Just another site that's giving you hard to find music

A Place To Find Some Rarer Tunes (Mod, PowerPop, Punk, Ska) ripped from my vinyl collection. If it sounds good I'll post it. The idea being that now you know about them, you can seek them out! If anyone is unhappy about any of these posts please contact me & I will take them off.

Sunday 2 December 2012

Paul Shuttleworth & The Latest Craze - Here She Comes Again (1979)

b/w - Just Another Weekend

When the Kursaal Flyers disbanded in late 1977 (their Farewell gig was on November 6th) vocalist Paul Shuttleworth decided to fly solo, recording 3 45's for Epic (The A side's all being cover versions & the B's self penned)

Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl/Take Away Love (28/04/1978)  Mink De Ville cover
It Hurts To Be In Love/Clown To The World (16/03/1979) Gene Pitney Cover
Here She Comes Again/Just Another Weekend (05/10/1979) Starjets Cover 

The Latest Craze
(AKA Black Gold) were

Wendy Roberts (voc) Mike Oldfield Band
Barry Martin (Guitar) Ex Kursaal Flyers now in the Hamsters  
Dave Bronze (Bass) His Session Work is astronomical
Phil Aldridge (Drums) now in the Illegal Eagles
Pete Jacobsen (Keyboard) RIP

Later Paul (amongst other things) recorded with the Reformed Kursaal Flyers & The Ugly Things

There is a CD (Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl) available with these 3 45's & other unreleased tracks available

Sounds & Scans

Saturday 24 November 2012

Sham Rock - First Take EP (1982)


A1 - I'll Love You Forever
A2 - Walking Through The City
B1 - Attack From Outer Space
B2 - Out Of Place


Samantha Pitt (Voc)
Adam Pitt (Voc Guitar Synth)
Sally Pitt (Guitar Voc)
Phil (Mac) McLoughlin (Bass Voc)
Neil Stewart (Drums) replacing Howard Cook
Susan Pitt (Backing Voc / Harmonies)


Nice New wave / Post-Punk / Rock sounds on this 45 from the Pitt Family & co utilising the local Airship recording studios
(Airship was based in Bognor Regis with Littlehampton & Angmering being just up the road)

Sam, Sally, Adam & Phil later played in different incarnations of Littlehampton band Voodoo if you go here you'll also see other bands that Adam has played in.


Sounds & Scans

Sunday 18 November 2012

The Kustom - Let The Girl Dance (1981)

b/w - Arrested

Let The Girl Dance is a likable (if not a little twee) stab at Jazz/swing but it's Arrested that you should "lend an ear to" (Powerpop/pop rock which will also appeal to the Mod Revival fans as it incorporates a few horns as well)

I'm pretty sure the band were London based, with the songs being penned by members R Helman & K Yallop

They had a big hitter behind them as the executive producer was Douglas Kean  which is why (I'm guessing here) it was released twice (the Silhouette pressing in Jan '82 & then on the Red Bus (RBUS71) imprint in July '82 - Let The Girl Dance also made it on to a Red Bus compilation LP [Hearts & Stars])

As always if anyone can add to the (scarce) info please leasve a comment

Sounds & Scans

Thursday 18 October 2012

Shakedown - F.B.I. (1978)

b/w - Wish You Could See Me Now

2 Pop/Rock tunes from this (what I thought was a) short lived Lewes band 

The band started life as Oakenlode & then morphed into Shakedown

Graham Frost (Voc Bass) RIP
Doug Sanders (Guitar Voc)
Bob Palmer (Drums)
Peter Lyon (Keys) 

I'm posting this as 
1 I quite like the B-side although the keyboards ruin it for me &
2 The maybe not so well known link to Mod Revival band The Lambrettas.

Additional Info From Amanda Sanders (Thank You!)

OAKENLODE
Line-up 1974 – April 1975.  
Graham Frost (Voc Bass) RIP
Doug Sanders (Guitar)
Nick Patching (Guitar)
Bob Palmer (Drums)
Ted Jarvis (keys)
Played at Windsor Free Festival in 1974 + Played other gigs around Brighton, etc.
Went on tour around the US army bases in Germany - February 1975 until April 1975.
After returning from Germany they changed line up.

