Urchin - 1977 - Black Leather Fantasy 7'' (UK)

Urchin - 1977 - Black Leather Fantasy 7'' (UK)

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Urchin originally Stone Free was formed in 1972 by childhood friends Dave Murray and Adrian Smith. Along with bassist John Hoye and various drummers, they learnt their first songs and entered a few local talent competitions and played their first gig's in John's school. Early in 1974 Dave decided to leave and join a 'proper' band and Adrian and John met up with guitarist Maurice Coyne who was a friend of a friend. After a jam session in John's school hall, they decided to form a band and Evil Ways was born. The next step was to audition drummers and Barry Tyler joined the band. After gigging around local pubs they decided that they needed a singer/front man and recruited Dubliner Dave Hall. By this time Evil Ways were playing regularly at most of the well known London venues and in August 1976 they were signed by Nomis/Morgan (owned by Simon Napier Bell who later managed Japan and Wham) who changed the band's name to Urchin and got them a contract with DJM Records. Their first single was going to be Without Love written by Dave Hall with Rocka Rolla (the Judas Priest song) as the B side, they were recorded in a studio in Tin Pan Alley, Denmark Street, London but were never released. Soon after, John Hoye left the band and was replaced by Alan Levett (an old school friend of Barry's). The seminal NWOBHM track Black Leather Fantasy, was released on Friday 13 May 1977 and is now a collectors item. Dave Hall left the band in July 1977, followed by Maurice Coyne in January 1978. Maurice was replaced, briefly, by Dave Murray who had left Iron Maiden after an argument. Dave decided not to stay and after playing on the recording of the band's second single - She's A Roller/Long Time No Woman - he returned to Iron Maiden. Urchin carried on and recruited guitarist Andy Barnett and later keyboard player Richard (Dick) Young. However, the advent of punk rock led to the loss of their recording contract and meant that live work was drying up as their brand of hard rock was no longer fashionable. Eventually the band broke up and in early 1980 Adrian and Andy formed The Broadway Brats - a 'punkier' sounding band - with ex members of Blazer Blazer. Later that year Adrian was invited to replace guitarist Dennis Stratton in Iron Maiden and the rest, as they say, is history.
On 19 December 1985 Adrian organised a reunion of his mates and performed the live recording The Entire Population of Hackney at the Marquee Club in London along with Nicko McBrain. Later in this recording, the rest of his bandmates from Iron Maiden appear on stage.
In 1989, Adrian got some of his Urchin bandmates and some friends together to form his separate project with Adrian on vocals, ASAP (Adrian Smith and Project). They produced two singles, Silver and Gold and Down the Wire and ne album, Silver and Gold. They did not tour and split after Adrian left Iron Maiden in 1990.
In 1992, Adrian once again got together some of the ASAP bandmates to form the band The Untouchables (Adrian once again on vocal duties) which lasted until 1994 when he decided to re-name the band and hire a lead singer. This was called Psycho Motel.
In 2004, High Roller Records released limited and handnumbered to 330 copies, silver vinyl incl. 4 Single Tracks, 1 x Live + 5 (!!!) unreleased songs.

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