Chris Stamey

From his tenures with The Sneakers and The dB's to his subsequent solo projects, singer/songwriter Chris Stamey is a towering figure in the Southern jangle pop renaissance, which was hardly the limit of his talents. Early in his career, Stamey fused the sensibilities of Big Star to new wave pop with The dB's on 1982's 'Repercussion', later blending angular melodies with playful melodicism on his 1987 solo effort 'It's Alright'. Stamey detoured into introspective semi-acoustic pop with his former dB's bandmate Peter Holsapple on 1991's 'Mavericks', and he embraced the sounds of mid-century popular songwriting with the retro sounds of 2019's 'New Songs for the 20th Century'. With 2023's 'The Great Escape', he explored new ground, adding country overtones to songs recalling his jangle pop salad days. Regardless of context, Stamey understands the importance of melody while also demonstrating the many ways in which it can be shaped, depending on its context. 

 
Born December 6, 1954 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Stamey was raised in the Winston-Salem area, and alongside longtime friend and collaborator Peter Holsapple, he first surfaced in 1972 in the short-lived Rittenhouse Square, which issued their sole LP the following year. While attending the University of North Carolina in 1975, Stamey teamed up with drummer Will Rigby to form the cult favorite power pop combo Sneakers; the group were later joined by guitarist Mitch Easter, the future Let's Active frontman who would emerge as one of the era's premier producers. The band traveled to New York City in 1976 to appear at the famed Max's Kansas City but dissolved soon after, at which time Stamey returned to the Big Apple to set up his own label, Car Records. 

 

 

In addition to issuing the posthumous Sneakers collection 'In the Red' in 1978, Car also issued the magnificent "I Am the Cosmos," the lone solo single of ex-Big Star mastermind Chris Bell; concurrently, Stamey played live with Bell's one-time Big Star partner Alex Chilton, and in 1977 issued a solo single, "The Summer Sun." When Rigby and bassist Gene Holder relocated to New York, Stamey joined them as The dB's, releasing the 1978 single "If and When" before expanding into a four-piece with the addition of Holsapple. The dB's' quirky yet melodic approach anticipated the emergence of the Southern jangle pop explosion, influencing acts like R.E.M., though initially they couldn't even land an American record deal, and their first two albums (the much-acclaimed 1981 efforts 'Stands for Decibels' and 'Repercussion') appeared only in Britain. 

 
Stamey left The dB's in 1983, issuing the solo LP 'It's a Wonderful Life' later that same year; after releasing 1984's 'Instant Excitement' EP, he recorded and toured with the Golden Palominos, squeezing in the 'Christmas Time' mini-album in 1986. A year later, Stamey signed with A&M to make his long-awaited major-label debut with the superb 'It's Alright'; despite uniformly solid reviews, the album made little commercial impact, and he spent the next several years as a producer and guest musician, completing an album that A&M reportedly rejected. The LP finally appeared on Rhino in 1991 under the title 'Fireworks'; that same year, he reunited with Holsapple for a semi-acoustic album, 'Mavericks'.

 

 

For 1995's 'The Robust Beauty of Improper Models in Decision Making', Stamey made a radical shift away from his pop past, teaming with cornetist/guitarist Kirk Ross for an exercise in free improvisation. Stamey spent the remainder of the decade focusing on producing records for other artists at his Modern Recording studio in Chapel Hill, but he returned to his own recording career with 2004's 'Travels in the South'. Less than a year later, Stamey had another new album ready for release, a collaboration with Yo La Tengo and Tyson Rogers credited to The Chris Stamey Experience and titled 'A Question of Temperature' (2005). 

 
A few years afterward, Stamey reunited with Peter Holsapple, releasing 'Here and Now' in 2009 and supporting it with a tour. He then turned his attention to an ambitious live staging of Big Star's third album, '3rd' (aka 'Sister Lovers'), acting as the musical director for the star-studded concerts. The first of these debuted at Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, North Carolina in December of 2010 and over the next few years, Stamey brought Big Star's 'Third' to London and to 2012's South by Southwest. (A 2016 Big Star's 'Third' show in Glendale, California was recorded for the live release 'Thank You, Friends: Big Star's Third Live... And More'.) That year also saw the reunion of The dB's, who played live and released the new album 'Falling Off the Sky' that summer. 

