1991 Chronology
Research by Karsten Roekens and Scott M, plus contributors…
JANUARY
Music press rumours that PiL are in the studio recording a new LP. According to 'insiders' the album may sound more similar to 'Happy?' than '9'. However, it will be later in the year before they begin to record a new album. It is possible the press are referring to the recording of the track 'Criminal' for the 'Point Break' soundtrack (see July 9).
JANUARY
'Interview' magazine - John Lydon interview.
JANUARY
Nippon Columbia in Japan release a 5 CD PiL box set (containing the albums: 'First Issue', 'Second Edition', 'Paris Au Printemps', 'Flowers of Romance' & 'Album'. A bonus CD single featuring 'Public Image' / 'Cowboy Song' is also included. This would be the first time the 'Cowboy Song' would appear on CD.
JANUARY - MARCH
Martin Atkins tours Europe and North America with Killing Joke.
FEBRUARY
A small self-published fanzine/book called 'Donde Estas Tu Public Image Ltd' by David Carballal is released in Spain.
SPRING
Jah Wobble joins Primal Scream at Jam Studios, London; contributing bass on their forthcoming 'Higher than the Sun' single.
SPRING ?
PiL are approached to play the first ever Lollapalooza tour; but turn it down due to forthcoming recording commitments.
APRIL 6
BSB, 'Suggs on Saturday' - Jah Wobble interview. Wobble along with Factory Records boss Tony Wilson, The Fall's Mark E Smith, and footballer George Best are guests on the last ever edition of the show. Tony Wilson remarks that the PiL gig at the Factory back in 1979 is still talked about in Manchester. Meanwhile Wobble hilariously freaks out George Best by saying: “I'm not gay, but I've slept with a few men who are…"
APRIL 17
Channel 4, 'The Best of the Word'. Includes a brief edit of John's 14th December 1990 appearance (minus the swearing!).
APRIL
'Guitarist' magazine - John McGeoch interview.
APRIL - MAY
Martin Atkins tours the US with Pigface. Shows are recorded for their live album 'Welcome to Mexico... Asshole'.
MAY 5
The Role Models play a one-off at the London, Camden Underworld. The band feature Keith Levene on guitar, Glen Matlock on bass, and Rat Scabies on drums. Later in the year they change their name to The Mavericks, former PiL drummer Jim Walker joins for a couple of months.
JUNE 15
The music press announce Martin Atkins will be joining Nine Inch Nails after he completes his present live commitments with Killing Joke.
JUNE 1 - 28
Martin Atkins absolves a final tour of the UK and Europe with Killing Joke and then quits. Several weeks later he also stops managing the group; which also splits up. The band members (excluding Jaz Coleman) then join Atkins in Chicago and form 'Murder Inc'.
EARLY JULY
Martin Atkins joins Nine Inch Nails in New Orleans for rehearsals, but doesn't play with them on the upcoming Lollapalooza tour. Trent Reznor: "He pulled out after discovering that he couldn't drum to a click."
JULY 9
The release of 'Point Break' soundtrack which includes a new PiL track 'Criminal' produced by James Barton (see compilation discography for full info). 'Criminal' was written especially for the movie, and would have been the title track, but for time restrictions. It is possible these are the recording sessions that the music press had mentioned back in January.
Allan Dias: "'Criminal' was written specifically for the movie. We went into the studio with a producer specifically to do that track, it was a one off thing. As I recall we were approached by someone from the movie, but I think we were in the middle of recording an album or something, possibly working on '9', and by the time we got the track done, it was too late to be considered for the title track, but they put it on there regardless... "
AUGUST
Martin Atkins at Chicago Trax Studios, playing drums on Chris Connelly's solo album 'Phenobarb Bambalam'.
AUGUST 15-21
Jah Wobble takes part in Peter Gabriel's 'Real World Week of Recording' in Corsham, UK.
AUGUST 24
'NME' - John Lydon interview. One of the few Lydon interviews published this year and frustratingly, the article does not mention future plans for PiL.
AUTUMN
PiL – the trio of Lydon, McGeoch and Dias – enter Eldorado Studios in Los Angeles with producer Dave Jerden to finally record a new album. Jerden has recently worked with the likes of Alice in Chains. Early reports are that the album will have a more 'guitar based' sound than the previous '9' album.
Ted Chau is invited to play guitar, however, he's too busy. Session musicians from the LA area are hired instead.
Around the same time John McGeoch guests on The Sugarcubes 'Stick Around For Joy' album (recorded at Summa Studios in LA).
SEPTEMBER
Martin Atkins with Murder Inc recording at Steve Albini's Pachyderm Studios in Cuyahoga Falls, Minnesota. The material is later released as an EP 'Corpuscule', and an eponymous album 'Murder Inc'.
EARLY OCTOBER - LATE DECEMBER
Martin Atkins tours the US with Pigface. At their show at Detroit, Todd's Bar 20th December 1991 they perform a live version of 'Flowers of Romance', complete with cello.
OCTOBER
Jah Wobble & the Invaders of the Heart release the 'Rising Above Bedlam'. The album is Wobble's first real commercial and critical breakthrough, and is later nominated for a Mercury Music Award in 1992.
OCTOBER 20
Radio 1, 'Saturday Sequence' - Jah Wobble interview.
NOVEMBER 15
ITV, 'James Whale Show' - Jah Wobble and the Invaders of the Heart perform 'Ungodly Kingdom' and 'Moroccan'.
NOVEMBER 23
ITV, 'Chart Show' broadcast the promo video for Jah Wobble's 'Erzulie' single.
DECEMBER 1
BBC Radio 1, 'Andy Kershaw Show' - Jah Wobble and the Invaders of the Heart session. The track 'Saeta' later turns up on the 'Ungodly Kingdom' CD single (see wobble discography for full info).
DECEMBER 9-22
Mike Joyce (ex-The Smiths) at Bill Laswell's Greenpoint Studios in New York, recording demos with Buzzcocks. He then leaves the group and returns to London, taking up the offer to become PiL's new drummer.
