The Toys - Ba Ba Badap (1981)

b/w - In My Car 

Great Beatlesque Powerpop on the 3rd and Final 45 from this Bath (Somerset) based band [1979-81]

Clete Stallbaumer (Voc Guitar)
Jerry Short (Guitar Voc) 
Phil Sudron (Bass Voc)
Dave Stallbaumer (Drums Voc)

July 1978 : American Born brothers Cletus F Stallbaumer Jr & Dave Stallbaumer (More Info in the download) recorded an LP with Mike Sparks (Bass Voc) & Mike Pryer (Guitar Keys Voc)
Clete Stallbaumer - My House Is Your House - Open Door Records [ODR-001) Chippenham UK
Me And The Boys/ Pride And Glory/ Grandma’s Rocker/ Speedway/ Do You Remember?// Motoring/ A Song For Rachel/ Here I Lie/ Black Limousine/ John’s Song

June 1979 : The Toys were Formed giving us 3 45's 
1979 The Natural Way/Go To The Police - Red Bus Records [1 A 006 - 63632] Holland only Release
1980 Go To The Police/Breakdown - Red Bus Records ‎[RBUS 54] UK
1980 Go To The Police/Breakdown - Red Bus Records [PB 5766] German Pressing
1980 Go To The Police/Breakdown - Carrere Records [49.647] French Pressing
1981 Ba Ba Babap/In My Car - Open Door Records  Chippenham UK
For the true completeists there is also:
1980 Go To The Police/I'm Alright - Red Bus Records ‎[RBUS 54] UK - The B-side is "Breakdown" Just mislabelled 

In 1981 Jerry Short & Mike Sparks teamed up In Bristol based band "Streets Ahead" 

Going by the Insert for the 45 it appears The Toys may have slimmed down to a Trio of  Clete, Phil & Dave. (Another clue to this would be that the dead wax reads "Where's Jerry?")

Sounds, Scans & More
 

Adrian Fuller - Everlasting Love (1980)

b/w Love Hurts

Nice Glammy Pop/Rock, 70's Powerpop on Love Hurts From these Yorkshire based boys. (I'm afraid their version of Everlasting Love doesn't do much for me)

Adrian Fuller (Voc)
Greg Ainsworth (Guitar Voc) Ex Christie 
Simon Albone (Bass) RIP Later in Dale Hargreaves' Flamingos 
David "Exciting" Albone (Drums) Ex Hobbies Of Today & The Vye

Lindsay Frost (Keys Voc) Ex The Out 

Producer Lindsay Frost
Engineer Bob Whiteley

Recorded September Sound Studios Golcar, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, 

Both are Covers
Everlasting Love - Cason / Gayden [The Love Affair]
Love Hurts - Boudleaux / Bryant [Roy Orbison]

Sounds & Scans

Auntie Pus - Half Way To Venezuela (1980)

b/w - Marmalade Freak

The London-based Band On this 45 were

Auntie Pus AKA Julian Isaacs (Voc Rhythm Guitar) 
Robin Bibi (Lead Guitar)
Jim Payne (Bass)  (The Stukas*)
Chris Millar AKA Rat Scabies (Drums) 

Julian Isaacs, was an enthusiastic solo Musician/Performer known as "The Public School Punk Rock Balladeer" - although he was kicked out of Kings College, Wimbledon 

Sounds Reviewer "...any man that sings like this must have something going for him, deafness for example"

How did this one-man old style rock ‘n’ roll guitar act score a support slot with the Damned?

Julian

He was Originally From Wimbledon South-West London & was best friends with 2 brothers who were in Chris Millar's (Rat Scabies of the Damned) 1st band. Julian was invited to support The Damned (due to his manager at the time David Scott promoting the gig) at the Hastings Pier in July '77, where he appeared on stage wearing his old public school blazer and cap

The 45 Recorded was in 1978 (at Pathway Studios) with production by Dick Taylor [Pretty Things] Yet it was released a year and a half later, in October 1980 by Septic [Spartan] Records, being specially created for this purpose by the Ruts Manager Andy Dayman (with whom he was touring extensively with at the time). 