 

 

Stamey continued with his busy workload in early 2013 with the release of the dreamy solo album 'Lovesick Blues'. Two years later, he issued 'Euphoria', a record that touched upon many of his pop obsessions. 2019 saw the release of an especially ambitious effort, 'New Songs for the 20th Century', with Stamey writing and arranging 26 tunes modeled on mid-century pre-rock sounds with a bevy of guest vocalists and musicians. 2020's 'A Brand New Shade of Blue' was a similarly minded follow-up, with a greater emphasis on cool '50s vocal jazz and vocals from Brett Harris. Stamey and Holsapple reunited once again for the 2021 release 'Our Back Pages', in which they recorded new interpretations of tunes from their back catalogs. 

 
That same year, Stamey helped co-ordinate the release of 'I Thought You Wanted to Know: 1978-1981', a collection of early demos and live recordings from The dB's. 'Those Pretty Wrongs', a modern jangle pop band featuring Big Star drummer Jody Stephens, approached Stamey to engineer and write string and horn arrangements for their third studio album, 2023's 'Holiday Camp'. Stamey stepped away from his other commitments to return to his solo career with 2023's 'The Great Escape', a set that blended his pop sensibilities with a light country accent, courtesy of pedal steel guitarist Eric Heywood and John Teer and Dave Wilson from the celebrated bluegrass outfit Chatham County Line. The album also included guest appearances from his fellow dB's alumni Peter Holsapple and Will Rigby, and included a cover of a rare Alex Chilton song, "She Might Look My Way." [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

Paley Brothers

Prior to his career as a high-visibility producer of unbalanced older rock musicians (Brian Wilson, Jerry Lee Lewis) and pop bands (NRBQ, Greenberry Woods), Andy Paley teamed with his brother Jonathan in 1978 to form the power pop duo The Paley Brothers. They released a self-titled album that same year which didn't do much commercially but is fondly remembered by power pop fans. Their song "Come Out and Play" was featured on Rhino's 'D.I.Y.: Come Out and Play: American Power Pop (1975-78)' compilation. The Paley Brothers also recorded a track ("C'Mon Let's Go") with the Ramones for the soundtrack to "Rock 'N' Roll High School". Unfortunately they made no more records as the Paley Brothers, but they have worked together a few times. In 1980 they played together on a Nervous Eaters record and in 1995 Jonathan played bass on the Jerry Lee Lewis record that Andy produced. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

The Names

The Names was a power pop band formed in Chicago in 1977 by Dave Galluzzo (lead vocals), Steve Hauser (keyboards), Rick Pemberton (guitars), Rick Szeluga (bass) and Matt Wynn (drums). Their only output was the 7" single 'Why Can't It Be', released in 1977 on the 1970s rock label from DeKalb (Illinois) Fiction Records. "Why Can't It Be" is an achingly beautiful number, sad enough to set even the most battle-scarred romantic cynic crying, though marred a tiny bit of the band's amateurish self-production. Still, it would be impossible to make Dave Galluzo's tender vocals sound unappealing, and a bit of the production pageantry comes through the good effect in the mix. The band's clever picture-sleeve spoof of the teen melodrama behind much power pop almost makes up for the dotish production: a beautiful girl sits at a table wiping away a tear, surrounded by an ashtray full of cigarette butts, a copy on "On Death And Dying", a wine glass and a revolver. [SOURCE: JEAN ROSEMBLUTH - Liner notes to Rhino's compilation 'DIY: Come Out And Play - American Power Pop I (1975-78)'] 

