45 REVOLUTIONS

Warm Jets

2009-08-02T17:54:00.004+02:00

1- STICKY JACK (T. Ballance / M. Hrybowicz)
2- SHELL SHOCK (P. Jeffreys / M. Reame-James)
01/79- Bridge House Rec. BHS-1 ps - 7”
Note: some copies with small printed stickers on the labels switching A and B sides; Hrybowicz mis-spelled Hrybowitz on the A-side’s label.

East London band formed in 1977 by two ex-
Cockney Rebel, ex-Be Bop DeLuxe and ex-
Chartreuse (see listing) – Milton Reame-James
(k) and Paul Jeffreys (aka Paul Avron-Jeffreys, b)
– along with Paul Ballance (v, ex-Dogwatch),
Maciek 'Magic' Hrybowicz (k/gtr) and Dave
Cairns (d, ex-Arms and Legs). Warm Jets’ first
vinyl output was to emerge on October 6, 1978,
with the music press announcing the release of
a four-track EP entitled WARM JETS COME
ALIVE on the Bridge House label, the independent
record company related to the Canning
Town pub of the same name. The 7” was delayed
and eventually hit the market on January 8,
1979, as a two tracker, with Milton Reame-
James and Colin Barton as producers. The Aside
is a strong tune in an early Sparks vein and
the flip is loosely reminiscent of the music that
Wall Of Voodoo would play in the early ’80s.
Mixed reviews were followed by a rather poor
commercial response.

1- BIG CITY BOYS (T. Ballance / M. Hrybowicz)
2- MR. NATURAL (T. Ballance / M. Hrybowicz)
11/79- RSO Rec. RSO-48 ps - 7”
Note: Ballance mis-spelled Balance on both labels; demo/promo copies exist.

A major deal was negotiated in spring 1979,
after a long UK tour in February and March. A
deal with Robert Stigwood’s RSO Records was
signed late in the summer and a 7” was issued
on November 9 (seven days behind schedule)
with Liam Sternberg, well-known for his work
with Akron exports Rachel Sweet and Jane Aire,
taking production duties. The A-side is an infectious
Powerpop song with football-like singalong
chorus. It could have been a hit, but undeservedly
flopped. The slower flip is solidly performed
but lacks a memorable tune. Warm Jets
split a few weeks after its release: Milton Reame-
James joined The Buzzards/Leyton Buzzards
(see listings) and subsequently played with
Modern Romance and Banana Rebel. Paul
Jeffreys would die in the 1988 Lockerbie plane
crash. Note: an unrecorded band of the same
name were active in Scotland in 1977 and featured
Hillary Morrison (v, later of Dirty
Reds/The Flowers) and Davey Henderson
(gtr/v, later of Dirty Reds/Fire Engines).

**

Civilians - Made For Television

2008-12-10T15:58:00.003+01:00

1- MADE FOR TELEVISION
(M. French / P. Simon / T. Herion / M. Scholfield)
2- I SEE MY FRIENDS
(M. French / P. Simon / T. Herion / M. Scholfield)
11/79- Arista Rec. ARIST-318 co.sl. - 7”
***1/2

This very rare single was recorded in late
summer 1979 and appeared in November on
the Arista label: without any promotion, it
sank miserably. On the strength of the two
songs, however, the 7” is recommended to
Powerpop collectors: MADE FOR TELEVISION
and I SEE MY FRIENDS are catchy
tunes, crisply produced by Andy Arthurs and
solidly performed by a four-piece London
band consisting of Trevor Herion (v), Michael
French (b), Mark Scholfield (gtr) and Paul
Simon (d, ex-Ian North’s Radio/Neo/Radio
Stars). After a second unsuccessful single (IN
AMERICA b/w IN SEARCH OF PLEASURE),
issued by Secret Records in September 1980,
The Civilians broke up: Herion and Simon
soon resurfaced in Fallout Club (with
Matthew Seligman and Thomas Dolby);
Simon later worked with Cowboys
International, Girls At Our Best and Glen
Matlock, while Herion embarked on a lowkey
solo career. French and Scholfield formed
Academy One, who released their only single,
FOREVER AND EVER b/w HEAVEN, on the
Armageddon label in 1981, and included a
live version of HEAVEN on the WNW6-
MOONLIGHT RADIO compilation.

Voice Of The Puppets - I Don't Want To Know

2008-10-09T10:45:00.003+02:00

1- I DON’T WANT TO KNOW (S. Millar / R. McDonald)
2- YOU’RE ALL I WANTED (AND A CAR) (S. Millar / C. Welton)
06/80- Private Press. (Impulse Rec.)
IS/VP/1044 postersleeve - 7”
Note: sleeve notes state that both tracks were
recorded in 1979.
***1/2

Hailing from Newcastle, Voice Of The Puppets
– Russell McDonald (b), Steve 'Stesh' Millar
(gtr/v), Chris Welton (k) and 'Stapps' (d) –
began playing together in 1978 and one year
later recorded these two tracks at Impulse
Sound Studios, Wallsend. A self-produced and
self-financed single surfaced in mid-1980, by
which time Voice Of The Puppets were
reduced to a trio following Chris Welton’s departure.
The 250 copies pressed were all housed
in a nice poster-sleeve featuring a cartoon
history of the band drawn by Chris
Welton. The two songs have their roots firmly
in 1977 melodic Punk and are worth a spin
with their infectious mix of Buzzcockian guitars
and TVPs-like vocals. The combo had
already split by 1981 with all members quitting
music altogether. Steve Millar would sadly
commit suicide in 2002.

The Deaf Aids - Do It Again

2008-10-07T14:37:00.003+02:00

DO IT AGAIN EP
1- DO IT AGAIN (T. Gamwells) //
2- PEEP SHOW (T. Gamwells)
3- AREN’T PEOPLE STRANGE (T. Gamwells)
10/79- Regional Rec. REG-1 no ps - 7”
Note: double A-sided 7”.
***1/2

A Sheffield-based band formed in September
1978 as Charles Hawtrey & The Deaf Aids. Early
in 1979 the group – Terry 'Mallender' Gamwells
(aka Terry Gamble, v, ex-Third Reich and 2.3,
see listing), Mark Hornby (gtr, ex-Amoebas,
who replaced the original guitarist John
O’Rourke), Craig Waite (b) and Graham
Hoggard (d, later replaced by Wayne Cleeland)
[sax player Willis was dropped after a few weeks]
– reduced the name to Deaf Aids and gained a
certain local following which increased thanks
to a national tour with The Jags. An EP, co-produced
by their promoter/ financier Mike
Charlesworth, was issued in October 1979 in a
pressing limited to 250 copies (the tracks were
originally recorded as a demo and only released
on vinyl as an afterthought). The 7’’, one of the
rarest singles of the era, includes three
Gamwells-penned songs of a certain quality,
with a particular mention to DO IT AGAIN, a
strong Powerpopper which could have been an
indie hit with appropriate promotion. In mid-
1980 Gamwells, Hoggard and newcomer John
O’Rourke (who had been reinstated in the lineup
replacing Mark Hornby) were arrested after
smashing up the stage with microphone stands
during a Sheffield gig. A second single, HEROES
b/w BORED CHRISTINE, emerged on the
Conspiracy imprint in November 1980 in both
7’’ and 12’’ formats (the latter including two
bonus tracks: BRISTOL STOMP and THE
DOG); two exclusive live versions of HEROES
and BRISTOL STOMP appeared in 1981 on the
WART'N'ALL compilation. In 1982 Deaf Aids
metamorphosed into Bambi-Kino (named after
a Hamburg cinema where The Beatles slept)
who one year later became Urban Pears.

Baj - Little Mother

2008-10-03T14:50:00.002+02:00

1- LITTLE MOTHER (S. Hawthorn)
2- HOT COFFEE (S. Hawthorn)
07/79- Response Rec. SR-525 no ps - 7”
**

Issued on Response Records, a subsidiary of
Pye, in mid-’79, the lone vinyl venture by Baj
qualifies for inclusion as its two self-produced
songs, both penned by Steve Hawthorn, are
decent rock offerings which could attract the
interest of NWOBHM buffs.

Steve note: here's an example of one we've since
learned all about and which'll be properly represented
in the THIRD printing (whenever that might be)...

Eddie And The Hot Rods - pub rock death

2008-10-02T13:30:00.008+02:00

LIVE AT THE MARQUEE EP
1- 96 TEARS (R. Martinez)
2- GET OUT OF DENVER (B. Seger) //
3- GLORIA (V. Morrison)
4- SATISFACTION (M. Jagger / K. Richards)
08/76- Island Rec. IEP-2 ps - 7”
Note: D.J. demo/promo copies exist and include a
longer edit of the GLORIA/SATISFACTION side (D.J.
copies clock in at 6’50” whereas stock copies are
5’25”; on D.J. copies GET OUT OF DENVER is introduced
by Masters shouting “Are You Ready To Rock?”, edited
from the stock copies; a few (mispressed) stock copies
feature the labels of the promo. Rare jukebox copies
have different Cat.No. WIP-6333 and include just
two tracks: 96 TEARS and GET OUT OF DENVER.
*1/2 (stock copies) ** (D.J. copies with longer
flip) *** (2-track jukebox copies)

1976 buried Progressive Rock dinosaurs and
marked the return of raw, basic and live Rock
and Roll in the British Charts. During the summer
Eddie and The Hot Rods played at the first
Mont De Marsan Punk Rock Festival, near
Bordeaux, France, and on July 30 they released
this EP, recorded live at London’s Marquee Club
and featuring four adrenalin-filled cover versions
of Van Morrison’s GLORIA, ? & The
Mysterians’ 96 TEARS, the classic Stones hit
SATISFACTION and a Bob Seger composition
entitled GET OUT OF DENVER. Island’s
reintroduction of the ’60s EP format was an
instant hit, and for the first time Eddie and The
Hot Rods entered the British charts for five
weeks, peaking at no. 43. Dr. Feelgood’s live
album STUPIDITY emerged in August and
projected Wilko Johnson’s band and their energetic
mixture of Ršn’R and R&B to the top of the
UK chart: Pub Rock was at its zenith while at the
same time London’s 100 Club Punk Rock
Festival was officially baptising the New Wave of
Rock'n'Roll and its undisputed leaders, The Sex
Pistols. In France two of the songs of the LIVE
AT THE MARQUEE EP – 96 TEARS and GET
OUT OF DENVER – were chosen for a 7”
which was housed in a unique band-photo
picture sleeve. The four-track EP was also
pressed in Australia and New Zealand: these
editions come in company sleeves. An
American 7” (which also comes in a company
sleeve), couples GET OUT OF DENVER, lifted
from the LIVE AT THE MARQUEE EP, and
TEENAGE DEPRESSION, the title-track of
Eddie and The Hot Rods’ forthcoming long-player:
promo copies only include mono and
stereo versions of GET OUT OF DENVER. At
the end of 1976, NME journalists voted the LIVE
AT THE MARQUEE EP second best Single of
the Year.

Steve note: this is surely the actual moment when
pub rock officially died.

Big A - Caribbean Air Control

2008-09-29T14:08:00.003+02:00

1- CARIBBEAN AIR CONTROL
(S. Everitt / T. Horn / C. Trevor)
2- JUKE JOINT BOP (S. Everitt / C. Trevor)
06/78- Sonet Rec. SON-2150 ps - 7”
Note: T. Horn and C. Trevor are one and the same person.
***

Together with co-conspirator Alex Everitt (the
'S. Everitt' credited as songwriter), the man
behind Big A was Trevor Horn, formerly Tina
Charles’ bass player and future leader of worldwide
stars The Buggles of VIDEO KILLED
THE RADIO STAR fame (see listing). Big A was
a studio project whose debut single surfaced on
Sonet Records on June 2, 1978. The A-side is a
rather dull Disco/Pop effort, but the flip is a
much better rock number with New Wave-ish
overtones. Horn produced and co-composed
both sides, using his real name or under the
pseudonym C. Trevor (on CARIBBEAN AIR
CONTROL he is credited twice: probably for
lyrics and music). The single sold poorly and is
now quite hard to locate especially in its picture
sleeve. The platter secured licences in Germany
(housed in a unique cover) and in Australia (in
a company sleeve). A few months later, Horn
would re-record and release both tracks with his
next project, Chromium (see listing).

Free Sample - Hello My Friend

2008-09-27T21:40:00.002+02:00

1- HELLO MY FRIEND (S. Davis)
2- SOMETHING IN HER EYES (T. Whitney)
05/79- The Oblivion Label S/79/CUS-339 no ps - 7”
**1/2

Pressed in an edition of a couple of hundred
copies through the SRT plant in May 1979, this
obscure self-produced and self-financed 7’’ is
the one and only vinyl output by a
Bedfordshire-based group formed in 1977 as
Black Dog. The combo later played as No Name
Band, Sky and The Gary Martin Band, before
calling themselves Free Sample from February
1979. Recorded by a line-up comprising Steve
Davis (gtr), Trevor Whitney (gtr/k), Steve
Simonis (d), Steve Good (b/harp) and Dennis
Dracup (k), this 7” includes two songs loosely
reminiscent of The Hollies circa-1967 and of
early Nirvana (the ’60s variety). The A-side
HELLO MY FRIEND is more instantly appealing,
but the Psychedelic-tinged pop of the
SOMETHING IN HER EYES is also quite pleasant.
The only problem comes from the release
date: over a decade too late! In mid-’79 The
band, with Neil Peterson (k/gtr/fl) replacing
Dracup from mid-’79, were active until early
1980, when Whitney, Good and Peterson
teamed up in Gentlemen In Overalls.

Nothing new until Sept 27th

2008-09-20T08:13:00.001+02:00

Gotta sort out some computer stuff this week, so I won't be posting anything new until 27th September. Check back then!

The Crowd - Ronnie (Is A Headbanger)

2008-09-18T18:00:00.001+02:00

RONNIE IS A HEADBANGER EP
1- RONNIE (IS A HEADBANGER) (G. West / R. Kosliwski) //
2- A LITTLE OF WHAT I FANCY (G. West)
3- LET’S FLY TOGETHER (R. Kosliwski)
06/79- Priv. Press. SRTS/79/CUS-377 folded ps - 7”
Note: plays at 33rpm.
**

An obscure Punk(y) single recorded at
Granny’s Studio in spring 1979 by a band
formed by Tony Trundle (sax), Roy Green
(gtr), Mick Castellano (b) and Roman
Kosliwski (actually Kozlowski, v/gtr) with Lou
Giaracunni (d), Geoff West (gtr/v) and Nick
Catalano (gtr) guesting. The 7’’, (under-)produced
by Geoff West and engineered by Ian
Shaw, certainly shows echoes of Johnny
Moped’s lunacy in RONNIE and A LITTLE
OF WHAT I FANCY. The much-too-long
third track is frankly disposable. The Crowd
split in 1981; Trundle later assisted The Name
(a New Wave combo featuring former members
of The Dole, The Now and Gobblinz, see
listings) on some of their live dates, whilst
Kozlowski would release an album with a
group called Symptom (TEMPORARY ALIEN
RESIDENTS) in 1997.

