SUBURBAN STUDS - Slam 1978

Formed in 1976 and hailing from Birmingham, the Suburban Studs consisted of Eddy Zipps (vocals/guitar), Keith Owen (guitar), Paul Morton (bass), Steve Pool (drums) and with their already punky sounding name were one of the first bands to be signed to an independent, the equally punky sounding Pogo Records, and marketed through the major label WEA Records. In their time they released two 7Inches and even an album within a year, a feat not reached by many a Punk band of the time. Originally featuring the sax antics of Steve Heart the instrument was felt to be inappropriate to their sound and he left to start the Neon Hearts.

The Suburban Studs were active live throughout 1976 but were a different looking proposition then with a more glam look. Supports at the time included The Runaways. They played their first London gig at the 100 Club on the 31st August '76 supporting the Sex Pistols and The Clash. A quote from a Sounds review by John Ingham appears The Clash book "Last Gang In Town" where he describes their set as 'a laughable mixture of tacky jumpsuits, tacky make-up, tacky props and tacky music'. The Studs also headlined over the Clash on the 27th of October '76 at Barbarellas in Birmingham, this time complete with haircuts and a more Punk image, though still playing the same dated glam set as they did at the 100 Club. Gigs at the usual suspects like the Marquee, Vortex, Roxy Club and Barbarellas and tours even supporting the likes of AC/DC and The Runaways did nothing to break the band. Not even a John Peel session broadcast in December 1977 or appearing in a Punkrock special on ATV helped.

WEA supported with marketing and also helped land them on the double Live At The Hope And Anchor album with a live version of 'I Hate School' along with The Stranglers, 999, X-Ray Spex & The Saints among others. Their WEA Press release which accompanied their album Slam l is suitably hyperbolic and manages to sadly spell the bands name wrong in the first sentence! WEA Press Release Born in the slums of the Midlands and educated with street level certificates, the Surburban Studs are deeply involved with their music. "We're fed up with rock superstars", said lead vocalist Eddie Zipps. Their music has got fuck all to do with living on the street today. We live in a slum... You've got to play music, that's life, that creates a situation. Their debut album 'Slam' reflects the seamier side of life and focuses on Suburban Studs instinct. Unfortunately the music didn't live up to the hype. Mediocre album reviews in the music weeklies didn't help either. PR was reduced to occasional gossip including the singer being subject to random Punk violence which was prevalent at the time and the shenanigans of their fans when two girls at their Thames Poly gig flashed their breasts on stage, daubed graffiti & set off fire extinguishers. With no sales the band who were astute enough to jump on the Punk bandwagon couldn't progress further and just fell off the Punk map.

Having said that however, the single Questions/No Faith (1977 Pogo Records) is a peach as good as any. Classic driving overdriven punk at a frenetic and heart attack inducing pace. Steve Harrington (sax) who was later in the Neon Hearts played on the first version of Questions/No Faith (July 1977) which was withdrawn, both tracks were re-recorded when Harrington left to start the New Hearts and e-released in November 1977, this time with "No Faith" as the A-side. Slam their album feels like Punk by numbers. All the ingredients are there but there's something missing and that's a spark. For once I think the reviews of the time got it right. Like the art work on Slam below? They couldn't get straight jackets from anywhere and in the end had to have them tailor made. Their only other single was I Hate School/Young Power (1978 Pogo Records) pulled from their album and this time reusing the album over in monochrome. They are also on the Live at the Hope & Anchor Compilation (March 1978) again singing I Hate School in the company of The Stranglers, 999 and X Ray Spex. Ironic as one of them went on to become a teacher.

