Hohokam MARK III (1986 - 1987) DON'T YOU KNOW? Released July 1986
COMMENTARY AND RATING	CREDITS AND INFORMATION	SONG LYRICS

CLICK THE HIGHLIGHTED SONGS TO HEAR A SAMPLE
NU 18 7 inch vinyl 45 r.p.m. NUM 18 12 inch vinyl 45 r.p.m. NUM 18 WLP 12 inch vinyl 45 r.p.m., White Label Promo (one-sided, A track only) Numa Records, 1986	NUMA 1006, 12 Vinyl 331/3 r.p.m. Numa Records, 1986 To read the lyrics of this album and hear other song samples, click HEAR.
A 5:22 Don't You Know [Extended Mix] B 3:09 Envy Your Innocence	SIDE A 1. Seven Sins 3:02 2. I Catch A Tear 4:31 3. Don't You Know 3:28 4. Gypsy 3:35 5. In Your Eyes 3:58 SIDE B 6. Broken Days 3:55 7. To Sleep (Remix) 4:50 8. Harlequin Tears (Remix) 3:54 9. Envy Your Innocence 3:05 10. Point Of View 3:10
all tracks written by Alum / Devier / Earl Produced by Gary Numan and Ade Orange Steve Devier, Vocals and Keyboards Tessa Niles, Backing Vocals Gary Numan, Backing Vocals (Track A only) Ade Orange, Backing Vocals (Track A only) Dave Earl, Guitar and Keyboards Tony Alum, Keyboards and Drums Ade Orange, Piano (Track B only) and Sampling Keyboards Andy ["King" Reilly], Additional Drums Engineered by Tim Summerhayes Recorded at Rock City Studios, Shepperton, Middlesex, England Marketed and Distributed by Precision Records & Tapes Ltd.	all tracks written by Alum / Devier / Earl Produced by Gary Numan and Ade Orange Steve Devier, Vocals and Keyboards* Backing Vocals Tessa Niles, Gary Numan, Ade Orange Dave Earl, Guitar and Keyboards Tony Alum, Keyboards Andy Reilly, Drums Ade Orange, Additional Piano and Sampling Keyboards Engineered and Mixed by Tim Summerhayes Additional Engineering by Andy Reilly Recorded at Rock City Studios, Shepperton, Middlesex, England * new vocals by Skip (Graham Collins); additional backing vocals by Keeley Coburn and Melanie Redmond

Ratings (1-5)
A	2
B	3
overall	5 / 10

Comments LAST UPDATED ON 29 OCTOBER 2004

The sleeve for the 12" version of "Don't You Know" invited fans to send a large, self-addressed stamped envelope to 6 Overhill Gardens, Patcham, Brighton, BN1 8ND, for a special Hohokam Newsletter. The proper title of this newsletter was Heartbeat (edited by the club organizers Nick Linazasoro and Paul Warwick). Only two very newsy and informative issues were published before Hohokam disbanded altogether. However, the preparation for a proper fan club further illustrates the hope that Hohokam and Numa invested in the release of this single (scheduled to coincide with the debut of the Seven Deadly Sins album).

Also available as a special one-sided 12" promo version, "Don't You Know" enlisted backing vocals by Tessa Niles, Ade Orange, and Gary Numan, which was a significantly built-in star appeal for fans who may have been undecided about a relatively new act. But, unfortunately, "Don't You Know" was to be Hohokam's final release. Feeling pressure to produce a commercial hit for the Numa label, Hohokam seemed to have gone far afield of its signature lyrical ingenuity this time in favor of a more mainstream pop song; the result is a somewhat cloying tune about ambivalent heartache. Consequently, "Don't You Know" was much softer, intentionally eschewing the hard-edged synth sound of the previous releases. The selection of this third single had, in fact, come down to a choice between "Don't You Know" and another of the forthcoming album's ten tracks, "In Your Eyes," Dave Earl's only solo lyrical contribution to Hohokam. "Don't You Know" narrowly edged out Earl's song for commercial appeal, even though the lyrics of "In Your Eyes," filled with libidinally charged descriptions of a woman whom Earl had espied at a club, were no more or less mainstream than the chosen track's lyrics about love's labours lost on a bed of pride.