Tommy Hoehn

Tommy Hoehn is another in a long line of musicians from Memphis who should have been big but never even came close. Hoehn's first claim to fame was providing background vocals for Big Star's 'Third/Sister Lovers'. He also sang some backups for another legendary "lost" Memphis band, The Scruffs. In the mid-'70s he recorded the classic power pop single "Blow Yourself Up" which was featured on Rhino's 'D.I.Y.: Come Out and Play: American Power Pop (1975-78)' compilation. In 1977 Hoehn released his debut album, 'Spacebreak', and followed it up in 1978 with 'Losing You to Sleep' on London Records. Around this time he co-founded the band Prix with fellow Alex Chilton veteran Jon Tiven. They managed to release one single before disintegrating. In 1981 Hoehn put out another LP, 'I Do Love the Light', and then, for the most part, vanished. He returned in a big way in 1997 releasing two albums, 'Of Moons & Fools' and 'Turning Dance', for the Frankenstein label. In 1999 he joined forces with fellow obscure Memphis pop legend Van Duren to record an album. 'Hailstone Holiday' was hailed as a return to form for both men. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

Piper

Piper was a New York City based pop rock/power pop band from 1975-1978. They released two albums for A&M Records: a self-titled debut in 1976 that was followed by 'Can't Wait' in 1977. After touring with Kiss during the "Love Gun" tour, but receiving little airplay, the group then dissolved. Lead singer/guitarist Billy Squier went on to become a successful solo artist in the early 80s. Drummer Richie Fontana went on to play drums on Paul Stanley's 1978 platinum solo album and later with Laura Branigan. Today, they have an underground following among fans of obscure oldies rock. [SOURCE: LAST.FM]

 

Artful Dodger

An unsung power pop band of the '70s, Artful Dodger existed in the mid-'70s gap that separated The Raspberries from Cheap Trick. Sonically, Artful Dodger skewed toward the huge arena hooks of The Raspberries but they lacked the Paul McCartney infatuation of Eric Carmen, favoring a big roar that tamed the arena rock of The Who. Producer Jack Douglas helped give their eponymous 1975 debut muscle and he'd take some these tricks to Cheap Trick's first album in 1977, by which time Artful Dodger were starting to seem like the old guard -they lacked Cheap Trick's punky attack and sense of irony. Being stuck between the early days of power pop and its impish revival during New Wave meant that Artful Dodger were by definition a cult band, but the music they made was tuneful and hard, the kind of thing that was prized by power pop aficionados.
 

Guitarist Gary Herrewig, vocalist Billy Paliselli, guitarist Gary Cox, bassist Robb Michael Inglis, and drummer Steve Brigida all played with the intertwined garage bands Badge and Homestead before they formed Brat in Fairfax, Virginia in 1973. They released an independent 45 called "Not Quite Right" in 1974. Inglis left not long afterward, replaced by Steve Cooper. The band switched their name to Artful Dodger and signed with Aerosmith's managers Leber-Krebs, who helped get them signed with Columbia Records. Jack Douglas, who previously helmed albums for Aerosmith, produced the 1975 debut 'Artful Dodger'. 

 

 

Despite being laden with radio- and arena-ready rockers, Artful Dodger didn't go anywhere commercially. For their second album, 'Honor Among Thieves', the group worked with Douglas and co-producer Eddie Leonetti. Arriving in 1976, 'Honor Among Thieves' was supported by an opening tour for Kiss, but the record stalled commercially. 'Babes on Broadway', produced by Leonetti, arrived in 1977 to less attention, as rock was undergoing a generational shift. 

 
Artful Dodger lost their deal with Columbia after 'Babes on Broadway' and Cox left the group. The group hired Peter Bonta as a replacement and delivered 'Rave On' to the Arista subsidiary Ariola in 1980. 'Rave On' was another commercial disappointment and the band began to splinter, with Paliselli leaving after its release; the group called it a day in 1982. Most of the group busied themselves with music in the ensuing years -notably, Bonta went on to play with Mary Chapin Carpenter- but the group reunited for a pair of 1991 reunion shows in Cleveland, Ohio; this was the original lineup plus Bonta. They'd continue to play the occasional live performance in Cleveland during the 2000s, during which time American Beat reissued 'Honor Among Thieves'. Cox died in 2012 and the group finally got its due in 2017, when Real Gone Music released the double-disc retrospective 'The Complete Columbia Recordings'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

