Blanket Of Secrecy - Ears Have Walls (1982)

Blanket of Secrecy (BoS) was a British new wave trio that existed for a short time in the early 1980s. The band is notable for the fact that the band members, true to their band name, were never officially identified, using only the pseudonyms Tinker, Tailor and Soldier. This led to some speculation in the music press regarding their true identity. Their music was synthpop, similar to their contemporaries A Flock of Seagulls, although comparisons to The Attractions (Elvis Costello's backing band) were also made.
All three BoS members had a hand in Carlene Carter's “C'est C Bon” record from 1983. Bechirian produced, and all three played on the album, as well as co-writing two of the songs. Bechirian also produced Nick Lowe's 1983 album “The Abominable Showman”, which featured backing vocals from Marsh and a Marsh–Howell song called "Cool Reaction". Peter Marsh´s musical career goes back at least to 1974, when he released a record with brother-in-law Ken Nicol under the name Nicol and Marsh (a/k/a Nicol & Marsh's Easy Street). They then changed their name to Easy Street and put out two records in 1976 and 1977. Their last record together was a 1978 release called simply Nicol & Marsh. Marsh's next project was Twist, which put out one record called This is Your Life (1979). Between then and BoS, he also worked with Vangelis and Manfred Mann's Earth Band, and released a solo single. Roger Bechirian is a noted producer, having worked with Elvis Costello, Squeeze, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Carlene Carter, Trash Can Sinatras, and the reunited Monkees. Andrew Howell is best known for having co-written The Monkees' reunion single "Heart and Soul", from Pool It!. He co-wrote and played many of the instruments on Simon Byrne's album Dream Crazy. He also played bass on Robert Ellis Orrall's Contain Yourself. Prior to BoS Andrew was also the bass player in South London punk band The Red Lights. The band's lone LP was titled “Walls Have Ears” in the UK, and “Ears Have Walls” in the US. The group can been seen in shadow on the album's back cover, and more clearly in the video for the associated single "Say You Will". Released in 1982, the album and single received some airplay on both sides of the Atlantic. At the time Ears Have Walls was recorded, BoS also reportedly recorded an entire second album, which has yet to see the light of day. The band broke up before the record could be released.

Track listing

01. "Say You Will"  (Tinker, Spy)  - 4:03) 
02. "Young Heart"  (Tinker, Tailor)  - 3:42)
03. "Love Me Too"  (Tinker, Tailor)  - 2:46)
04. "Remember Me and You"  (Tinker, Tailor)  - 3:24)
05. "Long Cool Glass"  (Tinker, Tailor)  - 3:35)
06. "Photograph"  (Tinker, Tailor)  - 4:46)
07. "Yo Yo"  (Tinker, Sailor)  - 3:19)
08. "Close To Me"  (Tinker)   - 4:16)
09. "Something I Don't Need"  (Tinker, Tailor)  - 3:02)
10. "Tell Me Baby"  (Tinker, Tailor)  - 3:29)
11. "Lovers"  (Hues, De Spig)  - 4:52) 
12. "B.O.S. Theme"  (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier)  - 3:24)

Credits
Pete Marsh ("Tinker") – vocals and guitar
Roger Bechirian ("Soldier") – keyboards, backing vocals, percussion
Andy Howell ("Tailor") – bass and backing vocals
Additional musicians:
Hogg - saxophone
Jack Hues - arrangements on "Lovers"

Notes
Recorded at Ampro Studios and Rockfield Studios
Mixed at Rockfield
Assistant engineers, Rob Keyloch at Ampro and Paul Cobbold at Rockfield
Originally mastered by Aaron Chakraverty at The Master Room
Produced and Directed by Roger Bechirian
Genre:  New Wave, Synth-pop
Length:  44:09
Label:  F-Beat / Warner Bros.

© 1982