Z-Cars - This Is Z-Cars EP (1980)

A - Is There Someone Out There?
B - Girls Aren't Just Girls

2 great punk-powerpop tracks on the sole release from this Melbourne 4 piece

Russell Street (Voc), I've also read the name Russel Diggins
Trevor Perrin (Guitar, Voc) 
Craig Russell (Bass, Voc) also in Zorros 
Craig Presnell (Drums).

The 45 was released in August 1980 with a pressing run of 500.

It was recorded at Crystal Clear Studio

Engineered by Ken Stephenson & Produced by Dave Douglas & (Melbourne Drummer) Simon Smith who allegedly aided with the drums on the 45 - For his pedigree just look at the other Melbourne based bands he was in -  AEIOU (1980-81) originaly called The Shots, The Dance Set (1981),   The Gas Babies (1985-86), Macho Clowns (1987-89)

The band formed in 1979, Rob Griffiths (The Fiction, Little Murders) gifting them their name (Z-Cars) which as you may expect is after the 60's UK T.V. drama. They played regularly on the same bill as the Zorros (See the Poster below) Calling it quits in late 1980 shortly after some of them, along with Geoff Martyr were in a serious car accident.

Is There Someone Out There? has been comped on Bloodstains Across Australia
Girls Aren't Just Girls was on Teenline no.5 until it changed to 105

For a full discography of au-go-go 45's go here

For more info & great photos on the earlier mentioned Zorros go here

Finally for more info on the Melbourne Punk Scene go here

Scans & Sounds

The Prams - A's Okay (1981)

b/w - Don't Drop Any Bombs On Me

2 Great skinny tie New Wave tracks from this Salisbury Band.

Alwyn Lovell (Voc Guitar)
Eddie Johnson (Guitar)
Rob Boston (Bass)
Nick Boston (Drums)

Not a bad 45 for a band that started life as Genghis Khan (1975-79) playing Hard Rock / NWOBHM tunes.

Here's a potted history of the band members
Voc:   Alan Marsh ( '75-'79) replaced by; John Butcher* ('79)
Guitar:    Alwyn "Coke" Lovell* ( '75-'79)
Guitar:  Eddie Johnson ('75-'77) replaced by; Ray Dismore ('77) Ian Frost ('77- 02/79) Jimmy McTurk (79) Dave Irwin (briefly leaving Fist '79)
Bass:  Rob Boston* ( '75-'79)
Drums:   Trevor Harris ('75-'77) replaced by; Tommy Mafflyn ('77- 02/79) Billy Morrison ('79) Dave Pounds* ('79)

*Musicians that Recorded "Love You/Lady Lady - Wabbit Records [WAB 61]// Mongol Nation/Gone For A Drive" Wabbit Records [WAB 63] posthumously released as a Double 7" in 1983.

There was then a cross-over of a few months where a short lived band "The Ghosts" came into existance leading to the end of both bands
(John Butcher (Voc) / Alwyn Lovell (Guitar) / Rob Boston (Bass) / Mike Corby (Keys) (Ex The Babys)

Now the Prams (1980-83) came into existence leaving behind them:
7"
A's Okay/Don't Drop Any Bombs On Me (Wabbit WWS 102S -1981)
How About Emee?/Cat That Walked Alone (Wabbit WAB 7 -1983)
LP
WHAT'S THE TIME MR WOLF?
A- A's Okay/Perpetual Suburbs/Hypocrite/Exploded/I'm Going Crazy/Don't Make A Fuss
B- Don't Drop Any Bombs On Me/Mongolia/The Sun The Sun/Mirror Mirror/Do The Pram/Twilight Hours (Wabbit Wecords WWL 101A 1981)(released on cassette in 1982 - Wabbit WAB 101c)
Compilation Appearance on WABBIT UNDERWORLD  (Cassette) (Wabbit WAB 200c)

Eddie Johnson - Nick Boston 1980

  Other recordings on the bands own Wabbit Records that I am aware of are
Richard Patrician (?) c1981
The Fluffy Vikings (Cassete LP) EPISODE ONE (Wabbit WAB 40c - 1982)
Werewolves Of London (Cassette Single) - Nocturne A / Nocturne B (Wabbit WAB 50c - 1982) & they also appeared on  WABBIT UNDERWORLD (Cassette) (Wabbit WAB 200c)

Half way through the Self-Recording of the LP Eddie Johnson Left

Coincidently whilst the Prams where in existance (Sometimes still being booked as Genghis Khan) 2 other bands started using the Name Genghis Khan - 1 From Sweden & Another Salisbury band (Originally called Killer - Formed By Andy Boulton (Guitar) & Andy Robbins (Bass) with Alan Marsh (Voc), Ray Dismore (Guitar) [yup them from the other GK] & Steve Pierce (Drums) who released Double Dealin' (4 Track EP Double 7") under the name Genghis Khan before repackaging the double pack as 2 seperate 45's under their new name Tokyo Blade.



