The leader of the pioneering experimentalist group
This Heat,
Charles Hayward began playing the drums at the age of 11. He later began messing around with home-taping, and joined Mal Dean's Amazing Band in the early '70s. After meeting guitarist
Charles Bullen, the two played in Radar Favourites and Dolphic Logic, while
Hayward also gigged with
Phil Manzanera, appearing with Manzanera's
Quiet Sun project and
Gong as well.
In 1976,
Hayward and
Bullen began practicing with bassist
Gareth Williams as
This Heat. Though each in the trio were superb musicians, they began to experiment with tape loops, found sounds and keyboards on several sessions (recorded from 1976 to 1978, but not released until 1982). Finally, in 1981,
This Heat released their self-titled debut album. Williams left just after its release, and 1981's
Deceit marked the final new album from
This Heat. While
Bullen began working as a studio engineer,
Hayward did sessions for Lora Logic,
the Raincoats and
Everything But the Girl before forming Camberwell Now with bassist Trefor Goronwy and tape manipulator Stephen Rickard. The trio released several albums through the Swiss Recommended label, but
Hayward began to pursue a solo career by the early '90s. Signed to Sub Rosa, he debuted with My Secret Alphabet in 1993. ~ John Bush