Saturday, November 29, 2008

Male - 1979 - Clever and Smart 7''


Male - 1979 - Clever and Smart 7''
download

PVC2 - 1977 - Put You In The Picture 7''

PVC2 - 1977 - Put You In The Picture 7''
download
.
Only one single Put You In The Picture / Deranged Demented and Free/ Pain (Zoom Records 1977) buts its a cracker and a great picture cover to boot. Featuring Midge Ure, after turning down The Sex Pistols, prior to his transfer to punk supergroup The Rich Kids and en route to the pompous later Ultravox. Both Midge Ure and drummer Kenny Hyslop of PVC2 were in the pop group Slik that had a couple of hits. These dried up then punk came along so ... PVC-2 with Russell Webb - Bass & Billy McIsaac - Keyboards. Rough vocalled punkery slightly tarnished by cheesy synth solo . Another classic for the Edinburgh Zoom label. Later PVC2 bar Midge Ure would become the Zones.
.
source punk77.co.uk (link)
and thanks to NDN Records for the cover!

Alternative - 1982 - In Nomine Patri 7''

Alternative - 1982 - In Nomine Patri 7''
download

Friday, November 28, 2008

Black Randy and The (Elite) Metrosquad - 1978 - Idi Amin 7''

Black Randy and The (Elite) Metrosquad - 1978 - Idi Amin 7''
.
DB: We're talking about April 1978 at this point, the X single and another Black Randy EP. I have to emphasize that at this point it was basically just us throwing a few thousand dollars away. Maybe at some point somebody thought we had money or backing or something like that, but this was totally garbage. I worked at my little job in aerospace. I think Pat was a design engineer at Hughes Helicopters. Very much the opposite from the lifestyles of most of the people making the music. We would go out night after night and just see what we could put out next because it seemed like we could do no wrong. We had very strong backing of the people at Slash magazine. I did typesetting for them, and they used to run my reviews of other people's things. We got good deals on advertising.
Right about this point I think the Dickies burst upon the scene and were able to throw together a major label contract with A&M. This was the first band from the Masque era that had really gone on. They had done it so quickly, it was like a coup. Suddenly a lot of the groups who were recording for us were sort of looking, I don't want to say askance, but sort of that their involvement with us should have been held off because there could have been some real money involved for them. So from this point on, we were sort of dealing with that kind of mentality. They just had this feeling deep down inside that they were the ones who were going to hit the big time. But, sad to say, it never really happened.
We had an interesting couple of visitations from some English management types that came over about the time that IRS records was getting going. In general it was getting harder and harder to get people who were willing to record for us. In particular, the X thing sort of started to fall apart because they didn't want Pat to do the production on that. It was kind of a resentment because Pat was clearly the guiding hand and clearly knew what to do. I guess you could say that the more talented some of these people were, the stronger their personalities were.
So, at this point it was sort of a downhill ride. Things weren't going as well with our interpersonal relationships with some of the bands. I guess you would have to know some of the personalities involved, particularly Black Randy, to get the full impact of this. Negotiations were between Black Randy, who was just a complete liar. He would go out and completely snow people. He would get away with it because he was very likeable. He was the ultimate con man. He was capable of just completely turning on you from one day to the next. Yet you'd sort of want him around because he was talented in a very weird way. I was, at this point, doing all the dog work. All the physical production. Schlepping up and down the freeway. Randy was lying to people, trying to get them to agree to things, and Pat was doing this really solid production. So it was just a really weird combination of personalities that allowed this, to begin with.
It's interesting to note that in the first week-and-a-half the Frontier reissue (Dangerhouse Volume 1) sold four times as many copies of anything we ever sold individually. Certainly the market was there, we just couldn't get to it. In particular we were dealing with sort of small, schlock distributors like Jem Records, Bomp Records. Of course Jem later went belly up owing everybody thousands and thousands of dollars. Greenworld and a couple of others. We tried to work out deals with people in other countries who'd sell for us. We couldn't afford to fly there ourselves and hustle them all the time. They were just as likely to keep the records and screw you out of the money. It seemed to be business as usual at that time.BMF: Black, green, and orange vinyl issued. The orange vinyl is particularly elusive. Like X's "Adult Books" 45, this EP was test pressed on clear vinyl. The test press labels are numbered out of 13 (of course) and graffiti'd by Black Randy. Three known copies.
.
source Break My Face (link)

