Salem (UK)
Encyclopedia
Salem is a heavy rock
/metal
band
from Hull
, England
. The band (aka Salem UK) was formed following the split of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal
band Ethel The Frog
who featured on the Metal for Muthas
compilations
alongside the likes of Iron Maiden
, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Praying Mantis
and Samson
. Salem recorded three demos and a single in the early 1980s; a compilation album of these recordings was released in 2010. The band has re-formed, played the first gig in 27 years in November 2010 and recorded new music in 2011.
in Anlaby
, East Riding of Yorkshire
. After a period of song writing and rehearsal, Salem gigged regularly and built a solid following in the Hull area. They recorded their first demo
at Fairview Studios, Willerby
in January 1981.
With a revised line-up, Salem (II) released its double A-side
single
, "Cold As Steel"/"Reach To Eternity", recorded again at Fairview on 4 April 1982. Following the interview with guitarist
Paul Macnamara in the May 1982 Kerrang!
(No. 15), the single appeared in the 'local chart' section of the magazine and singles were sold globally. According to the NWOBHM Encyclopaedia, the single is now, "a highly collectable and valuable rarity", and is also listed in Record Collector
's "Rare Record Price Guide".
Salem (III) continued with a new drummer to perform in the North and North East of England and recorded another demo in September 1982, at Adda Studios in East Hull. Then as a result of their winning a Battle of bands
competition at Huddersfield Polytechnic
, Salem recorded the final demo at September Sound, Huddersfield, in March 1983.
Salem played their final gig
on 31 May 1983, when the members left to follow different projects.
Salem (III) reformed and played their first performance in 27 years in hometown Hull at The Adelphi on 20 November 2010, the story attracting interest in the press.
The band has produced a limited edition, 'pre-release' EP
featuring three new tracks, with the working title of "New Tricks", and is working towards a whole new album.
Salem is also playing further gigs, and is booked at festivals in Europe in 2012, including Up The Hammers, in Greece and Metal Forces Festival
in Germany.
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
/metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The band (aka Salem UK) was formed following the split of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal
New Wave of British Heavy Metal
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, in Britain, and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. The movement developed as a reaction in part to the decline of early heavy metal bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black...
band Ethel The Frog
Ethel the Frog (band)
Ethel the Frog was a heavy metal band formed in 1976 in Hull, England. They are notable for being a part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. The band's unusual name was taken from a Monty Python sketch about the "Piranha Brothers".-Career:...
who featured on the Metal for Muthas
Metal for Muthas
Metal For Muthas is the name given to a series of heavy metal compilations made during the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. The original compilation was Metal For Muthas , released in February 1980...
compilations
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
alongside the likes of Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Praying Mantis
Praying Mantis (band)
Praying Mantis are an English rock band. Although a part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene, they pursued a musical direction more melodic and AOR-sounding than their contemporaries.-Career:...
and Samson
Samson (band)
Samson was a British hard rock band formed in 1977 by guitarist and vocalist Paul Samson. They are best known for their first three albums with future Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson, then known as "Bruce Bruce", and drummer Thunderstick , who wore a leather mask and performed on stage in a...
. Salem recorded three demos and a single in the early 1980s; a compilation album of these recordings was released in 2010. The band has re-formed, played the first gig in 27 years in November 2010 and recorded new music in 2011.
1979 - 1983
Salem (I) was founded in late 1979 by two members of Ethel The Frog. The first band met up on 2 January 1980 in The Red Lion pubPublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in Anlaby
Anlaby
Anlaby is a village located just west of Kingston upon Hull, and is in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is bordered by Anlaby Common , Willerby, Kirk Ella and Hessle. It lies to the east of the B1232 road and on the B1231 road...
, East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
. After a period of song writing and rehearsal, Salem gigged regularly and built a solid following in the Hull area. They recorded their first demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
at Fairview Studios, Willerby
Willerby, East Riding of Yorkshire
Willerby is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England that is located about west of Kingston upon Hull city centre. According to the 2001 UK census, Willerby parish had a population of 8,056....
in January 1981.
With a revised line-up, Salem (II) released its double A-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Cold As Steel"/"Reach To Eternity", recorded again at Fairview on 4 April 1982. Following the interview with guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Paul Macnamara in the May 1982 Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
(No. 15), the single appeared in the 'local chart' section of the magazine and singles were sold globally. According to the NWOBHM Encyclopaedia, the single is now, "a highly collectable and valuable rarity", and is also listed in Record Collector
Record Collector
Record Collector is the United Kingdom's longest-running monthly music magazine. It distributes both within the UK and worldwide. It started in 1979.-The early years:...
's "Rare Record Price Guide".
Salem (III) continued with a new drummer to perform in the North and North East of England and recorded another demo in September 1982, at Adda Studios in East Hull. Then as a result of their winning a Battle of bands
Battle of Bands
Battle of Bauds was a battle fought in 962 in an area known as the Bauds, south of Findochty and West of Cullen, Scotland between Scotland under king Indulf, and Danish pirates. The Danes had been raiding and burning through Scotland, and had won numerous victorious skirmishes against the Scots,...
competition at Huddersfield Polytechnic
University of Huddersfield
The University of Huddersfield is a university located in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.- History :The University traces its roots back to a Science and Mechanic Institute founded in 1825...
, Salem recorded the final demo at September Sound, Huddersfield, in March 1983.
Salem played their final gig
Gig (musical performance)
Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...
on 31 May 1983, when the members left to follow different projects.
2009 - present
A double album compilation of the band's re-mastered recordings, entitled In The Beginning ... (Salem album), was released in June 2010.Salem (III) reformed and played their first performance in 27 years in hometown Hull at The Adelphi on 20 November 2010, the story attracting interest in the press.
The band has produced a limited edition, 'pre-release' EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
featuring three new tracks, with the working title of "New Tricks", and is working towards a whole new album.
Salem is also playing further gigs, and is booked at festivals in Europe in 2012, including Up The Hammers, in Greece and Metal Forces Festival
Metal Forces Festival
Metal Forces Festival is the name of an independent concert organization from the South-West of Germany. It is organizing and managing concerts since 2001...
in Germany.
Salem (I)
- Paul Tognola (vocals, guitar) – formerly of Ethel the Frog
- Paul Macnamara (lead guitar)
- Adrian Jenkinson (bass)
- Paul Conyers (drums) – formerly of Ethel the Frog
Salem (II)
- Simon Saxby (vocals)
- Paul Macnamara (guitar)
- Mark Allison (guitar)
- Adrian Jenkinson (bass)
- Paul Conyers (drums)
Salem (III)
- Simon Saxby (vocals)
- Paul Macnamara (guitar)
- Mark Allison (guitar)
- Adrian Jenkinson (bass)
- Paul Mendham (drums)
Discography
- Cold As Steel/Reach To Eternity (1982) Hilton Records
- Reach To Eternity appears on the NWOBHM Vol. 6 (1992) bootleg CD
- Reach To Eternity is also on the NWOBHM - Vinyl revenge I (2005) bootleg
- In The Beginning ... (Salem album) (double album) (2010), High Roller Records (vinyl), Pure Steel RecordsPure Steel RecordsPure Steel Records is a record label based on Germany, focused on heavy metal music. Pure Steel produces CDs and LPs.Founded by Kay Anders and Andreas Lorenz in 2006, the main interest of Pure Steel is to spread the true and independent heavy metal sound inspired by the glorious 80s...
(CD) - New Tricks" (2011) EP