Pezband

Hailing from the same state as Cheap Trick (Illinois), the Pezband was a mostly fine, occasionally wonderful, power pop band that specialized in hook-filled hard rock with sweet multi-part harmonies. Led by the strong, blues-inflected singing of Mimi (a guy) Betinis and the rampaging Jeff Beck-influenced guitar playing of Tommy Gawenda, the Pezzers' first LP (released in 1977) was not as hard and heavy as Cheap Trick, nor did it exhibit the berserk panache of their fellow Illinoisans. But that all changed with their second LP, 'Laughing in the Dark', which contained a high quotient of good-to-great songs, excellent production by Jesse Hood Jackson, and a wonderful lack of smugness and calculation that was slowly infiltrating every power pop band in America. A huge public reaction, however, was not forthcoming. The band had its supporters (like most of the editorial staff of Trouser Press), but power pop/hard rock from Illinois was dominated by Cheap Trick, and everybody else had to find a place in the pecking order. For bands like the Pezband, that meant far less coverage than they deserved. There was also another issue: the band didn't deliver another record as good as 'Laughing', nor could they recapture the excitement and messy mania of their live show (forever preserved on an excellent pair of EPs, 'Two Old, Two Soon' and 'Thirty Seconds Over Schaumburg') in the studio. Hence, the rest of their recorded output is serviceable, but only hints at what the band was truly capable of doing. It's too bad, because they were such unpretentious, likable guys. By the early '80s, the Pezband had virtually vanished from the music scene, but in 1994 a Chicago-based independent label released some outtakes and other previously unreleased material. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

 

Purple Hearts

One of the standout bands of the British Mod revival of the late 1970s and early '80s, The Purple Hearts wrote and recorded one of the community's enduring anthems, "Millions Like Us," and were one of the best-received acts on the scene during their heyday. Their taut sound and energetic attack were clearly informed by The Jam and the early Who, like most of their peers, and their songs boasted a punky concision and strong melodic hooks. Their debut LP, 1980's 'Beat That!', was their defining work, a tough, smart, streamlined set of no-frills guitar rock, while their second and final studio album, 1986's 'Pop–ish Frenzy', was the work of a band exploring new wave pop as the Mod scene began to fade out. 

The Purple Hearts story begins in 1977 when teenagers Jeff Shadbolt, Simon Stebbing, Bob Manton, and Nicky Lake dubbed themselves The Sockets to sneak their way onto a bill opening for the Buzzcocks, even though none of the four had the ability to play an instrument. Each member of the quartet chose an instrument -Shadbolt chose the bass, Stebbing the guitar, Lake picked up drumsticks, and Manton stuck with just vocals- and they feverishly threw together a set of original songs while trying to learn their instruments. The Sockets didn't have enough time to master their sound, but they played the gig anyway, much to the amusement of the Buzzcocks and the audience, and the bandmembers found that they very much enjoyed performing. They continued to play gigs as The Sockets, and as they began proving themselves on the new Mod Revival scene, they changed their name to The Purple Hearts (a reference to the Dexamyl tablets favored by Mods in the '60s) in May 1978. The lineup also changed when Nicky Lake broke his leg and Gary Sparks took over on drums. 

 

By 1979, The Purple Hearts began to enjoy some success touring with contemporaries Secret Affair and Back to Zero, and they signed with the Polydor Records subsidiary Fiction. Fiction released their debut single, "Millions Like Us," in August 1979, and it charted in the U.K., peaking at number 57, becoming their highest-charting single. It was followed by two more 45s -"Frustration" in November 1979 and "Jimmy," which charted at number 60, in February 1980. "Jimmy" was the opening number on The Purple Hearts' first full-length album, 'Beat That!', but the band and their label were disappointed by its sales as the Mod Revival's mainstream visibility was soon to fade. Fiction let The Purple Hearts go, and in September 1980, they issued a single on Safari Records, "My Life's a Jigsaw." Despite some airplay on BBC Radio One, the single failed to chart, and the group made do with live work until Roadrunner Records released the single "Plane Crash" in August 1982. Sales were meager, and the group broke up.

