performance. Feeling
that the Mood Elevators deserved greater exposure and confident
that they could produce a hit, the Beat offered them an opportunity
to record a single on the Go Feet label along with the supporting
spot on a UK tour. However, this relationship was not enough to
ensure a place on the charts by that point in time. The ska craze
which had gripped the UK was in a steady decline, so simple association
no longer meant a hit single (granted that the Mood Elevators did
not actually play ska). While they may not have experienced much
success on the pop charts, their music should not be ignored. It
is well worth checking out - especially for hardcore Beat fans.
While
a slot on the UK charts would ultimately elude the Mood Elevators,
they made quite a big name for themselves within the independent
music scene. "Friendly, frentic and brilliantly instantaneous,"
the band's compelling live performances quickly drew in many fans
as they toured throughout the country (N.M.E.).