Apparently a second 45 was recorded for Spartan but never released

As well as being a solo Live Performer He also gigged as Auntie Pus & The Men From Uncle
with at various times
Dick Taylor (Guitar)  Pretty Things
Mark Sullivan (Guitar)
Robin Bibi (Guitar ) also in John Dummer & Helen April's True Life Confessions 
Artyro Bassick (Bass) ex-Lurkers also in John Dummer & Helen April's True Life Confessions
Ed Case (Drums) Ex Hazel O'Conner, 999
Danny Heatley (Drums) Ex The Satellites 
Pete 'Esso' Haynes (Drums) ex-Lurkers also in John Dummer & Helen April's True Life Confessions 

Useless Info 1 - Early in 1977 he entered a Melody Maker talent contest being put into the folk music heat He played 4 songs in 10 mins [a Jerry Lee Lewis cover, a song about an abattoir + the 2 that eventually became this 45] - he didn't win!
Useless Info 2 - The sleeve was designed by Rachel Howard, who's father Oliver Howard designed the Ruts "Grin 'n' Bear" it sleeve 
Useless Info 3 - Stories are told that he was a tad "light fingered" relieving large department stores of their electrical goods & redistributing them to fund himself
Useless Info 4 - Marmalade Freak appears on Messthetics #102 [D.I.Y. 77-81 London 2] &  Messthetics #5 [UK D.I.Y. Post-Punk A 1978-81]

*Although Jim Payne was a member of The Stukas, he never recorded with them: this single turned out to be his sole credit: he died in a hang gliding accident aged 25. 

More info Here  & Here

Sounds & Scans

Them Geezers Over There - Panic EP (1987)

 

A1 - Panic
A2 - Pushin' Throu'
B - The Gig

3 better than average Male/Female Voc  80's Powerpop tracks from this short lived [1987-90] Chelmsford 5 piece on the Rambert Records label

All I know is :

The band were led by Jonna Beacon (Guitar Voc) & their drummer was Andy Franklin

There were 500 sleeveless 45's pressed as a prize for winning a 1987 Essex Battle of the Bands contest.

Being Bored By Keith & Co

In 1989 they also competed on Keith Chegwin's SkyTV's Star Search (Performing Pushin' Throu' with a slightly amended line-up)

If you can add any info please leave a comment

Scans & Sounds

Twist 'N' Shout - Bounce Back (1979)

b/w  As It Happens

Cool Powerpop on the Sole 45 from this Worthing 3 piece (1978 - 1981)

John Cohen (Voc Guitar)
Alfred Armstrong (Bass) 
Linda Doe (Drums Voc)

When Worthing band (1975-78) "Better Looking" [Members - Peter Juster, John Cohen, Graham Skinner, Kim O'Mahoney, Brian Morris, Steve Rose & Linda Doe] folded 2 bands were to emerge:

Store Ad

The Same (Steve Rose, Peter Juster, Brian Morris & Tony Denyer) & Twist N Shout

John Cohen (Voc,Guitar) & Alfred Armstrong (Bass) would later re-join Tony Denyer (Drums) & Peter Juster (Alto Sax) along with Greg Davis (Tenor Sax) as The Hot Heads

Useless info 1 Linda Doe later Married Brian Morris

Useless info 2 This release was WEX268 & The Same's sole 7'' release (Movements/Wild About You) was WEX267

Useless info 3 Their Full time jobs at the time were  John Cohen (Assistant Manager of Worthing Record Shop), Linda Doe (Secretary) & Alfred Armstrong (Computer Operator for an Insurance Firm)

This is not the same band even though the labels are from the Portsmouth area.

As always if you can add some info please leave a comment

Sounds & Scans

The Social Lites - Social Lies (1984)

 

A1 I'd Rather Be Lonely     

A2 Cadillac Crazy     

A3 It's Not Enough     

B1 Big Business     

B2 Girls

Cool New Wave from this Seattle WA Band 

Mark Clear (Voc Guitar)      

Laurie Lyons  aka L.A. Lyons (Voc Guitar)

Joan M. (Bass Voc)

Steve Phun Hadley (Drums)

  

I couldn't find any info on the band but both Mark & Laurie have an internet presence. Here's a snippet from Laurie Lyons bio:

..... She got her first guitar at age 13. At 16, Laurie Lyons began her musical career as a backing singer with an Elvis tribute band where she discovered her gift for creating unusual and highly melodic harmony lines. She then joined a new wave punk group called 'The Plague' as a singer/ songwriter and rhythm guitarist.

