Stew Lane and The Untouchables
Harder Than Wax
© 2007 StewartMacFarlane (634479641084) (format: CD-R)
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Stew Lane and The Untouchables were pioneers in the New York, New Wave/No Wave scene of the 1979/82. They were possibly the first non black act to incorporate rap.
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Stew Lane (aka Stewart MacFarlane), was a seasoned rock and roller from Australian bands in Adelaide and Sydney before moving to Manhattan, aged 21 in 1975.
Lane was working as a sound engineer at A1 Sound Studio run by Atlantic Records founder, Herb Abramson, in 1979. He absorbed the wide variety of music coming through there; this included early hip-hop/ rap, punk, funk, R&B and gospel.
Inspired, Lane began to write and record his own music. Abramson was impressed enough to offer Lane a recording contract, but before that eventuated, Lane was signed to a label that released his album in France as Harder Than Wax.
This release propelled the formation of a full live band that would be ready to play the numerous venues in Manhattan: Hurrah, The Mudd Club, CBGB’S, Max’s Kansas City and many others, as well as cable TV appearances.
Enthusiastic audiences would include The Talking Heads, John Travolta, as well as on-stage appearances with Neon Leon and Johnny Thunders.
A second album was recorded and bought by an Italian label, but not released.
In total, the releases included: two independent New York singles: the French LP, Harder Than Wax: and a Canadian single, SuperKarma.
As the 80’s kicked in, the music saw the computer and over-production edge in and Lane edged out. New York changed along with the music scene.
Several members and contributors to Stew Lane and The Untouchables have continued to maintain a profile in the international music scene: Keyboard Player and producer, Fred Zarr played on Madonna’s first album, as well as completing several major production projects; Lisa Fischer, vocalist on two Stew Lane recordings, has sung with The Rolling Stones for several years; and Brian Hardgroove, bass player, currently plays with Public Enemy.
Stew Lane has been a professional artist (painter) for many years and still records.
His web site is: www.stewartmacfarlane.com