Line-up April 1975 – 1977.  
Graham Frost (Voc Bass) RIP
Doug Sanders (Guitar)
John Whippy (Guitar Voc) RIP
Bob Palmer (Drums)
Robin Steadman (Keys)

Oakenlode morphed into Shakedown in 1977. 

SHAKEDOWN
First Line-up May 1977 until December 1977. 
Dave Purdye (Voc Bass)
Doug Sanders (Guitar)
John Whippy (Guitar Voc)) RIP
Bob Palmer (Drums)

Their first rehearsal was in the Scout Hut in Lewes on 15th May 1977. 
This line up was very short lived – first gig 30th September 1977 and last gig was 25th November 1977.

Second Line-up December 1977 until November 1978
Graham Frost (Voc Bass) RIP
Doug Sanders (Guitar Voc)
Bob Palmer (Drums)
Peter Lyon (Keys)
This line up were the ones who recorded the 7” single on the Kricon label, which belonged to James Chrimes. 
The songs were recorded at the Gooseberry Sound Studios in London in July and August 1978.
FBI was written by Isaac Nossel and the arrangement was by Shakedown. 
Wish You Could See Me Now was written by Roger Lacey and the arrangement was by Doug Sanders and Dave Purdye (before Dave left the band).
After recording the single Bob Palmer and Pete Lyon left.

Third Line-up November 1978 until May 1979
Graham Frost (Voc Bass) RIP
Doug Sanders (Guitar Voc)
Jez Bird (Guitar Voc) RIP
David Driver (Drums)
Doug and Jez did their last gig with Shakedown on 12th May 1979 at The Adur, Brighton. 
They left to form The Lambrettas with their first gig being in June 1979 on Hastings Pier.

Shakedown continued on and off from 1979 up until around 2015. There were various members but constants were Graham Frost (Voc/Bass) and Nick Patching (Guitar)

Sounds & Scans

Wednesday 10 October 2012

Gangster - Go (1979)

b/w - Gangster

I've just noticed that GFT has posted the 1st 45 by this Dutch (Amsterdam) band & is after a copy (hope an mp3 will surfice for a while!)

Cool glam/New wave sounds with more than a hint of Jonathan Richman's "Roadrunner" [or is that just my ears?]

The songs were penned by Jerry Putter (Voc) & Jhon Weeder.(typo on the label?)
I guess this is the same Jerry Putter who was earlier in The cool glam/powerpop band Melody (to my eyes it looks like the same band*) & later in Blackout

*so again as a guess I would say the Bass Guitarist could have been Ed Evers (ex- Rain)


whatever!!  (as always if anyone can put me straight with some facts - leave a comment)

Sounds & scans

Thursday 4 October 2012

Ryder-Desmond - Visions (1981)

b/w - Nobody's Gonna Get My Girl

Great New Wave/Powerpop from the pens of Kris Ryder (see my earlier post for more information on him) & Andy Desmond AKA Miten

To my ears Visions is a bit of a slow starter which gains momentum and becomes a fairly decent pop song (albeit with handclaps). 

It's actually  Nobody's Gonna Get My Girl that deserves a place on one of the many Powerpearls / Shake Some Action type compilations.

If you want to know what Miten is doing Now pop over to his web site

Sounds & Scans

Sunday 15 July 2012

Time off

As Mediafire has finally frozen/suspended my account (It had been on the cards for a while hence why I'd moved to Divshare) I'm going to have some time off. I'll probably be back in the Autumn.

Sunday 1 July 2012

Biz Internationale - Stay True (1982)


 b/w - Just The Thought Of A Love Affair

Last recording from Ronnie Mayor before he absconded to Austailia for a few years**

The band were Poole/Bournemouth based & had a life span of  roughly September 1981 to February 1983. Where upon they became Apres Ski [same band just with a different vocalist (Andy Janek - ex Contacts)]

Ronnie Mayor (Voc Guitar)
Ian Sandy (Bass) ex -Contacts whose 45 "Young Girls" was produced by Ronnie Mayor
Nicky Buckle (Drums)* Also in The Cosmetics with ex-Tours Richard Mazda
Paul Beavis (Percussion)
Bob Harder (Keyboards)
Graham Millman (Trumpet)*
Dave Hutton (Trombone)
Martin Bradford (Saxophone)*
* Can now be found here or here

