Not surprisingly Miles Copeland (owner of Step Forward, Illegal, Depford Fun City record labels) had by default become the bands manager and he approached EMI with the possibility of a deal. How did this sit with Mark P who had lambasted the Clash for signing with CBS?

Mark P: On the one hand I wanted to stay independent but on the other, being an old rock fan, I sot of got a kick out of the idea. Sniffin' Glue: The Essential Punk Accessory

The band take up EMI's offer of free studio time and record tracks in Manchester square - How Much Longer, Life, Love Lies Limp. and You Bastard. They also don't have to ponder the rights and wrongs of an EMI deal. The label reject the demos but in a nice gesture give the band the masters.

Genesis P Orridge in his diary from the time (just after the demos) reflects that ATV were on a knife edge of becoming something genuinely dangerous and exciting. For him it was the 'strange uncontrolled parts' that hit the nerve of a band whose 'whole quality rests on its unselfconscious integrity.'

He then summed up ATVs future in a couple of sentences.

...do you agree to under as an honest outsider, a small but revered gem in a sea of shit, or do you pretend you can compromise and do a little of what THEY want hoping in the end to slip in a disguised version of what YOU want.

In those two lines Genesis encapsulates the difference between the two main poles of the band Mark P and Alex Fergusson. However one small point to note is that Genesis himself took the disguised 'pop' route himself with Psychic TV when he released the very commercial Godstar' featuring none other than Alex Fergusson on guitar!

For a time all was well as the band gig and write with Alex providing the music and Mark the lyrics. Tyrone Thomas joins on bass and Chris Bennett on drums and there's some sort of stability. The band are now rehearsing in Miles Copeland's office in Oxford Street across from The 100 Club.

In September the last Sniffin' Glue is issued complete with free Alternative TV flexi disk featuring 'Love Lies Limp'. Originally according to Genesis it was going to be 'Ho Much Longer' which would have been a nice way to finish the mag with the questioning and abrasive statement on Punk. It would however have typecast the band straight away with that songs obvious straightforward Punk delivery.

How much longer will people wear
Nazi armbands and dye their hair
Safety pins, spray their clothes
Talk about anarchy, fascism and boredom
You don't know nuthing but you don't really care.

'Limp' would definitely have wrong footed yer average Glue buyer.The mag sells over 10,000 copies and is a great introduction to the band.

However there's friction beginning. Mark P doesn't' want to play gigs.

Mark P: I wasn't gonna fuckin' take that circuit of the same stamping ground all them other drearysoundalikes take. Y'know, Red Cow, Vortex, Nashville. They are all sudden death and make ya sterile as shit. Zigzag 79 Dec 1977

The band did however manage a short tour of Scotland supporting Chelsea.

In the seventh month history of the Alex Fergusson ATV the band managed 20 gigs much to Alex's disgust.

I think eighteen gigs in six months is farcical. But we always disagreed on the venues.

They also disagreed on the approach.

Alex Fergusson: ...I just had to disagree with Mark's ideas dabbling in avant garde, discordant rhythms, Shakespearian theatrics, continually selling himself short. It is much less obvious and more sellable to combine all that with a real beat and listenable melodies, it makes the whole projection memorable. In taking all those risks, breaking down those 'rules', he is in fact playing it far too safe. I hate the elitist trap of playing to your friends or the so called clever ones.

Mark P: I saw us going to be just a nice band. Well I don't want to be cosy and have singalongs. I hate singing. All that lalalal (mimes a Roller) Zigzag 79 Dec 1977

And so the antagonism grew with Alex occasionally unplugging an unknowing Mark P and Mark P becoming increasing sick of Alex.

Mark P: He actually took my lead out once, in Edinburgh. I turned round after this great solo and found that noone had heard a thing... it used to be very hard to travel with him... it got to the point where I couldn't even talk to him. Sounds 9.12.78

Finally after playing Erics Club in Liverpool Mark P decides to leave the band. In the classic lets get rid of a member but not tell him, the band split and yet reform playing the Speakeasy less than two weeks later with Tyrone moved to Guitar and Denis Burns in on bass. Also added on second guitar was Kim Turner (later to become Police manager) who would appear on their records and stay until May 1978.