All Through The Night (TWI 1240) | The Passengers
Les Disques du Crépuscule presents All Through the Night, the first of two of newly recorded 7-inch coloured vinyl singles by The Passengers, the late 1970s new wave group from Brussels who subsequently became cult Factory/Crépuscule band The Names.
In 1978, with the Brussels scene still in the grip of raw punk, The Passengers offered a fresh, pop-oriented sensibility, mingled with the darker accents of later post-punk. This was young music in every sense, with none of The Passengers older than 22, shaped more by American than British influences, notably the Velvet Underground, whose radical style was in turn echoed by late Seventies bands like Richard Hell and the Voidoids, Talking Heads and Television. The presence of Isabelle Hanrez on vocals also made comparisons with Blondie inescapable.
With their first gigs in the five-piece quickly became a local sensation, and in March 1978 won a battle of the bands known as the "First Belgian Punk Contest" - only to reject the prize (a one-off single deal) as a cynical commercial ploy. Instead, the band chose to tape All Through the Night for Brussels punk imprint Romantik Records, only for the label to fold before this came to pass.
The Passengers parted company soon after, with Michel Sordinia, Marc Deprez and Christophe Den Tandt becoming The Names on Factory Records, while Hanrez formed own pop-punk outfit, Isabelle et les Nic-Nacs. Four decades on, the original Passengers quintet decided to record and issue the singles denied a release at the time, recorded and played as if it were still 1978!
Cover portrait by Eric de Merkline. Design by Atomluft. Available on 7-inch red vinyl single (includes free digital copy on MP3). Vinyl is limited to 500 copies.
Tracklisting:
A1. All Through The Night
B1. New Life
All Through The Night is available to buy now via Les Disques du Crépuscule Mailorder.


Selected Discography
Albums
- In Mutation, Crépuscule, 2018
- German Nights, FBN, 2017
- Stranger Than You, FBN, 2015
- In Time, FBN, 2014
- Swimming, FBN, 2013 [limited edition 300 copies clear vinyl]
- Swimming, FBN, 2013
- Monsters Next Door, Str8line Records, 2008
- Spectators Of Life, LTM, 2001
- Swimming, Crépuscule, 1982
Singles
- The Astronaut, Crépuscule, 1982
- Calcutta/Postcards, FBN, 1982
- Nightshift, Factory Records, 1981
- Spectactors Of Life, Celluloid, 1980
- Spectactors Of Life, WEA, 1979
Video
- Nightshift (Live at Plan K 15/12/2007), LTM, 2008
- A Factory Night (Once Again), LTM, 2008
- Umbrellas In The Sun, A Crépuscule / Factory Benelux DVD 1979-1987, LTM, 2005
- A Factory Video, Factory/Ikon, 1982
Compilation appearances
- Ghosts of Christmas Past (Remake), Crépuscule, 2017/18
- Sans Pleur 1, Str8line, 2011
- Les Beaux Labels Volume 1, Les inRocKuptibles / Fnac, 2011
- Factory Records: Communications 1978-92, Warner Music UK, 2009
- Auteur Labels: Factory Benelux 1980-1985, LTM, 2008
- Auteur Labels: Crépuscule 1980-1985, LTM, 2008
- 100 Trésors Cachés, Fnac / Les Inrockuptibles, 2008
- B9 Bis, LTM, 2007
- The Fruit Of The Original Sin, LTM, 2007
- From Brussels With Love, LTM, 2007
- Zero, A Martin Hannett Story (1977-1991), Big Beat Records, 2006
- Bel 80, Universal Music (Belgium), 2005
- The Night Watch, LTM, 2001
- Little Darla Has A Treat For You (Vol. 15), Darla Records, 2000
- 98 New Wave Club Class-X Traxx!!!, Play It Again Sam [PIAS], 1996
- New Wave Club Class-X 4, Antler-Subway, 1992
- Wit-Lof From Belgium Vol. 4: 80's Part Two, PolyGram, 1990
- Crépuscule Collection 2, Crépuscule, 1986
- War Is Over, Base Records, 1983
- Ghosts Of Christmas Past (Remake), Tokyo Twilight, 1982
- Sulla Spiaggia, Ogni Ragazzo, Ogni Ragazza..., Base Record, 1982
- Some Of The Interesting Things You'll See On A Long-Distance Flight, Crépuscule, 1982
- Chantons Noël, Ghosts Of Christmas Past, Crépuscule, 1981
- The Fruit Of The Original Sin, Crépuscule, 1981
- From Brussels With Love, Crépuscule, 1980-86
The Passengers
- All Through the Night, Crépuscule, 2018, limited edition (500) red vinyl 7" single
- Queen of Weird, Crépuscule, 2018, limited edition (500) clear vinyl 7" single