The Defenders - Happy Surfin Santa (1979)

 

b/w Christmas Up On Venus

As a post-script to the earlier Zen Alligators post here is the Dublin all-star Benefit band's only 45 

The short-lived group The Defenders [Active July '79 - Oct '79] were formed to help Dublin-based Heat Fanzine* pay legal costs to U2’s manager Paul McGuinness.

McGuiness had objected to an article in Vol. 2, No. 2 of the fanzine entitled “McGuinness (Isn’t) Good For U2′”. 

 

The article accused him of using back-handed tactics to bump a rival local band [Rocky De Valera & the Gravediggers] from the bill & get U2 the prestigious support slot to Joe Jackson at his Trinity College gig.   --The story was later proved to be wrong. -- 

*Heat was one of the most well-respected and well-designed punk fanzines in the 1977-79 period. Co-owned by Ray Gunne [AKA Jude Carr, Eamon’s brother] and Pete Nasty [Pete Price] 

A benefit gig at the National Ballroom, Parnell Square was staged on the 25th July '79 and followed in October by the recording of this single at Keystone Studios, released a month later on Guided Missile Records. The label being owned by Jude Carr and Karl Tsigdinos [DJ and graphic designer with Hot Press]. 

Unfortunately, the magazine had to fold despite their efforts.

The Defenders were: 
Donal Broughan (Lead Voc), Charles O'Connor (Guitar Voc), John Fean (Guitar), Billy Morley (Guitar,) Gary Eglington (Bass), Eamon Carr (Drums), Al Cohol (Maracas), Frankie Morgan (Keys), Mark Megaray (Voc), Paul Verner (Voc), Steve Rapid (Voc), Peter Hunter (Voc)
 
Read more here 

Useless info - The Guided Missiles label logo was designed by "Uncle Karl" who also designed "The Blades" band logo used on their Energy Records releases

Sounds & Scans

The Dead Zones - Life In The Movies (1981)

 b/w Little Criminals

Cool New Wave double sider from this Richmond Based Combo.

Unfortunately, all I can tell you is that 2 of the members were Alan Charlton & Colin Stewart.

& it was Released Early '82 on the collectable Ellie Jay Records label.

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

Sounds & Scans

Aquila - Fall (1982)

 b/w Threatened

A Great Crossover 45 From this Orpington 4 Piece (1981-83)

This should satisfy all the Indie Kids who love Post-Punk/Powerpop. 

Carol Bently (Voc)
Steve Burt (Guitar)
Graham Cos (Bass)
Dave Sivyer (Drums) Also in Deluge, Phobia The Toy Planets  

Recorded April 11/12 [Oakwood Studios, Herne Bay] 1982 & Released Nov 1982 on Graphic Records G001

Other Releases

1981 - Without A Care - VA - From Bromley With Love (LP) [Alternative Music ALT
007A]
1983 - No Point - VA - Not Waving But Drowning (LP) [Little Sister Enterprises LISI 002LP]

You can also hear Aquila Live at The 101 Club 12/09/1982 Here    

Useless info
Without A Care was also on VA - Messthetics #5 UK '77-81 "D.I.Y" & DIY-Punk: "A" (CDr)

Sounds & Scans

Zen Alligators - Call Me Lucky (1981)

 b/w The Ticket

Great R&B / Powerpop from this Dublin based quartet (1980-83) although they dropped to a trio mid '83 when Philip Fay left.

Johnny Fean (Guitar Voc) 

Philip Fay (Guitar)  

Gary Eglington (Bass Voc)

Eamon Carr (Drums)

Johnny Fean spent his childhood in the city of Limerick and in Shannon, County Clare, Ireland. 
In Groups:
Horslips, The Defenders (1979), The Zen Alligators (1980-83), Host (1983-85), The Saints & Scholars (1984), He is currently half of the duo Fean & Travers.

