Seao of Unrest

Recorded : 1981-1982

Studio : Mallon Studio, 2nd and Bryant, SF CA

Engineer : Tom Mallon

Producer : Tom Mallon and band

Lineup : Craig Gray - guitar

Paul Hood - guitar/piano

Jonathan Henrikson - Bass

Tim Mooney - Drums

Ricky Williams - Vocals

Mix : Tom Mallon 1982 and 1994 remix

Cover Art : Kim Seltzer

Released : 1982 Instant vinyl, buy h ere

1994 Cargo CD (OOP)

Side One

1 Destiny (Gray/Mooney/Williams)

2 Trauma Girl (Gray/Williams)

3 Late Show (Gray/Hood/Williams)

4 Microage (Gray/Williams)

5 Wishful Thinking (Gray/Williams)

Side Two

1 All the Girls Cry (Gray/Hood)

2 DJMC (Gray/Williams)

3 Shooting Gallery (Hood/Williams)

4 Again (Gray/Williams)

5 Big Surprise (Gray/Mooney/Williams)

6 Sea of Unrest (Gray/Williams)

FROM TOM MALLON’S LINER NOTES FOR 1994 CD RELEASE

For those who care about such things, this record was recorded on a half inch eight track, no noise reduction, with two little Tapco mixing boards and six microphones. Drums mixed to stereo on two tracks, bass direct, three tracks for guitars, two for vocals. Everyone wanted to remix it for this release, mostly to make the guitars louder but also to sift through some of the outtake vocal tracks to see if there was anything worth using. A few lines here and there. You find ‘em.

In 1982, after the original mixing was finished, the main vocal on “Sea of Unrest” was erased at Ricky’s insistence so he could “do it better”. The results of that attempt are obvious, although it does make the song scarier, considering.

Sea of Unrest started as demos in 1981. We had recorded some stuff at Tom Mallon's new studio at 2nd and Bryant. We knew Tom, he had been doing our live sound, and again, the price was right. This time however it wasn't all in one day. After we had spent a few months recording our first few songs Paul asked Ricky to come in and sing on Destiny, Trauma Girl, some of the others. Ricky played it for everybody who would listen as he always did with his latest recording. Steve Montgomery and Anne Lehman at Rough Trade liked what they heard and wanted to put out a record. They came to a special afternoon show that was typical Midgets, awful. They were doubtful when we went to the studio afterward to listen to the demos. After listening they still wanted to put out a record.

We needed more songs so we decided to do a couple of acoustic songs after staying up all night watching the Late Show, Andi Griffith show and playing guitars. The next day we recorded Sea of Unrest and Lateshow. I rerecorded a lot of the guitars from the original demos and did some overdubs suggested by Tom. One day Kim Seltzer brought a bunch of paintings to the studio and put them all over while we listened to final mixes. She had been doing our flyers so it seemed obvious for her to do the cover. Everything was ready to go when Rough Trade UK decided we would not be on the Rough Trade label. Steve and Anne made up a label, Instant, and put it out anyway, the money was spent.

I do remember some things, like when we were recording Wishful Thinking Tom had us keep playing because he didn’t want it to end, the amp in the piano incident , Ricky pointing his fingers at ghosts, too many trips to Tom’s bathroom, the elevator, Tom’s car , Paul doing it again, Ricky doing it again, the phone call from my mother at the studio telling me my 15 yr old brother had run away and was coming to live with me as well as the endless hours spent on the couch, smoking, talking and listening.

The record came out in April or May 1982. Flippers 1st LP as well as Romeo Void's 1st LP also came out around this time. While both those bands were able to tour nationally to support their record, we were only able to do the West Coast and not all of that with Ricky. The reviews were love or hate. It did not sell very well.