China Crisis - Chart Success

Chart Success

The band was signed to Virgin Records and recorded their debut album, Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms Some People Think It's Fun To Entertain, which was released in December 1982. A re-release of "African & White" became China Crisis' first hit in the United Kingdom, reaching No. 45 in the UK Singles Chart. The follow-up single, "Christian", made UK No. 12 in early 1983 and brought them to national prominence. By this time, Reilly had left the band, but was still credited on the record sleeve as a guest on the single, along with new member Steve Levy playing oboe and saxophone. The album peaked at No. 21 in the UK Albums Chart. During this period the band toured supporting Simple Minds (as discussed in interviews on the DVD Live in Concert at the Paul McCartney Auditorium Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts).

Adding Gary "Gazza" Johnson (bass) and Kevin Wilkinson (drums) to the line-up, a second album, Working with Fire and Steel - Possible Pop Songs Volume Two, was released in November 1983. Tracks included the singles "Tragedy and Mystery" (released six months earlier) and "Hanna Hanna" as well as the title track, "Working With Fire & Steel", which became a hit single in Australia. The album was a Top 20 success in the UK, and China Crisis spent 1984 and 1985 making their biggest chart run, beginning with their only UK Top 10 hit single, "Wishful Thinking", which peaked at No. 9.

Their third album, Flaunt the Imperfection, was produced by Walter Becker of Steely Dan fame and reached No. 9 in the UK Albums Chart in May 1985. China Crisis was so honoured to directly work with Becker that they 'officially' listed him in the group as a quintet consisting of Daly, Lundon, Johnson, Wilkinson, and Becker on the album's credits. Walter Becker was living on Maui, Hawaii, when he was approached by Virgin to work on this project, and he had to leave his expecting partner Eleanor to assist. Walter never formally appeared with the band, and the subsequent tour featured new keyboard player Brian McNeill. Johnson was now credited as co-writer with Daly and Lundon.

The album was promoted by the No. 14 UK hit single "Black Man Ray", which also enjoyed critical acclaim and international success. The follow-up, "King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up)", was a Top 20 UK single at No. 19, but it would prove to be the band's last substantial hit. A third release from the album, "You Did Cut Me", stalled at UK No. 54. They simultaneously released a video compilation, Showbiz Absurd.

In 1986, the band collaborated with producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley (who worked with Madness) on What Price Paradise, which included "Arizona Sky", the album's first single release, and another Australian hit, "June Bride". All the band were now credited as songwriters. A second single from the album, "Best Kept Secret", made UK No. 36 in early 1987. It was to be the band's final Top 40 hit single.

The five-piece band worked with Becker once more on 1989's Diary of a Hollow Horse, which earned critical acclaim though little commercial success. It spawned the singles "St Saviour Square" and "Red Letter Day", both achieving the lower reaches of the UK Singles Chart. Becker produced of most of the album's tracks, but this time was not credited as an official band member.

The band's last studio album, Warped By Success, was released in 1994, following the band's parting of ways with the Virgin label. The album produced their final studio chart single, "Everyday The Same", which briefly edged into the UK Top 100. Although Johnson and Wilkinson both made small contributions, the band was now listed as comprising Daly, Lundon, producer Terry Adams and sound engineer Mark Phythian. In 1995 they released a live unplugged album and video entitled Acoustically Yours, which proved to be their recording swansong. This featured one last single, a live version of "Black Man Ray", and also saw a return for Johnson, Wilkinson and McNeill.

Since 1992, there have been four compilation albums of their work for the UK and US markets and three live DVDs. The first of these, entitled "Collection", made the Top 40 in the UK album charts in 1990.

On 17 July 1999, drummer Kevin Wilkinson committed suicide by hanging himself at the age of 41. Wilkinson had played with a wide variety of bands including The Waterboys, Fish, The Proclaimers, Squeeze and with Howard Jones. In 2000 Daly contributed a track to a tribute compilation to Wilkinson, Green Indians.