Philip Fay
In Groups:
Vultures, The Zen Alligators (1980-83)

Gary Eglington
In Groups:
Arthur Phybes Band (1974-77), Noise Boys (1978-79), The Defenders (1979), The Zen Alligators (1980-83) Recorded with the Fontaines (1984) on the VA LP Hip City Boogaloo 

Eamon Carr is from Kells, County Meath, Ireland. He was one of the founding members of the poetry and beat performance group called Tara Telephone in Dublin in the late 60s that also published the quarterly literary journal Capella. 
In Groups:
Horslips, The Defenders (1979), The Zen Alligators (1980-83), Host (1983-85), The Saints & Scholars (1984)

Discography [All 7"]
1980 - Thrill Power/Having A Party / Just A Little Bit [AFG Records – AFG 001]
1981 - Who Can That Someone Be? / The Berlin Wall [Spider Records – WEB 045]
1981 - Call Me Lucky / The Ticket [Auric Records – AU 79005]
1982 - The Invisible Man / The Scorpio Function [Zodiac – ZZA 82001]
1982 - You Make My Day / People Who Make People's Day [Zodiac – ZZA 82002]
1983 - I Never Forget A Face (Split Live EP With Side 1) [Hotwire / Crashed Records – HSW-831]
          {I Never Forget A Face / Caught In The Crossfire / Diary Of A Forgotten War (Side 1)} 

Useless Info 1 - To distance themselves from the Horslips era The Alligators only played 'When Night Comes' (B-side of Horslips last studio single) from the earlier repertoire. 

Useless Info 2 - The final 45 was dedicated to then recently deceased Pete Byrne [Guitar Vocalist of Side1]

Sounds & Scans & More

Kermitt - Flick My Switch (1982)

 

b/w I've Got My Own Way To Go

Pretty Basic Female Voc New Wave/Synth on the A-side but the flip is where it's at to these ears. Cool Powerpop!

Released July 1982 with Chas Chandler in the production Chair.

I have no info about the singer or band but a little google on the 2 writers gave me this:
Paul Greedus - Wrote with Barry Blue & was a composer of many Library Tunes

Callum Kenmuir - was ex Hopestreet [Glasgow band] 

Useless info - This also secured a release on Polydor in Germany

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

Sounds & Scans

Fasten Seat Belt - Escalate (1982)

b/w French Connection

Great New Wave / Powerpop from Cologne / Köln, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Sèan O'Sharp AKA Hanjo Scharfenberg (Voc) 
Bruno Z (Guitar) 
Paolo Campi (Guitar)
M.H. (Bass) 
Bonnie Bonn (Drums)
Fish (Keys)

Recorded in Autumn 1981. the A-side can be found on their lone LP "So Real"

Useless info - Sèan O'Sharp aka Hanjo Scharfenberg was raised in Germany and Ireland. 
He was educated at The King's Hospital Dublin and then at Trinity College Dublin where he graduated.
Amongst other things Scharfenberg went on to co-found the 'Chins' Bar and be a gallery owner in Cologne  

His last known whereabouts was as a member of The Capitalist. If you want to hear what he's doing now go here 

Sounds & Scans

23 Jewels - Playing Bogart (1979)

 b/w You Don't Know Me

DIY New Wave/Powerpop from this Nottingham Based band (1978-1982)

Led by Manchester Born Nick Simpson (Guitar, Voc) with

Neil Roberts (Guitar) 
Paddy Russell (Bass)
Geoff Powers (Drums)

23 Jewels started out as "Sneak and the Previews" Nick Simpson (Guitar, Voc) /Simon Harris (Guitar) /Mark Buckle (Bass, Voc) /Geoff Powers (Drums) but owing to a "falling out" they became the above for the recording of the song.  

Playing Bogart was recorded mid 79 with Paddy Russell, (A friend of Nick's from school learning the two songs of the 45 the night before the recording) & with Clive Gregson [Any Trouble] in the Producers chair (As he was for all of their recordings).
It was released Nov 79 (1000 Copies) on their own "Let's Call It Temporary Records" Label.

  
"I had been working at WH Smiths in Manchester, it struck me for the first time, going in and out of town on the bus, how people geared themselves up for a Friday night out; 
I was single, probably a bit lonely, and saw the whole thing as a bit of a charade". - Nick Simpson

In 1980 the Weltschmerz A Go-Go! EP was released with Russell's replacement being Mark Buckle
Nick Simpson (Guitar, Voc)

Neil Roberts (guitar) 
Mark Buckle (Bass, Voc)
Geoff Powers (Drums)

Roberts then quit being replaced by Frank McCarthy

So the line-up for their final 45 (I'll Pay For This) in 1981 was
Nick Simpson (Guitar, Voc)
Frank McCarthy (guitar) 
Mark Buckle (Bass, Voc)
Geoff Powers (Drums)

