NEON HEARTS - Venus Eccentric! 7'' 1977

The Neon Hearts were Wolverhampton's first punk band that had a short lived existence from 1977 - 1981 at the height of the punk movement. The band was founded in the summer of 1977 by Steve Heart when he quit Birmingham-based Suburban Studs after being told a sax player was inappropriate in a punk band. The band were highly comitted and rehearsed for 3 hours nightly. They oon had plenty of songs and entered Ginger studios to record the best of them. The result was the now legendary 7'' Venus Eccentric!, released in December 1977 on their own Neon hearts label (a copy will now set you back £60). The band established their own punk venue at the lord Raglan in Wolverhampton and gigged furiously nationwide. Two pearls also here which is a must for every punk compilation.

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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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THE CIRCLES - Angry Voices 7'' 1980

Another band of the Mod movement are the Circles from the West Midlands and let me give you some great infos from discogs: Formed in May, 1979 by Mick (vocals/rhythm guitar), Tony (lead guitar/vocals), Glenn (bass/vocals) & Keith, former drummer with the new wave outfit the Neon Hearts. After circulating a few demos they released their debut single Opening Up on Graduate Records in November 1979. It reached #3 in the indie charts and over the years has achieved cult status. Like many of the mod revival bands of ‘79 the Circles never released an album and after another promising single on the Vertigo label Angry Voices (which went to sell some 20.000 copies) they decided to call it a day in late 1980. In 1985 Graduate released the track ‘Circles’ (not a Who cover) with a demo version of ‘Summer Nights’ as the b-side. The single went nowhere with no existing band to promote it. In 1999 the Circles reformed to play the 20th anniversary of the legendary Mods Mayday 79. Inspired by the fresh interest they have since continued to play live and also released a comeback single on Detour Records. Cool Stuff

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V/A - England Belongs To Me 1996

I leave this damn 2014 with an absolute rarity and a blast and I hope the next year is little better than the last. A lot of rare and remarkable albums I've posted with the grateful support of my wonderful colleagues, Thanks a lot friends!!! Sure I shall continue to post cool records until I have time and interest to keep this Blog alive, sometimes it's gone and my life is more important to me, you know. Well, we'll see.... So the next post belongs to this Bootleg compilation, this is Volume 1 and was originally issued in Japan (300 numbered copies) then reissued in 1998. Features some already known UK bands along with some unknowns. I'm sure you love this record like I do and if you can't get enough from this awesome stuff then choose another KBD record and burn both on CD and impress your friends with it! I wish you much listening pleasure with this sound!!!

1.England 77 - HORRORCOMIC

2.The Vagrant - BEEZ

3.South Gonna Rise Again - FX

4.Air Raid - DISORDER

5.Into The 80's - THE NOW

6.Only Death Is Fatal - GARBO'S CELLULOID HEROES

7.Blank Generation - THE XTRAVERTS

8.Best Friend - THE GANGSTERS

9.Apathy - THE EXITS

10.Man In The Box - V2

11.Door In My Face - THE FRUIT EATING BEARS

12.Orders - LONDON PX

13.No Answers - THE ALTERNATORS

14.Kidz Next Door - KIDZ NEXT DOOR

15.Total Control - RED RAGE

16.Chloroform - THE BLEACH BOYS

17.Regulations - NEON HEARTS

18.Red Alert - SQUAD

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