Lixomania - 1982 - Violencia e Sobrevivencia EP

Lixomania - 1982 - Violencia e Sobrevivencia EP
download
.
from Brasil

Drug Squad - 1979 - Operation Julie 7''

Drug Squad - 1979 - Operation Julie 7''
download
.
The band started life in 1975,in Surrey, under, the better name of HOT COFFIN. Geoff 'Girl' Eade being leader singer and Mick Farren figure. Lawrie 'Tex Tucker' Mills, just wanted to play guitar. Drummer was Jerry 'Pretty Boy' Wickings, who was amazing at 16 and from the Keith Moon school. Main songwriter was a guy called Eric Allen (bass). They never played many gigs and Eric left mid 77 to be replaced by Tony Davidson on bass.When punk came along they did not change and saw punks as allies. They were, what later became known as 'proto-punks'. Lots of bands cut their hair to fit in...this lot did not...they never hid their musical roots either. Musically, their influences were Pink Fairies, Mick Farren/Deviants and Motorhead. The band was also very loud and stood their ground and got banned for mis-behaviour at The Red Deer in Croydon & White Lion in Putney. The band played 'Waiting for the Man', in their early days but dropped when all these other bands started playing it!! So they attempted 'City Kids' by the Fairies, but never live.
In late 77 they recorded 3 tracks for a possible single including the first version of 'Switchcleaner'. Backed with 'Left Right & Centre' (a song about the Lewisham NF riot). Tony saw that RAW RECORDS were offering spots on their label which was then quite hip! So they scraped together £218 and met a certain Lee Hazelwood at Pye Studios in Marble Arch...cut an acetate, handed over money and that was the last they heard!! He seemed to have disappeared ...phone calls to Cambridge proved fruitless...the band got pissed off and gave up hope. One thing they discovered it was not thee Lee Hazelwood but a certain Lee Wood.In 1978/9 they recorded the sessions that yielded the eventual single - Operation Julie / Switchcleaner - and the belated cassette album 'Perversion St.' which took it's name from a Deviants epic.
.
source punk77.co.uk (link)

Sylvian Sylvian And The Criminal$ - 2000 - Bowery Butterflies

Sylvian Sylvian And The Criminal$ - 2000 - Bowery Butterflies
.
Sylvain Sylvain (born Sylvain Mizrahi, February 14th, 1949 ) is a rock guitarist, most notable for being a member of the New York Dolls.
He was born in, Cairo, Egypt to a Jewish family with one brother and one sister, Leon and Brigitte, but raised in New York City, where his family had moved after living on Lafayette Avenue in Buffalo, New York while he was still a child. When asked if he was related to American fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi (born October 14, 1961) he responded, "No. Only in spirit." Before joining the New York Dolls in 1971, Sylvain was a member of the band Actress, also featuring Dolls Johnny Thunders and Billy Murcia. He played guitar in the proto-punk group the New York Dolls (replacing Rick Rivets), from 1971 until the group's final dissolution in 1975. Sylvain and singer David Johansen were the last remaining members at the time the group broke up. After the dissolution of the Dolls, he frequently played with Johansen in his solo project. He started his own solo project, "The Criminals" with another ex-Doll, Tony Machine and continued to play the New York club scene. He landed a solo recording contract with RCA, and released one brilliant album with some the best musicians in NYC as his backing band, Lee Crystal on drums (later of Joan Jett's Blackhearts) & Johnny Rao on guitar. For a period, he also drove a cab in New York City. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1990s and recorded one record, Sleep Baby Doll for Fishead Records. His band mates on this record were: Brian Keats, drums (Dave Vanian's Phantom Chords), Speediejohn Carlucci on bass (formerly of The Fuzztones/Speedies) & Olivier LeBaron' on lead guitar. There were guest appearances by Frank Infante of Blondie & Derwood Andrews of Generation X. This record was re-released as "New York's Au Go Go". He now plays once again with David Johansen in the reformed New York Dolls.
As of November, 2006, he is currently on tour with the New York Dolls in the "Little Steven's Underground Garage Rolling Rock and Roll Show," featuring not only the Dolls but several other rock bands as well as go-go dancers.
He sometimes resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
.
source Wikipedia (link)