Developing this direction, Laurie achieved considerable success with her new wave pop/rock band, 'The Social Lites.' Their 1982 EP entitled 'Social Lies' picked up heavy rotation radio airplay in Seattle and on American college radio. Prestigious gigs included the Seattle Music Festival, 'Bumbershoot' and "Give Peace A Dance"....

Mark C, Joan M., LA Lyons, Steve H

Useless Info - You'll notice Laurie puts the release date of the EP at 1982, This may be correct as there is no date on the record just on the inside of the sleeve. 

There are some more unreleased tracks by the band here

As always, if you can add some info please leave a comment

Sounds & Scans

The Dälex - Juvenile EP (1981)

A1 Juvenile    

B1 Action Man    

B2 Touched   

Great Punky Powerpop 45 from this Luton [Letchworth] 4 peice

Steve Mew (Voc)

Phil Woodman (Guitar Voc)

Jon Hall (Bass Voc)

Mick Ashpool (Drums)

Recorded at The Crypt Sudios, Stevenage & 1000 pressed

Useless Info 1 - It was played by John Peel on 04-03-1981

Useless Info 2 -  Juvenile is on Teenage Treats Vol.8

Useless Info 3 - The 45 Gets quite a good reveiw in Tony Page's "Anoraky In The UK" Treat Yourself  

If you can add some info please leave a comment

Sounds & Scans

Elanø B ‎- Diane (1981)

b/w Too Late 

Luton band [1980-83] started as The Allies (according to the local press) became Decoy then changed their Musical Direction*, Bass player & name to Elanø B.

 

 

Terry Jeff Tim Jon Tubbs

Jeff Cockfield (Voc) later in Under The Sun 

Tim Torode (Guitar Voc)
Terry Gittins (Guitar, Keys)
Jon Rolland (Bass Voc)
Tubbs (Drums)

Photography by Michael A. Spiller

 

*From New Wave/Powerpop to a more Post Punk/Funk sound. Listen to their Excellent 1980 Demos recorded at Quest Studios here

Sounds & Scans + Extras

 

Tranzista - Better Beware (1980)

B1 Time Of My Life
B2 (Are You) In The Mood?

Great New Wave / Powerpop from this Cambridge 4 peice [1980-83]

Gary Frederick Butcher (Voc Guitar)  Ex Highway
Jim Simpson (Bass)  
Andy Northfield (Keyboards Voc)  Ex Highway
Jerry Alpress (Drums Voc)  

Discography
1980 7" Better Beware //Time Of My Life /(Are You) In The Mood? - Land Speed Records [SRS 31]
1981 VA - MoonToon One - Nimbus Records [Mac 001] [Caught In the Act] 
1983 7''  Heaven With Her //Dangerous Thoughts - Atlantic ‎[A 9815]
1983 12'' Heaven With Her //Dangerous Thoughts /Roll On Friday - Atlantic ‎[A 9815 T]

Other Tracks Recorded but not released were :

Jim Jerry Gary Andy

Argyle Street /Incognito /Lookaway /Popular /Small Man Big World /Good For Nothing /Auntie Hazel /White Lies /Winter /Yesterday's Gone /Cloud 9 /Scared Of The Dark /So Uncertain /Prisoner /We Are The Shotgun Gang /Spying For The Russians /She Don't Care

Useless Info - I've Read Gary Butcher was later in {Diss Based Goth Band} Dead Pianos [Released - All Hallows / Motionless 7'' DEA1 - 1986] Personally I think someone maybe getting their "Garys from the South-East" mixed up.

Discography +

The Mess - Tried And Tested (1981)

b/w I'm Falling

Nice Punky Powerpop from this Leeds 3 peice (1977-82)

Phil Mayne (Voc Guitar)

Choc (Bass Voc)

Mat Higgins (Drums Voc)

Mat Higgins was replaced by Carl Rosamond sometime between the 45 being Recorded [September 1980] & it's Release [March 1981]

Info is from Issue 14 of Bradford's Wool City Rocker. A Pdf is included in the download if you want to read the full article. There is also a (non)reveiw of the 45 by Tino Palmer.

Useless Info - If you Google Phil Mayne & Carl Rosamond You'll find they are still going strong & supporting the local Leeds area.

Sounds & Scans

Really Useless Info - This blog has been going 10 years today - If anyone's interested!

