Masterswitch

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}} {{Use British English|date=June 2016}} '''Masterswitch''' was an English rock band active in the late 1970s.

==Band members== The band consisted of four members:<ref>{{cite web|title = A Punk Rock History of Masterswitch with images and reviews|url = http://www.punk77.co.uk/groups/masterswitch.htm|website = Punk77.co.uk|accessdate = 2015-07-13|last = Denholm|first = James}}</ref> *Jimmy Edwards (vocals, guitar)<ref>{{Cite book|title = The Roxy London WC2: A Punk History|last = Marko|first = Paul|publisher = Punk 77 Books|year = 2007|isbn = 9780955658303|location = United Kingdom|page = 80|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=rcnVLioLCNIC|via = Google Books (preview)}}</ref> *Stephen Wilkin (guitar) *Mark Steed (bass guitar) *Martin Lee (drums)

== Formation (1976) == Lifelong friends Ray Simone and Martin Lee, together with Dave Sumeray (who was the bass player with Simone and Lee in a band called Woodfog)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.last.fm/music/Woodfog |title=Woodfog music, videos, stats, and photos |website=Last.fm |date= |accessdate=2020-05-25}}</ref> placed an advert in ''Melody Maker'' in an attempt to recruit bandmates at an open audition. An astounding number of enthusiastic musicians queued patiently waiting their turn to prove their worth; ultimately Edwards' natural vocal flair, Wilkin's 'Wilkey Fingers' and, after Dave Sumeray decided to quit the band and the music business, Steed's conquering bass prevailed to form Masterswitch.

== 1976–1978 == In 1977, the band signed to the Epic record company and in the following year released their only studio release ''Action Replay/Mass Media Meditation''. Despite talent and the intelligent social commentary (notably ''That's Light Entertainment''), Masterswitch only picked up a small cult following playing regularly at the Marquee Club in Soho, London. With The Clash grabbing all attention of Epic's marketing combined with poor management, Masterswitch split in 1978.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aS7aBwAAQBAJ&q=That%27s+Entertainment%3A+My+Life+in+The+Jam+chapter+eleven&pg=PT149|title=That's Entertainment: My Life in The Jam|first=Rick|last=Buckler|date=11 May 2015|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=9781783235308|via=Google Books}}</ref>

Jimmy Edwards and Mark Steed went to record as Jimmy and The Profiles and later Edwards and Ray Simone went on to form Time UK with former The Jam drummer Rick Buckler. After three singles they split, although Jimmy and Buckler formed the short-lived band Sharp with Buckler's ex-Jam bandmate Bruce Foxton.

== 2007–date== Ray Simone, Martin Lee and Dave Sumeray reunited as Woodfog. After a 34-year break, they worked on some new songs and renamed themselves as [https://instagram.com/the_creatures_of_habit?igshid=YTQwZjQ0NmI0OA%3D%3D The Creatures of Habit]. Following a lengthy period of illness, Ray Simone died on 18 June 2012. In 2013, following Simone's death, Lee and Sumeray decided to resurrect Woodfog. They recruited Paul Squires on drums. Edwards died in January 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title = The Gonads|url = http://www.the-gonads.co.uk/blogjanuary2015.htm|website =The-gonads.co.uk |accessdate = 2015-07-13|date = January 2015|type = blog|at = 13 Jan}}</ref>

Dave Sumeray and Mart Lee as Creatures of Habit released ''Where Have All The Years Gone?'' Squires has since left [https://instagram.com/the_creatures_of_habit?igshid=YTQwZjQ0NmI0OA%3D%3D The Creatures of Habit] and they have recruited a new drummer, Monzur Rahman.

==References== {{Reflist}}

== Further reading == * Jimmy Edwards interview with Stewart Home: {{cite web|url = https://www.stewarthomesociety.org/interviews/edwards.htm|title = It's an Uphill Climb to the Bottom|date = 2010|accessdate = 2015-07-12|website = |publisher = |last = Home|first = Stewart|authorlink = Stewart Home|type = blog}}

Category:English new wave musical groups