A Potted History of Ronnie's earlier work
-TOURS  (May 1978- Jan 1980)
Language School / Foreign Girls 7" 05/1979  TOURS (T1) 
Tourist Information / You Know 7" 11/1979   VIRGIN (VS 307) 
Personnel: 
Ronnie Mayor (guitars/voc), Steve Jeff (bass), Richard Mazda (guitars/voc), Mark Spiers (drums)
Ronnie Mayor
-DA BIZ  (April 1980 - the band seemed to morph into Biz Internationale gradually)
1st Press - 08/1980 SMALL OPERATIONS (SO 002) 
2nd Press - 09/1980 SIRE (SIR 4050)
Personnel: 
Ronnie Mayor (voc/guitar), Ian Sandy (bass/voc), John Hole (lead guitar), Martin Hughes (drums) who replaced Steve Laurie

-RONNIE MAYOR   
Can't Wait Till Summer Comes / Holiday Theme 7' 08/1981 DO IT (DUN 15) 
Personnel: 
Ronnie Mayor (voc/guitar), Ian Sandy (bass/voc) Others unknown; possibly Nicky Buckle (drums), Bob Harder (keyboards)
Nicky Buckle & Ronnie Mayor

Useless Info -
1- In 1981 Ronnie Mayor put together the compilation "The Apprentices Dance" for the USA label Sounds Interesting which included The Tours/Da Biz & The Contacts. If you want to hear the LP pop over to this newly started blog
2 - Biz Internationale alledgedly supported Tina Turner on some dates of her 1983 Tour
3 - Ronnie (guitar) also backs Surfin Dave on the track Stateside Centre along with
Ian Sandy (bass) and Nicky Buckle (drums).

**THE REAPPEARENCE OF RONNIE MAYOR (May 2004)
On Wednesday, May 5th, Ronnie Mayor performed at The Blue Boar in Poole for about an hour, along with friends Conrad Barr and Pete Christie. This gig was probably his first local appearence in twenty years. He performed songs new and old, covers and originals, in a "back to the roots", unplugged style with Conrad on keyboards and Pete on percussion. It was like a breath of fresh air. And to be honest Ronnie didn't look a lot different from the way he looked twenty years ago.


Sounds & Scans


Finally thanks to Bournemouth Beat from where a lot of this info was sourced from

Wednesday 27 June 2012

Times Square - Joanne (1983)


b/w
B1 - Everytime
B2 - Road To Morocco

Excellent Mod (60's flavoured), powerpop from this North East (Sunderland) based band.

Recorded Feb '83 & released June '83 through (I Believe) North East Music Records.

The Band members were

Hilton Heslop (Voc)  
Jim Dryden
Neil Watson
Paul McDonough

Apparently the band split up shortly after the 45 was released but reconvened as a 3 peice late '83 minus Neil Watson.

It was recorded at Terry Gavaghan's Guardian Studios (having a Guardian Records N' Tapes release number of  GRC 240) & released on their own "Lets Go Records"

I personally prefer Everytime but Joanne is also a great track

Thursday 21 June 2012

3P Sweet - Too Close To The Moon (1982)

b/w - Getaway Car

2 interesting New Wave tunes [with bass lines that Jah Wobble would've been proud of] from this South London based band.

Tim Branston (Voc Guitar)
Brian Diprose (Bass)
Brian Nevill (Drums)
Martin Ansell (Keyboards Voc)

It was released in Feb '82 on the bands own Record Records label & was engineered by Andy Le Vien at his Thornton Heath R.M.S Recording Studios.

If you ask me Getaway Car is the better tune predating Renagade Soundwave by a good 8 years!

I'm a bit slack on info as I couldn't get any concrete evidence; but 

Tim could be the slide guitar player on this & this could be him.
Brian  probably played on this & this & could be in  Pearls B4 Swine or The Looters now
Martin possibly did this if so here's his myspace page

Well that's enough mis-direction 


Friday 15 June 2012

Rizz Wah Wah - My Bike (1982)

b/w - Red Echoe

Something different for a change; it's a sort of D.I.Y. indie tune with a blend of 80's synth & dub (On the flip).