The Moderates - Yes to the Neutron Bomb (1981)

b/w Bus Girl

Great Merseyside based New Wave band [1978-82]

The Moderates seem to have started as something of an ad hoc, Art School student band [Some of them being Part-time staff at the Everyman Bistro]

Possibly inspired by Deaf School’s theatricality, their gigs would involve poetry readings, the odd novelty song and the lengthy ramblings of one Dame Looney [A mention of the band in Record Mirror {26 May 1979} gives the line-up as John Brady (Voc), Heidi & Sharon (Voc), Basil (Bass), Bernie (Guitar), Satie (Keys), Sigger (Drums)] Soon enough though the line-up settled and the band became a tighter outfit, ditching the peripherals to focus on the songs.

John Brady (Voc Keys),

Heidi Kure (Voc)

Tom Gould (Guitar)

Bobby Carr (Guitar, Violin) ex Those Naughty Lumps, Tontrix, Pre Surreal Estate

Martin Cooper (Bass) ex Those Naughty Lumps  Pre O.M.D & Godot

Phil Allen (Drums) ex Big in Japan, Pre Love Look Away

With Help from Bob Moren (Sax on High Heel Shoes)

Discography

09/1979 VA - Street To Street [A Liverpool Compilation] LP [I Don't Want To Go Bald]

12/1979 12" Fetishes EP [High Heel Shoes / Yes To The Neutron Bomb / Don't Be Silly / Sun Tan] - Open Eye Records [OE EP-1001]'

03/1981 Peel Session [What's That Sound (For What It's Worth)/ Nightlife /Housewife For Life /Emile]

04/1981 7" Yes To The Neutron Bomb / Bus Girl -  Hyped Records [BMRB-51]

02/1982 7" For What It's Worth / Emile - Hyped Records [BMRB-53] (

Line-up change for the Peel Session & 2nd 45

Mike Percy (Bass) pre Dead or Alive

John Potter (Drums)

Useless Info 1 - The Moderates Supported The John Peel Radio Roadshow @ Liverpool University Mountford Hall on 02-09-1978

Useless Info 2 - Phil Allen is the brother of Enrico Cadillac Jr. [AKA Steve Allen] frontman of Deaf School.

Useless Info 3 - Martin “Armadillo” Cooper took over Aunt Twacky’s Tea Shop in the Pun School building re-naming it The Armadillo Tea Rooms. He still enjoys a position of great respect in Liverpool’s culinary arena.

Useless Info 4 - The Moderates played to a crowd of over 200 in the Armadillo Tea Rooms, on the same night as U2 [playing the UK for the first time] struggled to attract 60 people to the club across the road.

Below are Tom Gould’s recollections of reconvening in the studio to re-work on ‘Yes to the Neutron Bomb’ for a single release.

‘We were offered a contract by Greensleeves records (biggest reggae label), as ska had taken most of their customers, so they wanted to sign some ‘white pop bands’. They set up a subsidiary label called ‘Hyped Records’ for ours and a band [Close Rivals] from Birminghams’ releases, booking us into a 24 track recording studio in London. During the session we realised that they didn’t really know what they were doing, as previously they bought finished tracks from studio’s in Jamaica. This is where we recorded the second version of ‘Yes to the Neutron Bomb’ and ‘Bus Girl’ (Bus Girl was about taking late night bus journeys in Liverpool, as there always seemed to be a young girl standing at the front of the bus talking to the driver – bus groupies?).

Our experience in the studio was awful as we also had an engineer who thought he was the greatest producer in the world, but was more of a hindrance than any help, so the recordings were pretty bad. At the end of the original ‘Yes to the Neutron Bomb’ on ‘Fetishes’, the explosion was created by four of us holding the keys down on the keyboard, which was plugged into a guitar amp with the settings for distortion, reverb, presence and volume on full, so most of the noise was feedback. On the second recording, the engineer could not reproduce it, he used a pretty weak explosion from a sound-effects record instead which sounded really crap!’

Full Discography & Extras

Feel free to leave any extra info/comments below

Finally 

09 April 1981 : After playing Yes To The Neutron Bomb on his show John Peel quipped 'We're thinking of getting one for the shrubbery actually.')

Brick Cocktail - Sunday Afternoon (1984)

b/w Borderline

Nice Indie/Folk on the A-side from this (I'm Presuming*) Yorkshire based band

All I can tell you is that they were Recorded in 1983 & Penned by 

S. Clow &  B. Lumley

Sleeve Design By D.C. Jnr

Borderline was Recorded @ Lion Studios* Produced Engineered by Tony Bonner

Sunday Afternoon was Recorded @ Studio 2 Engineered by Richmond / Lee

* "Lion Studios" was an 8-track recording studio in Aire Street, Leeds.