Unfortunately, the critics' responses to "Don't You Know" were anything but love letters. For example, the short-lived Japanese media magazine, Techii, in its February 1987 issue, referred to the song's musical sound as a combination of Dead Or Alive's Sex Beat and Depeche Mode, with vocals unremarkably similar to Roland Orzabal's vocals in Tears For Fears. Nevertheless, on stage "Don't You Know" commanded great excitement from audiences and was performed with a much edgier vibe, due in large measure to Ade Orange's powerful guitar playing. The B-side of NUM 18, "Envy Your Innocence," adds further evidence that the group was attempting to cross over from an industrial sound into a more conventionally orchestrated pop style (that would soon be supplanted by the era of boy bands). However, "Envy Your Innocence" is not nearly as lyrically false as "Don't You Know." Rather, Devier sings wistfully and very convincingly about plumbing the depths of a jaded conscience in order to reclaim lost innocence--poignant for its irony in light of the fact that these were to be Devier's final days in the band. Musically, the tune's faint undertones of Caribbean percussion "Ade-d" by jazz piano recall the sounds of Haircut 100 at its peak--perhaps not altogether forward-looking for a 1986 song, but a competent one nonetheless, and one of the better b-side tracks on the Numa label. "Envy Your Innocence" was also slated for inclusion on the album that was to coincide with the release of this single.

However, contrary to expectations, Hohokam not only soon after dissolved ties to Numa Records and Gary Numan but disbanded altogether. The dissolution began with Steve Devier's removal, a decision made by his colleagues and shared with Numa management in advance. As with George Kamm's removal, Devier's dismissal resulted in a schism of friendship. (When asked in a 1986 interview, whether he would ever perform again with Hohokam, Devier's prompt reply was, "No. I wouldn't work with Hohokam, not again.") Alum and Earl in turn quickly selected another vocalist from the back pages of Melody Maker, Skip (Graham Collins) formerly of the punk band Split Screens, which a few years earlier had released two indie punk songs, "Know What I Want" and "Just Don't Try". The scope and number of the group also were enlarged: Andy King now permanently occupied the position of drummer; and, in one of their earliest appearances, backing vocalists Keeley Coburn and Melanie Redmond joined them, adding harmonies and a bit of fashionable flash à la Patrick Nagel to the live performances. Coburn and Redmond had, in fact, been auditioned much earlier for inclusion on the original recording of "Don't You Know" and Seven Deadly Sins, but Devier, Earl and Alum could not reach a consensus about whether to use them. When it was agreed that the album was to be re-recorded, they were once again contacted and invited to perform backing vocals. Regrettably, despite efforts to reinvigorate the album with new voices, Seven Deadly Sins was permanently shelved--a sad casualty of circumstances. Without an album or further singles to manage, Numa Records was abandoned. (In some reports of the events, Numa Records dropped Hohokam from its roster.) The band went on, however, to offer live performances and to promote itself and the re-recorded album's repertoire of songs. They were sometimes joined on stage by Ade Orange, whose band Hoorah Boys! Hoorah! often performed at the same venues. Later in 1987, Hohokam unceremoniously gave one final show at The Flag in North Wembley. Soon afterwards, Hohokam disbanded and reinvented itself as a group by the name of Who's Julie? but did not record or publish any of its songs. Speculation of all sorts continues among the Numanoid clan as to what exactly transpired between Numan and Hohokam, and equal curiosity persists as to the unpublished album, which contains six additional tracks not previously released on the singles, and two that have been remixed with new vocals by Devier before the entire album was revamped with Skip as lead vocalist.