The Exeter based band were led by Steve Waters (Voc, Guitar) who incidently is still playing in & around Exeter.

Aparently the group had their beginnings in the late 70's as a punk band although by the time this 45 was released they had definitely taken a different path!

Steve has a myspace  where you can see what he's been up to & there are also some more tunes of what he's playing now here

The record was produced by Suchart Thittichai & Mike Partridge & the 45 was mastered by Denis Blackham probably at Tape One on Tottenham Court Rd.

They also had an earlier track (Disco Pollution) on the Various Artists LP "The Circus Comes To Town" - Circus Records (TENT001) 1981

Sounds & Scans

Sunday 10 June 2012

THe Swimming Pool Q's - Little Misfit (1982)



b/w - Stingray

This is the 2nd Quirky 45 release from this Atlanta Georgia band (Formed 1978 & still going strong). Their 1st is available here

There have been many members in their 30+ years; below is who played on this record & a few (most?) of the rest

Jeff Calder (Voc, Fender 12 String 1978-)
Anne Richmond Boston (Voc, Pipe Organ 1978-87, 1998-)
Bob Elsey (Lead guitar, Rhythm guitar 1978-)
Pete Jarkunas (Bass 1979-82 He replaced Billy Jones (1978-79) & was in turn replaced by J.E. Garnett (1982-1990) &  Robert Schmid (2001-)
Robert Schmid (Drums 1978-81) replaced by Billy Burton (1982-)

Pool Q's with Billy 1982
Robert was the Drummer on this (LP edited) version of Little Misfit however Drums on Stingray are credited to Darryl Rhoades (Recorded 11/03/82) & the arrangement is co-credited (along with Calder) to Glenn Phillips

There's way more info on the Swimming Pool Q's here

not so Useless information - The sleeve cover was designed by Anne Richmand Boston

One last thing!!!
This Post is in support of the Friends of Bristol South Swimming Pool please follow the  link & show your support.


Friday 8 June 2012

Terminal Spectators - Reach For The Sky (1982)

b/w - Another Day, Another Dream

-Double A Side-

Class 45 from this Bedfordshire based band

Lionel (Voc, Guitar)
Andrew Walker (Guitar)
Carl (Bass)
Robert (Drums)

Recorded at Chariot (Studios?) which has a Luton prefix phone number & Pressed in France (MPO in dead wax)

This is available elsewhere but I think it deserves a place here as well.

Another day, Another Dream has been comped on Every one a classic Vol 5

Useless Info - Another 45 on this label is here (but it doesn't appear to be worth looking for)

Sounds & Scans

Wednesday 6 June 2012

No Idea - Modern Girls (1982)

b/w - Let Me In

Nice New Wave /Pop Rock tracks from this Bollington (Cheshire) based Band.

Mike Kelly (Voc Guitar)
Rob Palmer (Guitar)
Alan Astbury (Bass)
Paul Lucas (Drums)


With help on Let Me In From

John Cooper (Keyboards)
Alec McDonald (Sax)

The tracks were penned by Kelly & produced/engineered by "the band with Ray Buckley" althogh they were recorded in different sessions at Steve Foley's Smile Studios, Chorlton, Manchester.

Let Me In - June 1981
Modern Girls - Jan 1982

Useless Info - Ray Buckley was also an enginnerer at Pluto studios & engineered this (I guess he's proud!)

Later - I couldn't find much about the band except Alan now plays with Amandla

My main questions though are;
Who was Tommy? (see the label scans in the d/load) & also
Who was Dave Shannon? (name on the promo labels I have - again see the scans in the d/load)

Sounds & scans

Wednesday 30 May 2012

London Zoo - Who's Driving This Car (1980)

b/w - You And Your Great Ideas

I've Just ripped this for someone & noticed (strangely) that it doesn't seem to be available anywhere. So enjoy..