Simon Anholt - (Another) Love Song

2008-09-16T21:17:00.003+02:00

EP
1- (ANOTHER) LOVE-SONG (S. Anholt)
2- LOVE YOU (S. Anholt) //
3- AUTUMN (S. Anholt)
03/80- Mallard Rec. MEP-6061 'insert ps' - 7”
Note: insert is dated 1979; blue vinyl; all copies
come in a PVC sl. (some with contact-info sticker).
*1/2

A singer/songwriter whose lone 7” was taped
at London’s Sounds Aquarian Studio late in
1979 and emerged in an edition of 500 copies
in early March 1980 on Mallard Records.
Simon Anholt produced, composed both
tracks, sang, played guitars, bass and
keyboards. Drums are credited to Phin. The
three songs are pleasant Folk-Rock ballads
with hints of both Nick Drake and Al Stewart.

The Dyaks - Gutter Kids

2008-09-15T11:15:00.003+02:00

1- GUTTER KIDS (C. Reeves)
2- IT'S A GAME (C. Reeves)
03/78- Bonaparte Rec. BONE-2 ps - 7”
**

Punk(y) trio from Croydon formed in August
1976 by Chris Reeves (v/gtr), Brian Nevill (d,
ex-Graham Parker Band/Tooting Frooties, see
listings) and Paul Riley (b, ex-Chilli Willi and
The Red Hot Peppers/Rockpile/Graham Parker
Band). Initially operating as The Secrets,
or sometimes as Jetstream, under the name
Disturbance the group were booked by
Chiswick’s Ted Carroll and Roger Armstrong
into Pathway Studios on August, 8, 1976,
where they taped a couple of tracks intended
for release as a 7’’ on Chiswick. However, the
recordings were unsatisfactory and the single
was shelved. At the same time Reeves began
also working with Jabberwock, who would
release the single SNEAKIN’ SNAKY on MCA
Records in January 1977 (see listing). This
project was not without its problems and, with
Jabberwock seemingly going nowhere, in
February 1977 Reeves and Nevill entered
Pathway for a second shot at recording a single,
this time with Allen Chesters on bass:
unfortunately, the usually supportive Ted
Carroll was underwhelmed by the results.
Subsequent rehearsals with George Lloyd and
Rick Smith (both ex-Tooting Frooties) plus
Giz van de Kleut and Peter Jennings (both ex-
Jabberwock) were fruitless, and it was the
intervention of Steve Melhuish of Croydon's
new Bonaparte Records, an offshoot of the
record shop of the same name, which saw the
core line-up of Reeves, Nevill and Chesters
entering Chalk Farm Studios on 21/22
October, 1977 with bassist Paul Riley taking
production duties under his nickname
šBondo’. Two Reeves-penned tracks – an
enjoyable Punk song entitled GUTTER KIDS
and the Eddie & The Hot Rods-flavoured IT'S
A GAME – were recorded. The band did not
particularly like the results and disillusionment
again set in, resulting in the departure of
Chesters, replaced in November by Graham
'Groll' Evans, a Nottingham musician who
responded to a Melody Maker advert. The trio
played their debut gig as The Dyaks at the
Swan & Sugarloaf in Croydon on 2 December,
1977, and three months later their GUTTER
KIDS and IT’S A GAME were finally issued on
single, crediting Evans as bass player and with
'Chester Allen' receiving a thank-you credit. In
the meantime, in February The Dyaks entered
Pathway Studios and taped the self-penned
ON THE RUN as their projected second single:
the song would remain unreleased until
2005 when it finally surfaced as a limited-edition
lathe-cut 7’’ on the Low Down Kids label.
Early in 1978 Reeves resumed gigging with a
revised line-up of Jabberwock, resurrecting
the briefly-used pre-Dyaks name of
Disturbance (their SNEAKIN’ SNAKY single
would subsequently be reissued under this
moniker, see listing); van de Kleut and
Jennings from Jabberwock /Disturbance even
joined The Dyaks at Pukka Studios on 14 May,
1978, in a further effort to record a follow-up
Dyaks single which would never materialise.
The band split one month later: Reeves would
resurface in Mystere Five’s and would release a
solo single on the Y label; Nevill would go on
to play with Krypton Tunes (see listing), join a
re-formed Tooting Frooties, guest with The
Flying Lizards, release a single with Lonesome
Tone (a demo-only on Stiff, later issued on the
Silent label) and become a respected and in-demand
drummer over the next decades.

Joe Lethal - Don't Come Back

2008-09-12T10:25:00.002+02:00

1- DON’T COME BACK (A. Aitken / L. Bingham)
2- YOU AIN’T FREE (A. Aitken)
01/79- Lethal Rec. CI200526 no ps - 7”
Note: labels dated 1978; Bingham is misspelled
Bigham on the A-side’s label.
**1/2

Scottish trio from Irvine, Ayrshire (in the West
of Scotland), formed in 1977 by Alan Aitken
(gtr/v), Leo Bingham (v/b) and Kenny Hunter
(d). Joe Lethal’s one and only vinyl release,
issued in January 1979 on the self-financed
Lethal label in an edition of 1,000 copies, couples
a sub-Quo A-side with a much stronger
Hard/Punk(y) track on the flip. Decently produced
by Douglas Jarvie, the 7” sold out its
limited pressing locally and is now fairly
sought-after. Joe Lethal continued to perform
into the early ’80s but were only mentioned by
the music press when they joined the Melody
Maker-sponsored 'Rock & Folk Contest 1979',
failing to reach the finals.

Striker Blue (again, for late-comers)

2008-09-12T10:20:00.001+02:00

1- GET ON DOWN (R. Crisp / B. Herd)
2- LOYALTY TO THE BOARD (R. Crisp / B. Herd)
06/79- Bootlegger Rec. 596 no ps - 7”
Note: labels give a co-writing credit to Barry Herd,
but both songs were in fact written by Roger Crisp
and Dave Clark.
***

Though released in 1979 and credited to
Striker Blue, this rare single essentially features
recordings made sometime earlier in the
decade by an un-named combo comprising
Roger Crisp (ex-Riot Squad/Stewart James
Inspiration/Crazy Mabel) and Dave Clark (v),
with possibly Mick Connolly (gtr, ex-Crazy
Mabel) and Paul Francis (d). In 1979, Roger
Crisp and Barry Herd (ex-O’Hara’s Playboys)
decided to issue the old recordings and, following
an overdub session at Olympic Studios
with Jimmy Jewell (sax, see listing; he had also
played with Crisp in Stewart James Inspiration
and was a session musician with many acts
through the ’60s and ’70s, including Bunk
Dogger). The single was released through a
custom-pressing service unusually offered by
CBS Records (hence the CBS logo on the
labels). LOYALTY TO THE BOARD is no
more than a pleasant but largely uninteresting
mix of West Coast Rock and British Blues sensibilities,
but the basic Hard Rock riffing of
GET ON DOWN should appeal to NWOBHM
fans, with its enthusiastic and sometimes Free
Jazz saxophone perhaps also finding favour
with New Wave collectors.

Great British Heroes (again: added B-side)

2008-09-12T10:16:00.001+02:00

1- ERIC MILLER (Great British Heroes)
2- DON’T GIVE A DAMN (Great British Heroes)
02/79- Lightning Rec. GIL-538 ps - 7”
Note: withdrawn before release. Only a handful of
copies exist.
*****

Great British Heroes had their roots in Stars &
Stripes, a North London band formed early in
1976 by Ray Burdis (v), Graham Reed (gtr),
Vince (b) and Rowland Rivron (d). In mid-’76
Rivron quit (later to be a TV celebrity) and
was replaced by Russell Chaney; a few months
later Vince also left, and with a temporary
stand-in bassist it was this line-up which made
its debut as Great British Heroes with a gig
supporting Renoir (whose lead singer was
'Quadrophenia' star Phil Daniels, see listing)
at Enfield Town Football Club early in 1977.
In the summer Ken Redding (ex-Uncle Sam)
took over on bass and in the autumn the
group entered Strawberry Studios in London
to record a single for Lightning Records. At
Christmas Great British Heroes hired a manager,
Jeff Miller, whose lawyer promptly
declared the proposed Lightning contract “not
a good idea”: the single was shelved, and in
November 1978 the Lightning discography
published in ZigZag’s Small Labels Catalogue
was still listing the record as being “suspended
until further notice”. For the next two years,
and without a record release to help the band’s
profile, Great British Heroes (or GBH, as they
were sometimes advertised) played all the
usual London venues including The Rock
Garden, Upstairs at Ronnie Scott’s, the Nashville
and even the Roxy, as well as touring
Denmark. Eventually, in late 1979 Ray Burdis
quit to concentrate on film work (as both an
actor and director he would become a central
figure in British TV and cinema); by early
1980 Graham Reed had assumed lead vocals
with the combo adding Mick Feleppa on second
guitar. Ken Redding and Russell Chaney
departed in mid-1980 and formed The Attendants;
Redding later had stints with The Prisoners
of Rock'n'Roll, Manifesto, then The Irresponsible
Dads, before reuniting with Chaney
in the Cane Toads; Redding then played
with a cover band called Granite, while
Chaney joined Texas Thunder. Reed and Feleppa
formed a new edition of Great British
Heroes (or, more precisely, GBH as they had
become exclusively known by this time) with
Steve Wilde on vocals, Andy Jack on bass and
Graham Roberts on drums. The re-vamped
group were active until 1982: Reed and
Feleppa subsequently formed Havoc, while
Roberts resurfaced in Omega. What separates
the group from countless other recording/gigging
bands of the period is that they are
responsible for one of the rarest UK Punk
records: in 2002 a copy of their single surfaced,
resplendent in full Punk Rock picture
sleeve and boasting two tracks of 100% Punk
Rock music – it turns out that Lightning did
actually manufacture the combo’s single after
all! The A-side ERIC MILLER (inspired by the
story of a businessman who committed suicide
while under investigation by the fraud
squad) is the stand-out number: a wild threechorder
not too far removed from The Leyton
Buzzards’ 19 AND MAD, only better. The flipside
DON’T GIVE A DAMN is a stereotypical
1977 Punker which clocks in at under two minutes
and offers in raw energy more than what
it lacks in inventiveness. A recommended single,
and, with even Great British Heroes themselves
having been previously unaware of its
existence, impossibly rare.

Blancmange - Irene & Mavis EP

2008-09-10T16:01:00.003+02:00

IRENE & MAVIS EP
1- DISCO-A-BOMB-BOMB (Blancmange)
2- HOLIDAY CAMP (Blancmange)
3- OVERSPREADINGARTGENIUS (Blancmange) //
4- CONCENTRATION BABY (D. Clark / Smith)
5- JUST ANOTHER SPECTRE (Blancmange)
6- MODICHY IN ANERATION (Blancmange / Phillips)
04/80- Blaah Music / Lyntone Rec.
MFT 1/2 - LYN7977/7978 folded ps - 7”
Note: cover states “recorded Jan ’79 - July ’79”;
the band’s name is listed as Blancmange on the
front ps), The Blancmange on the back ps; plays at
33rpm.
***

Neil Arthur (v/gtr, ex-The Viewfinders) and
Stephen Luscombe (k, ex-Miru) met at Harrow’s
Art College in 1978 and immediately
formed L360 under the influence of Kraftwerk.
After a few months of rehearsals they
broke up but re-formed in January 1979 as
Blancmange (an English pudding). The duo
decided to self-produce the release of a 7”:
Arthur (aka Mavis Secostas) and Luscombe
(aka Irene Sinden) played all instruments on
five original compositions recorded between
January and July 1979 on a Sony cassette recorder
and on a Teac 4-track machine, while on
a sixth cut, a clever reworking of The Dave Clark 5’s
CONCENTRATION BABY taped in December
1979 at Stanlake Wiz, they were helped by
David Neal on sax and Laurence Stevens on
drums. The EP would only emerge on April 28,
1980, on the Blaah Music label in an edition of
500 copies: along with The Human League’s
BEING BOILED, Throbbing Gristle’s UNITED,
Cabaret Voltaire’s debut EP plus NAG NAG
NAG, and The Normal’s TV-OD, this is one of
the pivotal UK synth-wave releases and is unreservedly
recommended to anybody remotely
interested in the evolution of Techno-Pop. The
7” turns up very rarely and is extremely sought-after
among collectors. In mid-’79 one of
Blancmange’s early demos, a track entitled SAD
DAY, had been sent to club D.J. Stevo who
would include it on the SOME BIZZARE
ALBUM, the compilation issued in February
1981 (see also Blah Blah Blah). After recording
a few more demos with former Human League
Martin Ware, in 1982 Blancmange were signed
by London Records: their blend of synth-based
pop en-riched by Gabriel-esque rhythms (sort
of OMD-meet-Talking Heads) led to three UK
top ten singles and one top ten album in the
first half of the ’80s. The group split in May
1986 and Arthur and Luscombe pursued their
solo ambitions, mainly composing for TV
and/or movies, although Arthur scored one
minor hit with I LOVE I HATE in 1994.

Note: p/s suggests that tracks 1, 4 & 5 can also
be played at 45rpm. This is track 3 at 45rpm.

Phil Canning - Sellout

2008-09-08T21:43:00.004+02:00

1- SELLOUT (P. Canning)
2- UNDERGROUND (P. Canning)
12/79- Woodbine St. Rec. WSR-002 ps - 7”
Note: double A-sided 7”.
**1/2

Recorded at WMRS Studio, Leamington Spa,
between March and May 1979, but only
released a few weeks before the end of the year
on the studio’s Woodbine St. label (see also
Everyone Else/Spring’Heel Jack), the lone
vinyl offering by Phil Canning is this double
A-sided 7’’ which couples SELLOUT, a more
than acceptable rock song with vague Punk(y)
connotations and a nice guitar solo, with
UNDERGROUND, a rather lacklustre cut.
Backing is provided by young Hard Rock/
NWOBHM band Cheeky – Nick Dee, (gtr),
Martin Hainsworth (gtr), Chris Southorn (b)
and Mark Sippitts (d) – who would issue vinyl
of their own on Woodbine St. in 1980.

