History Bradford hard rock band Excalibur was formed as a quartet as a school project by the 15-year olds as early as 1981. Back Before Dawn was a 1984 demo. With Mick Dodson on drums the band released The Bitter End EP through Conquest Records in 1985. This EP was remixed by Conquest without the band’s permission. The Bitter End was recorded in March 1985 by Paul McBride, Paul Solynskyj, Martin Hawthorn and Mick Dodson at Woodlands Studio, UK with engineer Neil Ferguson, who went on to produce Chumbawamba. Steve Blades bolstered the guitars in 1986 and Sykes joined the band in 1988. The band gigged at many clubs around England. The Hot For Love single attracted attention in 1988 as much for its music as for the cover picture of a girl's butt. It was a BBC Radio 1 Friday Rock Show recording and produced by Mott The Hoople drummer Dale Griffin who worked often at the BBC. The band had the opportunity to open for Saxon after its only full-length release, but split up after McBride left the band. A single from the LP was called Carole Ann nonetheless. The end came after a number of farewell shows in 1992. The act had also opened for Uriah Heep and Budgie.
The Bitter End was reissued on CD and LP through the No Remorse label on 24th September 2021. It included Back the Before Dawn demo and a previously unheard mix of The Bitter End.
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