Robert Sandall (Voc, Guitar) RIP
Nick Aldridge (Guitar)
Ed Shaw (Bass)
David Sinclair (Drums)

A large peice of below is "borrowed" from here

In April 1980, listeners to seminal British DJ John Peel were treated to the first airing of a new single by a band which had, a year before, been touted among the brightest hopes on the Scottish club scene. "Who's Driving This Car," by London Zoo, was a limited-edition (1,000 copies) 45 issued for sale on the band's forthcoming Scottish tour, a jagged shard of neurotic pop which shattered out of the speakers and impacted firmly wherever there were soft bits to sink into.

Certainly ears pricked up wherever the show was broadcast and, within the month, London Zoo were in London, recording a four-song session for another BBC DJ, Mike Read. Two weeks after that, they broke up, a sordid reward for a group which, over the course of three years, three records, and two different names, had set standards which didn't simply defy the dilettante nature of the post-punk pop scene, they ignored them completely. Maybe, in fact, that was their problem. They were simply too sharp, too edgy, and too creative to hook the big fish. But, at least they tried.

London Zoo formed, under the distinctly punk-era name of Blunt Instrument, in London (Shepards Bush) in May 1977. Drummer David Sinclair had recently moved to London from Giffnock, Scotland, and was the only person who turned up to an audition conducted by guitarist/vocalist Robert Sandall and bassist Ed Shaw. Even the other guitarist, Bill Benfield, was absent.
The unnamed band rehearsed for a week, becoming Blunt Instrument on the eve of their first show, seven days after Sinclair joined. Equally rapid was the recording and release of their debut single, the thunderous "No Excuse," which soared to number two on the new wave chart published weekly in Sounds newspaper. Blunt Instrument had the world at their feet, but tragedy struck at a Kings Cross street party show in July 1978, when Sinclair was hit on the head by a flying cider bottle, fell off his drum stool, and fractured his wrist. Two months worth of shows were cancelled and, as the momentum fell away, Benfield quit the band.
With Sinclair still in plaster, auditions for a replacement brought in Nick Aldridge, with the band taking the opportunity to change their name as well -- they chose London Zoo because everyone had heard of it. (Their 1st gigs under the new name seem to be in October 1978)
Early in 1979, London Zoo signed to the Bruce Findlay owned & Edinburgh-based Zoom Records; their debut single, "Receiving End," followed, while the band itself embarked upon what Sinclair described as "an incredibly fertile period of songwriting." By the spring of 1980, London Zoo had a repertoire of 50-plus new songs. But that did not prevent them from being dropped when Arista swallowed up Zoom in late 1979. The band's next single, "Who's Driving This Car," was self-released on the band's own (deliberately misspelled) Gramaphone label.
Then, with the applause from the two radio sessions still ringing in their ears, the band played its final show at the Swan pub in Hammersmith, then went their separate ways. "It had become increasingly difficult to ignore the sustained lack of reaction from the record companies," Sinclair mourned. "Despite the records, gigs, radio exposure, we were still playing the same sh*t gigs as we had for the past two years." The band simply wasn't making sufficient headway to make it worthwhile continuing.
Rob Sandall went on to join the Epsilons, an Edinburgh-based band formed from the wreckage of another turn-of-the-decade group, the Cheetahs; Sinclair, too, is a solidly established British writer; he also served time in a couple of other bands, though, including TV Smith's Explorers (replacing John Towe) and R&B revival band Laughing Sam's Dice.

Sounds & Scans

Saturday 26 May 2012

Film - Kad Si Mlad (1980)

b/w - Zajedno (Together)


2 Cool New Wave tracks on the 1st 45 release from this Croatian (Zagreb) band.

 Mladen Juricic  (Guitar) (1978-1986)
 Marino Pelajic  (Bass) (1978-1986)
 Branko Hromatko  (Drums) (1978-1981)
 Jurij Novoselic - (Sax, Keyboards) (1978-1986)

Produced by Ivan Piko Stancic

Sleeve Photo by Danilo Ducak

I could write a comprehensive history of the band but I'd only be plagiarising the below 3 Wikipedia sites 

Film (band)   - Pretty good discography here

Jura Stublić

Popular music in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 

There's a myspace if you're interested

Sounds & Scans

Wanna hear more Go Here

Tuesday 15 May 2012

The End - Fade Away (1981)

b/w - The One For Me

Cool Female vocal New wave / powerpop from  this Belgium based 5 peice.(1979-82) released on the Monopole label

I've no idea who all the personel were, or even if the 3 names I have played at the same time. However I do know that there was a 2nd 45 released - No Tenderness/Grey Into Blue - Racoon Records (1982).