Sounds & Scans

Leave A Comment if you can add some info

The Spoil - Dream On! (1983)

b/w On The Other Side Of A Dream

2 lovely slices of Mod /Psych From these Hull College of Art & Design students that would have easily fit on the Another Spalsh Of Colour Expanded re-release from a few years ago.

Dale Gascoigne (Voc Guitars)

Tony Patrick (Guitars Voc)   aka Hull’s Macaronman

Mike Wilson (Bass Voc)

Karl Lilley (Drums)

On the label Thanks go to

Ken Giles (Label Owner Producer)

Ken Lake

Dave Hemingway (Velvetones / Housemartins - Drummer, The Beautiful South - Voc) 

Saul Davies (James - Guitar/Violinist)

Tim Allison

Dave Iles

Useless Info - Recorded 1982 By Ken Giles @ KSL Studios Bridlington 

Sounds & Scans

As always if you can add any info please leave a comment

The News - 50% Reduction (1980)

 

b/w High Society

Great XTC soundalikes from this Yorkshire (Sheffield?) based 4 peice

Alan Quinn (Voc Bass) RIP
Trevor Midgley (Guitar Voc) later in the Tubeless Hearts        
Roger Harrison (Drums) RIP
Ivor Drawmer (Keys Voc)                

 

Discography
30-05-1979 Peel Session : 50% Reduction / High Society / Advertise / Brain Drain
04-04-1980 7'' : 50% Reduction / High Society - Polydor ‎[POSP 129]
15-08-1980 7''  : Modern Toys / Feed The Meter - Polydor ‎[POSP 152]

The Peel Session Was Recorded 30-05-1979 [Aired 07-06-1979] @ Maida Vale Studio 4 & Produced / Enginneered by John Sparrow & Nick Gomm

Both 45's were produced by Jon Astley            


Pre-News
Alan Quinn was in Global Village with Bill Nelson (Guitar/Voc - Pre-Be Bop De Luxe) & Bryan Holden (Drums)
Trevor Midgley Go Here
Roger Harrison was in Quinceharmon* / New Jersey Turnpike* / The Whales / Tyke
Ivor Drawmer was in Quinceharmon* / New Jersey Turnpike*

*Others in the band were Bob Holt (Voc) Pete Jowle (Guitar) Ross Grant (Bass)

Post-News
Alan Quinn auditioned for Bill Nelson's Red Noise [Rick 'Pinky' Ford got the job] although he did get the Bill Nelson & The Practical Dreamers Job
Trevor Midgley Go Here
Roger Harrison ?
Ivor Drawmer Go Here

Full Discography & More

If you can add anything to this post please leave a comment

Finally thanks go to Mr Obscure who put the Peel session up on his website last month   

Sits Vacant ‎– Alone In The Dark EP (1981)

A1 - Alone In The Dark    
A2 - Nowhere To Run    
B1 - Vacancies        
B2 - It's Too Late 

Nice Post-Punk by this 4 peice from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. 

Mike J McCusker (Voc)       
Andrew K Willison (Guitar)       
Mark P Toole (Bass, Voc)       
Paul Montague (Drums)      

The Band possibly formed late 1978/early '79 with a brief stint In Late '79 Becoming 100 Faces* (Mod Revival Band) before reverting back to Sits. Vacant in 1980 & Recording / Releasing this EP at Linden Sounds studio in Shap in 1981

In 1983 They transformed into Indoor Fireworks then finally The Tier Garden [disbanding 1988] along the way [1985] they helped out Perfect Circle.

Useless Info - The name Sits. Vacant was inspired by the employment pages of the Evening Mail (local Newspaper) at the time.

*More Info & Photos on 100 Faces here

Sounds & Scans

Soho Dynamos - Neon Jungle (1981)

b/w Jungle Rumble

To follow on from the last post here is another London based Nick Cola related 45

This time featuring two ex-Tigers members:

Tony Jacks - Voc, Guitar,

Nick Cola [Coler] - Keyboards.

That's pretty much all the info I have apart from they worked together again as ‘Wise Guise’ for some releases in 1984/85 (where Al Price gets a writing credit again)

Useless info

Nick Coler was a prominent member [2000–2010] of the music production team Xenomania,

Sounds & Scans