A fascinating chance for completists to look at second generation Ayers. 'Lady' Rachel Ayers has teamed up with ex-Dream Academy keyboardist Gilbert Gabriel and guitarist Tim Broughton as the Colour of Love and released a first single. There's a 12" promo version around as well with a different label but the planned 7" version doesn't seem to have materialised around here. By the time you read this, the second single 'England's Dreaming' (NEG59 - all formats) will be around too - it samples William Blake's 'Jerusalem'.

I'm sure I caught some information on Radio One in the car that Colour of Love were having some impact in the Dance Charts and maybe someone can confirm that. It would be entirely wrong to attempt to review the record as though we should expect some influence of the Elder Ayers. Progress turns up a blind alley when children merely perpetuate the songs of their parents - not a gloriously open road but a flight of dark steps down to a cellar full of chicken'n'chips and a fat comedian. Let's face it, what's the point of Wilson Phillips?

Living Love is a swirling, diaphanous techno-dance record that grooves through its four different mixes with a quality of rhythm and production that can be respected, and should be respected on its own merits, across the generations. I hope the band does get some gigs together soon and gives us all an opportunity to watch. If you like the Orb, Ultramarine and Steve Hillage's System 7, get raving.....

MW

The Colour of Love was born in a drinking establishment in Crouch End in the spring of 1991. Gilbert Gabriel and Tim Broughton had been searching for a singer to bring their musical project to life for over a year.

They were introduced to Rachel Eleanor Ayers through a musical colleague. They invited Rachel to a rehearsal at their house. Unfortunately she couldn't find the house, never made the first rehearsal and the project nearly didn't achieve lift-off at all.

The first gig was to be at Tim's old school in Cheltenham, the same one frequented by Brian Jones incidentally. The group rehearsed and were ready to go.

Rachel went missing. They didn't play the gig and the group promptly broke up.

Until three weeks later... when they found themselves by accident at the same party-cum-rave. Realising that they did have a lot in common, they reunited.

Six months later. They are still together.

The first songs recorded have been self-produced with a little help along the way from Alan Moulder and Dave Ford. Alan has just finished records with The Jesus and Mary Chain, Ride, Shakespeare's Sister and Curve. Dave has just finished mixing "It's a Fine Day" by Opus B. The first release is a track called "Living Love", (out May 25th) the second their very own Sundays-like statement "England's Dreaming".

The Colour of Love are a real group and will be playing real gigs in June. The rhythm section has thus far consisted of Monti (Curve), Frank Tontoh (Aztec Camera) and Clare (Shakespeare's Sister) and it's final shape is now being formed. Another guest on the first record is Jarret Cordes, better known as one half of PM Dawn. By the kind permission of Gee St and Island, Jarret has put his unmistakable shape on "Living Love".

Who are The Colour of Love?

Their singer is Kevin Ayers' daughter. Kevin was, of course one of the original members of The Soft Machine. Along with the Pink Floyd they were the most innovative and influential of all the English experimental groups in the 60s. The Colour of Love, with their interest in dance, drama, visual reality and inter-active technology echo some of those two earlier groups' concern with multi and mixed media events. Watch this space for future developments.

Rachel was born in London. Her early memories include singing at one of her father's gigs, playing the tambourine with Gong, dwelling for 4 years in Tangier (Morocco) with her father and living in Mallorca and California with her artist mother Cyrille. Vocally, her heroines speak to the heart. She takes Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan as inspiration.

Gilbert Gabriel and Tim Broughton are the musical core of the group. Masters of all kinds of modern technology, keyboards and fretboards, machines and wires moving in cyberspace, controlled at the behest of The Colour of Love vision. It is English music with cosmopolitan blood running through it's veins.

To give you an example they have been asked to write the music for the very first English made Spaghetti Western. It's called "The Ballad of Kid Devine" and Michael Elphick (who plays TV's 'Boon') takes the lead role in it. The company making it, called Fortuna, have already started shooting it. It is one of the very few films being made by a UK company this year.

The Crouch End scene has been growing for some time now, unsung and unnoticed. The Colour of Love are it's finest exponents. They are ready to thrill you.

May 1992.

Postscript: WAS announced in issue 3 (June 1993) that the Colour Of Love had split. Their only recorded legacy was the two singles 'Living Love' and 'England's Dreaming', both available at the time in both vinyl and CD formats on the Blanco Y Negro label through WEA. Rachel Ayers was reported to be signing as a solo artist with Kevin's then manager Dave Vatch but nothing has been heard since.