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Hot Nasties - 1980 - Invasion of the Tribbles EP

Hot Nasties - 1980 - Invasion of the Tribbles EP
.
Formed in 1976 as the Social Blemishes, the Blemishes were a bunch of punks who discovered the soundtrack to their lives, punk rock, after hearing the Ramones’ first album. The Blemishes practiced their punkish sounds in the basement of former member Alan’s basement. They soon attracted attention, when in December 1977, the Blemishes opened for Foster Child at their local high school where they launched into a twisted demonic version of “Heart Break Hotel”. A half dozen teenage girls rushed the stage and the band was hooked. Over time the Blemishes changed their name to the Hot Nasties. Three of the Hot Nasties songs “I am a Confused Teenager”, “Secret of Immortaility” and “Invasion of the Tribbles” came out on Social Blemish Records (More Hits than Zits). In late 1980, the Hot Nasties issued an album length taped cassette collection of their songs. Their original 3 song EP was part of Smash the State Vol. 1. From Warren Kinsella: Things You Suspected You'd Regret When You Got Older, But Did Anyway, Part 397 Growing up in Calgary, Alberta, in the 1970s, Warren was (not entirely surprisingly) unlike many of peers. To him, a weekend spent smoking dope and listening to Led Zep on headphones was a wasted 48 hours. If he was going to irritate his teachers and like-minded authority figures, there had to be a better way.
Along with his pals, Ras Pierre Schenk, Alan "Flesh" Macdonald and assorted other miscreants who attended Bishop Carroll and Bishop Grandin high schools, Warren decided to form a rock band. It did not matter that neither Warren nor any of his pals couldnt play any musical instrument. What mattered was an unshakeable commitment to non-conformity (to wit, all were early members of something called the NCNA - the Non-Conformist News Agency). The Social Blemishes were born.
In and about 1976, Warren, Pierre, Alan and the other members of the Blems liked rough-sounding old stuff by the likes of the Who and the Kinks. In early 1977, Warren bought a copy of the first album by the Ramones, and the Blemishes were forever transformed by punk rock.
The Blemishes practiced their punkish sounds in Alan's basement in Southwest Calgary, bought a lot of late-night slurpees, and started to attract attention. On December 21, 1977, the Blemishes opened for Fosterchild at Bishop Carroll High School. When Alan launched into a twisted, demonic version of 'Heartbreak Hotel,' a half-dozen teenaged girls rushed the stage. The Blems were hooked: maybe they'd never get rich playing tunes like 'Invasion of the Tribbles,' but getting the odd groupie wasn't so bad.
In time, the Blemishes became the Hot Nasties. Warren (a.k.a. "Nuclear Age") was bassist and lead singer; Ras Pierre assumed the role of lead guitarist; Sane Wayne Ahern played rhythm method guitar; and Just Plain Tom Edwards kept the beat. Most of the songs were written by Warren and Pierre.
Three of those songs, 'I Am A Confused Teenager,' 'Secret of Immortality,' and 'Invasion of the Tribbles,' came out on the above Social Blemish Records (More Hits Than Zits) Extended Play single in 1980. The E.P. now sells for nearly $300 (U.S.!). Later, Alan's band, The Sturgeons, also put out a single on Social Blemish. In late 1980, the Hot Nasties issued an album-length taped collection of their songs. Some were later covered, or adapted, by the likes of Moe Berg (Pursuit of Happiness) and folk star James Keelaghan.
In 1994, a Montreal punk rock fan named Frank Manley issued a book and album about Canadian punk rock called (ironically enough, considering Warren's later involvements) Smash the State. The album featured songs by the Hot Nasties, the Sturgeons, and the two group's Edmonton pals, The Rock'n'Roll Bitches.
Alright, then. Go ahead and laugh.
.
source Punk History Canada (link)