 
The members of the band all pursued other projects (most notably, Jeff Shadbolt was part of the short-lived Mod supergroup The Rage, who included Brett Ascott of The Chords and Derwent Jaconelli and Steve Moran of Long Tall Shorty), but in 1984 The Purple Hearts played a handful of reunion gigs; one show at London's 100 Club was recorded and issued on the 1985 album 'Head on Collision Time'. Active again, The Purple Hearts cut a second studio album, 1986's 'Pop-ish Frenzy', but the LP saw them aiming for a new sound informed by new wave and pop accents. It didn't click with record buyers, and after a run of shows in Europe, the band went on hiatus. In 1999, they took part in a Mod's Mayday concert featuring several of the leading Mod Revival bands, and a live album drawn from the concert was issued on Detour Records by the year's end. In 2009, The Purple Hearts returned, and their first tour was documented with the 2010 album 'Purple Hearts Live!' The group played out regularly until 2014, after which they staged occasional reunion shows. In 2024, Cherry Red Records issued 'Extraordinary Sensations: Studio & Live 1979-1986', a three-disc anthology that featured 'Beat That!' and 'Pop-ish Frenzy' in full, along with rare and unreleased single sides, demos, and live recordings. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

Zones

Zones were a Scottish new wave band, an evolution of Slik / PVC2 minus Midge Ure that joined Rich Kids. Meanwhile, his erstwhile bandmates reinvented themselves as the Zones, adding Alex Harvey’s cousin, Willie Gardner, (formerly of Hot Valves) on vocals and lead guitar. Still on the independent Zoom label they issued a single, 'Stuck With You', which John Peel played a lot, garnering the attention of -surprise surprise!- their old major label chums, Arista Records. The band signed on the dotted line and studio time was booked at the Manor, with producer Tim Friese-Greene in charge of the sound. 

 

The first fruits of this was another 45, 'Sign Of The Times' (1978), an underrated pop song with raging guitars and passionate vocals which failed to bother any charts. The Zones album, 'Under Influence', was finally issued in the summer of 1979 after two John Peel sessions and some high profile live appearances. 'Under Influence' sold only moderately and after the 'Mourning Star' 7'', they split up. Willie Gardner went solo, releasing one amazing, rare single, 'Golden Youth', on Cuba-Libre Records (via Virgin) in 1981 before apparently vanishing. 

 

The rest of the Zones changed their name yet again, this time to Science, and issued a fine electro-pop single, 'Look Don’t Touch', on Rialto Records. They certainly believed in trying, trying, trying again. However, neither of these ventures resulted in anything positive and that was that. They called it a day in 1979. Webb and Hyslop joined the Skids within a year and Hyslop completed his tour of Scottish bands by joining Simple Minds. [SOURCE: PUNK77].

Radiators From Space

The Radiators from Space, also known as The Radiators, The Rads, Radiators (from Space), and The Radiators Plan 9, were an Irish punk rock band.formed in 1976 in Dublin, and consisted of Philip "Chevron" Ryan, Pete Holidai, Steve "Rapid" Averill, Jimmy "Crashe" Wynne and Mark "Megaray" Hogan. Founded during punk's first wave, they are generally regarded as Ireland's first punk band. They signed to Chiswick Records and released the album 'TV Tube Heart' in 1977. Their first single "Television Screen" was the first and only punk record to make the Irish top 20, and was featured on many punk compilation albums over the next few years. The band toured Ireland and the UK, including stint opening for Thin Lizzy on the UK leg of their 1977 "Bad Reputation" tour, and a headlining UK tour of their own in 1978. Shortening their name to The Radiators, the band released their second album, 'Ghostown', in 1979. Produced by Tony Visconti, 'Ghostown' received critical acclaim, but failed to sell well. After a move to London, the band disbanded in 1981.

 
After some solo recording, Philip Chevron went on to join The Pogues. Steve Averill became a successful designer in the 1980s, known for his work for the band U2. In 1987, The Radiators reformed for one gig, an AIDS benefit in Dublin. The Chevron-penned song "Under Clery's Clock", a love song and a protest against homophobia, is premiered at the show and released as a single the following year.

