Fanatics - Total Confusion (1980)

b/w When The Sun Goes Down

2 Great Punk Powerpop tunes with the B-side being the better to these ears.

Well; thanks to the scant info on the labels, you know as much about this band as I do.

Produced by John Mills on the private Grudge Records

Record Company – Watermelon Songs

If you can add something/anything please leave a comment

Scans & Sounds

Field Marshal Slug - Glam Bang (1985)

b/w Spider Screen

Nice Post-Punk/Powerpop from this West Wales (Carmarthan?) band [1982-86]

I can't tell you much about them. I think the line up was:
Jamie Crawford (Voc)
Andy Duff (Bass)
Simon Dale (Guitar)
Dennis D Menace (Drums)

With Dino & Geoff Russell also having a go at the guitars at some point.

There is a pic sleeve to this [but most seem to come without it]

If you want to hear more there have been some Live & Demo tracks uploaded by presumably a band member on Youtube

As always if anyone can add some more info please leave a comment

Sounds & Scans

Josef Garret - Without Sex (1982)

b/w - Pop Star, Pop Star

Two striped back tunes from East London Folk-Punk troubadour Patrik Fitzgerald, his Guitar & a borrowed Revox on this, his 7th 45 release.
The 45, released under a pseudonym was funded by Uber fan Andrew Hoddle who liked the 2 songs, so dug into his own savings & got some copies pressed up with ellie jay records.

NME Press Clipping

The name comes from an almagamation of Patrik's middle name being Joseph & the economist Garret Fitzgerald + poets wrote and lived in garrets.

Patrik F

If you want to know more about Mr Fitzgerald Go here




Useless info - Without Sex had a reworking in 2016 by Russian Dance duo Wolfstream

Sounds & Scans

Eric Blake - Born To be Special EP (1981)

A1 - Born To Be Special
B1 - 80's Girl
B2 - Give Generously   

Julie Harding (Voc)
Mick Fanning (Lead Guitar)
Bob Timms (Rhythm Guitar) Not Credited as he left before the record was released
Ian McKenzie (Drums)
Alan Baker (Bass)

The Band formed as a trio [Alan, Julie & Mick] in Dec 1978. Based in the Basildon/Southend area, they added Bob Timms (Rhythm Guitar) and Julie's older brother Bob Harding on Drums a few months later. By Sept '79 they had won 2 local talent contests & gained Tony Coulton as a manager, this then led to them being signed to Carrere in March 1980 [for a 3 single deal]

Their 1st 45 [Sin City] was unfortunatly banned by the BBC [due to the lyrical content - which not being written by them must have rankled]

By the time of recording their 2nd 45 Ian had replaced Bob H on the drum stool & Bob T was on his way out.

As with the 1st 45 Carrere once again forced them to record someone elses [Jeff Chegwin] words for the A-side.

I'm not sure how the story ended but I guess by the end of 1981 the band was no more.

Alan explained to Malcolm Dome in Record Mirror [01-11-80] how their name came about:

It's a purely fictitious character and came about when I was in London with a few friends. We'd had a bit to drink' someone mentioned that name in conversation and it stuck in my mind.Later on we thought "hey Eric Blake, that sounds good for a rock band". Previously, we'd tried all sorts of weird names, such as Passing Wind and none sounded as instant as Eric Blake."

Discography
7" - Sin City/Zero 6 - Carrere ‎[CAR 141] 13 Jun 1980
7" - Born To Be Special//80's Girl/Give Generously - Carrere [CAR 179] 24 Apr 1981
7'' - Born To Be Special//80's Girl - Carrere [CAR 2070] German Pressing 24 Apr 1981

Useless info 1 - If the band were asked to sign their Sin City 45 they would always sign The Zero 6 side.

Useless Info 2 - Zero 6 was a local nightcub in Southend-on-Sea
     

Sounds, Scans & More

Type - Bright Green Angels (1980)

A  - Bright Green Angels
B1- Won't You Be Mine
B2 - Fast

Great Sole release from this Loughborough Based Female Fronted Post-Punk/New Wave Band [Lene Lovich eat yer heart out]

Chris Cresswell - Drums 

Unfortunately I have no solid info on them, I'm not even completely sure of the release date [See the comments below]


The 45 was engineered by Tom Nordon; Guitar, Voc for The Broughtons [1978-1982] & Doll By Doll [1982]

As always if anyone can "shed any light" please leave a comment

Sounds & Scans

Punkettes - Going Out Wiva Punk (1977)

b/w Polythene

“Punksploitation” - The short-lived practice of putting together a group of Seasoned Session Musicians and asking them to produce a loud and/or crude punk single in order to quickly cash-in on the punk “fad” that was peaking in the late 70s.

Talking of Punksploitation

OK, So this is a Novelty Cash-in 45 [More than Possibly for the Christmas Market, as it was released Nov '77] However it's the B-side that has grown on me over the years.

Both sides are penned by different people - Eileen Ray / Terry Bull

The Lead Vocal is rumoured to be Sue Wilkinson RIP (Yes That Sue)

Useless Info - Terry Bull was a writers pseudonym used by John Lees (Barclay James Harvest)

Sounds & Scans

The Singles - Fools Gold (1980)

 b/w (No Go Down To) Babylon

Here we have 2 sides of Female Vocal New Wave with hints of PopRock/Reggae on the Rook Records label. 

Rook Records appears to have been the house name for the Rook Recording Studios in Stourport On Severn which leads me to beleive that the band were from the Worcestershire area.

