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On this day, 25 May 1980, prog-rockers Wishbone Ash played Cardiff’s Top Rank, with support provided by The Trend.
The band had spent six months making the album, Just Testing which was released in February 1980.
Pressured by MCA to make more commercial music, Andy Powell, Laurie Wisefield and Steve Upton expressed to bassist/vocalist Martin Turner that they planned to recruit a lead singer / frontman, thus restricting Martin Turner's duties to bass guitar only.
Just Testing cover
Turner felt unable to support such plans and described the position he was being put in as "untenable".
Following a band meeting at his house, Martin Turner parted company with the band. Ironically, the band never recruited the proposed frontman and Turner, in his 2012 autobiography, described the situation as "constructive dismissal".
Martin Turner
However this was not a view held by the rest of the remaining band members or the then management.
Just Testing was the tenth studio album by the British rock band Wishbone Ash.
Recorded primarily at Surrey Sound Studios in England, it was the last to feature the original lead vocalist and bass guitarist Martin Turner until the release of Nouveau Calls (1987).
The track "Helpless" is only the second cover version released by the band on a studio album, the previous one being "Vas Dis" on Pilgrimage.
The album reached number 43 in the UK Albums Chart.
Setlist
Doctor
Lady Whiskey
Helpless
I Need People
The Pilgrim
Lookin' for a Reason
Runaway
Living Proof
The King Will Come
Phoenix
Blowin' Free
Jail Bait
Encore:
Bad Weather Blues
Too Much Monkey Business
(Chuck Berry cover)
