Sparky Mark Posted October 9, 2019 Share Posted October 9, 2019 (edited) So I've just acquired a mid seventees left handed black tolex Fender Precision case that apparently at one point had been rescued from a skip in North Wales. Whilst giving it a clean the band name The Last Chant has been uncovered on both top and bottom faces. Googled the band and found a few details including their bassist was called Brian Ashcroft. There's also one track on YouTube called Run Of The Dove which is pretty good. I was just wondering whether anyone remembers them or knows if Brian is still playing (and whether he was left handed)? Edited October 10, 2019 by Sparky Mark 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidder652003 Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 I grew up in Liverpool from 77 to about 85, never heard of them Im afraid but I bet they bought records from Probe! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineweasel Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 Interesting single, produced by Mike Scott of Waterboys fame, and features Dave Dickie who was later in Black. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Mark Posted October 10, 2019 Author Share Posted October 10, 2019 (edited) 5 hours ago, skidder652003 said: I grew up in Liverpool from 77 to about 85, never heard of them Im afraid but I bet they bought records from Probe! Thanks, there's some history on the internet saying they were a decent band that nearly succeeded but now I'd only expect friends and family would remember them. It was the Mike Scott and David Dickie connections that caught my interest further. In my book that puts them a level above the other hundreds possibly thousands of bands from that era that have no history recorded anywhere. Edited October 10, 2019 by Sparky Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 11 hours ago, skidder652003 said: I grew up in Liverpool from 77 to about 85, never heard of them Im afraid but I bet they bought records from Probe! Likewise (but a bit later, from '83 to mid 90's), and I bought records from Probe! Don't recall them either. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 I was at Liverpool Uni in '81 and avidly going to all the gigs I could, big and small (I still have my Eric's membership card......)- don't recall The Last Chant though. Looking back; how lucky to be in that place at that time 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Interesting... ...this is all I can find: https://rateyourmusic.com/release/comp/various_artists_f2/liverpool_cult_classics__unearthed___volume_2/ https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/the-last-chant https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=VidTDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT82&lpg=PT82&dq="the+last+chant"+band&source=bl&ots=orNJmP4dFY&sig=ACfU3U2ZW9Iq86sx_z0jPa9pJeSKJc8_pw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjA2ZuC45PlAhUwQUEAHcxsA_Y4ChDoATAEegQICRAB#v=onepage&q="the last chant" band&f=false Hopefully someone out there will know more 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Mark Posted October 11, 2019 Author Share Posted October 11, 2019 10 minutes ago, Teebs said: Interesting... ...this is all I can find: https://rateyourmusic.com/release/comp/various_artists_f2/liverpool_cult_classics__unearthed___volume_2/ https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/the-last-chant https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=VidTDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT82&lpg=PT82&dq="the+last+chant"+band&source=bl&ots=orNJmP4dFY&sig=ACfU3U2ZW9Iq86sx_z0jPa9pJeSKJc8_pw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjA2ZuC45PlAhUwQUEAHcxsA_Y4ChDoATAEegQICRAB#v=onepage&q="the last chant" band&f=false Hopefully someone out there will know more Thank you for your research. The book link is very interesting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rageofklugman Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Bored at work so thought I'd have a Google. Doesn't seem to be much more to find, although the comments section of this page has a few more details: http://downwithtractors.blogspot.com/2007/09/last-chant-run-of-dove-chicken-jazz.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Thow Posted November 11, 2019 Share Posted November 11, 2019 I bought the Last Chant single when it came out because of the Mike Scott connection (I was a big fan of Another Pretty Face, his Edinburgh band). It was recorded at Cargo Studios in Rochdale, and Mike produced and did some backing vocals. They were a six piece, very young at the time (16-18), and included Andrew Hussey on lead guitar, now a historian and TV presenter (and OBE) and Tim Blanthorn on fiddle - he later played on some Waterboys stuff. Run of the Dove still sounds great to me! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Hello Mark Brian Ashcroft was indeed in the Last Chant as the bassist. He was left handed. Sadly my brother Brian passed away in 2010 leaving me many good memories. I would be interested in buying the case off you if it is for sale. I bought the Precision Bass for Brian after working in the Middle East for a few years. Nearly died when he painted it matte black. Get in touch if you want to sell. All the best Neal Ashcroft. 