Unfortunately apart from both sides being Penned by Scott I can tell you nothing else

Anyone that can shed some light please leave a comment.


Sounds & Scans

Time Wasters - Kool Love (1979)

b/w - You Came Home

Great Mod / Powerpop from this Staffordshire area 4 peice [1978-82]


Tim Pye (Voc, Guitar)
Mark "Benny" Bates (Guitar Voc)
Jon Pye (Bass Voc)
Fred Skidmore (Drums)

There is a long convoluted history to this band which I'll try to make short.

In 1974 Greg Holt became Music Tutor at Sandwell's Residential Arts Centre, Ingestre Hall. The Centre, near Stafford was the former ancestral home of the Earl of Shrewsbury. Pupils from schools throughout Sandwell spent five days on creative workshops in Music, Art or Drama. This is where Greg recruited the members of the Time Wasters, the main purpose being to encourage their musical development collectively and as individuals. They mostly did not know each other before joining the group.

In 1977, Greg made a Folkie Supergroup by recruiting the best students [9 in total] to record an LP

Time Wasters [Personal Records STICKY 1] 1978 Smile/Won't Find Another/Maybe Next Time/Won't Get To Heaven/Balloons/The Same Again//Not Fit For Your Love/The Cost You Have Paid/Keep Me Hanging On/Last Words/Seventh Wave/Change My Mind

The Band were:Tim Pye (Vocals, Lead Guitar, Slide Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar), Dave Beale (Vocals, Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar), Chris Stevens (Vocals, Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Harmonica), Pete Ralley (Bass Guitar), Fred Skidmore (Drums, Electric Piano), Pauline Taylor (Vocals, Percussion), Ken Barnsley (Double Bass), Phil Jones (Alto Saxophone), Chris Burton (Flute) + Greg Holt (Vocals, Drums, Congas, Synthesizer)

Over the years the pool of musicians continued to change, with some who had missed the LP sessions returning and several new people being added. There were different performing combinations according to the occasion. Two of those who were on the 1st LP (Tim Pye & Fred Skidmore) and two who had missed the sessions (Jon Pye and Benny Bates) went professional with the name & scored a recording deal with Ariola.

Even after this incarnation more recordings were made under the name at Ingestre Hall until Greg left at the end of 1983 (going to Aston University Arts Centre) and from then on, to this day, multiple home-made albums have been made by several former Time Wasters.

Discography [all Germany only releases]

7" Kool Love/You Came Home [Ariola 101 127 100] 1979

7" Bad Girls/Judgement Chair [Ariola 103 026 100] 1981

LP On The Street [Ariola 203 544-320] 1981

Rita (What's In A Name)/Bad Girls/Judgement Chair/It Can't Be Love/Ask Me//
On The Street/Loose/Best Friends/Cupid Girls/My World/Linda Don't Go

Useless Info 1 - Greg coined the band name as a joke based on newspaper ads of the day for musicians to join bands, that would sometimes end with "No Time Wasters"! So Greg called them "Time Wasters Only" with the generic name for any of the musicians in the group beconing “Time Wasters”

Useless info 2 - when this incarnation of this band folded (1982) some of them became Alvin Stardust's backing/touring band. Tim writing at least 1 song for him "In The Morning"

Useless Info 3 - On The Street [The Title track from the 1981 LP is comped on Powerpearls 5]

If anyone can send me MP3's Of the LP On The Street - I'll add it to the link

Sound & Scans

Room 101 - One By One (1983)

b/w Life Is So Easy [Dance Mix]

Good mix of New Wave & Synth-pop from this Dewsbury, West Yorkshire duo

Mae Fortune (Voc, Keyboards, Synthesiser)
Danny Senninger (Keyboards, Guitar, Bass, Voc)

With help from
David O'Higgins (Sax)

Even though this and their second indie label 45 were unsuccessful it was thanks to John Peel playing One By One numerous times on his show & asking them in to record a Session [101 / I've Got Your Number / Rivers / I'm Not Your Kind - 21-09-83]. that "One by One" was picked up by a major? re-recorded & given a second life in May 1985.

Discography

1983 7" One By One/Life Is So Easy (Dance-Mix) - Norwood Records NRW S101
1984 7" Tokyo Nights/I'm Not Your Kind - Nowood Records NRW ERL S102
1985 7" One By One/Tokyo Nights - Red Bus Records RBUS 2200
1985 12"One By One//Tokyo Nights/I'm Not Your Kind - Red Bus Records RBUSL 2200

Danny Senninger

Mae Fortune

Useless Info - Billy Bragg gave the 45 a Review of "Unexpectedly Poppy With A Neat Hook - Good One"


Sounds & Scans

Twice Shy - Do You Wanna Dance (1980)

b/w - White Boy

Interesting A side but it's the flip that works for me

I can't tell you much about the band except the tracks were penned by M.Burke & J.Davison & the 45 was probably Recorded at the now defunct Rock City Studios [which was located in Shepperton Studio Centre, Surrey, UK]


It was released on the Stan Blackman owned Monarch Records (1979-83) which had a few other interesting 7" releases.

These include
Street Bizarre – Normal Life/Nervous Exhaustion MON 05 [1979]      
Darryl Read – Living On Borrowed Time/West End Girl MON 16 [1980]   
The Introze – Doin' The Lambeth Walk/Kids In Uniform MON 037 [1982]           
Flamingo Express – Honeymoon In Spain/Eighteen Wheels MON 044 [1983]

Sounds & Scans