Discography
1979 7'' Playing Bogart/You Don't Know Me - Lets Call It Temporary Records [TEMP 1]
1980 7'' EP Weltschmerz A Go-Go! [ It's Not For Me/This Could Be Agony//The Starting Line/Love And Convenience] Lets Call It Temporary Records [TEMP 2]
1981 7'' I'll Pay For This/Down To Minimum - Lets Call It Temporary Records [TEMP 3]
1982 VA DLP Journey Without Maps [2 tracks - The Bomb Party / Can't Think Of More Than One Thing At Once] 101 International Records [WREK 101]

Useless info 1 - Nick Simpson originally wrote Playing Bogart when he was in Stockport group Idiot Rouge who regularly played with (pre-Stiff records) Any Trouble. Hence the Gregson link and cover of Playing Bogart on their debut album "Where Are All The Nice Girls?"
Idiot Rouge disbanded with Simpson going to Nottingham University and drummer John Doyle joining Howard Devoto's Magazine. Other members Neil Cossar (Guitar Voc) & John Martin (Bass) were later in The Cheaters    
Useless info 2 - In 2019 The unreleased 2nd LP from Billy Karloff and the Extremes "The Vinyl Solution" (1981) was made available via Bandcamp which has a pretty good cover of Playing Bogart on it.
Useless info 3 - Playing Bogart was also featured on the 1999 released VA LP Powerpearls Vol.4  
 
Simpson later turned to classical music, studying for four years with the reclusive John Tavener. Forging a career as an "unusual and uncompromising" composer, widely performing in Britain and abroad. 
In 2005 he released a solo-album "Lashings Of Pop" Featuring twelve songs, containing "economical pop stylings, trenchant guitar work and a darkly mordant wit" 

Sounds & Scans

George Duffy & The Sons Of Jet - Funny How Love Can Be (1988)

 b/w Sloopy Hang On 

A pair of Mod/Pop 60's covers for the Sole 45 release of this Lincoln based Trio led by Scottish [Motherwell] born George Duffy.

George Duffy (Voc Guitar)
Glyn Rudd (Bass Voc)
Ray Plummer (Drums)
with help from
C Lainge (Guitar) S Walker (Keys)

Although if you pick up early versions of the 45 that haven't had the rear of the sleeve pasted over, the line-up reads:

George Duffy (Voc Guitar)
Paul James (Bass Voc)
Richard 'Starr' Laws (Drums Voc)

There were two earlier "Sons Of Jet" tracks released on compilations
Marilyn Monroe - The Phase III Mod Bands 7'' EP 1987  [PHZ-13]
Love Is Real - Unicorn 2 [Modern Times] LP 1987 [PHZA-11]
These were both recorded at the same sessions [13/14 April 1987 @ Chris Price Studios, Nottingham]
The line up for these tracks being
Jim Hofner (Voc Bass Keys)
George Duffy (Guitar Voc)
Phil Halton (Drums)

Useless info - George had a spell in the RAF stationed in Germany, where the name of the band was first "Sons of Jet Harris"  

The Sons Of Jet did make a comeback around 2014 [follow the link & hear 2 more tracks]

What's George Duffy Doing Now? 

Sounds & Scans 

White Summer - Power Poison (1984)

 b/w - In The Wings

Nice Powerpop / Indie by this 4 / 5 Piece band from the Bangor area  [1980-1985]

John Dexter-Jones (Voc, Guitar, Cowbell) 
Huw Heywood (Guitar) 
Carl Owen (Bass)
Eilian "Ale" Jones (Drums)
Dave Owen (Sound Man)

They also had a track "Travelling Riverside Blues ’69" featured on the 3rd volume of the local compilation tape  "Just When You Thought We Were Dead - Music from the Bangor Area" (1983),

If I was to hazard a guess I'd say the name White Summer Came from a love of Led Zeppelin.