While bands like Eater and Menace never got a John Peel radio show, the Suburban Studs did which aired on 22.11.77 and which featured "Suburban Stud, I Hate School, Necro, No Faith" and that was it! (source: punk77)

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BASTA! - Abortus Vrij, De Vrouw Beslist! 7'' 1977

Rib inflammation and a sore throat, I'm thrilled, all this shit that's extremely annoying and pisses me off. Well, there's time to post if I can crawl out of bed, and it's time again for a little 7 fucking Inch, the only piece by this Belgian combo called Basta! on Agitat and this little dittie was one of the first Belgian Punk releases of any sort. The band consisted of Eric (vocals), Marc (guitars), Luc (bass), Johan (drums) and Peter (sax) and the song refers to the 'national demonstration against the abortion ban' of March 4, 1977 in Ghent, which the Young Socialists (JS) called for with the same slogan. The song posthumously gained international recognition in 2017 when it was included in a list of influential anti-fascist Punk songs by the American music site Pitchfork. The music website mainly praised the saxophone line which is said to be reminiscent of Lora Logic's dissonant contributions to X-Ray Spex and Essential Logic. The flip is a reggae tune which is in my opinion a little bit too long. A short background: "The Radio 1 program Wonderland called a stunned Eric, singer of Basta, last night. "It's unbelievable what is happening now, because there are few people who remember that song from fourty years ago," he says: "Although the fight over abortion is a fight that has not yet been fought in many countries, which makes the song still relevant." The way the song was created appeals to the imagination. "We created abortion free, the woman decides" in response to a similar demonstration under the same name. That demonstration was to take place in Ghent. As occasionalPpunks, we created a soundtrack for it," says Eric. "That all happened in one day: we made a song from scratch in a community center. The lyrics were written there on the spot, the music is pure improvisation. That evening we were already in the studio for the recording. My voice was completely destroyed by then (laughs). Until that day we had never played music together."

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X RAY SPEX - GermFree Adolescents 1978

A real classic is the debut by X Ray Spex with the unforgettable powerful voice of Poly Styrene, who sadly passed away in 2011 and this album features great songs about identity, feminism, and consumer society with fire and joy. Musically, the five keep the level constantly high, even with an instrument that is not typical for Punkrock, a saxophone, they manage to integrate this passable. A perfect review: "Perhaps the most utopian aspect of the U.K. Punk scene was that it offered creative, articulate young people the opportunity to express themselves, and to kick up an exuberantly noisy racket in the process. X-Ray Spex certainly came from this wing of the movement, the brainchild of two female schoolmates who re-christened themselves Poly Styrene and Lora Logic. X-Ray Spex was far from the only female-centered British punk act, but they were arguably the best, combining exuberant energy with a cohesive worldview courtesy of singer and songwriter Poly Styrene. As her nom de Punk hinted, Styrene was obsessed with the artificiality she saw permeating Britain's consumer society, linking synthetic goods with a sort of processed, manufactured humanity. Styrene's frantic claustrophobia permeates the record, as she rails in her distinctively quavering yowl against the alienation she feels preventing her from discovering her true self. Germfree Adolescents is tied together by Styrene's yearning to be free not only from demands for consumption, but from the insecurity corporate advertisers used to exploit their targets (especially in women) -- in other words, to enjoy being real, imperfect, non-sterile humans living in a real, imperfect, non-Day-Glo world. Fortunately, the record is just as effective musically as it is conceptually. It's full of kick-out-the-jams rockers, with a few up-tempo thrashers and surprisingly atmospheric pieces mixed in; the raw, wailing saxophone of Rudi Thomson (who replaced Lora Logic early on) gives the band its true sonic signature. The CD reissue of Germfree Adolescents appends both sides of the classic debut single "Oh Bondage Up Yours!," one of the most visceral moments in all of British Punk, which means everything you need is right here." (Steve Huey) Great stuff and still unique!

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X-RAY SPEX - Oh Bondage... Up Yours! 7'' 1977

This is an unofficial release from Art-I-Ficial Products (2016) of the bands debut 7Inch with two, I think, different versions as on the original record and came in three different vinyl colors in a limited edition. X-Ray Spex were formed 1976 in London and during their first incarnation (1976–1979), they released five singles and one album. Their 1977 single Oh Bondage Up Yours! and debut album Germfree Adolescents (1978) are widely acclaimed as classic Punk releases. (Today, the 7Inch is regarded as their most enduring artefact, both as a piece of music and as a sort of Proto-Grrrl catchphrase. Opening with the spoken/screamed line, "Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard but I think oh, bondage, up yours!", the song could be interpreted as a premonition of the Riot Grrrl movement fifteen years later, although Styrene herself insists it was more intended as an anti-consumerist/anti-capitalist jingle, and was not exclusively feminist in nature). After singer Poly Styrene left in 1979 to pursue other interests the band auditioned for a new singer and changed their name to Classix Nouveaux.