Sounds & Scans


Thanks to Endless Beat (Voices Of The New Sarum Beat 1970-99)

Fender Twinns - Standin' In The Way Of Love (1982)

b/w - Heart Of The Matter

Great New Wave / Powerpop from this Lancaster, PA band 1982 - 86 (Heart Of The Matter being my pick of the two)

Jeff Coleman - Guitar, Voc
Bill Nork - Guitar, Piano, Voc
Tom Jewlett - Drums
John Kelly - Harmonies

Prior to The Fender Twinns Jeff was in the local Punk Band The Blame [Line- up being Glenn Redcay- Bass/Voc Guy Debris- Guitar Jeff Coleman- Guitar/keys/Voc  
Steve Patton- Drums ('79-'80) Blair King- Drums/vocals ('80-'81) For More info on them Go Here]
If you want to hear their 45  Elevator/Little Girls in Hollywood - Atlantic Sound Productions (1980) It's in the Download


Post Fender Twinns  - Jeff is the Owner/Operator of the Steam Powered Recording Studios

I'm not sure if there were any more 45's but there was a 1984 LP Polarity

Sounds & Scans

Five Star Gas - Smokey Bubble Shoo Fly Pie (1979)

b/w - Sledge Hammer

Great New Wave / Powerpop from this Hertfordshire area band (1978-83). Released at the tail end of 1979 in a pressing of 1000

Terry Judge (Voc)
Nick Murray (Guitar)
John Simpson (Bass) Now in The Feelgood Band
Bob Prebble (Drums)

Give Sledge Hammer a listen first as Smokey Bubble Shoo Fly Pie is what can be called an "acquired taste"

Thanks To Bob for the extra info

If you're in the Hertfordshire area keep a eye out for the 4-Piece The Dukes Of Earl. - The band includes Nick Murray (Guitar) & Bob Prebble (Drums) along with Alan Webb (Bass) & Mick Anderson (Guitar)

Sounds & Scans

The Cadillacs - Cadillac Walk (1980)

b/w - Same Old Stuff

Cool New Wave / Pub Rock (Think early Graham Parker  & The Rumour & you won't be far off) Cadillac walk being a Moon Martin cover from his 1978 LP "Shots From A Cold Nightmare"

Lyn Phillips - (Voc, Harmonica)
Graham "Hedley" Williams - (Guitar, Voc)
Pete Hurley - (Bass)
Ray "Alice" Ennis - (Guitar, slide Guitar)
Robert "Dodo" Wilding - (Drums)  later in "The Ambassadors"


In 1978 when South Wales based Racing Cars (1974-78) Split, Williams, Ennis & Wilding were joined by Phillips & Hurley (who had both earlier played with Wilding in Cardiff band "Kimla Taz"

This was the 1st of 2, 45's For Red Eye Records the 2nd being Billy/Who Dat Man EYE3 (1980) 
Thre was also a track "Y Crwydryn A Mi" on the 1981 Various Artists LP "Twrw Tanllyd" (SAIN 1201H) as Meic Stevens a'r Cadillacs
Aparently there was also a Cassette only LP Cider Glier (Tic Toc 002) 1981 (Anyone got this I'd like to hear it)
If You like this there are quite a few Videos on You-Tube - Try here for starters

Useless Info - Artwork for Both 45 sleeves were by Mike Lloyd Jones (one time guitarist for Shaking Stevens & the Sunsets)

Sounds & Scans

Tacones - Cronicas Del Bromuro (1980)

b/w - Rita

1st 45 (released March 1980) from this Madrid based "60's Mod / Powerpop" band (1979 - 1982)

Alberto Larios Lopez - (Voc Rhythm Guitar) 
Ramiro Martínez-Quintanilla - (Guitar)
Fernando Maqueda - (Bass, Keyboards)
Carlos Maqueda - (Drums)


"Cronicas Del Bromuro" was recorded by Tacones ("Heels" in English) for the 1980 film of the same name directed by Juan José Porto. They also appeared in the film as the band Taxi performing a cover of "meyer"  