ANDY KING

Drums

KEELEY COBURN

Backing Vocals

SKIP

Lead Vocals

MELANIE REDMOND

Backing Vocals

Where did they go afterward? It's widely known that Ade Orange became one of the key musicians of Gary Numan's band, but not before pursuing his own musical projects, one of which involved Chris Payne and Cedric Sharpley, themselves former Gary Numan musicians and ex-Dramatis members. The whereabouts of George "Kamm" Grimes and the fate of his group, Badlands, continue to be a mystery at this juncture. As mentioned earlier, Tony Alum, Dave Earl and Skip stayed together for a few years afterward as Who's Julie? Even after the three disbanded, Alum continued to play drums in an exploration of progressive house music and eventually teamed up with club DJ and producer Steve Andrews to form the band Aquilia; beforehand, he augmented his musical career with work as an Artists and Repertoire man for various labels, including a long-term tenure with E.M.I. As a devout fan of Morrissey and The Smiths, you might encounter him in some of the on-line forums. Hohokam's guitarist Dave Earl is remembered by one Numanoid as visiting his CD shop in 2000 and enquiring as to whether Numa Records: Year One was available on compact disc. (Sadly, it is not.) He presently is married and lives in Brighton, Sussex, but he appears not to have pursued a musical career after Who's Julie? Steve Devier joined Peter Steer (formerly of Tenek) in 1986 to form the group Bonbooshe but left it in 1987; Bonbooshe went on to support Numan during his Isolate Tour in 1992 but without Devier, who is now a police officer in the U.K. Andy "King" Reilly has since moved to Atlanta, Georgia and continues to offer his services as an audio engineer and mixer. (Details of his work as well as a list of artists who have benefited from his services can be found on his website, andyreillyproductions.com.) More information about Skip is currently in the pipe. However, after Who's Julie? he performed in a successful David Bowie tribute band, Zkippy Stardust, for years. He now resides in Italy, where he owns a boat-construction company and is reviving his musical career at present with more live performances. Backing vocalists Keeley Coburn and Melanie Redmond moved on to prosperous careers touring with Duran Duran, Dolly Parton, Sting, Bob Geldof and Bill Wyman. In 2003, Melanie Redmond became part of a very successful pop quartet of over-forty women, a Chiswick based group calling itself Fortyfied, created and produced by Keith Chegwin's twin brother, Jeff Chegwin.

Stay tuned for more details as the story of Hohokam expands.

My sincere thanks Tony "Alum" Edwards for graciously consenting to assist me with the information on this page; and to Andy Reilly, whose valuable input continues to add fascinating scholarship and greater accuracy to the site. Also, my heartfelt gratitude again goes out to Peter Steer, who has generously volunteered so much to help me make Hohokam come alive in images, song lyrics, and a wealth of biographical detail. Anyone else who would like to contribute additional information or photos of Hohokam can reach me at Karl.Sherlock@gcccd.net. I will gladly acknowledge your input on this page.

© Karl Sherlock 2004

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LYRICS

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DON'T YOU KNOW

LYRICS WRITTEN BY TONY ALUM, STEVE DEVIER AND DAVE EARL

I never kept you in my mind.

I never kept you in my thoughts, now.

The only reason that you could find

was just the shadows we left behind. So,

you couldn't hurt me when you tried.

You couldn't hurt me now that I've gone.

And there's a feeling that you can't hide,

the kind of feeling I thought had died. But . . .

Chorus:

Don't you know that

I never hurt you?

Don't you know that

I never cared?

[repeat]

I couldn't leave them where they hide.

I couldn't leave them where they ran to.

But there's a silence that I don't mind,

who saw the darkness of the tears you cried. So,

I left them broken deep inside.

I left them broken on their pride. Now,

we'll leave the memories where they died.

Amongst the ruins of the fools who tried. So . . .

Chorus:

Don't you know that

I never hurt you?

Don't you know that

I never cared?

[repeat]

I never kept you in my mind.

I never kept you in my thoughts, now.

The only reason that you could find

Were just the shadows we left behind. So . . .

Chorus:

Don't you know that

I never hurt you?

Don't you know that

I never could?

[repeat]

"Well, everything's fine so far." *

*voice of Ed Bishop as Captain Blue, from the 1953 cult television program, Captain Scarlett (which featured a cast of marionettes)

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ENVY YOUR INNOCENCE

LYRICS WRITTEN BY TONY ALUM

Confident it's not worth fighting,

colder than the sea below--

and still the water looks inviting.

Who'd have thought I'd sink this low?

Comforting, the silence brings me

closer to the edge; it brings

longing for a taste of something,

tired of these childish things.

Chorus:

Envy your innocence,

empty and blind.

Envy your innocence

time after time.

Whispering, I'm sorry. Maybe

I was not prepared for this, but

temptation still pulled me in, you see.

Wine and laughter never saved me

conversation's awkward kiss.

Watching na ïve fools begin, you see.

Chorus:

Envy your innocence,

empty and blind.

Envy your innocence

time after time.

[repeat]

Sometimes it smothers me.

God knows, it's still.

These days it bothers me.

Nothing here but time to kill.

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