The Buzz - Insanity

2008-09-07T14:15:00.002+02:00

INSANITY EP
1- INSANITY (N. Evans) //
2- HIM NOT ME (N. Evans)
3- SICK AT HEART (N. Evans)
03/79- Redball Rec. RR-006 ps - 7”
Note: plays at 45rpm even though
the labels state '33rpm'.
***

A very rare and increasingly collectable piece of
plastic issued in March ’79 on the Redball label
in an edition of 1,000 copies, this EP features
three under-produced two-chorders, recorded
by a Shrewsbury-based outfit formed in early
1978 by Nic Evans (v/gtr), Cob Hillers aka Chris
Hill (gtr/v), Gym Slips aka Jim Phillips (b/v)
and TwoFourty Volts aka Kevin Higgs (d/v). The
killer track is SICK AT HEART with its great
Buzzcockian riff and TVPs-like 'ooooh'-chorus.
Recommended. A different line-up of The Buzz
– Kevin Higgs was replaced by Ian R. Davies,
Chris Hill moved to bass and lead vocalist Chris
Bellingham was recruited – would enter Foel
Studios in July 1981 recording the album ASYLUM,
self-released in a pressing of 1,000 copies
a couple of months later.

The Blitz - I Love Myself

2008-09-05T18:04:00.003+02:00

1- I LOVE MYSELF (P. Long)
2- THE BORDER (P. Long)
09/79 - Bitch / SRT Rec. SRTS/79/CUS-458 no ps - 7”
Note: some copies pressed with reversed labels.
**1/2

Hailing from Maidstone, Kent, and formed in
1975, The Blitz – Andy Palmer (v), Phil Long
(gtr), John Haulke (b) and Jez Holloway (d) –
were active until the end of the decade. A self-produced
and self-financed single was
announced as imminent in May 1979 but was
delayed until September when it finally surfaced
on the group’s own label in an edition of
500 copies. The two songs, both penned by
Phil Long, have definite quality and the 7” is
worth investigating: the instrumental backing
is close to the seminal NWOBHM scene, but
the singing is clearly reminiscent of The New
York Dolls. An odd mixture which works well.

Note: this one's for sale here

Mark Beer - Collaborations

2008-09-04T11:34:00.003+02:00

COLLABORATIONS
1- THE MAN MAN MAN (M. Beer)
2- AFTER THE ACCIDENT (M. Beer)
10/79- Waste Rec. WAS-002 ps - 7”
*1/2

Mr. Beer returned in October 1979 with a
second 7”, issued again on his own Waste
Records. He co-produced the songs with Rob
Doran, singing and playing almost all instruments:
Ian Scott (org) and Anton Loach
(k/sax/back.v; of Metabolist, see listing) guested
on the A-side THE MAN MAN MAN,
arguably Beer’s strongest composition, which
was backed by the mediocre AFTER THE
ACCIDENT. An occasionally inspired album
and a couple of further singles would follow
in the early ’80s; Mark’s voice would also grace
a 1980 7’’ credited to the Silent Types (a threepiece
band comprising Rob Doran, Anton
Loach and Beer).

45 Revolutions - 'The Bible'

2008-09-03T12:37:00.009+02:00

If you've checked out the interview with Mario, you'll
have noticed that he's seen reading the 'Bible' edition of
the book. Several people have asked me about this, so...

There were 100 copies made, each one numbered and
signed by Mr. Doctor (confused? look it up!). They're
bound in black leather, have pages edged in silver,
and are presented in a box. Obviously these are long
gone, but here's more of what it looks like.

The Bozos - Weekend Girl

2008-09-02T14:21:00.004+02:00

1- WEEKEND GIRL (S. Bland)
2- FOOL OUT OF ME (G. Lamberton)
11/78- Other Rec. BOZ-101 ps - 7”
**1/2

A five-piece combo from Harrow-On-The-
Hill, formed early in 1977 by Ted Lemming
(gtr/v), Stan Bland (gtr/v), Roger Brod (gtr/v),
Glen Lamberton (b/v) and Chris Macauley
(d). This self-produced and self-financed single,
released in late November 1978, is The
Bozos’ only vinyl output: it features two ’60s-flavoured
pop/rock songs, now quite sought after
among Powerpop collectors.

Extra Steve-note: this is quite clearly one of the
greatest of all the '45 Revolutions' singles. All hail The Bozos!

Kelvin Blacklock

2008-08-31T21:22:00.003+02:00

1- I DON’T WANT OUR LOVING TO DIE
(K. Howard / A. Blaikley)
2- ALWAYS THE LOSER (M. Ure)
11/78- EMI Rec. EMI-2892 co.sl. - 7”
Note: demo/promo copies exist (stock copies are rarer).
**1/2

On November 17, 1978, six weeks after The
White Cats’ demise, EMI issued a single credited
to Kelvin Blacklock with two songs produced
by Midge Ure of Rich Kids. The A-side,
I DON’T WANT OUR LOVING TO DIE, was
originally a 1968 UK hit for The Herd, a
Psych/Pop combo led by Peter Frampton. Kelvin’s
version was well arranged and decently
sung, but failed to leave any impression on the
charts. The flip, the Midge Ure-composed
ALWAYS THE LOSER, was a slow-paced pop
song of definite class. Kelvin Blacklock would
resurface in 1983 in The Mirrors, a short-lived
rock combo featuring Matt Dangerfield (ex-
The Boys) on guitar: they would release a lone
single (DANCE DANCE DANCE b/w JOHNNY
ROCK) and an album which sold poorly.

Alwoodley Jets - Sleepwalkin

2008-08-30T16:44:00.005+02:00

1- SLEEPWALKIN (J. L. Rigby)
2- 4/12 (J.L. Rigby)
09/77- Petal Rec. PTL-020 ps - 7”
Note: only a handful of copies with ps.
**** (without ps ***)

Active in the Leeds area from 1976, The
Alwoodley Jets – John L. Rigby (v/gtr), Rob
'Biff' Smith (gtr/v), Jean-Francois Picard (d/v)
and Rob 'Toto' Maskell (b/v) – made their vinyl
debut in September 1977 with this 7”, credited
to John L. Rigby & The Alwoodley Jets. Issued in
an edition of 500 copies on the Petal label (see
also Sneakers), the record features two Pub Rock
songs with loose New Wave overtones. After a
hiatus of nearly eighteen months, in February
1979 the music press announced the imminent
release of “The Alwoodley Jets’ second single
CRASH & BURN b/w CONNECTIONS” on Lee
Wood’s Raw Records (acetates exist), but the
project was eventually shelved. The band’s next
(and final) vinyl venture would be a four-track
EP which emerged in September 1980 on the
Look label (tracks: HEAVEN CAN’T WAIT,
LONG TIME LONELY, CRASH 'N' BURN and
HEARTS). Despite its remarkable musical quality,
the EP failed to sell.

Appendix 1

2008-08-29T12:28:00.010+02:00

ALABAMA HAYRIDERS
1- ROCKY TOP (Boudleaux / F. Bryant)
2- EASY LOVING (F. Hart)
09/78- Tado Rec. TADO-5006 no ps - 7”

Recorded at Beck Studios, Wellingborough,
and issued in the second half of 1978 on the
indie label Tado Records, the lone single credited
to Alabama Hayriders – Bryn Sharpe (v/b),
Mick McKay (gtr/v), John Lindsey (gtr/v),
John Davis (pedal steel) and Terry Vials (d) –
couples two Country covers which should not
disappoint genre collectors. The up-tempo Aside
and the slow ballad on the flip are solidly
played by a band who also issued a late '70s
long-player on the King label.

________________________________

ALISON with The KIMBERLEYS
1- AND THEN HE KISSED ME
(Spector / Greenwich / Barry)
2- FEELINGS (M. Albert)
02/77- Fairview Music Rec. SRTS/FMR-001 no ps - 7”

Alison was 14 years old when she made her
recording debut at Fairview Studios in Hull,
backed by Lancaster band The Kimberleys –
Gary Nicholson (gtr), Dave Eastwood (d), Mike
Smith (b) and Keith Herd (k) – who had issued
an album in 1977 on the Ellie Jay label. On the
evidence of the by-numbers MoR-Pop rendition
of the Crystals hit AND THEN HE KISSED ME,
Alison was in possession of a functional singing
voice, her youthful tone making up for what she
perhaps lacked in technique. However, the flip
sees our Ali completely demolishing the Morris
Albert weepie FEELINGS with a vocal performance
that, so extravagant is its tunelessless,
would’ve been a successful audition for
Nottingham's finest, The Galactic Symposium
(see listing). Although not even vaguely New
Wave, it's truly a classic of its kind, and one can
only hope that Alison is alive and well and can be
appreciative of this, albeit roundabout, tribute.

_________________________________

Tony BACK & Ric CARR
EP
1- WE DON’T TALK ANYMORE
2- BRIGHT EYES
3- ISN’T SHE LOVELY
4- CHANSON D’AMOUR
5- HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET 16 //
6- HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET 16 (Ric’s
impression)
7- UNFORGETTABLE (Nat King Cole)
8- CRY (J. Ray)
9- PASSING STRANGERS (B. Eckstein)
10- EVERYBODY LOVES SOMEBODY
(D. Martin)
11- ALL SHOOK UP (E. Presley)
12- HELLO DOLLY (Satchmo)
13- Signature Tune: AND SO IT’S OVER
12/79- SRT Rec. SRTS/79/CUS-568 ps - 7”
Note: plays at 33rpm; composers of a few tracks
not indicated.

A keyboard/harmonica/vocals cabaret duo
from Brighton whose lone vinyl venture was
self-released through the SRT pressing plant at
the tail end of 1979. All the songs are cover
versions. Tony Back was active – live and on
record – well before 1977 and would continue
to compose and perform until his death in
January 2006.

Autopilot - Love Is A Process

2008-08-28T13:47:00.004+02:00

LOVE IS A PROCESS EP
1- LOVE IS A PROCESS (Autopilot)
2- WHEN THE SILENCE FALLS (Autopilot) //
3- YUMAN TORCH [sic] (Autopilot)
4- BASTARDS (Autopilot)
10/79- Merimusic/Zel-la Rec. JHEPS-2244
oversized cardboard ps - 7”
Note: plays at 33rpm.
***

A rare and interesting piece of vinyl recorded
at Spaceward Studios, Cambridge, in June
1979 with Gary Lucas engineering and privately
issued in October in an edition of 1,000
copies on the Merimusic imprint (using a
catalogue number of the Zel-la label). Hailing
from the West Midlands, Autopilot began
opearating in 1977 and soon built up a
devoted following with their impressive set of
mostly self-penned compositions performed
by a line-up comprising Thomas M.
Williamson (v), Gary Saddington (d), Brian
Horne (gtr), Mark Lord (b) and Michael
Evans (k). Despite the low-fi production, the
four tracks of the combo’s one and only
platter are strong offerings: the music lies
somewhere between Doctors Of Madness and
The Psychedelic Furs, but Autopilot have
something unique to offer from the grooves of
this recommended 7”. Note: an unrelated act
of the same name released a lone single on the
Chrysalis label in 1981.

Bill Mason Band

2008-08-26T15:17:00.002+02:00

1- OUT ON THE STREETS
(B. Mason / S. Hawthorne)
2- MR.G (B. Mason / S. Hawthorne)
09/79- Kingsway Rec. KSM-903 ps - 7”
Note: many copies are fully autographed.
***

This is one of three 'Christian Punk' singles –
the other two are SONG OF THE LAST GENERATION
b/w CROWD TROUBLE by
Ishmael United and JUST WHERE IT’S AT
TONIGHT b/w SIN by Moral Support (see
listings) – released in the ’70s. Pressed in an
edition of 1,000 copies in September 1979 on
the Christian label Kingsway Records, and
meant as a promo for the band’s long-player
NO SHAM!, the lone 7” by the Bill Mason
Band features a rather good Punk song on the
A-side and a listenable Hard Rock number on
the flip. Both cuts were taped on June 1, 1979,
at Smile Studios, Manchester, with producer
John Pantry, and were composed by guitarist
Si Hawthorne and lead vocalist Bill Mason.
The line-up also included Iain Beeston on bass
and Dave Rawding on drums. OUT ON THE
STREETS would resurface on the late 1979
Christian rock 2LP compilation EARFULL.

Cybermen - Cybernetic Surgery

2008-08-25T14:37:00.012+02:00

EP
1- CYBERNETIC SURGERY (R. Entwistle)
2- WHERE’S THE NEW WAVE (I. Dixon) //
3- HANGING AROUND (I. Dixon)
4- I CAN’T HELP IT (R. Entwistle)
06/78- Rockaway Rec. AERE-101 ps - 7”
Note: the record plays at 33rpm (even though labels say 45rpm);
two different picture sleeves exist:
1) photo of Dixon/Entwistle + photo of Dixon/Entwistle/Milek;
2) photo of Dixon + photo of Entwistle.
***

A three-piece Punk combo from Accrington,
Lancashire, formed early in 1977 from the
ashes of a R&B/Pub Rock band named Esax
Lucius. The Cybermen’s line-up featured Ian
P. Dixon (b/v) and Roger Entwistle (gtr/v)
plus an unknown drummer who left for
Norway in the first weeks of 1978 to be
replaced by Paul Milek (aka Kid Slick), formerly
of Schoolgirl Bitch (see listing). Recorded at
Cambridge’s Spaceward Studios on
March 28, 1978, and released on their
own label, Rockaway Records, in mid-June in
an edition of 1,000 copies (with a further
batch of 500 copies following a few months
later), the combo’s debut 7” is an impressive
platter: the four songs are all worth hearing,
but the melodic Punker CYBERNETIC
SURGERY is probably the stand-out track. A
mixed critical reception greeted the 7”.