 

 

The band reunited in December 2003, using the name The Radiators Plan 9. Original members Chevron, Holidai, and Rapid were joined by former Pogue Cait O'Riordan on bass and vocals, and Johnny Bonnie on drums. The band played three shows, including a Joe Strummer tribute and an appearance at the Oxegen Festival, as well as making several live radio appearances. Some of these performances were compiled onto the 'Television Screen' 2004 EP, released on the 625 record label. The 'Summer Season' EP, which included two new songs, was released in 2005. O'Riordan departed the band, replaced by new bass player Jesse Booth in February 2006. Reverting to the name The Radiators From Space, the band released their third studio album 'Trouble Pilgrim' in October 2006. On 21 December 2006, they played at 'The Point', Dublin, as a special guest of The Pogues. The band's fourth album, 'Sound City Beat', a collection of cover versions of songs by older Irish bands, was released in 2012. 

 
Members of the band began performing as Trouble Pilgrims after member Philip Chevron became ill with throat cancer and was unable to participate in live work. The band played, including with guest vocalist Gavin Friday and guitarist Brush Shiels, at a tribute concert for Chevron on 24 August 2013 at the Olympia Theatre (Dublin). Philip Chevron died on 8 October 2013, effectively ending the band, although remaining members have continued as Trouble Pilgrims which is fronted by Holidai who also hosts a weekly music show on Dublin city fm.

 
The song "Television Screen", as covered by "Centipede on the Roof", became the title theme to the comedy TV series "The Blizzard of Odd" (2001–05). The Radiators' songs have been recorded by Moving Hearts and Christy Moore ("Faithful Departed") and Mary Coughlan ("Kitty Rickets"), among others. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA] 

 

The Squares

The Squares were a Leeds-based band formed in 1978 by Kev Bates (drums, maracas, organ), Brian Hogan (guitar, vocals) and Paddy Hogan (vocals, bass) that ran astride punk and powerpop. A truly obscure power pop trio signed to the anglophile Sire Label after their "Stop Being A Boy / This Is Airebeat" single had been heard on new wave hero John Peel's influential radio show. In 2011 the compilation 'Scene From The Sky' was released by Japanese label 1977 Records and includes their other two singles as well as songs recorded in 1978 and 1979, plus two songs dating from 1988 and 1987.

 

Starjets

Starjets were formed in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1976 by guitarist - lead vocalist Terry Sharpe, guitarist Paul Bowen, bassist Sean Martin and drummer Liam L'Estrange. They were signed at Epic by Muff Winwood where they released one album in 1979 and a bunch of singles with "War Stories" being their biggest hit (No.51 in the U.K. charts in 1979). They supported Bay City Rollers and Stiff Little Fingers and because of their amiable style they were labelled "the Bay City Rollers of punk". After their album failed to chart, Paul Bowen left the group and they changed their name to Tango Brigade addding guitarist Pat Gribben in their line up. After one single at Epic in 1981, Tango Brigade disbanded due to musical differences and Terry Sharpe with Pat Gribben formed The Adventures in 1983 and Sean Martin joined Jake Burns And The Big Wheel.

 

Skids

Comprising the songwriting axis of Richard Jobson (vocals) and Stuart Adamson (guitar), together with the rhythm section of William Simpson (bass) and Tom Kellichan (drums), Skids rode into British consciousness on the new wave backwash to the ebbing tide of punk. The release of their self-financed, attention-grabbing 'Charles' EP came at the time Richard Branson's Virgin label were busy accruing an eclectic roster of post-punk hopefuls. Consequently, with almost indecent haste, the band were tethered to what was to prove an optimistic eight-album deal. 

On the flip side of their first Virgin single, "Sweet Suburbia" (1978), the band proclaimed themselves to be "Open Sound", which was essentially a description of the soaring histrionics of Adamson's guitar style. When married to the martial rhythms of the drumming and the bellowing, chant-like vocals of Jobson, this sound conspired to lend their repertoire a rousing, anthemic quality. It was heroic music which at its best, as on the first album, 'Scared To Dance' (1979), seemed to capture the drama and turbulence of battle. Unfortunately, the sound was an all-too-graphic reflection of the band's own stormy relationships, a turbulence which was to settle only with the departure of Adamson in the summer of 1981. 

