Gardening by Moonlight were a Duo formed in 1981 by Drummer/Percussionist, Singer/Songwriter, Musician/Composer and Co-Producer John (JJ) Johnson, A.K.A. John Johnson and JJ Johnson. formally of the Bands, Wayne County and The Electric Chairs, Mystere Five’s, The Flying Lizards, Skids, Low Noise=(Thomas Dolby) and others and Musician/Composer, Synth/Keyboard player, and Co-Producer Duncan Bridgeman,formerly of Shake Shake, I Level, Tribal Drift, and others, eventually forming the Duo 1 Giant Leap in 2001.

Prior to being part of these various name Bands through the 1970’s and early eighties the Duo met and began recording together around 1981 in a spontaneous, open and experimental way, inspired by many things from The Beatles, Early Roxy Music, British Punk and New Wave to the then emerging 80’s Electronica and Music, which produced an Album and three Singles.

In 1983 the first Single ‘Strange News,’ was released initially on the Imperial Recordings Label, which became Interdisc, followed by the Singles ‘Diction and Fiction’ and ‘Whistling In The Dark’ and The Album ‘Method in the Madness’ through Interdisc Records (an Island Records subsidiary).

Defying current musical genres of the time. It incorporated early Synth Electronica coupled with Real Drums Percussion and Vocals.

Re-release of "Method in the Madness" album

Now, on the 40th Anniversary of the Albums Original release the original recordings have been re-released by the GBMMEDIA label and are now Exclusively available on digital distribution platforms.

REVIEW | HELEN FITZGERALD | MELODY MAKER October 22, 1983.
GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT,
METHOD IN THE MADNESS

"Rich, pure and astonishingly subtle, Gardening by Moonlight's first album offers layer upon layer of magical invention. Crescendos of percussive symmetry form a backdrop for cleverly twisting atmospheric tangents that elevate GBM to the status of Thomas Leer and bands like Shriekback and The Cocteau Twins.

Astonishingly clever innovations and a more tongue-in- cheek rejection of the saturated neo-disco funk invasion forges a strong identity for GBM. John Johnson on drums and vocals is the musical dice man who traces the revolving, percussive patterns for Duncan Bridgeman’s pumping synth to decorate. A founder member of Wayne County and The Electric Chairs (I kid you not) and a veteran of The Flying lizards and the Skids, Johnson’s vocal talents have long been overlooked. "Diction and Fiction", a superbly orchestrated swinging sub-funk jigsaw, forms a tantalising matrix, with mysteriously understated vocals sweeping in and around the music.

Gardening by Moonlight succeed where other purveyors of a "new dance" mode fall short - they offer more than a simple re-juxtaposition of old tricks and much more than mere quality beat. Sculpting almost visual images in the air their only serious rivals at the art must be Swiss electronic eccentrics Yello, whose wackiness shadows their boldly innovative talent. But "Method in the Madness", a self-explanatory title, surpasses even Yello's convoluted progressions by combining the polarities of seriousness and fun. Elemental rhythms will give twitching bodies an ecstatic thrill...Camden Palace clones will drool to the beat, but GBM offer the more sedate audience enough intricate delicacy and intrigue to warrant hours of pleasurable discovery. The kaleidoscope Mardi Gras urgency of "Letters" and the warmly embracing fluidity of the title track owe much to Thomas Leer's pioneering developments with synthesiser combinations, but GBM successfully avoid plagiarism.

If any criticism must be levelled (and they're hard to fault), its target must be theiralmost over clever obsession with technique. the production (credit GBM) is wide and deep but seems in places to dally with intricacies rather than ambience.
But this album is more about overall feel than technique and falls not one inch short of creating a new in-road in intelligent dance-orientated music. GBM have made their point - it can be done."
HELEN FITZGERALD

METHOD IN THE MADNESS

Track listing and credits

GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT TRACKS TAKEN FROM THE LP METHOD IN THE MADNESS
& the Singles, STRANGE NEWS, DICTION AND FICTION, AND WHISTLING IN THE DARK.

ORIGINALLY RELEASED IN 1983 BY IMPERIAL/INTERDISC/ISLAND RECORDS.
Special Thanks to PAULA ADDAMS and CAROL WILSON.
© 1983 Warner Chappell/CBS Songs/Interdisc/Island Records/GBM

NOW IN 2022 RE-RELEASED by GBM MEDIA.

Written, performed and arranged by John Johnson and Duncan Bridgeman.
JOHN JOHNSON : Lyrics, Music, lead vocals, backing vocals, real drums, real percussion , trumpet, tape spin-ins, co-production.
DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN : Music, keyboards, synthesiser, programming, tape spin-ins, backing vocals, co-production

ALL TRACKS WRITTEN, PRODUCED, ARRANGED and PERFORMED by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT.
RECORDED AT THE CHAPEL and MOODY STUDIOS.
ALL ALBUM TRACKS MIXED by GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT and NIGEL WALKER at AIR STUDIOS, except
STRANGE NEWS MIXED at THE CHAPEL, (IS IT SAFE)= STRANGE VIEWS, and CHANCE Recorded and MIXED at MOODY STUDIOS by DUNCAN BRIDGEMAN and JOHN JOHNSON.

GARDENING BY MOONLIGHT are JJ and DB.

Special thanks to Christine Robertson @bluegenemedia for co-design, Website and Digital management and all round “wonderfulness”.

Special thanks to DAVE KITTO @ www.cliftonbankstudios.com for Audio Transfer.
And DALE LUNHAM-HARRISON for Tape Tracing and Retrieval.
METHOD IN THE MADNESS LP ARTWORK CREDITS.
Foreground Photography, RICHARD HAUGHTON.
Background Photography by TREVOR KEY.
Calligraphy by GEOFF HALPIN.
Design and Typography by PETER SAVILLE ASSOCIATES.

Special Thanks to PAULA ADDAMS and CAROL WILSON @ INTERDISC.
Original release: P & C 1983 INTERDISC / 249-251 Kensal Road, London W10 5DB.
Distributed by ISLAND.

STRANGE NEWS 12" and 7" SINGLE ARTWORK CREDITS.
Photography RICHARD HAUGHTON
Design WICKENS for PETER SAILLE ASSOCIATES.
Special Thanks to PAULA ADDAMS and CAROL WILSON @ INTERDISC.

Original Release : ℗ & © IMPERIAL RECORDINGS LTD/INTERDISC 1983.

DICTION AND FICTION 7" and 12" SINGLE ARTWORK CREDITS.
Photography RICHARD HAUGHTON.
Typography PETER SAVILLE ASSOCIATES.
Original Release : ℗ & © 1983 INTERDISC 1983.

WHISTLING IN THE DARK 7" SINGLE ARTWORK CREDITS.
Cover Design PETER SAVILLE ASSOCIATES.

GBMMEDIA 006 catalogue no.