Attic

2008-08-24T17:47:00.004+02:00

1- YES I WANT TO (Attic)
2- WE’RE AT WAR (Attic)
06/79- Brain Booster Rec. ATT-1/BB-0001
rubber-stamped plain die-cut sl. - 7”
Note: all copies include an insert.
**

A Portsmouth-based quintet founded in 1978
by Robert Bartlett (v), Pete Coote (gtr), Mark
Bushell (d), Steve Austin (b) and Simon Green
(gtr), Attic made their recording debut on
June 15, 1979, with this single released on
Brain Booster Records, an independent label
created by the band with another local combo,
The Frames (see listing). The Devo-meet-XTC
New Wave rock songs of the 7” are pleasant
but not outstanding offerings, although the
A-side YES I WANT TO is notable for a few
ingenious piano parts. As well as another EP
called ALL PLANS EXIST, which surfaced
early in February 1980, Attic contributed two
tracks (THE CHILD IS DEAD and STRANGE
NUMBERS - BASE SEVEN) to the local compilation
SOUTH SPECIFIC and issued a tape-only
album called PANDA MUSIC (all on
Brain Booster Records), before splitting in
1981. Steve Austin would later contribute the
instrumental PILLAR to the Portsmouth
compilation LP AZURE in 1983.

Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias - Snuff Rock EP

2008-08-23T21:00:00.004+02:00

SNUFF ROCK EP
1- KILL (Norman Sleek)
2- GOBBING ON LIFE (Norman Sleek) //
3- SNUFFIN’ LIKE THAT (Norman Sleek)
4- SNUFFIN’ IN A BABYLON (Norman Sleek)
09/77- Stiff Rec. LAST-2 ps - 7”
Stiff Run-Out Grooves: A- Dedicated To Decca / BStiff
Is Cheap But Snuff Is Free
Note: many copies with reversed labels;
100 white label promo copies in 12” format exist
(they play at 33rpm), with cleaned-up 'special radio
play versions'; Matrix No. DJEP, with A4 xeroxed
insert that states: “This EP is as pure as the driven
snow and has been neutered specifically for all you
lucky people in radio land”; a handful with colour
xeroxed insert pasted on a generic brown bag; a few
promos come with a copy of the fanzine 'Kill It'.
*1/2 (but promo 12” ****)

With the explosion of Punk and the growing success
of its rebellious black counterpart, Reggae,
The Albertos found plenty of material to parody.
During the summer of hate the band successfully
toured the UK with the musical 'Sleak!', written
by C.P. Lee, which premiered in May ’77 under
the different title 'Razor Blades And Roundshots',
while the first performance under the definitive
title took place at Liverpool’s Eric’s Club on July
12. The musical – which concerned the story of a
fictitious rock singer called Norman Sleek, who
commits suicide onstage – was a success. Four of
its tracks were already recorded under Nick
Lowe’s brilliant production in spring 1977 and
scheduled for release on Decca in June under the
moniker City Sleakers (10” acetates exist): the
Decca EP was never issued and the four tracks
eventually surfaced on September 9, credited to
Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias, as part of a one-off
deal with Stiff Records. The group lampooned
The Damned (on the devastating KILL:
incidentally, The Damned would cover the song
many years later!), The Clash (on SNUFFIN’
LIKE THAT) and The Sex Pistols (on the exhilarating
GOBBING ON LIFE, reminiscent of DID
YOU NO WRONG), while Reggae was the object
of the fourth track’s irony. The Stiff EP credits
production to 'Mick Lowe' (an intentional misspelling)
and its run-out groove ironically states:
'dedicated to Decca'. The platter, which is warmly
recommended and comes in a great picture
sleeve, was also licensed for release in Germany,
Holland and Belgium: these editions all have the
same artwork, but Belgian copies are pressed on
yellow or orange vinyl. Extremely rare UK promo
copies of the EP were issued in 12” format (only
100 were pressed) and feature slightly different
mixes of the four tracks; a fanzine called 'Kill It'
was also distributed by the band at the same time
(a few were given with the promo 12”). A John
Peel session was recorded on September 14 and
included versions of three songs from the EP –
KILL, GOBBING ON LIFE and SNUFFIN’ IN A
BABYLON – plus two other tracks from the
'Sleak!' musical: SID’S SONG and DEATH OF
ROCK'N'ROLL. It is worth mentioning that C.P.
Lee was the uncredited lead singer on the track
FOOD, a Pub Rock song credited to The
Takeaways which appeared on the Stiff compilation
A BUNCH OF STIFFS and on a French-only
split 7’’ (see Split Singles / Various Artists section),
both released in 1977: the rest of the band featured
Sean Tyla and Larry Wallis on guitars, Nick
Lowe on bass and Dave Edmunds on drums.

ABH

2008-08-22T13:22:00.003+02:00

1- GEOFFREY (WHO WANTS TO LISTEN TO PUNK ROCK) (Silverhead / Thunderbolt)
2- COLT 45 ROCK (K. Hoyle / Silverhead / Thunderbolt)
06/78- Music Bank Rec. BECK-694 no ps - 7”
***1/2

An extremely rare 7” issued in June 1978 on the
Music Bank label and very sought-after among
early UK Punk/New Wave collectors since it was
included in Greg Shaw’s book 'New Wave On
Record 1975–78' (although Greg mistakenly
listed the band as Geoffrey and the A-side as
ABH). GEOFFREY (WHO WANTS TO LISTEN
TO PUNK ROCK) is a R'n'R song which
can be of interest to Punk collectors for its lyrics
more than for its music; COLT 45 ROCK, on
the flip, is a mediocre rock number composed to
promote a brand of beer which had financed the
recordings and which later distributed several
hundred free copies of the 7” to pubs. Not to be
confused with the Punk combo of the same
name from Northampton active from the late
’70s to the early ’80s, this ABH (Brian Harding,
Paul Goff, Jim Newman and Robin Waugh) had
already been active since 1975 when, as August
Bank Holiday, they privately pressed up an
extremely limited single coupling I SAW YOU
with PYRAMIDS.

Billy Karloff Band

2008-08-20T11:51:00.004+02:00

1- CRAZY PAVING (B. Karloff)
2- BACK STREET BILLY (B. Karloff)
03/78- Wanted Rec. CULT-45-001 ps - 7”
**

After playing in several unsigned rock bands
since 1974 – among them Slippery Sam, The
Punks, Scum Of The Earth and The Streamliners
– in mid-’77 Billy Karloff, whose real
name was John 'Billy' Osborn (his pseudonym
was inspired by horror film star Boris
Karloff), started to front South London based
Punk combo Billy Karloff and The
Goats, whose line-up featured Karloff (v),
Chris Pye (gtr), Ed Duane (b) and Pedro
Ortiz (d/v). After performing for a few
months on London’s pub/club circuit, The
Goats contributed a decent self-penned
Punk track entitled RELICS FROM THE
PAST to the FAREWELL TO THE ROXY live
compilation, an altogether patchy album
recorded just before the end of 1977 and
pressed in April 1978 on the Lightning
imprint. In the new year of 1978, The Goats
metamorphosed into the Billy Karloff Band
and expanded to a quintet with the recruitment
of second guitarist Ivan Julian. The
same line-up recorded this 45 in February at
London’s Marquee Studios: the 7” was issued
on March 31 and was licensed for release in
Germany, Spain and Holland: these editions
only slightly alter the UK artwork (but
German copies reverse sides and have 'Punk'
printed on the sleeve). Both songs are played
with remarkable craftsmanship but are not
bona-fide Punk classic, although BACK
STREET BILLY, later covered by The
Business, is arguably more instantly appealing
than CRAZY PAVING. An album entitled
THE MANIAC also emerged in 1978: a
neat effort somewhat reminiscent of Johnny
Moped, albeit not quite in the same league.
Early in 1979 Karloff, backed by Neil Hay
(gtr, ex-Somme), Paul Jelliman (gtr, ex-
Somme), Glen Buglass (b) and Gus Boyd (d,
later replaced by Brian 'Dolphin' Taylor, ex-
T.R.B./Cowboys International), formed Billy
KIarloff & The Supremes, who were soon
renamed Billy Karloff & The Extremes.
Under this moniker, in 1981 the band
released two UK singles (HEADBANGERS
and SUMMER HOLIDAY) and recorded an
album which only surfaced in the USA (title:
LET YOUR FINGERS DO THE TALKING).
Following the combo’s break-up, Karloff
issued a lone 7” as Frankie Lee, worked as a
producer and composed songs for other
artists (most notably WAIT FOR THE
BLACKOUT for The Damned); he would
pass away in 2003. Chris Pye later joined The
Books, Pedro Ortiz became an in-demand
session player (he worked with David Bowie,
amongst others) and 'Dolphin' Taylor
worked with The Spectres, Stiff Little
Fingers, Go West and Spear Of Destiny.

The Beez - Easy

2008-08-19T10:34:00.004+02:00

1- EASY (G. Watson)
2- THE VAGRANT (R. Boughton)
01/79- Edible Rec. SNACK-001 multifold. ps
- 7”
Note: the band is called The Beez on the labels,
Beez on the cover; slightly glossy and matt sides of
the ps card are reversed on some copies.
***1/2

A Punk quartet from Chesham formed in
1978 by Robert Boughton (gtr/v), Gordon
Watson (gtr/v), Tim Heal (b) and Paul Morris
(d/v), The Beez recorded these two tracks in
December 1978 at Luton’s Quest Studios with
Dave Cook producing. A single emerged at the
end of January ’79 on the band-owned indie
label Edible Records, housed in a multi-fold
cardboard cover featuring dozens of little live
photos. The 7”, pressed in an edition of 1,000
copies, couples two melodic Punk cuts that
were completely ignored by the music press at
the time, but are now rated among the
brightest forgotten gems of late ’70s UK Punk
Rock. A recommended platter.

29th & Dearborn

2008-08-16T11:31:00.003+02:00

1- BABY, PUT YOUR LOVE IN ME (A. Peters)
2- STEALER! (A. Peters)
03/79- Kramp Rec. no ps - 7”
Note: a few copies come in a rubber-st. sleeve
**1/2 (no rubber-st. sl. **)

A Liverpool-based "bearded and long-haired"
combo active between early 1976 and late 1979,
29th & Dearborn (the moniker was taken from
the title of a trumpet piece by Louis Armstrong)
were led by Captain Deabo aka Alan Peters
(trumpet/v/k, ex-Almost Blues /Scaffold/
Grimms/Supercharge) and also featured Richie
Winn aka Richie Budd (gtr), Kenny Roberts aka
Kenny Steele (gtr), Max Rooks aka Maxwell
Dearborn The Third (lead v/b) and Tony
Moroni aka Tony Green (d). Eight weeks after
their debut gig, 29th & Dearborn joined the
Melody Maker-sponsored 'Rock & Folk Contest
1976' and reached the final (they won the local
heat at Bolton’s Technical College in April and
the Northern Area selection, one month later).
A deal with EMI fell through at the last minute,
leaving the self-styled "rock'n'roll boogie band"
to continue performing on the local pub/club
scene (with a few exceptions such as when they
played at London’s Music Machine on January
26, 1978, supporting Supercharge), but failing
to issue any vinyl. In the first weeks of 1979,
29th & Dearborn finally recorded what would
remain their only 7”, which was issued in an edition
of 1,000 copies on the Kramp! label in
March ’78. The Hard Rock(y) flip STEALER! is
arguably the superior side, while BABY, PUT
YOUR LOVE IN ME has a clever verse (sung in
an odd Roger Chapman-esque style) but a weak
chorus. Internal tensions led Moroni to quit just
after its release: 29th & Dearborn briefly continued
as a quartet, with guitarist Winn switching
to drums, but called it a day before the end of
the year. An album was taped in 1979, but would
never see the light of day. Peters, Winn and
Roberts teamed up in The Opposition, later
metamorphosing into The Love Ponies. In 1982
Peters and Roberts joined the short-lived
Lawnmower, who also featured Mick Hucknall
(ex-Frantic Elevators, later with Simply Red),
Tony Doyle and Martin Smith (both ex-
Accelerators).

Battersea

2008-08-15T15:31:00.002+02:00

1- ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME
(B. Bacharach / H. David)
2- SPLIT IMAGE (C. Fawn)
09/78- Anchor Rec. ANC-1060 ps - 7”
Note: demo/promo copies exist.
**

A Punk(y)/Powerpop quartet comprising
Charlie Fawn (v, ex-McGuinness Flint), Andy
Smith (gtr), Glen Sissons (b) and Fish (d),
Battersea were signed by Anchor Records in
spring 1978. Their first vinyl output, a 7’’
recorded at London’s Morgan Studios and produced
by former Vinegar Joe Peter Gage (see
The Troops), was issued in the first week of
September to disappointing sales. The B-side
SPLIT IMAGE is a surprisingly catchy
Powerpopper, but its guitar riff is identical to
the one on The Jam’s then-recent single NEWS
OF THE WORLD; the A-side is a rather uninspired
cover of a Burt Bacharach oldie. The
single was also licensed for release in Portugal:
this edition comes in an altered picture cover
(the artwork of the back sleeve is black & white
instead of in colour). Before the end of 1978
Battersea broke up and Charlie Fawn embarked
on a low-key solo career (see listing). Note:
another 7’’ credited to Battersea, BORN AND
BRED b/w SUMMER RAIN (RK Rec. RK-1013
no ps) emerged on Barry Kingston’s RK label
(see The Spitfire Boys) in September 1978, curiously
enough the same month as the record by
Charlie Fawn’s Battersea. The 1930’s jazzy
style platter comes from an unrelated ensemble
led by veteran TV composer Ron Grainer ('Dr.
Who', 'The Prisoner'), hence its exclusion
from our listing.

Andy Arthurs "I Feel Flat"

2008-08-12T10:34:00.000+02:00

1- I FEEL FLAT (A. Arthurs / P. Chambon)
2- PLAY THE MUSIC (A. Arthurs / P. Chambon)
01/79- TDS Rec. TDS-6 co.sl. - 7”
Note: track 1 credited to Andy Arthurs & The Rock
Along Combo; track 2 credited to A.A. & The R.A.C.
**

Definitely the most elusive of the three
commercially unsuccessful of Arthurs’ vinyl
ventures, this 7’’ was again produced by
Martin Rushent and hit the market on
January 19, 1979, to disheartening sales.
Glam Rock is still the only possible description
of these two Arthurs/Chambon collaborations:
the A-side I FEEL FLAT is the better cut,
musically somewhere between Roxy Music
and Rikki & The Last Days Of Earth,
whereas PLAY THE MUSIC, on the flip, is a
forgettable offering. Andy would not release
any further vinyl, but would continue his
work as a producer. In the ’80s he relocated to
Australia where he became a professor specialized
in experimental music.

