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Schoolgirl Bitch - 1978 - Abusing The Rule 7'' (UK)
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In Autumn 1976 'Blitzkrieg Bop' by 'The Ramones' was the first Punk record to really grab 'Nick Name' and 'Phil Serious' (known officially as 'Nigel and Phil McHugh respectively). The 'Sex Pistols' hype machine also attracted the pair, but it was in April 1977 that the debut 'Clash' LP 'The Clash' hit 'Nick Name' like the FINAL SOLUTION. Suddenly everything made sense and everything seemed possible! 'SCHOOLGIRL BITCH' came out of this inspiration against a backdrop of adolescent depression and hopelessness. The name was coined by 'Phil Serious' after splitting with his girlfriend who at the time was still at school.
Through 1977, fuelled further by the 'Sex Pistols' Jubilee fiasco, the group, now a 3-piece completed by 'Kid Sick' on the drums, played at Youth Clubs and Rock Venues in the North West and even managed to get banned by Blackburn Council for a brief spell. They supported such acts as 'The Boys', '999', 'The Boomtown Rats' at the local venue 'The Loadstar'.
In late 1977, a record was cut in Manchester 'Chaos Studio', 'Phil Serious' worked in 'Mullards' Electrical shop, Blackburn to earn enough money for pressing the vinyl. The record 'Abusing the Rules' and 'Think For Yourself' eventually hit the streets around March 1978 by which time 'Phil Serious' had decided being an anti-hero wasn't for him!
'Nick Name', desperate to carry on, recruited 'non-musician' 'Nigel Talbot' from an ad' in the Lancashire 'Evening Telegraph'. Re-named 'Evil Doctor Talbot', partly because he looked like 'Sid Vicious'. 'Nick Name' taught him to play Bass lines from the single in two days. The band built up a set which began to sound more and more like a Punk version of 'Jimi Hendrix'.
In September 1978 after the bands last Northern gig supporting White Reggae band 'China Street', the 'Doctor' and 'Nick' went to try their luck in London leaving 'Kid Sick' behind. The 'Doctor' only managed to stay until Christmas before splitting back up North to Accrington. 'Nick Name' continued in London recruiting 'Griff Johnson' on Bass and 'Gabby Shearman' on Drums. They played gigs supporting 'The Thompson Twins' and 'The UK Subs' in and around London.
Becoming more and more disillusioned 'SCHOOLGIRL BITCH' finally split after being threatened with legal action over their name by the management of two bands, 'Girlschool' and 'Bitch'. That was the end. The SCHOOLGIRL BITCH had been out bitched.....their career ended in March 1979!!!
As for the single, two original different picture sleeves exist. The first being the hand sprayed Blackmail lettering type sleeve. This was the first issue and was made while the band were still in their home town of Accrington. Then when the band relocated to London, 'Nick Name' still had a pile of unsold singles all of which didn't have the sprayed painted sleeve so he decided to make a new design up giving him more of a chance to sell his remaining copies. This was the in-famous Gas Mask picture sleeve. This sleeve was made up in the last few months of 1978.
Wait for it......The story doesn't end there!! in 1996, Detour Records managed to track down 'Nick Name' while still living in London and he still had a box of 25 singles under his bed. He agreed to sell us these remaining singles and knocked up a third sleeve. This time it featured the Queen's head on one side and the in-famous Gas Mask was used on the reverse. Even though this third sleeve was made up some 18 years after the initial one was made, only 25 copies of this new sleeve exist and was made by the man himself!!!! A rarity of the future? Only time will tell.
Also, there is a demo tape out there some where which the band recorded in late '77 or early '78. It contains the tracks 'Smashing The System' / 'What's In Store' / '18 Year Confusion' / 'Pollution' / 'Lust For You'. Sadly the band members haven't got a copy of this tape...could the tracks be lost forever???
An unreleased track as just been unearthed by one of Nick Name's old friends who he hasn't seen for years. It was one of the last tracks to be recorded by 'Schoolgirl Bitch' and is titled "Heading For The City".
Nick Name 1998
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source Bored Teenagers (link)