Still From Cronicas Del Bromuro

(If you're interested here's a qiuck precis of the film - It's set around Easter 1966 & is a Teen Comedy revloving aound the story line of students in a religious institution being fed Bromide to quell their libidos by over zealous priests)

Discography

45's
Cronicas del Bromuro / Rita - Chapa 1980
Difícil / Rita se Hizo de Oro - Chapa 1981
Requiem Final / Locuras para Fans - Serdisco 1981
Te Mintió / Clin Clin - Zafiro 1982

LP
Requiem Final - Zafiro 1981

Later - In 1986 Alberto Larios Lopez was in El Beso Negro with ex- members of Punk band La Broma de Ssatán   (Nice Hair)

Sounds & Scans

Tezer - On The Run (1980)

 b/w - Helen

The Band were from Ashford, Kent

Gary Harrington (Voc, Rhythm Guitar)
Pat Lukehurst (lead Guitar) R.I.P.
Jim Harrington (Bass)
Steve Nicholls (Drums) - left before the 45 was recorded

On the Run is a nice slab of Powerpop/Pop Rock & Helen is an instrumental that could have been written by The Allman Brothers or some other 70's Country Rock Band.

Released On local (Kent) label Dude (Don't bother seeking out others on this label as they all seem to be C&W themed)

Thanks to Di & Steve for the updated info

As always if anyone else can add something please leave a comment.

Sounds & Scans

Le Fracàs - Quelle Joie D'etre Riche (1983)

A1 - Quelle Joie D'être Riche
A2 - De Coeur En Coeur
B1 - Quelque Chose En Moi
B2 - L'heure De La Revanche

As the posts have been a little Anglo-centric lately I thought it time to leave our fair Isles and pop over the Channel to France - (Orange, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur to be precise.)

Here's some great Mod Pop from

Marcel Eychenne (Voc, Guitar)
B. Eychenne (Voc, Bass)
P. Barbero (Drums)

Unfortunately I can't tell you much about the band. From what I've been able to peice together from the scant info on the net, this incarnation seem to have been around from 1981 - 84.
There was an earlier formation (1978 - 81) Marc Damien  (Guitar), Alain Fabien (Guitar)‏,  Marcel Eychenne (Guitar), Denis Eyraus (Bass), Pierre Viaud (Drums)
who had a track‏ (Nous En Avons Marre - also in the D/L) on the Various Artists LP  125 grammes de 33 1/3 tours & later the track was included on the Killed by Death 007 compilation.

If anyone knows any better please leave a comment

Sounds & Scans

Larry Norman - I Feel Like Dying (1981)

b/w Alwyn Wall - Hold On

This comes across as a split 45 but has pretty much the same players on it.

Larry Norman (Voc Guitar)
Alwyn Hall  (Voc Guitar)
+ The Barrett Band
Norman Barratt (Guitar Voc)
Tim Hatwell (Bass)
Russ Caldwell (Drums)
Dave Morris (Keyboards)

"I Feel Like Dying" is very much in the same vein as Springsteen's Nebraska. It's taken from the LP "Something New Under The Son" which was recorded in '77 but not released until' 81
Whereas "Hold On" is more Pop/Folk Rock.

Sounds & Scans

The Cartoons - Beep Beep Love (1981)

b/w - Thomas Cadillac

2nd 45 from this London based band (I posted their 1st a while back)

Again the players on this 45 were
Laurence Cane-Honeysett (Voc)
Tony Cane-Honeysett (Guitar Voc)
Phillip Scragg (Bass)
Chris Blackwell (Drums)
Paul Feldwick (Keys)
Nigel Scragg (Sax)

The Cartoons began life at the tail end of 1978 after the disintergration of The Stingrays (yes, another band named The Stingrays) The line up then was Laurence Cane-Honeysett (Voc), Tony Cane-Honeysett (Guitar Voc) Martin Coyler (Bass) & Stuart Silver (Drums). This incarnation lasted until Mid '79 when the recorded line-up came into being.
Martin Coyler later went on to form a band called Hothouse with Mark Pringle [also ex Stingrays] & Heather Small
The Cartoons lasted until early 1981 were upon they split up.

If you followed the links you'll know what the Cane- Honeysett brothers are doing now but what of the others?.......  Nigel Scragg, Philip Scragg & Chris Blackwell are all in-demand session players & Paul Feldwick became an advertising executive.

In 1989 the Cane-Honeysett brothers reunited to record another 45 - Even Cowgirls Get The Blues/Ride That Train - Texas Music TX001 (As T.Cane Honey with Laurence using the alias of Laurence Black)

If you're interested I prefer Thomas Cadillac

Sounds & Scans