Dafne And The Tenderspots

2008-05-01T13:07:00.005+02:00

1-DISCO HELL (Packham /G. Smith / D. Nancholas /
S. Hughes / N. Monnas / A. Wilder)
2- I'M A NATURAL (G. Smith / D. Nancholas / A. Wilder)
06/79- MAM Rec. MAM-186 co.sl. - 7"
Note: demo/promo copies exist; a few copies are
pressed on blue vinyl.
**

A technically proficient six-piece combo featuring
actress Dafne Nancholas (v), Alan
Normal (aka Alan Wilder, k, ex-Dragons, see
listing), Graham Smith (gtr/v), Nick Monnas
(d) and Jo Burt (b, ex-Dragons), replaced by
Steve Hughes, formerly of Burlesque, after a
few weeks). Active from February 1979,
Dafne and The Tenderspots released their
lone 7" on June 1, before calling it a day
within the year. The anti-Disco A-side is not
representative of their live set (which had
echoes of Roxy Music and XTC), as it is just
a Disco-ish song of little substance; however,
the Glam/Powerpop cut on the flip is a much
better offering. The single was jointly produced
by Tab Martin and Dominic De Sousa:
greeted by negative reviews, it sold poorly
but was nevertheless licensed for release in
Germany and Holland, where it appeared in
picture covers unlike the UK pressing which
was housed in a company sleeve. Dafne and
The Tenderspots' 7" is now sought-after
among collectors as it marked an early vinyl
appearance by Alan Wilder, who would later
find fame and fortune with Depeche Mode.
After releasing a single with Dragons (see
listing) he had worked as a session player
most notably for DJM and Rialto Records
(he also played 'uncredited' on The
Korgis' international hit IF I HAD YOU, see
listing). Following Dafne and The Tenderspots'
break-up, Wilder formed Real To Real
(1980) and collaborated with The Hitmen
(1981), finally joining Depeche Mode in
1982.

Next Band

2008-04-27T10:17:00.005+02:00

FOUR BY THREE EP
1- NEVER ON A WIN
(J. Lockton / R. Newton / F. Noon)
2- CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
(J. Lockton / R. Newton / F. Noon) //
3- RED ALERT (J. Lockton / R. Newton / F. Noon)
4- TOO MANY LOSERS
(J. Lockton / R. Newton / F. Noon)
11/78- Gannet Rec. SRTS/78/CUS-159 ps - 7"
Note: plays at 33rpm.
***1/2

A rock combo from Grantham, Lincolnshire,
The Next Band were formed in 1976 by John
Lockton (gtr), Rocky Newton (v/b) and Frank
Noon (d). With a set that mixed Hard Rock
and Glam, the trio received their first mention
by the music press in 1977 when they joined
the Melody Maker-sponsored 'Rock & Folk
Contest' but failed to reach the finals. In
March 1978 The Next Band supported Zal
(the short-lived outfit led by former S.A.H.B.
guitarist Zal Cleminson) on a couple of live
dates and at the end of the summer, having
relocated to Yorkshire, they entered Hull��s
Fairview Studios recording an EP which surfaced
on November 25 on the Gannet label. Its
four self-penned compositions are performed
with a certain proficiency and are early examples
of the genre that would be called
NWOBHM. The 7" is particularly sought-after
by Def Leppard fans as Frank Noon drummed
on Leppard's debut EP (also recorded at
Fairview Studios in late 1978), following the
sudden departure of their original drummer
Tony Kenning. Before the end of the decade
The Next Band metamorphosed into Red
Alert, who soon changed moniker to Wildfire,
to avoid confusion with a few other acts of the
same name. John Lockton later played with
Wild Horses and Badlands, while Rocky
Newton resurfaced in Lionheart and the
McAuley Schenker Group. Frank Noon was
even more active, drumming with Lionheart,
Wild Horses, Electric Gypsies, Waysted,
Dianno, Stampede and more.

Frank Xerox

2008-04-23T09:27:00.004+02:00

1- JUDY IN DISGUISE (J. Fred / A. Bernard)
2- ROCK SHOW (C. Gent)
02/78- Arista Rec. ARIST-160 co.sl. - 7"
*1/2

Issued on the Arista label on February 3, 1978,
with Tony Atkins (ex-Spectrum) taking production
duties, this 7" couples an energetic cover of
the oldie JUDY IN DISGUISE (a hit for John
Fred And His Playboy Band in 1967) with a New
Wave track strongly reminiscent of Parker and
Costello. Frank Xerox was a pseudonym for
Chris Gent (v, ex-The Rage), who also penned
the flipside, while The Copy Cats were
Speedometors (see listing), Ian Taylor (gtr), Lol
Gellor (d), Martin Findlay (gtr) and Robbie
Watson (b) in disguise. Success was minimal.
In the second half of 1978 Chris Gent would join
The Stukas and would later play with
Autographs, Speedometors, Secret Affair, The
Blue Meanies and The Records.

Emanon

2008-04-13T18:10:00.005+02:00

1- RAGING PAIN (Watts / Arnold)
2- RIP A BOUGH (Watts / Arnold)
11/77- Clubland Rec. SJP-777 rubber-stamped die-cut sl. - 7"
***1/2

A very rare single recorded in the summer of
1977 by a mysterious band (whose moniker was
'no name' written backwards!) and released
through the Clubland production company late
in November, although only a handful of copies
were distributed before the beginning of March
1978. Despite the lame self-production, RAGING
PAIN and RIP A BOUGH are two good
examples of D.I.Y.-Garage-Punk with Pebbles-like
mid-'60s overtones. The 7" was pressed in
an edition of 500 copies (only a couple of hundred
are housed in a rubber-stamped sleeve).

Note: got a comment? Great! Send it in. Can't publish
any 'anonymous' ones though: I'll read them, but they
won't reach the site. Thanks to the bloke who sent the
'anonymous' comment on the GENEVA B.R.A. today,
though - good one!

Geneva B.R.A.

2008-03-10T11:56:00.003+01:00

1- NO NO NO NO (A. Rupert)
2- MAXINE AND MANDY (THE JERSEY NATIONAL SONG)
(A. Rupert / M. Scholes)
03/79- Mercury Rec. 6007206 ps - 7”
Note: demo/promo copies exist: they come in a ps
and have cream “title” labels; stock copies come in
a co.sl. and have silver plastic labels.
**1/2 (promos with ps) ** (stock copies co.sl.)

Not to be confused with a Powerpop band called
Geneva (who released a single on the Valiant
label in 1980), Geneva B.R.A. were a Powerpop
combo whose lone single emerged on the
Mercury label in March 1979 selling close to
nothing. If the humorous flip is a forgettable
novelty song, the A-side is a pleasant Powerpop
number, solidly performed and with a catchy
chorus. Worth a spin to genre collectors.

James Vane

2008-02-16T10:38:00.003+01:00

1- JUDY’S GONE DOWN (C. Goldring)
2- JUNG LOVERS (J. Vane / M. Dabrowski)
11/79- Island Rec. WIP-6538 ps - 7”
Note: demo/promo copies exist.
*1/2

James Vane (v, real name James Butcher)
was a pseudonym taken from a character in
Oscar Wilde’s 'The Picture Of Dorian Gray'.
Hailing from the Colchester area, he entered
the music world in 1976, at 17, as lead singer
of a cover band called The Void. He later
played with unrecorded Punk group The
Straights and with Powerpop combo The
Gents (although he was not in the group
when their lone Powerpop-meets-R&B single
was taped; see listing). In late 1978 Vane
teamed up with Mick Dabrowski (k, ex-
Solid Waste) and composed a fistful of Punk
songs, soon re-arranged in a direction closer
to Ultravox!, Magazine, Tubeway Army
and David Bowie. In the second half of
1979, the press announced that James Vane
was going to appear in the movie 'Modern
Horror' for which he had even recorded
JUDY’S GONE DOWN, a catchy New Wave
Electro-Pop/ Rock song composed by Colin
Goldring (ex-Gnidrolog/The Pork Dukes)
and co-produced by Steve Brooks and Mike
Oldfield. Eventually Vane and the song were
not featured in the movie, but JUDY’S
GONE DOWN was released on 7” by Island
Records in November 1979: the B-side
JUNG LOVERS was in the same vein and similarly
interesting. The single received a fair
amount of airplay from Capital Radio but
failed to chart. It was nevertheless licensed to
France, Holland and Italy with slightly altered
artwork, whereas in Argentina it emerged in a
company sleeve (the song titles are translated
into Spanish: JUDY SE CAYO and JOVENES
ANAMORADOS). Though the songs of the 7”
were recorded by Vane and Dabrowski with session
musicians, before the end of 1979 Nile
Morosini (b) and Phil Pickering (d) were
recruited as permanent members of the James
Vane Band. A second and final 7”, simply credited
to Vane (GLAMOROUS BOYS b/w TRAILS
OF ERROR), surfaced in May 1980 to poor
sales. The group broke up in mid-’82.

Jesse Lynn-Dean

2008-02-06T17:39:00.000+01:00

1- DO IT (J. Lynn-Dean)
2- MY BOYFRIEND’S BACK IN TOWN
(J. Lynn-Dean)
11/79- Creole Rec. CR-176 ps - 7”
****1/2

The lone solo single by Jesse Lynn-Dean, former
leader of The Wasps (see listing), was recorded
in the summer of 1979 with the help of
Charlie Burchill (gtr) and Mike McNeal (k) of
Simple Minds (see listing) and Tiam Grant (d,
ex-The Wasps). The 7”, issued in November on
the Creole label, flopped in the UK but was
nevertheless licensed for release in France
(sporting a cover with very slightly altered artwork)
and in Australia, (housed in a company
sleeve). These three editions turn up very
rarely. Both songs are penned by Jesse and
produced by Phil Sharp: the poppier A-side
DO IT is a rather catchy tune with loose hints
of Squeeze, whereas the slow ballad MY
BOYFRIEND’S BACK IN TOWN on the flipside
is less interesting. In 1979 Jesse Lynn-
Dean briefly managed Mod-ish band The
Graduates (see listing) and in the ’80s he relocated
to Spain where he continued to compose
and produce for various local combos.

Jet Bronx - Rock & Roll Romance

2008-01-30T11:48:00.000+01:00

1- ROCK & ROLL ROMANCE (L. Grossman)
2- ON THE WALL (L. Grossman)
03/78- Lightning Rec. LIG-525 ps - 7”
*1/2

Though marginally better than the previous
effort, Jet Bronx’s second single (this time
without the Forbidden) is still rather average.
Issued by Lightning on March 24, 1978, and
pressed on ordinary black vinyl, it bombed,
despite a rave review from Record Mirror. Jet
Bronx would resurface in The Commercials (a
1980 long-player on the Eat label).

Note: for them as who what need know re twangers
and thumpers and can't wait for the book's reprint:
Loyd Grossman (v, gtr)
Neal Grossman (k)
Ian Duck (gtr, harm)
George Ford (b)
Stuart Elliot (d)

Gay Wild

2008-01-27T19:32:00.000+01:00

1- BLUE BABY BLUE (D. Richards / B. Guard)
2- AU REVOIR (D. Richards / B. Guard)
10/79- RCA Rec. PB-5186 co.sl. - 7”
Note: demo/promo copies exist.
**

A pop vocalist who released three singles
between 1978 and 1980, none of which managed
to chart. Her debut 7” – BLUE GUITAR
b/w LOVE THAT RULES (President Rec. PT-
472 co.sl.), credited to Gaynor Wild – emerged
in March 1978 and was not influenced by the
New Wave, but the follow-up single, issued early
in October 1979 on the RCA imprint and credited
to Gay Wild, featured two songs in a
Tourists vein, penned and produced by Barrie
Guard and Digby Richards. The 7”, which is
worth a spin to New Wave collectors (hence its
inclusion in our listing) was sadly ignored by
the press and record-buying public alike.
Having secured a deal with Rocket Records, in
1980 Gay Wild would issue a final unsuccessful
record (ACTION ACTION b/w WILD GIRL).

Jeff Hill Band - Something's Wrong With My Baby

2008-01-17T15:59:00.000+01:00

1- SOMETHING’S WRONG WITH MY BABY (J. Hill)
2- WHATEVER SHE WANTED (D. Buckley)
12/79- Balloon / SRT Rec. BLOW-001 / SRTS/79/
CUS-557 ps - 7”
***

Immediately after the release of the Chiswick
single, Jeff Hill recruited drummer Dave
Buckley (ex-Moonshine, who recorded a 1976
EP titled TOO YOUNG TO LOVE ME) and
bass player Ray Humphries: the Jeff Hill Band
played their first gig in Burtonwood on October
19. A few demos were taped in Warrington
on November 26, two days before entering
London’s Pathway Studios to record a second
7” for Chiswick which never saw the light of
day. In the second half of 1978 a deal with
Rabid Records was negotiated and two tracks
were taped at Cheshire’s Revolution Studio on
February 19, 1979, with Steve Hopkins (k) and
Gordon Smith (gtr) as guest musicians and
Andy Mac taking production duties. Rabid
planned the release of a single, then decided to
include the two tracks on a compilation album:
both projects were eventually aborted.
Undeterred, the Jeff Hill Band decided to
found their own label, Balloon Records, and
self-financed the pressing of 500 copies of a 7”
housed in a cartoon picture cover with a Ramonesy
drawing of Jeff wearing a 'gabba gabba
hey' badge. The record emerged on December
20, 1979, and is worth tracking down,
though it is quite hard to locate: its two
Punk/Powerpop songs are enjoyable efforts
with the A-side SOMETHING’S WRONG
WITH MY BABY arguably being the better
track. Plagued by sparse distribution, sales were
minimal causing the combo’s demise after a
final gig in Warrington on April 19, 1980. In
January 2003 twelve songs recorded between
1977 and 1980 (including the three tracks taped
for the aborted Chiswick single) surfaced
on a vinyl album pressed on the Low Down
Kids label.

note: the mp3 is an alternative version of the
track on the single. Why? Why not??!?

The Limit

2008-01-13T17:09:00.000+01:00

1- PLEASE PLEASE ME (J. Lennon /
P. McCartney)
2- MY WORLD AT NIGHT (Barron Rocca)
07/78- Private Stock Rec. PVT-156 no ps - 7”
Note: demo/promo copies exist; ultra-rare acetates
credit both songs to The Freebies.
***

A very rare Powerpop single issued in summer
1978 by a group formed in 1977 as The
Freebies, under which moniker the tracks
were originally recorded. Having secured a
deal with Private Stock Records, The
Freebies became The Limit just prior to the
release of the 7”, which coupled a pleasant
re-vamp of The Beatles’ 1963 hit with the far
superior self-penned flipside MY WORLD
AT NIGHT, a Powerpop foot-stomper with
classic hookline, performed with contagious
energy and impeccably produced by John
Springate. Criminally ignored by the press,
the platter sold poorly, but now enjoys
deserved cult status. Following the premature
demise of The Limit in spring 1979, guitarist
Dennis Perdicou would later resurface
in Punk combo The Dark (see listing). Note:
a different band of the same name issued a
couple of early ’80s records on the Surrey
Sound label and yet another New Wave
combo called The Limit contributed a Punk/
Powerpop song entitled LIFE’S SO BORING
to the early ’80s compilation LP of Yorkshire
bands OWT FER NOWT, pressed on the
Mundane Music label.

