Bristol, England-based post-punk band
Maximum Joy were formed in 1979 by trumpeter and saxophonist Tony Wrafter -- following the breakup of his previous band
Glaxo Babies -- and vocalist and clarinetist Janine Rainforth. Bassist
Dan Catsis and drummer Charlie Llewellin, both of whom were also in
Glaxo Babies, eventually joined up, as did former
Pop Group guitarist
John Waddington. There were some lineup changes during the band's short existence, including the addition of a young
Nellee Hooper. Signed to the Y label,
Maximum Joy issued a trio of 12" and 7" singles, highlighted by "Stretch," prior to recording Station MXJY (1982), their lone album, with
Adrian Sherwood. Following the release of a
Dennis Bovell-produced cover of Timmy Thomas' "Why Can't We Live Together," the band split. The anthology Unlimited (1979-1983) was issued a couple decades later. Wrafter, Rainforth, and Llewellin reactivated the band to perform at Bristol's Simple Things Festival 2015. ~ Andy Kellman