Happy Refugees
1981–1986: Formation and ''Last Chance Saloon''
### 1981–1986: Formation and *Last Chance Saloon*

After leaving [Stoke](/wiki/Stoke-on-Trent "Stoke-on-Trent")\-based group The Pits in 1980, Tim Shutt moved to London. In February 1981, he decided to rerecord two of The Pits' songs: "Hamburger Boy", and "Switch". Phil Bourne and Dave Robbins from The Colors Out of Time played guitar and bass for the session, Shutt's then\-housemate Kevin Rodgers filled in on drums, and an old bandmate of Shutt's, Paul Johnston, came along to help out. This recording was to be the beginning of Happy Refugees.

Shutt has since explained their choice of name: "I \[liked] the idea of us all being refugees from something. 'Happy' was added to the band name. \[Paul Johnston] was adamant that it should not have 'The' added. The name of the band was to be Happy Refugees."

The band was initially a four\-piece, made up of Shutt, Johnston, and Rodgers, with a friend from college, Paul Lamb, playing bass. Their first formal release as a group was the [double A\-sided single](/wiki/Double_A-side "Double A-side") *Warehouse Sound / Enshrined in a Memory* in 1982\. It was released on their own imprint, Gymnasium Records, and distributed by [Red Rhino](/wiki/Red_Rhino_Records "Red Rhino Records"), a member of [the Cartel](/wiki/The_Cartel_%28record_distributor%29 "The Cartel (record distributor)"). This first single was met with acclaim, albeit underground. Nick Flynn and [Paul Harvey](/wiki/Paul_Harvey_%28artist%29 "Paul Harvey (artist)") joined later that year on keyboard and guitar, and the band began to write material for their first [studio album](/wiki/Studio_album "Studio album"), *Last Chance Saloon*, as well as playing in clubs around London. *Last Chance Saloon* was recorded in a single day in May 1983 to save money, and was released in early 1984\.

Although the band split up weeks after recording the album, Shutt and Johnston carried on performing under the Happy Refugees moniker until 1986\. Rodgers and Flynn formed their own band with their friend Clive Williams, called The Hotel Complex, while Harvey moved to [Newcastle](/wiki/Newcastle_upon_Tyne "Newcastle upon Tyne") to join [Pauline Murray](/wiki/Pauline_Murray "Pauline Murray")'s band, and was later to join the reformed [Penetration](/wiki/Penetration_%28band%29 "Penetration (band)") in 2001\.Milner, Frank ed. *The Stuckists Punk Victorian*, p.74, National Museums Liverpool 2004\. 


What was recorded in a single day in May 1983 by Happy Refugees to save money?