Eye Needles

Described by Fripp as a “second wave dance band with the emphasis on spirit rather than competence”, The League Of Gentlemen formed in March 1980 and for seven months toured the clubs and colleges of Europe and the States. Fripp recruited keyboard player Barry Andrews (who had recently departed XTC and who had also played on Exposure, bassist Sarah Lee, and drummer Johnny Toobad, both of whom had been playing in a punk group called Baby And The Black Spots which Fripp had seen in concert.

Immediately before the recording of the album, Toobad was sacked and Kevin Wilkinson stepped in at short notice just as he had done in concert when Toobad went AWOL due to his problems with substance abuse. Here the band goes through another version of Eye Needle. Taken at a faster tempo Andrews' keyboard lines are slightly different as are some of Fripp's pointillistic fretboard runs. Blessed with a bristling energy it's also possible to see the genesis of Frame By Frame in this piece.