'We recorded it in a kitchen!' How China Crisis made Black Man Ray

Gary Daly and Ed had just finished a long tour supporting Simple Minds and needed a break. Gary immersed himself in music with a synth, drum machine and a four-track Tascam Portastudio, inspired by Brian Eno’s idea of “found sounds.” Black Man Ray began as an ambient piece whose intro used a boy Gary recorded singing in the street below; that voice later appears in the opening bars of The Highest High.

The song kept the classic China Crisis synth sound, but producer Walter Becker shaped it heavily while working on the album Flaunt the Imperfection. Virgin Records were eager for a follow-up to the success of Wishful Thinking, and the band recorded Black Man Ray at Parkgate Studio in Sussex — famously in the kitchen, where Gary remembers Walter toasting sesame seeds in a pan.

Melody has always been central to their songs, with keyboards trilling on tracks such as Wishful Thinking, Red Sails and Papua even before the vocals begin.

china crisis, blackmanray, gary daly, walter becker, flaunt imperfection, wishful thinking, parkgate studio, tascam portastudio, brian eno, simple minds