Morning Spunk

2008-01-09T14:52:00.000+01:00

1- SEX & DRUGS & ROCK & ROLL
(I. Dury / C. Jankel)
2- ? (M. Brown / G. Johnson)
11/77- Ariston Rec. AR/00815 ps - 7”;
Italian-only press.
***1/2

Released only in Italy in November 1977, Morning
Spunk’s lone 7” is a recommended find to
Punk collectors despite its utter scarcity. The
A-side is a competent reworking of Ian Dury’s
SEX & DRUGS & ROCK & ROLL, but the real
surprise comes from the flip, the oddly titled ?,
which offers a self-penned Punker furiously
performed by a band of superior technical
proficiency. Morning Spunk were a studio only
project masterminded by Michael 'Kim'
Brown (v/b), Mick Webley (gtr) and Graham
Johnson (d), all former members of The Renegades,
a British Beat/R&B combo who scored
a few hits in Scandinavia in the mid-'60s
before re-locating to Italy. In the '70s Brown,
Webley and Johnson formed Kim & The Cadillacs,
securing star status in Italy with their
blend of energetic '50s R'n'R revival. The Morning
Spunk 7” was meant as a cash-in on Punk
(the flip, sung by Brown) and the New Wave
(the A-side, with Johnson on lead vocals) and
was an idea of Kim & The Cadillacs’ label Ariston
Records. The single sold close to nothing
and immediately fell into oblivion. Kim & The
Cadillacs continued to perform and record
until the early '80s, with Kim Brown later moving
to Finland.

Surrey Sound

2008-01-04T19:21:00.000+01:00

1- THE DANCER (P. Harrison)
2- I CAN'T HELP MYSELF (R.Cannon)
06/78- Superbad Rec. SB-2 no ps - 7”
**

The lone vinyl venture of what was quite likely
a studio-only operation based in London hit
the market in mid-’78 on the Superbad
imprint (which had previously issued the 7”
THEY'RE LIKE MAGIC b/w LET'S TAKE A
CHANCE by Butch Leak, formerly of American
Soul group The Drifters, hence its exclusion
from our listing). Although Raymond
Cannon’s I CAN'T HELP MYSELF is no more
than a sub-Elvis pre-write of Queen’s CRAZY
LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE, the A-side is
a pleasant romp of rolling 1960s-style Doo-
Wop/Teenybop which, like the similarly inclined
SECOND OPINION or RANDY &
THE U-TURNS (see listings) might also
appeal to the more broad-minded of Powerpop
buffs.

The Takeaways

2007-12-19T16:46:00.001+01:00

1- MAYBE (Barrett) ... Jill Read
2- FOOD (C. Kid) ... The Takeways
07/77- Stiff Rec. 2C006-99.081 ps - 7”;
French pressing
**

This split 7” was only pressed in France in
summer 1977 and includes two songs lifted
from the Stiff compilation A BUNCH OF
STIFFS, released in the UK on March 30,
1977. MAYBE, a classy pop number originally
recorded by The Chantels in 1958, is presented
here in a version sung by American
vocalist Jill Read, taped under Dave
Edmunds’ production in 1969 (MAYBE also
appeared on the A-side of a Stiff single in
Holland, backed by another Jill Read track
entitled WANG DANG DOODLE).
But it’s the flip FOOD, a solid Pub Rock
number recorded on September 22, 1976,
which justifies the single’s inclusion in our
listing. The song was performed by The
Takeaways, a one-off combo featuring Chris
'C.P.' Lee (v, of Alberto Y Los Trios
Paranoias, see listing: his name could not be
revealed as he was under contract with
Transatlantic/Logo Records), Sean Tyla (gtr,
see Tyla Gang), Larry Wallis (gtr, see listing),
Nick Lowe (b, see The Disco Bros./Tartan
Horde/solo) and Dave Edmunds (d, see The
Disco Bros./Tartan Horde). A second track
taped by The Takeaways on the same recording
session, LET’S EAT, remained unreleased,
but was performed by Nick Lowe’s
Last Chicken In The Shop on the acclaimed
'Live Stiffs Tour' 1977 and can be heard on
the compilation album LIVE STIFFS.

extra: could be that Jill Read didn't exist, and
that vocal was just a varispeeded Edmunds. Anybody?

R. B. Zipper - Cruisin' With The Fonz

2007-12-15T21:51:00.000+01:00

1- CRUISIN’ WITH THE FONZ
(B. Woolley / R. Thompson / A. Finkelman)
2- SLIPSTREAM (R. Thompson)
01/77- Alaska Rec. ALA-2004 no ps - 7”
Note: labels dated 1976.
*1/2

A pop/rock combo formed in 1976 by Bruce
Woolley (gtr/v) and Rod Thompson (k/v),
who were at the same time collaborating with
Soul/Disco singer Tina Charles (her backing
band also featured Trevor Horn on bass). R.B.
Zipper’s debut single was released on January
14, 1977, under John Schroeder’s production:
the A-side is a slice of ’50s Rock'n'Roll revivalism
with Duane Eddy-influenced guitar, while
the flip sounds completely different and is a
decent hard rocker. Unlike the UK edition,
which came in a generic sleeve, French copies
were housed in a picture cover.

Second Opinion

2007-12-09T12:22:00.000+01:00

1- KING OF THE RACEWAY
2- STORMBIRD
08/78- Tash Rec. Tash-0035 no ps - 7”
Note: composer(s) of the tracks not indicated, but
both are band originals.
**1/2

Formed in 1972 by Mel Holman (v, ex-Mick
Hayes Band), Mike Powley (gtr), Steve Fenn
(gtr), Stuart Henman (b) and John Grey (d),
Great Yarmouth band Second Opinion were
influenced by music from the late-’50s/early-
’60s. Within the year, Rowley, Henman and
Grey were respectively replaced by Ted Starkings,
Robin Goodyear and Ian Gillon; after
supporting Bill Haley & His Comets on their
1974 UK tour, Ron Broughton (ex-Berry &
The Treetops) replaced Steve Fenn, and it was
this line-up which in 1978 released the album
MATTER OF OPINION on the Tash label,
operated by local producer Terry Smith-
Howell (in 1977, Tash had issued the collectable
long-player by System, a group Smith-
Howell had himself previously played with).
Later that same year, Second Opinion were
sponsored by Swaffham Raceway (for stock cars)
and recorded this single: KING OF THE
RACEWAY is an energetic and wholly creditable
home-grown stab at the sort of pre-
Beatles pop for which the combo had rightly
become highly-regarded, and might also
attract interest from Powerpop collectors. The
B-side is a twangy instrumental. The band
would not issue any further vinyl but, with
Mel Holman as the one constant in an often changing
line-up, continues to be a popular
local attraction to this day.

Gasp

2007-12-04T17:04:00.000+01:00

1- JIMMY THE FISH (N. Bernstein)
2- GAZ’S BOOTS (N. Bernstein)
01/79- Storm Rec. SR-028 no ps - 7”
**1/2

Blackpool-based Gasp – Gerry Lovell (v), Steven
Weir (gtr), Alan Jones (gtr/v), Phil Bernstein (b)
and Timothy Bernstein (d) – released this
lone 7” on the local label Storm Records in
January 1979. The platter is quite hard to
locate, but is worth investigating to New Wave
collectors as it features two enjoyable tunes,
proficiently performed and neatly produced.
The A-side JIMMY THE FISH is a Mod/
Punk(y) number somewhat reminiscent of
The Jam and The Who, whereas the more
melodic flip GAZ’S BOOTS is a decent
Powerpopper. The single sold poorly and the
band called it a day in 1980 with Alan Jones
later resurfacing in The Sensible Shoes.

Vince Cadillac

2007-12-01T12:21:00.000+01:00

1- LOVEY DOVEY (B. Marshall)
2- GAMBLER (Ties)
08/80- Crash Rec. POW-1 ps - 7”
Note: A-side dated 1978 on the label.
*1/2

Backed by session musicians such as Pete
Wingfield (k/v), Larry Bartlett (k), Barry De
Souza (d), Dave Eppel (gtr), Tim Franks (b)
Paul Jenkins (gtr), Trigger Lyons (b), Ricky
Hitchcock (gtr), Peter Lemer (pno), Barry
Morgan (d), John Porter (b/v) and Tony
Westwood (b), in January 1978 singer/guitarist
Vince Cadillac (aka Tony Todd, at the
same time a member of The Lorries and of
Jenny Peters’ backing band, see listings)
signed a deal with Satril Records and recorded
the album MODERN BOY at London’s
Pye Studios. The 33 would not be released
before the autumn, but two of its ten tracks
had already surfaced early in March on a 7”
– MEMORY LANE (a song written by Jeff
Dicken and Pete Crowther of Hard Rock
combo Mr. Big, who only recorded it as a
demo) b/w HELLO (V. Cadillac / Zubiaur),
Satril Rec. SAT-126 co.sl. – which failed to
leave an impression on the charts. Both
tracks of the single were Glam Rock/
Teenybop efforts of limited musical interest
to New Wave collectors with Vince’s love-itor-
hate-it high-pitched voice working well
especially on the sub-Queen flip. Vince’s second
solo single – VOODOO WOMAN (T.
Todd) b/w LILY (P. Jenkins / J. Porter), Satril
Rec. SAT-135 – emerged on July 28, 1978, in
both 7” (housed in a company sleeve) and
12” (in a picture cover) formats. It featured
two songs included on the 33 MODERN
BOY which hit the market on September 30:
the A-side was a mediocre Disco number,
while the flip was a weak pop tune. A third
single with two further tracks lifted from the
long-player – SHE’S A MODEL (T. Todd)
b/w LOVING YOU (T. Todd), Satril Rec.
SAT-240 co.sl. – was Vince’s final output on
the Satril imprint proper: issued on
February 23, 1979, it coupled a decent Glam
Rock A-side and a listenable Teenybop flip.
The platter followed the fate of the previous
singles (and of the album) selling disappointingly.
Vince’s fourth single would be
much more interesting (hence its inclusion
in our listing): released on August 29, 1980
(but dated 1978 on the label), on Satril’s subsidiary
Crash Records, the 7” saw the vocalist
backed by a five-piece combo called Ties.
The picture sleeve has a clear Punk/New
Wave style and the music follows accordingly
on the nice Punk(y) A-side LOVEY
DOVEY, but GAMBLER, the Glam-tinged
number on the flip is a strong offering too.
Pressed in an edition of 1,000 copies, the
platter failed to sell, but nevertheless secured
a licence in Holland (on Killroy Records),
housed in a slightly altered picture sleeve.
Late in 1980 Vince Cadillac would issue a
fairly good Powerpop single credited to Todd
(END OF THE WORLD b/w THE RADIO),
also on the Crash label.

Warren Harry - Radio Show

2007-11-29T12:27:00.000+01:00

1- 1965 (W. Harry)
2- RADIO SHOW (W. Harry)
11/78- Ellie Jay Rec. HAH 1/EJSP-8632 no ps - 7”
***1/2

In 1978 Harry and his band self-produced
and self-financed the release of a single
which was pressed in November through the
Ellie Jay facility in an edition limited to 500
copies. The platter’s A-side, entitled 1965,
was a surprisingly good Powerpop song reminiscent
of The Boys, but the poppier flip,
RADIO SHOW, was a listenable offering too.
The 7” is now extremely hard to locate and
quite sought-after among New Wave collectors.
In early 1979 Warren Harry relocated to
Groningen, in Holland, where two further
singles were released on the Polydor label.
The first (Cat. No. 2050 593 ps), issued in
June 1979, featured two mixes of RADIO
SHOW, the flip of the Ellie Jay 7”: the A-side
(RADIO SHOW part 1) is just the Ellie Jay
version, while the flip (RADIO SHOW part
2) includes an alternate mix produced by
Kenny Denton and Jur Eckhardt. It should
be noted that a few mispressed copies of the
single sport the different B-side SILVER
DIAMONDS, although cover and labels
always credit RADIO SHOW part 2. A final
Dutch-only 7” (WELCOME TO JUDY’S
WORLD) surfaced in 1980. Harry would
subsequently achieve some success as a
songwriter composing for, amongst others,
Bucks Fizz.

Duggie Briggs Band - Flashes On It (Again) EP

2007-11-24T19:17:00.000+01:00

FLASHES ON IT (AGAIN) EP
1- POISONED IVY (R. Sholdis)
2- THE GAMBLER (T. Hamilton) //
3- HEADIN’ (T. Hamilton)
4- 42 HOURS LATE (R. Sholdis)
11/78- It Rec. ITEP-5 ps - 7”
Note: the labels state that the tracks are taken
“from the LP "IT’S HIT’S [sic] Vol. III" but the longplayer
was never issued.
**1/2

With a line-up given as Tony Hamilton
(gtr/v), Biggles (b), A.B. Normal (v), Leonard
Adget (k) and Dirty Mack (d), The Duggie
Briggs Band issued a further 7” EP in November
1978, again on It Records. The four songs
are undoubtedly of a much higher compositional
standard than those on the first single.
The ’50s Rock'n'Roll influences are still there,
especially in HEADIN’ and THE GAMBLER,
but the Punk/New Wave elements are much
more convincing on the two other tracks POISONED
IVY and 42 HOURS LATE. An altogether
good platter that would be the combo’s
(and label’s) final release.

Index

2007-11-22T19:49:00.000+01:00

1- JETLAG (The Index)
2- TOTAL BLAND (The Index)
06/78- Index Rec. INDY-001 stickered plastic sl. - 7”
Note: only the first pressing (500 copies) with
push-out centre and stickered plastic sleeve; second
pressing (500 copies) with solid centre and
generic sleeve.
*** (1st pressing) ** (2nd pressing)

One of the very first New Wave bands operating
in Cheltenham, The Index were formed
in January 1977 by Troy Tate (v/gtr), Russell
Elliott (b) and Dave Hough (d), originally
inspired by The Clash. A lone self-produced
single was pressed in an edition of 500 copies
in June 1978, with another 500 copies following
in September: totally neglected by the
press, it was to be the only vinyl legacy of a
sadly forgotten combo. Both tracks exert an
undoubted charm: the fascinating JETLAG is
arguably the better compositional effort,
with its vaguely Psychedelic background
over which Tate whispers the lyrics. Index
disbanded in January 1979: Tate resurfaced
in Shake, The Teardrop Explodes and
Fashion (see listings), as well as recording
solo.