 

The Skids' decline was in large part due to the portentous designs of Richard Jobson, who sought to mould the band into a vehicle for his ever more convoluted lyrics. This became most evident in the recording of the second album, 'Days In Europa' (1979). Following the departure of original drummer Tom Kellichan in the traditional rock'n'roll style (i.e. after the first album), the Skids recruited a temporary replacement in the form of ex-Rich Kids drummer and Jobson cohort, Rusty Egan, and a producer in the form of ex- Be-Bop Deluxe man Bill Nelson. Together, both Nelson and Egan contrived to free the band from the strictures of punk-pop in favour of a more polished, almost danceable sound. Ultimately it was a case of too many cooks, and the resultant album proved to be a misguided attempt at redefining the Skids' sound. This in turn alienated a great many fans, and also cost them the services of bassist Simpson during the troubled tour that ensued. 

For Jobson and Adamson it was back to the drawing board, and 1980 saw a rejuvenated Skids with a new rhythm section in the form of Russell Webb (bass) and Mike Baillie (drums). The resultant album, 'The Absolute Game' (1980), produced this time by Mick Glossop, was a commercial success, giving the band their first and only British Top 10 album. Artistically, too, it heralded a return to form, dispensing with the excess baggage of the previous outing and playing to the dual strengths of Adamson's guitar stylings and Jobson's lyrical bombast. Unfortunately, this rejuvenation coincided with Jobson's increasing commitment to a burgeoning London scene. Adamson's departure had as much to do with geographical differences as to musical and personal ones; a point evinced by Adamson's eventual return to Dunfermline, from where he formed the internationally successful Big Country. 

Following Adamson's departure, the final dissolution of the band was soon to follow. Unfortunately, however, not before Jobson and Webb issued a dour and ill-conceived concept album, 'Joy' (1981), which served only to illustrate that, when Adamson left, he took all of the best tunes with him. Not surprisingly the album failed to chart, and proved a sorry end to a short career which had begun with so much spark and promise. And then they came back. They reformed in 2017, recorded two new albums, a covers album, released a few live ones and a couple of acoustic albums too; while touring the UK, a lot. 

The Pleasers

The Pleasers are an English power pop group, founded in 1977 in West London/Surrey, consisting of Stephen 'Bo' Benham, Steve McNerney, Nick Powell, and Dave Rotchelle. They released five singles; one on Solid Gold Records (released on Ariola Records in West Germany), and four on Arista Records, and contributed with two tracks ("Billy" and "Rock & Roll Radio") to the 'Hope & Anchor Front Row Festival' LP. Songs from their 1977 and 1978 studio recordings were eventually released in the United Kingdom on CD in 1996, and a version with extra tracks was released in Japan in 2009. 

 

The Pleasers were managed by Chips Chipperfield (born circa-1943 - died 13 August 2008), who would go on to win two Grammy Awards for Best Long Form Music Video as co-producer with Neil Aspinall in 1997 for "The Beatles Anthology", and in 2000 for "Band of Gypsys - Live at Fillmore East" featuring Jimi Hendrix. The Pleasers' records were produced by experienced record producers; Ron Richards (The Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Hollies, P.J. Proby), Geoff Haslam (J. Geils Band, The Velvet Underground, Cactus, MC5, Bette Midler, Herbie Mann, Yes) and Tommy Boyce (The Monkees, Iggy Pop, Darts, Del Shannon, Meat Loaf). [SOURCE: THEPLEASERS.COM]

 

Rich Kids

Following his 1977 firing from The Sex Pistols -reportedly for expressing an admiration for The Beatles- bassist Glen Matlock founded the Rich Kids, a more experimental pop/rock outfit rounded out by guitarist Stella Nova, drummer Rusty Egan, and vocalist Midge Ure, formerly of the group Silk. Distancing themselves from the punk community, the Rich Kids recorded only one LP, 1978's 'Ghosts of Princes in Towers', before tension between Matlock and Ure resulted in the group's dissolution within a year of their formation. Ure and Egan later reunited in Visage, and Ure ultimately found success with Ultravox, while Matlock largely vanished from sight until publishing his autobiography, "I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol", in the late '80s. In 1996, he rejoined The Sex Pistols for their "Filthy Lucre" reunion tour. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

