Painted Orange [Self-released cassette]

Description

The self-titled cassette-only album by the American synth-pop band Painted Orange was self-released on Spin Records in 1990. (There is also another, earlier, more electronic-heavy version of this cassette without the guitars provided by Craig Fain.) The album was produced and recorded by band member Otto M (a.k.a. Mark McCurdy) at ITTI Studios in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with Gary J. Parson II co-engineering. Written by Craig Fain and John Lovell (tracks A2, A4, and B3) and the band.

Painted Orange features Gary J. Parson II and Mark McCurdy on lead vocals (with McCurdy also providing keyboards), Kevin Schumacher on keyboards, and Craig Fain on guitar.

This is the second demo by Painted Orange, after 1989’s Educate. The band has taken the masters, cleaned them up, and released them to streaming sites. But it looks like they have called it Black and Orange, so as not to confuse this release with their 1991 self-titled debut on Star Song records. Even though several of those songs were taken directly from this demo («Shake Me», «Voyager», and «Standing Still»). This is apparently the second version of this demo. The first version didn’t have Craig’s guitar, as he wasn’t originally part of the band. But he returned to the band and they added his guitars to the original tracks and released this version. However, the songs had originally been written for his guitars when members of Painted Orange were in a previous band called Bristol Fashion. Anyways, their music is techno/ electronic music that was popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I remember liking their major label debut back in the day, and this demo has more of the same style. [Christian Tape Underground, September 4, 2026]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/black-and-orange/6792829968)

Cassette tracklist:

Side One
A1. “Voyager” – 4:55
A2. “Shake Me” – 4:53
A3. “Temptation” – 3:33
A4. “Standing Still” – 4:00
A5. “Piano Heaven” – 1:42
A6. “We Refuse” – 4:32

Side Two
B1. “Mothers Day” – 4:45
B2. “Twisted” – 4:37
B3. “Run To Your Love” – 4:24
B4. “Rumors” – 4:39
B5. “Invitation” – 4:47

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About the cassette demo.

There were actually 2 original cassette versions. One was on “Spin” records and it was the original. Then we went back into the studio and added Craig Fain on guitars which really spiced up the tracks. The only way to tell the two releases apart is that one will have a “Spin” logo and the other won’t .. and the fact you’ll hear Craig’s rippen 2 string “luck” guitar. 🙂

Rumors, Temptation and We Refuse were left off the Starsong release. To be honest Starsong didn’t know what to do with us. Mothers Day ALMOST made the cut. Nutshell, Starsong pressed our demo with the “Depressed Blue Orange” CD. Grrrrrr The fact we were able to record our demo on a 16 track.. well.. 15 because one track was dead .. recorder is an accomplishment in itself… [Otto M]

Once upon a time there were two bands. Painted Orange, which was Brad (forgot his last name), Gary Parsons, Kevin Schumacher, Mike Owens and a little visit from Sherri Shaw. The other band was Bristol Fashion which was me, Mark aka Otto, Craig Fain and John Lovell. Both bands were writing and recording around the same time period and in fact, I think we even did a few shows together in the Tulsa Area. Long story short (and a lot of stupid drama later) I ended up replacing Brad in Painted Orange. The PO guys liked the material I had written with Craig and John and I liked theirs. Since Craig and John had moved on with the Bristol Fashion name and new material, I kept using songs like Shake Me, Stay, You Walked, Colours, Invitation, We Refuse, etc with the PO guys. Shortly after that, we received the invite to Cornerstone and from there Starsong heard and signed us pretty much on the spot. At this point Starsong asked for everything we had ever recorded. We turned in the Educate Recordings (which you have seen in some of the conversations above) which were recorded by the original PO guys, and we turned in the Bristol Fashion Demo along with 2 or 3 new songs. Out of all the material handed in, Starsong chose and pressed the CD using Bristol Fashion’s songs. The only material on the CD that was not written by Bristol Fashion was Hands and Voyager which were new songs Gary, Mike, Kevin and I had written after I joined PO. So nutshell, Starsong wanted the Bristol Fashion Music but wanted the Painted Orange name. That’s why if you look at the credits on the CD you will see Craig Fain’s name all over it. We used to joke about it being the Greg Brady scenario (Brady Bunch), the episode where they signed “Johnny Bravo” because he “fit the suit”. Haha

Got this off the net. Somebody owning all 3 demo cassette tapes of P.O. before their Star Song releases.

1) Educate: a 6-song EP that sounds like a rip-off of Depeche Mode, and one song that sounds like an old Men Without Hats song. The songs are: Moon People, Testimony, How We Live, Mechanical Christian, Broken Things and Legend. Some of them are actually OK. It was made in 1989, and theband members are listed as: Gary Parson, Kevin Schumacher, Brad Becker, and Sheri S.

2) Painted Orange: Florescent orange version. This is the one they were selling at Cornerstone ’90, along with _Educate_ (until it sold out). The list is: Voyager, Shake Me, Temptation, Standing Still, Piano Heaven, We Refuse, Mothers Day, Twisted, Run To Your Love, Rumors, and Invitation.This is the best of them all. It fits together great. It was made in 1990, and the band members are listed as: Otto-M, Gary Parson II, Kevin Schumacher, and Mike Owens.

3) Painted Orange: Red-orange version. This is the tape that True Tunes sent me when I ordered more in the fall of ’90. The difference from the above version is that the cover is a more red-orange color, and the guitar parts are different on a few songs. I’m not sure which version I like better. The earlier version is a little more techo-sounding because of less guitar, I guess. These are the versions of the songs that were shoved on to the Star Song release. The date is still 1990, and the difference on the inside is that Mike Owens is no longer there, and Craig Fain is listed in his place. Some “thanks to” listings are different.

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“Run to You” Live at the Theater Gallery