The Band Players I do know of were
1982 Band Shot

 Kris Vanstappen (Guitar)
 Gerry Vergult AKA Fred Angst (Bass) (the 2nd 45 is not mentioned in his discography)
 Hans Habils (Guitar) - He penned the 2nd 45

Gerry became very Keyboard obsessed (see below) so I'm guessing that is why, on the back of the sleeve there is a big thanks  to Gust De Meyer (something for all you minimilist synth collectors if you follow the link)

Later
Fred Anst joined Elvis Peeters & others in Aroma di Amore and nowadays is Kolk

Useless info - The matrix on the dead wax infers that The One For Me was to be the A-side - if anyone cares I tend to beleive it should have been.

Sounds & scans

Friday 11 May 2012

The Last Words - Animal World (1977)



b/w - Wondering Why

1st (& most raw sounding) of 3 times the Aussie (Sydney) band (1977-80) would release this (All 3 45's are in the d/load for you)

Andy Groome (Guitar),
Mike Smith [1977] replaced by Leigh Kendall [1978-80] (Bass)
Jeff Wegener [1977] replaced by Ken Doyle [1978] then  John Gunn [1979-80] (Drums).
Later augmented by Steve Beresford (keyboards) & Dick Nightdoctor (sax)

I've read that UK migrants Baxter (Dundee) and Groome (Dublin), grew up in Liverpool (Sydney) and played all of the instruments on this self-funded release (I'm not sure what Smith & Wegener would have to say about that - maybe they were enrolled after the recording to enable the band to perform live)

There's loads of info out there already about the band with most just repeating this

Go here to see the 1978 video promo for Animal World filmed in North Sydney on 16mm film at the cost of (apparently) AU$13,000 (Malcolm in orange, Leigh in stripes, Andy in white & Ken [Or is it Jeff]  sitting down)

As this post is for the Animal World 45 below are some interesting cover versions
 "Tierwelt" released on the album "Himmel & Hölle" by Der Durstige Mann (1987)
Brazilian punk band SCHK played it live (2006) for TV
& "Frag Mich Warum" (Wondering Why)  by Eric Hysteric and the Esoterics (with vocals by Leigh Kendall 1980) [Prior to this collaboration Leigh had also played guitar on An earlier Eric 45]
Discography
7"
Animal World/Wondering Why - Remand RRCS2439 (Aug1977) Oz Only
Animal World/Every Schoolboy's Dream - Wizard ZS196 (Nov 1978) Oz Only
Animal World/No Music In The World Today - Rough Trade RT022 (July 1979) UK
Today's Kidz / There's Something Wrong - Remand REMAND2  (Feb 1980) UK 
 Top Secret/Walk Away (Version) - Armageddon Records AS002 (Aug 1980) UK

LP
The Last Words - Armageddon Records ARM2 (Sept 1980)
The Last Words 1977-1980 - Retro Records (2007)

Sounds & Scans

25/06/2012 - more info about this 45 has been posted here

Friday 4 May 2012

Xena Zerox - Seconds (1981)

b/w This Is Your Life

Cool Female vocal New Wave from this Portsmouth based (I beleive they were at University together) but mainly Welsh (Aberdare) band
[see comments section for more info from Nigel]

Ruby Schlienger (Voc)
Nigel Evans (Guitar voc)
Martin Allerston later replaced by Phil Jones AKA Bill Bones (Bass)
Pete White (Drums)

 ULU 29 Jan 1982
As you can see from the label the band was another Finalist from the 1981 RCA Battle of the Bands more info here & here & Seconds can be found on the Compilation LP

Quote of the week goes to Oliver Gray for the reaction to his 21-04-81 live reveiw of them at Gilbey’s, Southampton.-  "They were furious because I didn’t think they were as good as they thought they were."