Sneeky Pete

2007-11-20T16:21:00.000+01:00

1- NIGHT-TIME IN THE CITY (D. Cameron / J. Cameron)
2- GETTIN’ OUT (S. Brown)
05/79- N.O.W. (North Of Watford) Rec. N-701 folded ps - 7”
Note: ps in at least four different colours (same artwork):
1) black & green, 2) black & blue, 3) black &
white, 4) black & pink.
**

A Glasgow-based six-piece group well-known
on the local live scene with a
Rock/Soul set somewhat reminiscent of the
Average White Band. Formed in 1977,
Sneeky Pete – Wally Cameron (v), Johnny
Cameron (gtr), Duncan Cameron (gtr),
Donny Finlay (b), Rab McQuillan (d) and
Sandy Brown (k) – soon built up a faithful
cult following with pleasant self-penned
songs mixed with cover versions such as The
Who’s PINBALL WIZARD. In early 1979,
having supported the likes of Caravan and
Tyla Gang on various Scottish dates, the
group decided it was time to record their
debut single. They entered Kirkland Park
Studios, Strathaven, between February 28
and March 2, 1979, and taped two self-penned
songs which emerged on the N.O.W.
(North Of Watford) label on May 25, by
which time Sandy Brown had decided to
quit. The 7’’, promoted with an appearance
at the Loch Lomond Rock Festival on May 26
(opening for The Stranglers, Dr. Feelgood,
Skids and The Dickies) and with a UK tour
supporting The Buzzards, includes a
pop/rock A-side with funky bass lines and an
arguably superior XTC/Squeeze-ish flip.
About 4,000 copies were pressed and sold
mostly in Scotland. A self-financed cassette
album entitled LIVE AND KICKING, which
emerged in mid-December 1979 on the
band-owned SPR label, would be Sneeky
Pete’s final output.

Future Bodies

2007-11-17T13:58:00.000+01:00

1- TERRORIST (Future Bodies)
2- SCIENCE OF ROMANCE (Future Bodies)
01/80- Final Alternative Rec. SGS-III ps - 7”
Note: rubber-stamped labels; all copies include an
insert which states that the songs were recorded in
November 1979.
***

Obscure Punk band from Mottingham
(South-East London) formed early in 1979 by
Vince Carter (gtr/v), Gary Factor (v), Marc
One (d/v) and Tom Levett (b/v). Recorded in
November ’79 at Duffys Studio, Crystal Palace,
and issued in December (although distribution
officially started on January 1, 1980), the
increasingly collectable lone single by Future
Bodies includes two Punk songs with adventurous
changes of tempo and gloomy atmospheres
in an early Ants/Banshees vein. Well worth
investigating.

Striker Blue

2007-11-13T10:52:00.000+01:00

Jabberwock

2007-11-10T12:59:00.000+01:00

1- SNEAKIN’ SNAKY
(C. Reeves / G. Vandekleut / N. Harrison / P. Jennings)
2- FORTUNE TELLER
(C. Reeves / G. Vandekleut / N. Harrison / P. Jennings)
01/77 - MCA Rec. MCA-264 co.sl. - 7”
Note: demo/promo copies exist and include a different
'radio edit' of the A-side.
*1/2

After the demise of Driftwood, a three-piece
pop combo who had released an eponymous
long-player in 1970, band member Neil Harrison
(k/gtr/v) issued two solo singles and a
long-player which met with a limited degree
of success. In 1975 he resurfaced in Jabberwock,
producing and co-composing the
group’s one and only 7”, recorded in autumn
1976 at London’s Air Studios by a line-up also
featuring Giz van de Kleut/Vandekleut (b),
Chris Reeves (v/gtr, ex-Rock Candy), Pete
Jennings (k, ex-Cressida, two strong Prog-
Rock albums on Vertigo in 1970/1) and an
unnamed session drummer. The A-side
SNEAKIN’ SNAKY is a strong Hard Rock song
with an infectious chorus and some impressive
vocal harmonies, whereas the flip, FORTUNE
TELLER, is a mediocre brassy number.
Released on the MCA label on January 21,
1977, SNEAKIN’ SNAKY sold poorly but was
nevertheless licensed to the USA: both British
and American pressings are housed in company
sleeves. Throughout 1977/1978 Reeves was
also playing with The Dyaks (see listing); van
de Kleut and Jennings would also take part in
a May 1978 recording session intended for a
second Dyaks single, and before the end of the
decade Neil Harrison also hit the market with
a third (and final) solo single – BANK OF
LOVE b/w GEORGE’S BAR – on the Arista
label (Cat.No. ARIST-185 co.sl.) as well as
producing Sore Throat’s album SOONER
THAN YOU THINK and the long-player
BITANGA I PRINCEZA by Bijelo Dugme
(Yugoslavia’s top rock band led by a young
Goran Bregovic). By 1980, when remixed versions
of SNEAKIN’ SHAKY and FORTUNE
TELLER emerged on a 7’’ credited to
Disturbance (see listing), a name which had
been adopted sometime in 1978, the group
had split. Chris Reeves resurfaced in Mystere
Five’s and released a solo single (assisted by
Peter Jennings) on the Y label.

Gratis

2007-11-08T22:42:00.001+01:00

1- DOWNTOWN (T. Hatch)
2- PLEASE CALL MY NUMBER
(M. Spellman / Gratis)
06/79- B.P.M. Rec. BPM-1 ps - 7”
Note: double A-sided single.
***

A quartet from Slough/Hounslow, formed in
1978 by Martin Spellman (v/gtr) with John
Wust (gtr/ v), Mario Watts (d, ex-The Doll, see
listing) and John Wickes (b/v). Gratis’ only
single was released on the B.P.M. label in June
1979, in an edition of 1,000 copies. It is a double
A-sided 7” which features a mediocre version
of DOWNTOWN (the Petula Clark hit
composed by Tony Hatch, also covered by
Scottish New Wave combo The Cuban Heels,
see listing), and a decent self-penned ’60s
flavoured Powerpop song entitled PLEASE
CALL MY NUMBER.

The News - Blue Thru

2007-11-07T20:31:00.000+01:00

1- BLUE THRU (S. Smith / G. Culpin)
2- I WILL SURVIVE (S. Smith)
03/78- GTO Rec. GT-221 co.sl. - 7”
*1/2

A New Wave pop-rock combo formed by
vocalist/guitarist Sal Smith (aka Sal Solo)
with Graham Culpin (b), Lindsay Elliott (d,
previously with Cockney Rebel) and Michael
Taylor (k), The News began operating in
1977 and at the beginning of the following
year were signed by GTO Records. A single
was recorded in the first weeks of 1978 under
former Glitter Rock star Barry Blue’s
production and appeared on March 3 to
lukewarm reviews and disappointing sales.
The platter was promoted with a UK tour
supporting Roy Wood’s Wizzo, by which
point The News had become a five-piece
with the recruitment of guitarist Alan
Richards, allowing Sal to concentrate on lead
vocals only. BLUE THRU and I WILL SURVIVE,
the two self-penned songs of the 7”,
have a definite Glam Rock flavour and are
notable for their sophisticated Queen-like
harmony vocals; the tunes are altogether
unmemorable, though. Culpin quit during
the summer and was replaced by Mik
Sweeney (ex-Neo, see listing), but the new
line-up did not record anything, breaking up
before the end of the year. Sal and Sweeney
immediately joined forces with B.P. Hurding
(gtr) and Jak Airport (d), both former members
of the recently disbanded X-Ray Spex
(see listing) to create “a sort of X-Ray Spex
mark 2”. Jak Airport soon decided to quit
and was replaced by Gary Steadman (ex-
Eater) and the combo, named Classix
Nouveaux, made their live debut in November
1979 with a set mixing Glam and New Wave
elements. In the early ’80s they would release a
few records with a certain degree of commercial
success: they would score nine UK hits:
seven singles and two albums, between 1981
and 1982. Following Classix Nouveaux breakup,
Gary Steadman resurfaced in A Flock Of
Seagulls and The Roytes.

Apostrophe - Sad And Blue

2007-11-05T20:29:00.000+01:00

1- SAD AND BLUE (G. Dye / S. Dye)
2- I'M A CLOWN (G. Dye / S. Dye)
01/79- Bellaphon Rec. BF-18642 ps - 7”;
German pressing
**

Terry Warner left the band before the
recording of a second single, which emerged at
the turn of the year, coinciding with a German
tour in support of both releases on which the
Dye brothers and Tomkins were joined by
Simon King (k). Once again the two songs,
notable for their strong vocal harmonies, were
clearly influenced by The Beatles, but with
even the short-lived UK hype of Powerpop
missed by a band busy in a German vacuum, a
disheartened Apostrophe broke up early in
1979. Replacing Simon Tomkins as drummer
with Sean Heaphy (Tomkins would resurface
in Air-Race), the Dye brothers quickly formed
a new combo influenced by the modern Pop
of New Musik (see listing), with keyboards to
the fore, completely missing the opportunity
presented by the new Mod trend to capitalise
on their superior re-creation of ’60s Pop;
when the group, now named Scarlet Party,
finally returned to their Beatle-esque
beginnings with the 1982 classic 101-
DAMNATIONS single, they were once again
out of step with the market. After Scarlet Party
split, Graham Dye went on to work extensively
with the Alan Parsons Project; the Dye
brothers have remained close to their Beatles
roots and sporadically perform a tribute act as
Words And Music By Lennon/McCartney.

Base

2007-11-03T12:31:00.000+01:00

VIOLENT DEATH EP
1- VIOLENT DEATH (M. Turner) //
2- FRENCHMEN (M. Turner)
3- ONE-WAY GIRL (M. Turner)
02/80- Base Rec. BASE-001 xerox. fold. ps - 7”
Note: picture sleeve is dated 1979; recorded in
mono; all copies include an insert.
***

One-man band founded by former Essential
Logic (see listing) bass player Mark Turner. As
Base he made his vinyl debut with these three
experimental tracks recorded at the end of
1979 and released on February 22, 1980, on his
own indie label. A worthy D.I.Y. 7” which
includes VIOLENT DEATH and FRENCHMEN
– two remarkable electronic sketches in
the vein of early Human League – and the
tortured low-fi ONE-WAY GIRL, with echoed
vocals and noise-guitar. In the early ’80s,
Base/Turner would issue a couple of further
singles backed by David King (gtr/v) and Jayne
Dare (k/v).

Underhand Jones

2007-11-01T20:01:00.000+01:00

EP
1- ONLY MAKE BELIEVE (C. Forbes / B. Fairbairn)
2- ITS ALRIGHT (C. Forbes / B. Fairbairn) //
3- LITTLE LADY (C. Forbes / B. Fairbairn)
4- MUSIC MAKER (C. Forbes / B. Fairbairn)
07/78- Jammy Rec. JRUJ-1 no ps - 7”
Note: plays at 33rpm; most copies have stickered
amendments to this effect.
***

A six-piece Glasgow-based combo formed in
1977 by Billy Fairbairn (v), Campbell Forbes
(gtr), Brian Coyle (gtr), Eddy Walton jr. (gtr),
Billy McLeish (b) and Steve Irvine (d). In the
first half of 1978 they played at the Kelvingrove
Rock Festival and were approached by Radio
Clyde’s John McCalman who helped the combo
release their debut 7”, which emerged late in
July on Jammy Records, an extension of the
music publishing company of the same name.
Not a bad record by any means, with well-structured
vocal harmonies and songs not unlike
those of Aztec Camera’s Roddy Frame in the
early ’80s. Having disbanded in November
1978, Underhand Jones re-formed in April
1979 with Stevie Doherty and Roger Cameron
breplacing Fairnbairn and McLeish. The
combo were on the bill of the Loch Lomond
Rock Festival on May 27, opening for The
Boomtown Rats, Rockpile, Buzzcocks, Fairport
Convention and Average White Band. They
continued to perform throughout the new
decade, contributing no less than seven tracks
to the local compilation JAMMY BUT NICE,
issued by Jammy Records in November 1980.
The same compilation also featured The Shops,
whose line-up comprised two members of
Underhand Jones – Forbes and Irvine – plus
Billy McLeish and Billy Fairbairn, the latter
being the co-composer of the four tracks on
Underhand Jones’ EP.

Ishmael United

2007-10-30T13:06:00.000+01:00

1- SONG OF THE LAST GENERATION (I. Smale / D. Evans)
2- CROWD TROUBLE (I. Smale / D. Evans)
05/79- Kingsway Music 5NIL no ps - 7”
***1/2

Ishmael (aka Ian Smale, v/gtr) is unarguably
one of the most important figures in British
Christian Rock. Since 1973 he had released
records as Andy & Ishmael – a duo with Andy
Piercy, later of After The Fire (see listing) –
and as Ishmael (his 1977 album THE CHARGE
OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE caused much
controversy and was heavily criticised and
even banned in some Christian circles). In
1978 he formed Ishmael United, a four-piece
rock band also featuring Dave Evans (k/gtr/v),
Laurie Mellor (b/v) and Pedro Wills (d/v) and
entered Eastbourne’s I.C.C. Studios with Andy
Piercy taking production duties. A track from
the sessions appeared late in 1978 on the compilation
album MUSIC FOR THE KING
(Ishmael United’s song is correctly entitled
BARTIMAEUS on the labels: the title is misspelled
as BARTEMAEUS on the back cover).
A few months later, in May 1979, a 7” was
issued on the Kingsway label and included two
enjoyable Punk Rock numbers which are
worth investigating to genre collectors.
Ishmael United’s 33 – entitled IF YOU CAN’T
SHOUT SAVED YOU’LL HAVE TO FACE
THE PENALTY – followed in June: among its
twelve tracks are both songs of the single, plus
at least a couple more Punk/New Wave-tinged
cuts. Badly reviewed or ignored by the music
press, both the long-player and the 7” barely
circulated outside the Christian rock circuits.
Ishmael would continue to record throughout
the next decades and before the end of the
millennium he had released well over 20
albums!

