After gigging around Edinburgh dressed in sharp monochrome suits they had purchased from Oxfam as a reaction to the 'dirty' look of punk, they recorded demos but found little interest from labels they had approached, possibly due to their reluctance to mix with industry types which saw them labelled as snobbish. This was probably not helped by Haig's refusal to communicate with audiences between songs, preferring to tape song introductions and play them over the P.A., which later evolved into recreated screwball comedy sketches with fellow member Ross.
They released 'Chance Meeting' in 1979 on the Absolute label, which was founded by Orange Juice drummer Steven Daly, who later formed the influential indie label Postcard Records and took Josef K with him.
'Radio Drill Time' took on a more chaotic pace, and was populated by awkward chords and a nasal vocal delivery from Haig. Support slots raised their profile until the release of the more melodic 'It's Kinda Funny' in 1980, and a debut album was recorded but scrapped at the final hour due to the band being unhappy with the production. 'Sorry For Laughing' was originally the title track to this lost album (now re-released), and after re-recording in Belgium, became their strongest single. Songs from the scrapped album were later given to the BBC and aired falsely as John Peel sessions.
The eventual debut album 'The Only Fun In Town' received a mixed reception (possibly due to the entire album being recorded within six days), and Josef K had split by 1982, with Ross being invited to join Orange Juice. A farewell single. 'The Missionary' was released, with other unreleased tracks cropping up on compilations. The band had boasted that they would release one album and then split up, and had remained true to their word.
Haig went on to Rhythm Of Life before going solo, and in 1987 a collection of Josef K Peel Sessions and unreleased studio tracks emerged under the title 'Young and Stupid'. A further compilation in 1990 became the definitive release, with the entire recorded output (and demos) released on two CD's by the Les Temps Moderne label. Ross made the charts with Orange Juice's 'Rip It Up' single before departing to join Aztec Camera, and also guested on albums by Blancmange and fellow Josef K member Paul Haig. Two solo albums by Ross also emerged in the late '90s.
It seems unlikely that Josef K will reform due to the directions that various members have taken since their dissolution in the early '80's, but their influence was felt immediately with the 'C86' generation showing a particular fondness. This included the June Brides who released the tribute 'Josef's Dead' following the announcement that the band had split.
IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU'LL LIKE JOSEF K: The Wedding Present, Orange Juice, Gang of Four, McCarthy, Hurrah!, Pere Ubu, Television, Big Flame, Belle & Sebastian, The Go-Betweens.