Later
After XZ Nigel played in a London based Goth band called Turbo & the Rockets with another native Welsh man Jake Jacobs as well as being in many other bands he was also in  Electric Tomato . Amongst other things he now runs Brecon Guitars organises The Brecon Fringe & finds time to be Scribbleman

Both sides can be heard on you tube here & here

Sounds & Scans

Saturday 28 April 2012

Tom Cotton's Truth Hurts - Who Needs Friends (1980)

b/w - Boogie Street

Interesting A-side from this North East based band of which I know very little about.

Tom Cotton (voc)
Pat Mount (guitar voc)
Bopper Robson (bass voc)
Robert Zipfel (drums) later in Badge
Doc Montana (keyboards)

with help from Lido Jackson & his guitar on Boogie Street

The flip is not really my cup 'o tea nor the funky guitar, it's his voice that makes me want to listen to it again (I'm reminded of someone else but I really can't put my finger on it.)

As usual when I can't tell you much about the band I'll pad it out with other snippets; such as; it was probably recorded at the Fairview Studios in Hull as the recording engineer was Roy Neave &  it was produced by Nigel Ward

Later
Scant info here but you can hear both sides of the drummers later NWOBHM band Badge on You-Tube here & here

The Record was released on Evolution Records* so here's a discography of the 45's (N.B. most of the sleeves [If they have one] are poster sleeves)

EV1 - The Plague - In Love / Wimpy Bar Song (Oct 1979)
EV2 - Truth Hurts - Who Needs Frieds / Boogie Street (March 1980)
EV3 - Morgan - One More Day / Princeton (March 1980)
EV4 - The Plague - Out With Me All Night / Er? / I Don't Want To Be Like Jimmy (April 1980)
EV5 - Tom Paxton - Feed The Children / That's The Way It Seems To Me (April 1980)
EV6 - John Ian - Don't Slow Down /Love Love Love Love Love (May 1980)
EV7 - Dolly Dots - Radio / Please Stay (May 1980)
EV8 - Tom Paxton - Be A Sport Afghanistan / Outlaw (June 1980)
EV9 - Paul Ringer - Something To Live For / Scarlet Ribbons (Dec 1980)

* Evolution Records was a subsidiary of RCA [whose warehouse staff had a tendancy to "Strike" at a moments notice] - I guess that's why these records are hard to locate.

Sounds & Scans

Saturday 21 April 2012

The Visions - Paper Kids (Life In Books) (1982)

b/w - The Ghost

Cool Powerpop on the A-side with a more XTC orientated B-side.

Even though this is a Dutch only release (Top Hole Records - June 1982) the band were from the UK (Chailey, East Sussex)

Dave Haw (Voc Guitar)
Steve Reeve (Guitar Voc)
Charles P.Q. Foley (Bass)
V. J. Blake (Drums) 

The 2 sides were recorded at different times in different countries with different producers.
Paper kids - Recorded December 1981 at Blue Tape Studios Luinjeberd, Heerenveen, Holland. Produced by Michel Hoogenboezem
The Ghost - Recorded May 1981 at Safesounds Mobile Studio in Chailey,UK.
Produced by Doug Siviter & Phil Siviter (If you do one thing today follow this link) the brothers are infamous for giving us the earlist recorded output from Bruce Dickinson (1977) & for being the brains behind The Shots 

 Later
After The Visions, Steve Reeve and Charley Foley along with Mick Neaves (Drums) became LAT - (releasing 2 tracks on the VA LP Tracks On The Green). Steve was also a member of "Over Seven Foot Long Soul Band" & more recently The Koan Brothers

The band apparently gets a brief mention in "International Discography Of The New Wave Vol. 2"

As always if you have any corrections or additions please leave a comment


Finally - if you want this 45, it looks like you can still pick up copies from Top Hole

Sunday 15 April 2012

Dee And The Cheetahs - You To Me (1980)

b/w - Touch Me

Cool New Wave from this Doncaster (Armthorpe) 4 peice. (Touch me being the better track if you ask me)

Dee (voc)
Malc Walker (Guitar)
Tim Bradley (Bass Keyboard voc)
Jan Carline (Drums)

The 45 was produced by Jan's brother (?) Jeff Carline (Guitarist for Uncool Danceband) & they were Managed by Father, Frank Carline.