As always if you have some extra info please leave a comment

Sounds & Scans

The Tubbies - Get Back Down, You Fatty, Fatty! (1979)

b/w Send Him Away

Nice Pop/Pock, New Wave 45 from these Winchester boys. Released December 1979

Robert Bowen (Voc, Guitar, Drums)
Chris Stonor (Keys Voc)

Both Stonor & Bowen had previously released a 45 in 1976 as Biff (along with James Heneage & John R Griffith)

During this time Chris Stoner was also a member of Thieves Like Us (1977-81)

Useless Info - Here's some later Chris Stoner work

Sounds & Scans

Aqua – I Want Somethin’ Else (1983)

 

b/w I Don't Understand

2 Cool Powerpop tunes on this 1982 Recorded but 1983 self-release.

The songs were penned by D Ivatt & M Wilson

I'm presuming they were from the Peterborough area as the 45 was Produced / Engineered by Dave Colton @ Stix Studio .

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

Sounds & Scans

Best Of Button Label (1982 - 1984)

OK Here's a a slightly different post to the usual.

My Picks [9 of the 23 45's] from the Edgware based Button Records [1982 - 86] that may be of interest to a New Wave collector. 

The label was predominantly Folk & Country being funded by Mike Redway and having such producers as Ex-Tull & Fairport Members, Martin Allcock & Bill Ward at the recording desk.

However, the label still managed to give us some well above average Synth / Powerpop & New Wave tunes.

7" Label Discography

BTN 101 - Mike Redway - Morris Minor / Happy Birthday [10-1982]
BTN 102 - Tied Logs - Stamp And Swing / Kamikaze Banjos [10-1982]
BTN 103 - Joseph And Giselle - But You Love Me Daddy / Rodeo Special [12-1982]
BTN 104 - Johnny Demestos - Leave My Jelly Babies Alone / Shanghai Sidestreet [11-1982]

BTN 105 - Patti Gold - As Long As We Keep Believing / You [10-1983]
BTN 106 - Charles Anthony - Breakthrough / I Want You [08-1983]
BTN 107 - Pete Dodds ‎- Cardboard City / Sally Ann [08-1983]
BTN 108 - Wooden-Tops ‎- White What? / Biffo [08-1983]
BTN 109 - Annie Lewis - The Lass With The Delicate Air / I Sowed The Seeds [11-1983]
BTN 110 - Gary Knight- Cry Wolf / Dreaming Of You [10-1983]
BTN 111 - Tied Logs - The Bluebell Polka / The Cat On The Mixer [10-1983]
BTN 112 - Private Party - Change / Breakdown [11-1983]
BTN 113 - Charm School ‎– Sun / Excerpts From The Modern Song [01-1984]
BTN 114 - Patti Gold ‎– Don't Take It / The Perfect Love Song [03-1984]
BTN 115 - Estelle Round - Silent Christmas / Heartaches [11-1983]
BTN 116 - Idée Fixe - Easy Madonna / Tell Me No More Lies [07-1984]
BTN 117 - Mike Carter And Dragonfly - My True Love / Let The Rain Fall Down [06-1984]
BTN 118 - Tied Logs - Captain Pugwash / ? [08-1984 Not Released]
BTN 118 - Marie-Anne Emmanuel - Merry Christmas And Happy New Year / Merry Christmas (Instrumental) [11-1984]
BTN 119 - Max Million - Walk My Way / Drunk Again [07-1984]
BTN 120 - Johnny D' Mestos - The Ten Commandments / You Don't Give A Damn [11-1984]
BTN 121 - John E. Loren - Regrets (A Thousand) / Fabienne [09-1985]
BTN 122 - Diana Wins - Peace On Earth / Silent Sleep [11-1984]
BTN 123 - Friendly Persuasion - A Tribute To Karen Carpenter / Only Yesterday [07-1986]

For Sounds & more info just Download

Northern Lights - Bad Girl (1979)

    

b/w Exodus

Nice 60's Style Mod Powerpop on the A-side of the sole release from this Manchester [Northern Club Band] 4 Piece [1977-82]

Bob Walsh AKA Robert Barrie (Voc)  

Steve Petricco (Guitar) RIP 

Paul Petricco (Bass)

Eric Patterson (Drums) Replaced by Joe Morris sometime early 1980

The 45 was recorded at Manchester's Smile Studios and released on the MPA imprint [The Stockport label also released the first Slowguns 45 - which is worth looking for if you haven't heard it] 

The Petricco brothers were later in The Spivs 

Steve Petricco

Useless Info   Paul Petricco Started (Amongst others) FAB Cafe, Satans Hollow and TV21 [which hosted ‘Mrs Boon's Cakes & Tea Party’ with Clint Boon of Inspiral Carpets]

Sounds & Scans