15 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, Neal said: I bought the Precision Bass for Brian after working in the Middle East for a few years. Welcome to the forum Neal. This is turning out to be an interesting tale. Are you also a bassist? Edited October 11, 2020 by SpondonBassed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SICbass Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 4 hours ago, Neal said: Hello Mark Brian Ashcroft was indeed in the Last Chant as the bassist. He was left handed. Sadly my brother Brian passed away in 2010 leaving me many good memories. I would be interested in buying the case off you if it is for sale. I bought the Precision Bass for Brian after working in the Middle East for a few years. Nearly died when he painted it matte black. Get in touch if you want to sell. All the best Neal Ashcroft. Hi Neal, thanks for opening up this interesting story. I‘m sorry for your loss. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 We need a new website ... Hardcases Reunited. Excellent stuff all round, guys, enjoying this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nail Soup Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Great thread........ here's the youtube link mentioned previously - just had a listen in memory of Brian...... and it's a great track! 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamd Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 What a great thread, was Andrew any relation to Wayne Hussey, also in Liverpool at that time in Dead or Alive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Mark Posted October 12, 2020 Author Share Posted October 12, 2020 (edited) On 11/10/2020 at 03:32, Neal said: Hello Mark Brian Ashcroft was indeed in the Last Chant as the bassist. He was left handed. Sadly my brother Brian passed away in 2010 leaving me many good memories. I would be interested in buying the case off you if it is for sale. I bought the Precision Bass for Brian after working in the Middle East for a few years. Nearly died when he painted it matte black. Get in touch if you want to sell. All the best Neal Ashcroft. Hi Neal, Thank you so much for this and I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm afraid that I have restored the case to as good a condition as I could which involved removing Brian's artwork from both sides. I also made some enquiries about this type of case here : - Edited October 12, 2020 by Sparky Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 Hello everyone No I am not a bassist but was a keen guitarist who occasionally played bass. Not as talented as my bro but deadly keen. Stopped playing in my 30s. Fantastic to see a picture of this bass case when I did a Google search for the Last Chant. Hope you get good use out of the case Sparky. Would have loved to have it back but I have many music souvenirs from him. In addition to music, he was a keen artist and did the cover art for the Run of the Dove. My son has been asking about him hence the Google search to see if we could trace his old band members (still ongoing). Yes he did buy loads of stuff from Probe - as did I. Write more soon. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Mark Posted October 13, 2020 Author Share Posted October 13, 2020 (edited) This was how I received the case; just in need of a good clean I thought. However, it soon became clear that large areas of both front and back had been painted over with black spray paint. Removing the black paint whilst being careful not to damage the tolex allowed the white/silver band name to come through prompting this thread to find out more about or maybe even hear from Brian. It now looks like this:- Edited October 13, 2020 by Sparky Mark 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hitchmough Posted November 4, 2020 Share Posted November 4, 2020 They Supported The Mighty Whah at Mountford Hall (Liverpool University) in about 1980. Another member of the band was guitarist Andrew Hussey (MBE), who is now a highly regarded historian (he writes for various newspapers & crops up on the telly & Radio 4 from time to time). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barking Spiders Posted November 4, 2020 Share Posted November 4, 2020 On 10/10/2019 at 19:18, skidder652003 said: I grew up in Liverpool from 77 to about 85, never heard of them Im afraid but I bet they bought records from Probe! I was brought up in Liverpool between 1975 and 1990 and would've been a teen in the 80s. I was well into a lot of local indie bands old Peelie was fond of too e.g. Icicle Works, Pink Military, The Room, Cook Da Books, Personal Column, Its Immaterial but I don't recall The Last Chan 'fraid to say. Ah, mention of Probe brings back memories like the first time I saw Pete Burns behind the counter there, me trying to figure out the whole he /she thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidder652003 Posted November 4, 2020 Share Posted November 4, 2020 5 hours ago, Barking Spiders said: I was brought up in Liverpool between 1975 and 1990 and would've been a teen in the 80s. I was well into a lot of local indie bands old Peelie was fond of too e.g. Icicle Works, Pink Military, The Room, Cook Da Books, Personal Column, Its Immaterial but I don't recall The Last Chan 'fraid to say. Ah, mention of Probe brings back memories like the first time I saw Pete Burns behind the counter there, me trying to figure out the whole he /she thing. yeah and he had coloured contact lenses, first time i'd seen them, he looked terrifying and bored at the same time.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Evans Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 Hi Neal, I'm so sorry to hear of Brian's passing . I was in The Last Chant and remember Brian fondly .A really talented mate .I was on Freshfields beach yesterday and it brought back loads of good times we all had there . I'd love to catch up with you if possible please Richard Evans ( congos, percussion and backing vocals ) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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