January 18th 1980

Just Testing - Wishbone Ash's tenth studio album is released, including the single "Living Proof" as well as other highlights such as "Lifeline", "Insomnia" and "Master of Disguise". The album spends four weeks on the UK chart, peaking at number 41. On the same day as Just Testing was released, Wishbone Ash commence a 30 date UK/Eire tour, commemorating the band's 10th anniversary.

 

March/April 1980
Tenth anniversary tour continues throughout Europe.

 

May 1980
Twelve date UK tour.

 

June-September 1980
Various UK and European festivals

 

July/August 1980
Live recordings for a new live album are mixed at Wembley Music Centre, chiefly by Martin Turner.

 

September 20th 1980
Wishbone Ash Mk.2 makes its final live appearance at the Colmar Festival, France. 

 

October 1980
Founder member Martin Turner parts company with Wishbone Ash when the other members of the band announce to him their intentions of recruiting a lead singer/front person in a bid for the hit single success which had previously eluded the band. Feeling unable to go along with the majority decision and relinquish his lead vocalist duties, Martin Turner reluctantly stands down from his position in the band to pursue a career in record production but continues writing and recording new material. The band continues with a series of bassists - John Wetton, Trevor Bolder and Andy Pyle.

 

October 16th 1980
Wishbone Ash begin rehearsing with new bassist John Wetton - formerly of King Crimson, Roxy Music, UK, Uriah Heep, Family, Mogul Thrash.

 

October 20th 1980
Live Dates Volume II album released, featuring live recordings of the Mk.2 line-up of the band spanning the period 1976-80. The first 25,000 copies of the album contain a free bonus live disc, while subsequent copies revert to a single disc.

 

May 1982
MCA UK issue The Best of Wishbone Ash, featuring a selection of tracks from the classic decade 1970-80.

 

January 1987
The four original members of Wishbone Ash - Martin Turner, Steve Upton, Andy Powell and Ted Turner - are approached by former manager Miles Copeland, who offers the band the opportunity to reform to record an instrumental album for IRS' upcoming No Speak series. The four musicians accept Copeland's proposition. Meanwhile, the existing Wishbone Ash undertakes tours of Europe and the USA.

 

May 11th 1987
Martin Turner, Steve Upton and Andy Powell begin writing and recording together for the first time since 1980, at Martin Turner's London studio. Ted Turner - who was living in Los Angeles and in the process of moving to Chicago - has yet to become involved in the reunion project at this stage.

 

May 24th 1987
Wishbone Ash (Crompton/Pyle line-up) makes a live appearance at Sun City in South Africa. The band has been advised that they would be playing to a 50/50 multi-racial audience, but the reality is not as expected. The band return to the UK and write to the United Nations expressing their regret at playing Sun City, and stating their support of the anti-apartheid cause.

 

July 1987
Work on the reunion album continues. Martin Turner and William Orbit co-produce the sessions at Beethoven and Guerilla Studios, London. Ted Turner begins recording with the band for the first time since 1973.

 

December 1987
Nouveau Calls - the first album release by the original Wishbone Ash in fourteen years - is released through the IRS label. The album delights fans world wide and features many influences which had not been heard in Wishbone Ash's music for several years - Martin Turner's strident bass work, Ted Turner's lap steel guitar, and Andy Powell's folky guitar melodies. These classic influences merge successfully with 1980's technology on classic tracks such as "Real Guitars Have Wings" and "In the Skin". The original band members agree to tour together in 1988.

 

February/March 1988
The original Wishbone Ash perform onstage for the first time since February 1974, playing the first concert of their reunion at Folkestone Leas Cliffe Hall on February 27th 1988. Due to a late arrival from Chicago due to immigration problems, Ted Turner misses the tour rehearsals and, as a result, the first few shows see Jamie Crompton performing with the band for the first part of the show, with Ted brought on mid-set.

 

July-October 1988
Following the positive experience of recording Nouveau Calls, the reformed band record a second, song-orientated, album for IRS. Martin Turner and Adam Fuest co-produce the sessions at Beethoven, The Beat Factory and Air Studios, London.

 

November 1988
As an extention of the No Speak project, Andy Powell and Ted Turner tour the UK as part of the Night of the Guitar tour - a Miles Copeland concept featuring nine respected guitarist performing individually, together and in various combinations during a three hour show. The event is captured on an IRS album and video release - the audio of which is produced by Martin Turner.

 

January 1989
Martin Turner remixes Argus for future CD release.

 

May 1989
Andy Powell and Ted Turner tour Europe with the Night of the Guitar.

 

July 1989
Wishbone Ash undertakes a tour of the USA as well as dates in Brazil.

 

August 1989
Wishbone Ash's fifteenth studio album Here to Hear is released featuring future stage favourites "Why Don't We", "Cosmic Jazz" and "Keeper of the Light".

 

September-December 1989
UK and European tours. A live concert is filmed at Bristol Colston Hall on September 26th for Central Television's Bedrock programme. The show is later released on video and DVD.