Stage B - 1980 - Recall to Life 7''

Stage B - 1980 - Recall to Life 7''
.
Stage B were formed by Dessie Potter and Colin Fletcher after the demise of the punk band the Batteries, the band had played one gig, subjecting the audience to their versions of various punk classics and split up after the gig which had been given some bad reviews. They were now more influenced by the likes of the early Adam and the Ants and Siouxsie and the Banshees than three chord punk. The name Stage B was taken from the stage signs that were clearly visible each week when bands played live on the tv rock show the Old Grey Whistle Test .
New members were brought in Owen Howell replacing Karl Scott on drums and Charlie Reily was now lead vocals replacing original singer John Perfect a Sid Vicious lookalike and an occasional dj in the back room of the Harp bar, and the founding members Dessie Potter (guitar) and Colin Fletcher (bass) completed the line up. The music they now played had a new atmospheric swirling darker sound . They had a different look and sound to most of the other Belfast bands involved in the punk scene. They were offered studio time by Outlet records in the summer of 79 and they recorded a 4 track demo featuring the tracks the Viper , Numbers, Lizzie Borden and Self Portrait minus Colin who was in London at the time. Their one and only single Recall to life / Light On The Hillside was recorded later in 79 .
A support slot to Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Cure on their first N.I. visit 5.9. 79 at the Ulster hall on the Join Hands tour was cancelled due to various Banshee members / equipment problems which meant the gig was going to start late if at all , I remember standing about outside the venue for hours with a lot of angry punks , in the end I got pissed off and went home and needless to say the gig went ahead with a makeshift Banshees performance later on . An industrial strike at the BBC also scuppered their TV debut on the local music show Green Rock . Colin Fletcher left the band in 1980 which had also seen the release of the debut single on the Shock Rock label. A number of temporary bassists were recruited to fill in , including Greg Cowan from the Outcasts for at least one gig at the Harp that I was at . They eventually supported the Banshees on their next visit to the Ulster hall 16 / 10 / 80 on the Kaleidoscope tour and they also played a couple of times on different tours as support to Toyah one of which 8 / 4 / 81 was filmed by the BBC . The band folded a while later .
Anyone who witnessed the band live especially the opening number Darkness on which Dessie took the lead vocals, if you could call them that and I use the term vocals loosely, as he just screamed and howled to the stark musical backdrop, twisting and contorting himself into all sorts of shapes and prowling around the stage as flashing strobe lights slowed his movements left you in no doubt that this was no ordinary punk band. My own personal favourite song of theirs, Open Up, was never recorded. Someone got Charlie to dedicate it to me from the stage at the Future Legend gig and I had a tape of it for a long time but it has disappeared over the years like a lot of other bits. So if you've got any copies out there in cyber world of their gigs let me know.
.
source punk77.co.uk (link)
and thanks to the czech guy for this awsome ep!

Bearz - 1980 - She's My Girl 7''

Bearz - 1980 - She's My Girl 7''
download

Monday, November 24, 2008

Wreckless Eric - 1990 - At The Shop!

Wreckless Eric - 1990 - At The Shop!
.
Recorded live at the New Rose Mini Store, Paris, February 14th and 15th 1990 except for Semaphore Signals which was captured in the fitting-room. The recording was made on an all valve Ferrograph Y632 U/CC two track machine running with a speed of 7 1/2 ips, using a pair of Beyer dynamic microphones. The disc was cut from the original tapes without overdubbing or remixing.