Mick Flinn Band

2007-10-26T12:43:00.000+02:00

1- DOIN’ IT RIGHT (M. Flinn)
2- DO WHAT YOU WANNA DO (M. Flinn)
05/78- EMI Rec. EMI-2805 co.sl. - 7”
Note: demo/promo copies exist.
**

A rare and rather enjoyable platter released by a
combo fronted by Mick Flinn (ex-The
Mixtures/Springfield Revival/Pussyfoot) who
sings, produces (with some help from Vic
Maile) and arranges two Glam Rock songs,
updated with Punk re-touches. [Although
Flinn was Australian, DOIN’ IT RIGHT qualifies
for inclusion here as the band otherwise
comprised British musicians and were active in
the UK]. The 7” was released by EMI on May
26, 1978, to close-to-zero sales. In 1979 Mick
Flinn and a couple of members of his band
formed The Lips, who issued two unsuccessful
singles in 1980; Mick would later join The New
Seekers.

Shaddowfax

2007-10-21T22:34:00.000+02:00

1- REALLY INTO YOU (M. Unnuk)
2- SPARE WHEEL DRIVER (A. Unnuk)
08/79- BFD Rec. SFX-100 (Lyntone Rec. LYN- 6950/6951) no ps - 7”
Note: the labels misspell the band’s name as Shaddowfax
(instead of Shadowfax).
***

A group from Bradford formed by Matti
Unnuk (v), Allan Unnuk (gtr/v), Roy
Klymenko (d) and David Fairfax (b). The
Unnuk brothers and Klymenko had been
active from 1971 in a Beatles/Stones cover
band called Midnight Blues. A first edition of
Shadowfax began operating in 1973, but split
up in 1976 after their gear was stolen; the
combo re-formed two years later and entered
Rochdale’s Cargo Studios in June 1979
recording two self-penned tracks with producer
John Brierley. A 7” emerged in August
on the BFD label (owned by an old friend of
the Unnuks called Sil) in an edition of 1,000
copies: ignored by the press, the single was
mainly sold at gigs. Both sides are well-worth
a spin: REALLY INTO YOU is a strong
Mod/Powerpop song (some have noticed
similarities with The Jam’s SMITHERSJONES),
while SPARE WHEEL DRIVER is a
powerful Hard Rocker, notable for its solid
guitar work. Matti Unnuk subsequently
formed an Alice Cooper-inspired outfit called
No More Mr. Nice Guy. Note: a South
London-based NWOBHM act also named
Shadowfax issued the single THE RUSSIANS
ARE COMING in July 1980.

Dunneau

2007-10-18T12:53:00.000+02:00

1- ON MY OWN (G. Weaving)
2- THE SYSTEM (G. Weaving)
02/79- Clubland Rec. SJP-797 ps - 7”
***

London-based rock quintet formed by Gary
Weaving (v), Graham Simmonds (gtr), Dave
Brown (gtr), Olly Curtis (b) and Tony Hands-
Heart (d), plus two girls – Ruth Bonnet and
Corinna Morawicz – as backing vocalists. The
Dunneau’s only vinyl output was this rare 7’’,
recorded in October 1978 and co-produced
with Tim Butcher. Released by Clubland
Records in an edition of 500 copies late in February
’79, the 7” includes two solid rock songs
with Punky overtones. In 1979 the group
entered the Melody Maker-sponsored 'Rock &
Folk Contest' with little success and split at the
beginning of the new decade.

This one's for sale here.

Five Star Gas

2007-10-11T11:12:00.001+02:00

1- SMOKEY BUBBLE SHOO FLY PIE
(N. Murray)
2- SLEDGE HAMMER (N. Murray)
12/79-Warp Rec. SRTS/79/CUS-540/WARP-001 no ps - 7”
**1/2

A rare platter from an obscure combo led by
Nick Murray, who composed both tracks.
Released in December 1979 with only 500
copies pressed, the lone 7” by Five Star Gas is
worth investigation to Powerpop collectors on
the strength of the remarkable flip SLEDGE
HAMMER. The A-side SMOKEY BUBBLE
SHOO FLY PIE, although solidly performed,
is a less appealing Pop/Rock number.

Tubbies

2007-10-08T22:17:00.000+02:00

1- GET BACK DOWN, YOU FATTY FATTY!
(R. Bowen / C. Stonor) or (R. Bowen)
2- SEND HIM AWAY (R. Bowen)
12/79- Paybell Rec. RB-001 ps - 7”
Note: labels credit track one to Bowen and Stonor,
whereas the back sleeve states “music and lyrics
by Robert Bowen”.
**
An obscure single from a combo led by Robert
Bowen (gtr/v) and Chris Stonor (k, ex-Biff, see
Thieves Like Us). Taped at Vivatone Studio, the
7” emerged in December 1979 on the Paybell
label, the same imprint which had released the
lone single by Chris Stonor’s previous combo
Biff, back in 1976. The Tubbies offer two
humorous and reasonably pleasant cuts: the flip
is arguably the better offering, though a Jazzy
mid-section is out of context in an enjoyable
New Wave pop tune. All in all, worth a spin.
Stonor would later enter the netherworlds of
library music and the New Age movement.

Collective Horizontal

2007-10-05T21:45:00.000+02:00

EP
1- CRAP GAME (Collective Horizontal)
2- SLOW GUNS (Collective Horizontal)
3- EDWARD’S LEER (Collective Horizontal) //
4- BEACH COMA (Collective Horizontal)
5- TORTURED MEANDERINGS (Collective Horizontal)
12/79- Dolmen Rec. DO-1 gatefold ps - 7”
Note: stickered labels; all copies include an insert.
**1/2

A London-based group formed by Adrian 'Ada'
Taylor (v), Igor aka Simon Pearce/Paris (k, ex-
Blue Screaming, see also Take It/49 Americans),
Keith Whitehorn (gtr) and Nag aka Stephen Lee
(b, a member of The Door and The Window, see
listing) with the help of a drum machine. In
September 1979 Collective Horizontal (the name
was inspired by Ed McBain’s novel 'Detective
Horizontal') self-financed the recording – live in
the studio, with no overdubs and in mono – of
this five-track EP. The 7” was pressed in an edition
of 1,000 copies on their own label in late
December, though distribution was fixed for
January 9, 1980. It’s a TVPs/Swell Maps-like venture
including five songs which range from minimal
Punk (CRAP GAME) to gloomy post-Punk,
with occasional Syd Barrett-esque defiance
(BEACH COMA): with its generous running
time of nearly 12 minutes, the EP is recommended
to anyone into adventurous D.I.Y.-New Wave.

Angel Street "Midnight Man"

2007-10-03T15:54:00.000+02:00

1- MIDNIGHT MAN (D. Page)
2- RUNNING AWAY (D. Colwell)
11/79- Motor Rec. MTR-003 no ps - 7”
Note: blue vinyl.
**

Six weeks later, on November 23, Angel Street’s
second and final single appeared on the Motor
label (see Mankind/Roger the Cat). A rather dull
guitar rock A-side was coupled with a much
better flip, somewhat reminiscent of Eddie &
The Hot Rods. Don Gallacher produced the
platter, whose success was very limited. After
Angel Street’s demise in 1980, leader Dave
Colwell played with 720 and collaborated with
Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden (also writing a
Maiden B-side), before joining Bad Company.

'Six weeks later'? Later than what? That info's in the entry for the first single, sorry.

Graham Fellows

2007-09-30T19:19:00.000+02:00

1- MEN OF OATS AND CREOSOTE (G. Fellows)
2- REBECCA (G. Fellows)
11/79- EMI Rec. INT-598 co.sl. - 7”
Note: demo/promo copies exist.
**

Last ’70s vinyl venture for the man known to
the world as Jilted John (see listing).
Produced by Bob Barratt and engineered by
Colin Fletcher, this single was issued by EMI
on November 2, 1979, to disastrous sales.
The two songs are decent efforts and the better
track is definitely the pleasant New Wave
pop-rocker REBECCA, while the A-side is a
mostly spoken composition with orchestral
background. By now Graham Fellows was
again concentrating on his acting career,
though in the ’80s he would still release a 7”
as Going Red (in fact: Graham and Chris
Sievey of The Freshies), plus the album
LOVE AT THE HACIENDA and the single
THROUGH THE LINE b/w SLEEPING
BEAUTY as Graham Fellows. Having played
a short-lived character in the British TV soap
'Coronation Street' in 1982 (his first fleeting
appearance in the top-rated show had been
in 1979), Fellows would later find success as
a comedian with his characters John
Shuttleworth (musician) and Brian
Appleton (rock musicologist).

Note: see it says 'co.sl'? Cos it never had
a pic sleeve, right? So what's that photo then?
Don't, just don't. Turns out there was one after all.
So far: two known copies... but there must be
more, right?
If you've got one, mail me.

Dave Bishop

2007-09-28T11:28:00.000+02:00

1- ANGI (D. Bishop) //
2- NO FEELINGS (D. Bishop)
3- RESPECTABLE MEN (D. Bishop)
10/78- Bible Rec. COM+L folded ps - 7”
Note: only a few hundred copies come in a ps; all
copies include an insert; the band is called The
Apostles on the cover, The Apostiles on the label;
the two sides are called 'Quiet Side' and 'Loud
Side'.
***(must have ps)

Hailing from Romford, Essex, Dave Bishop
& The Apostles – Dave Bishop (v/gtr), Rex
Harrison (b), Mark Edge (d) and Dave
Grindrod (gtr) – released this lone threetracker
in October 1978 on their own independent
label Bible Records. The platter sold
poorly: a pity, as the A-side ANGI was a well-constructed
ballad and both tracks on the
flip, NO FEELINGS and RESPECTABLE
MEN, were decent rockier numbers, clearly
reminiscent of Lou Reed.

999 "Found Out Too Late"

2007-09-26T11:14:00.000+02:00

1- FOUND OUT TOO LATE (N. Cash / G. Days)
2- LIE, LIE, LIE (N. Cash / G. Days)
10/79- Radar Rec. ADA-46 ps - 7”
Note: demo/promo copies exist; only a handful of copies come in a b&w ps (same artwork as the coloured ps), shrink-wrapped/stickered + free badge.
*1/2 (colour ps) ***1/2 (b&w ps + badge)

In the first weeks of 1979 Pablo Labritain was
seriously injured in a car crash in Scandinavia
and Ed Case, a long-time fan of the group,
stepped in until Pablo’s recovery in October
[Ed would later resurface in Hazel O’Connor’s
Megahype].With the end of 1978 the contract
with United Artists had expired and early in
the new year 999 secured a deal with Radar
Records (the label co-owned by Andrew
Lauder, who had signed the combo to United
Artists two years earlier). In March the band
began a long coast-to-coast tour of the USA
which secured a much higher profile in
America than in their homeland. New
material was recorded in August with Vic
Maile producing and Ed Case playing on most
sessions.After nearly twelve months of silence,
on October 5 (seven days behind schedule)
999 issued a new 7”: whereas FOUND OUT
TOO LATE was probably their weakest A-side
to date, its Punk(y) flip LIE, LIE, LIE was a
much stronger compositional effort. The single
managed to chart in the UK for two weeks,
peaking at no. 69, and sold rather well in
Germany, too, where it was housed in a nearly
identical picture cover. Following Radar’s economic
crisis, the long-player THE BIGGEST
PRIZE IN SPORT (which included FOUND
OUT TOO LATE but not LIE, LIE, LIE),
although originally scheduled for October
release, was repeatedly delayed and finally
appeared on January 25, 1980, on Polydor
Records along with another single featuring
TROUBLE b/w MADE A FOOL OF YOU
(Polydor Rec. POSP-99 ps; A-side from the
album, B-side otherwise unavailable). A three
track EP including BOYS IN THE GANG b/w
BRENT CROSS and I AIN’T GONNA TELL
YA, scheduled for March 28, 1980, was eventually
shelved in the UK, but BOYS IN THE
GANG and BRENT CROSS (the latter was a
non-LP cut) surfaced on a German-only 7” on
the Ariola label (Cat. No 101 734 ps).
TROUBLE and BOYS IN THE GANG are
both dated 1980 on labels/covers (hence they
are excluded from our listing) although they
were in fact recorded in summer 1979.
Similarly excluded are the live versions of LIE
LIE LIE and I AIN’T GONNA TELL YA placed
on the flipsides of two 999 singles from 1981
(OBSESSED b/w CHANGE / LIE LIE LIE,
05/81- Albion Rec. ION-1011 ps and LI’L RED
RIDING HOOD b/w WAIT FOR YOUR
NUMBER TO BE CALLED / I AIN’T GONNA
TELL YA, 07/81- Albion Rec. ION-1017 ps):
these were taped in 1979 at London’s Nashville
Club but there is no mention of the recording
dates on sleeves or labels. 999 would continue
to record and perform throughout the next
decades though after three minor hit singles
(all in 1981) they began a commercial
downhill slide.

Neu Electric

2007-09-24T13:46:00.000+02:00

SURREAL MODERN MUZIK 7”
1- LUST OF BERLIN
2- DISTRACTIONS
05/79- Private Press. SGS-107 ps - 7”
Note: some copies with typewritten inner
sleeve dated 1979; ps and labels are un-dated;
composer(s) of the music not indicated,
lyrics credited to Dee Sebastian.
**1/2

A five-piece band based in Peckham,
London, and influenced by Berlin-period
Bowie, Neu Electric comprised Dee
Sebastian (v, real name Derek Morris), Steve
Jadd (gtr, real name Steve Parry), Steve
James Sherlock (sax/clar), Nick Hunt (b) and
Barry Della/Deller (d). Having quickly
attracted a reasonable following on the
synth-dominated London circuit, the group
self-financed this single, which was recorded
early in the spring of 1979 and privately
issued in May through the SGS plant (see
also Disco Zombies, The Steppes, Future
Bodies, Institution). Housed in a nice picture
cover designed by Nick Wilkinson, the
7” offers LUST OF BERLIN and DISTRACTIONS
two original compositions which
deserve investigation from collectors of
experimental New Wave. The group would
issue a 1980 EP on the Synesthesia imprint
(tracks: COVER GIRL / PRACTICALLY
ISOLATE // CONVERSE OF TAPES /
HAND) in a similar vein, using the slightly
altered (and even more KrautRock flavoured)
moniker Neu Electrikk, as well as
contributing LUST OF BERLIN to the
Synth-Pop compilation THE SOME BIZZARE
ALBUM. After the group's break-up,
Sherlock played with The The and Marc &
The Mambas, while Steve Parry formed
Hwyl Nofio, a group who continued the
sonic experiments first explored with Neu
Electric.

Great British Heroes

2007-09-19T14:07:00.003+02:00