Hounds - Under My Thumb (1979)

b/w - The Moth And The Fire

Nice Stones cover from this Chicago Bar band (think a poor man's J.Geils band & you wont be far off)

As you can see from the scan this is the UK demo release of the US band (stating it was released a week ahead of schedule on 22-02-1980)

Both tracks were lifted from their 2nd LP "Puttin' On The Dog" 

The band on this 45 were

John Hunter (Voc, Keys) 
Donald Griffin (Guitar) ex Tyrone Davis band
Glen Richard Rupp (Guitar) ex Paul Bogush Band
Joe Cuttone (Bass) ex Paul Bogush Band
Michael Jay Neff RIP (Drums) ex Beowulf, Off Broadway

If you want a decent Bio of the band here's their Myspace (here you can find many of their line-ups/incarnations from 1975)

Releases
LP's
The Hounds - Unleashed  - Columbia Records (1978)
Putting On The Dog - Columbia Records (1979)
45's
Do wah Diddy Diddy on the Various Artist Now Wave Sampler - Columbia (1979)
Under My Thumb/The Moth and The Fire (1979)

Sounds & Scans

Apostrophe - I'm The Happy One (1978)

b/w - Three Arms To Hold You

Nice Beatle-esque sounds on the debut 45 from this Barkingside band (1976-79)

Graham Dye (voc, guitar har)
Steven Dye (voc, bass, keys)
Terry Warner (guitar) who had replaced David Fundell
Simon Tomkins (drums) who had replaced Steven Bloom

Even though this & their 2nd/final 45 (Sad & Blue / I'm A Clown) were only released in Germany they were actually with the UK based Solid Gold agency team, who also managed The Pleasers 
After a few more line-up changes, Warner & Tomkins giving way to Simon King (Keys) & Sean Heaphy (drums) the band re-emerged as Scarlet Party & had a minor chart hit with 101 Dam-Nations

Tomkins went onto play with Air-Race

If you want to see the Dye brothers "doing what they do best" you should keep an eye out for their Beatles Tribute band "Music and Words By Lennon and McCartney"

Sounds & Scans

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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)

On The Beach / This Is Not An Audition 7"

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