Brainiacs, The - 1979 - Don't Tell me Why 7''

Brainiacs, The - 1979 - Don't Tell me Why 7''
download

Sinners, The - 1980 - No Brains (Required) 7''

Sinners, The - 1980 - No Brains (Required) 7''
.
London was a premiere local for punk in the 70’s with the likes of the Demics and the Sinners. The Sinners were formed in the late 1970’s. They would play weeklong gigs at the Cedar Lounge and packed the house nightly with their pogoing fans. The Sinners also toured the gig route of southwestern Ontario and played Larry’s Hideaway among other Toronto Clubs. From the money they earned they started their own label, “Rude Records” and soon produced an EP called “No Brains Required” which featured the songs, “No Brains Required”, “Attitude is Everything” and “In With the New”. The sinners disbanded by 1981 with each member starting new acts. They reunited in 2005 with Colin Heddle as the lead guitarist and have been doing reunion gigs in London, Ontario.
.
source Punk History Canada (link)

Johnny Teen And The Broken Hearts - 1987 - She Stinks Of Sex 7''

Johnny Teen And The Broken Hearts - 1987 - She Stinks Of Sex 7''
download
.
She Stinks Of Sex/I Like It Both Ways (Green Fez)Lewd and sexist though it may be, this is one of my favorite records of the summer, with its raunchy swagger and slashing guitar reminding me of the New York Dolls at their best. The lead singer sounds a little like Popeye in places, but overall he's perfectly suited to the material and the band is great. Both sides are done live, and "Sex" opens with a great leering intro: "I hope you're all having a good time...cos I am...but I ALWAYS do!". Not to be missed.
.
source Noise for Heroes (link)

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Predator - 1978 - Punk Man/Paperboy Song 7''

Predator - 1978 - Punk Man/Paperboy Song 7''
download
.
Originally called Thin Ice this Stockport band issued this little ditty Punk Man / Paperboy Song on Criminal Records 1978 a label allegedly half owned by Christopher Biggins !!!! The song had no picture sleeve but the insert below. They released another single 3 years later !!! but that's not important here. Is this song another one hit cash in ??? Who knows but for some reason I think its a fantastic single. A mammoth buzz saw riff that Van Halen would die for introduces 'Paperboy Song' with such laid back singing and tongue in cheek lyrics I piss myself laughing at the plight of the paperboy the punkest of topics !!!!( Crass never wrote them like that did they ???) 'I don't like dogs they bite my bum !!!!' I even like 'Punk Man'.... its got a kind of groove and again features that laid back singing. Buy it or steal it !!!
It was good to see Punk Man/Paperboy Song by Predator featured in one of your compilations. I was involved in recording the single these songs were taken from. The single was recorded in a spare room at Lydney Youth Club. If memory serves, the line-up at that time was:
Geoff Howarth on vocals, Martin Hughes on lead guitar, Ant Gerrard on rhythm guitar, Jeff Curtis on bass, Jere Randall on drums.
Originally, Geoff Howarth had played bass, with Ian Hodgkinson on vocals and Paul Cooke on drums.
Email from Steven Thomas 4/7/01
.
source punk77.co.uk (link)

Skids, The - 1978 - Scared To Dance

Skids, The - 1978 - Scared To Dance
download

Horrorcomic - 1977 - I'm All Hung Up On Pierrepoint 7''

Horrorcomic - 1977 - I'm All Hung Up On Pierrepoint 7''
download
.
Lightning Records are often accused of releasing records by fake punk bands. In most cases this wasn't true, but Horrorcomic were exactly that. They consisted of Frankie Dean (guitar), Roger Rep (vocals), Ray Boghart (bass) and Wally Bantam (drums) who were all staff who worked for the label.
There debut 'I'm All Hung Up On Pierrepoint' / 'The Exorcist' / 'Sex In The Afternoon' (Lightning/B&C, 1977) is disappointing, but 'I Don't Mind' / 'England 77' (Lightning, 1978) is excellent punk rock despite the fact the band look anything but punk on the cover. 'Jesus Crisis' / 'Cut Your Throat' (B&C, 1979) was actually withdrawn and is mega-rare. A Detour Records mail-order catalogue described 'Jesus Crisis' as "...great punk rock with a glam edge" when it had a copy for auction a few years ago, the minimum bid was listed at £650.
.
source punk77.co.uk (link)
and thanks to NDN Records for the cover!