Dee, Tim & Jan had previously been 3/4 of  The Shy Tots who released 3 tracks on 2 compilation LP's
Logical Steps (Waiting For Stardom & Oyster)
Bouquet Of Steel (Robot Maid) - d/l the LP here
The remaining member of  The Shy Tots (who kept the name) was Dennis Hardcastle who went on to release another 45 under the name in 1982 (Gallery) - If you followed the link you'll have noticed the new band also incorporated Ex-Fall member Yvonne Paulette on keyboards & Tim again on Bass.


Previous to The Shy Tots, Tim had also played on the (1978) Charlie Webster – No Horse Town LP & post Dee & The Cheetahs he took over bass duties from Mathew Seligman in the Louth (Lincolnshire) band Still Life. He currently gives Bass tuition if your interested in a new career

For a while I wondered if  Dee was the same singer as in Dee & The Monitors (apparently not!)

You To Me & Touch Me are both on You Tube to save you downloading the tracks

Scans & Sounds

Tuesday 10 April 2012

Look Back In Anger - Caprice (1981)

b/w - Mannequin (Double A Side)

I was asked for this a few months back (I'm not sure why as it has already been posted elsewhere) however on looking around it seems the information is quite scattered so...

Firstly this is Post Punk / Goth so now you know (honestly, I saw this being sold as powerpop a few months back)

The Hampshire (Waterlooville*) based band began life in 1980 whilst studying for A levels at Havant College to create a "musical version of the eponymous John Osbourne play." (their 1st public appearance being at the Merchistoun Hall in Horndean, performing a subdued synth-based set that included a cover version of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”)
The band then were Michelle Ebeling (Voc), Jim Newby (Guitar), Steve Butler (Bass, Keyboards), Rick Butler (Drums)

*I say Waterlooville based as three of the band lived there but Jim was from Swanmore - In the early days, rehearsals took place in the Butler Brothers record shop, Focus Sounds (yes in Waterlooville)

However by the recording of this 45 Rick had been replaced on the Drum stool by Gary Hawkins (ex - Clive Pig And The Hopeful Chinamen & The Oral Exciters)

After this recording the personel changed again to the more well known

Michelle Ebeling (Voc)
Jim Newby AKA Sean O'Farrell (Guitar)
Simon Tufnail (Bass)
Chris Pickford (Drums)

This was the line up that recorded
Cassette Single - Foxhunt / Life's Dispute - Stick It In Your Ears 1982 PLUG23  
12" - Flowers / Inamorata / Torment - Criminal Damage label jan 84 CRI 12 107
LP - Caprice - Criminal Damage label  in july 84 CRIMLP 118

 More info on this time of the band here & if you wanna hear more LBA  go here

Later 
Gary Hawkins joined  The Remayns & was a technical assistant for the Bam caruso record label
Jim Newby AKA Sean O'Farrell joined  The Fifteenth,  & Splashpool
Michelle Ebeling sang backing vocals  on Mankinds Audio Development + for The Cult (The Gimmick)  + Balaam and the Angel (She Knows)

If anyone wants to add to this please feel free to leave a comment

Sounds & Scans

Friday 6 April 2012

Atom - Oh I'll Never Get Over You (1979)

b/w - I Could Never Take Her Away From You

Catchy as hell A-side from the pen of Claude Taylor - I warn you, once heard not forgotten!

It's hard to describe but I'd say a Bubblegum / Glam / New Wave Pub Rocker, which should cover it!

It's released on the Belgium / Holland label Lark

I can't tell you anything about the band except (I'm guessing here) that they were probably brought together for this release by Bobby Patrick & at least one of them is from our fair Isles.

The production (Tommy Boyce) / engineering (Phil Chapman) team are also of a decent calibre, with the tracks being licenced from Interworld Music Ltd (set up by John Velasco for the British end of the publishing house Bertelsmann Group (BMG), in 1977)

The B-side is an "Essex Boy" version of the (also 1979 released) USA Couchois Album track

Useless information -  Boyce & Chapman had earlier been the backroom boys for the Autographs 45

Sounds & Scans