In 1991, X-Ray Spex reformed for a surprise sell-out gig at the Brixton Academy, where Poly appeared in a blue foam dress with an army helmet (to her regret). The group reformed again in 1995 with a line-up of Styrene, Dean and Logic to release a new album Conscious Consumer. Although heralded as the first in a trilogy, the album was not a commercial success. Styrene later explained that touring and promotional work suffered an abrupt end when she was run over by a fire engine in central London, suffering a fractured pelvis. The following year X-Ray Spex played at the 20th Anniversary of Punk Festival in Blackpool minus PolyStyrene, overcoming her last-minute decision to withdraw by recruiting a replacement female singer named Poly Filla. The band disbanded, but later releases include a compilation of the group's early records, a live album, and an anthology of all the aforementioned. The band including original bass player Paul Dean, played what was described as a raucous comeback gig and in front of an audience of 3000 full at the Roundhouse in London on 6 September 2008. The gig consisted of Germfree Adolescents in its entirety, with the exception of "Plastic Bag". PolyStyrene died of spinal and breast cancer on 25. April 2011 in East Sussex at the age of 53. X-Ray Spex were one of the most inventive, original and genuinely exciting groups to during the early British Punk era. (source: wikipedia)

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V/A - Catch A Wave 2x10'' 1978

Welcome May and I say Hello to you with this early punk/new wave compilation in chic 10'' design and that twice. I'm really amazed, how many slabs were pressed in my favorite format, especially at this time... I have to send out a loud HOLLADRIO!!.... good boy. The two color palettes feature bands with leatherjackets, big balls, long fingernails, sexy pouts, barbed hair, rivet belt, pop hits, nylon legs, sweaty shirts, etc… and beams us back to the time when punk was 'provocative' & 'real'. Most of the first punk rock bands came from New York, punk became a real movement in London and Catch A Wave unites both cultures & countries with their local yesterdays heroes. Not all songs ignite, but fit for a little time travel. Released without a label, Made In England, but distributed primarily in Scandinavian countries (so they can thaw a little). Good Job!

1.Do Anything You Wanna Do - EDDIE & THE HOT RODS

2.Statue Of Liberty - XTC

3.Klean Living Kids - THE STUKAS

4.Television Screen - RADIATORS FROM SPACE

5.For You - GREG KIHN

6.Saints & Sinners - JOHNNY & THE SELF ABUSERS

7.Do The Standing Still - THE TABLE

8.Kidnapper - BLONDIE

9.Little Big Boss - LITTLE BOB STORY

10.Lovin' Cup - EARTH QUAKE

11.Nervous Wreck - RADIO STARS

12.Rockwrok - ULTRAVOX!

13.I Think We're Alone Now - THE RUBINOOS

14.Dancing The Night Away - THE MOTORS

15.White Line Fever - MOTÖRHEAD

16.Your Generation - GENERATION X

17.Government Action - SKREWDRIVER

18.Roadrunner - JONATHAN RICHMAN & THE MODERN LOVERS

19.Oh Bondage Up Yours! - X RAY SPEX

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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THE DRONES - Further Temptations 1977

Back to classics with the Drones, started out in the Manchester area in 1974 as a Glam Rock outfit called Rockslide, releasing a lone single 'Jump Bump Boogaloo/Roller Coaster' in October 1975, before reinvented themselves as a punk rock band the following year. The Drones then relocated to London and became one of the pioneering punk bands that performed in the first few months of the now-legendary Roxy Club. They supported The Vibrators in January 1977, headlined in February, and supported X-Ray Spex and Chelsea in March. Later that year they supported the Stranglers on a full UK tour, and appeared on two influential early punk compilation albums Streets and Short Circuit: Live at the Electric Circus. Their debut single, 'Temptations Of A White Collar Worker' (1977), was described by one reviewer as "classic dole-queue punk." In October 1977, their second single, 'Just Wanna Be Myself' / 'Bone Idol', was released, and on 6th December they recorded a session at Maida Vale 4 studio for John Peel. Later that month, they released their debut album on Valer Records, Further Temptations, a shoddily produced document of a highly underrated band, armed with angry lyrics and a sharp sense of humour fuelling fiery originals like ‘Lift Off The Bans' and 'No More Time'. It's was a great record but its release marked the beginning of the end for the band.

