Saturday, February 13, 2016

THE SOFTIES - Suicide Pilot 7'' 1978

The Softies was a Dutch punk band that released two singles in 1978, the title track Suicide Pilot is shown on the Killed By Death #1234 compilation. They started during the first punk wave that flooded Holland in the fall of 77, when Michael Smith, a former roadmanager of the Damned came from the U.K. to Amsterdam to form his own band,soon linking up with FrankNstein and Joe Thumper. The Band soon signed up a record deal and the first single 'Suicide Pilot" was released jan.1978. The single was well received by both media and public with its much recognizable air-raidsiren,the opening of the song, and of the many shows that followed. The beginning of march 78 the Softies were joined by
Captain Sensible, who had left the Damned after their splitup, and took up the leadguitar with the Softies. A tour in Germany followed as well as Gigs around Holland. A second single was released in april and the now classic song 'jet boy jet girl', a satire version of the Plastic Bertrand version 'ca plane por moi' (by the way mentioned by Johnny Rotten in The New Musical Express as single of the week!!') was performed/sung by the Captain, great stuff and its said he is still performing it this day and age!!!! Anyhow, it was time for the Captain to go back home, to start his own band, and the Softies were a punkrockin threepieceband again. The Softies released their only album Nice & Nasty album in 1979 on Charlie Records. Michael sadly passed away, round about spring 2005.


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