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V/A - British Underground 1977-1982

Subtitled as the Best of the UK Punk New Wave. Well, this lies in the eye of the beholder or? Anyway, this small flame is the first Volume of this Mini-Serie and this unofficial release was comin' out on Chaos Wrecords in 1982 and it's full with a decent mix of both music styles. I realize there are a lot of UK comps and this is of course for me great, I love the early UK sound and I'm always fascinate when I get a copy of a record which is brand new, even when I know the songs. Minus points for the loveless design, no inserts, no info. So check the following orange button for details. Was bleibt?, a decent platte with cool and varied stuff. But € 50,- I wouldn't pay for. Have fun with this, Aloha!!

1.Instant Tunes - XTC

2.Cold Beat - THE SOUND

3.Whatever Happened To The West? - ANOTHER PRETTY FACE

4.Adult/ery - THE SCARS

5.Where Were You? - THE MEKONS

6.Damaged Goods - GANG OF FOUR

7.The Missionary - JOSEF K.

8.Let's Submerge (Live 1977) - X-RAY SPEX

9.Drums Over London - DISCO ZOMBIES

10.Looking At You - THE CIGARETTES

11.Spend The Night Alone - FATAL CHARM

12.Firing Squad (Live 1979) - PENETRATION

13.Novelty (Live 1979) - JOY DIVISION

14.Blue Boy - ORANGE JUICE

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V/A - Burning Ambitions (A History Of Punk) 1982

Burning Ambition: The History of Punk, attempts to be a definitive overview of the British (except DK) wave/punk scene in the late 70s/early 80s and while it falls short of its goals, it's nevertheless an admirable effort. The Crème de la Crème are here to honor, only classics on it. Surely some of you, like me, have the original records at home but this double album should become a favorite of yours, because this record is one of the finest punk compilations which is ever released. Love to hear all these classic songs in this order and believe me.... you will enjoy it as a good fuck.

1.Boredom - BUZZCOCKS

2.Bingo Masters Breakout - THE FALL

3.12XU - WIRE

4.Life - ALTERNATIVE TV

5.Keys To Your Heart - THE 101'ERS

6.I'm Alive - 999

7.Gary Gilmore's Eyes - THE ADVERTS

8.Justifiable Homicide - DAVE GOODMAN & FRIENDS

9.Where Have All The Boot Boys Gone - SLAUGHTER & THE DOGS

10.(Get A) Grip On (Yourself) - THE STRANGLERS

11.Your Generation - GENERATION X

12.Baby, Baby - THE VIBRATORS

13.Identity - X-RAY SPEX

14.Read About Seymour - SWELL MAPS

15.I'm Stranded - THE SAINTS

16.Chinese Rocks - HEARTBREAKERS

17.Lock It Up - EATER

18.Ain't Got A Clue - THE LURKERS

19.Lady - ADAM & THE ANTS

20.Love Song - THE DAMNED

21.Looking After No. 1 - BOOMTOWN RATS

22.Where's Captain Kirk? - SPIZZ ENERGI

23.In A Rut - THE RUTS

24.Angels With Dirty Faces - SHAM 69

25.Stranglehold - U.K.SUBS

26.Flares & Slippers - COCKNEY REJECTS

27.The Wait - KILLING JOKE

28.No Goverment - ANTI-PASTI

29.Holiday In Cambodia - DEAD KENNEDYS

30.Dead Cities - THE EXPLOITED

31.Last Rockers - VICE SQUAD

32.Harry May - THE BUSINESS

33.Police Story - THE PARTISANS

34.Someone's Gonna Die - BLITZ

35.City Baby Attacked By Rats - G.B.H

36.Complete Disorder - DISORDER

37.Russians In The DHSS - ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER

38.Lust For Glory - ANGELIC UPSTARTS

- Huge Thx to Fredrik -

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