Kursaal Flyers

Straddling the gap separating pub rock and power pop, the Kursaal Flyers managed to score one hit while they were active in the mid-'70s -the Phil Spector-ish rush of 1976's "Little Does She Know"- but their albums 'Chocs Away' and 'Golden Mile' endured as cult favorites, their status elevated by how the group's members went onto successful careers after the band's demise. Vocalist Paul Shuttleworth pursued a solo act and Will Birch went on to The Records alongside a separate career as a music journalist, which was enough to sustain fan interest for the band to reunite in 1988 for 'A Former Tour de Force Is Forced to Tour'. 

 

Comprised of Paul Shuttleworth (vocals), Graeme Douglas (guitar), Vic Collins (guitar, steel guitar, vocals), Riche Bull (bass, vocals), and Will Birch (drums), the Kursaal Flyers released their first album, 'Chocs Away', in 1975; it was followed soon afterward by 'The Great Artiste'. Both records showed a grasp of country and roots rock, as well as pure pop. The band would begin to emphasize their pop elements with 1976's 'Golden Mile', released by CBS Records. The union with the major label helped the single "Little Does She Know" reach the British Top 20. Douglas left to join Eddie & the Hot Rods before the recording of the group's final album, 'Five Live Kursaals' (1977); he was replaced by Barry Martin. The band broke up after the release of the punk- and power pop-injected 'Five Live Kursaals'. Out of the members, only Will Birch and John Wicks stayed active -they formed The Records immediately after the Kursaal Flyers' disbandment. The Kursaal Flyers got together in 1988 and recorded 'A Former Tour de Force Is Forced to Tour', which picks up right where they left off in 1977. 

The Kursaals didn't reunite after 'A Former Tour de Force Is Forced to Tour', but their cult popularity persisted long enough to see their complete recorded works released by Cherry Red in 2020 as 'Little Does She Know'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

The Motors

After several years in England's pub rock scene, ex-Duck Deluxe members Nick Garvey and Andy McMaster formed the Motors in 1977 with vocalist Bram Tchaikovsky and drummer Ricky Slaughter. Their first album was a splendid piece of guitar-driven pop/rock highlighted by the single "Dancing the Night Away." 'Approved By' was the album that earned them the U.K. hits "Airport" and "Forget About You"; the record saw the band's songwriting improving with forceful melodies and invigorating performances. After that record, The Motors split up; Garvey and McMaster used the band's name for the 1980 album 'Tenement Steps', which didn't equal the spark of their first two records. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

Larsen

Larsen was a Spanish seminal Punk band formed in Madrid in 1980. The founding members were: Monje (Jose Luis Salcines) on vocals, Pollo (Jose Luis Rodríguez) on guitar, Rana (Ricardo Roca) on bass and Mosca (Gonzalo Fuentes) on drums. They started rehearsing in a little space in Cerceda, a little town located at the North of Madrid. In 1983 they recorded and released their first EP '¡No!', and soon after Monje left the band. They started rehearsing as a trio until Chema (José María Ortega), joined as vocalist. With Chema on vocals they recorded two sessions, but the recordings were never released. 

 

The first session were initially planned for an LP, and what was going to be its first single 'Requiem' was released in 1984. But the Spanish label Spansuls Records never paid to the studio for the sessions, so they confiscated the master tapes and the LP was forgotten. The second session took place in winter 1984, this time paid by the band members. Unfortunatelly for the band, any label was interested in releasing the material, so the tapes were stored and forgotten until some of the songs were finally released in 2001 as 'Larsen' by Potencial Hardcore. Pollo and Mosca started rehearsing with with Manolo Uvi (Manuel Quevedo) from La Uvi -another punk band from Madrid-, to form Commando 9mm. Shortly after, both Pollo and Mosca started focusing on Commando 9mm and, in early 1985, Larsen disbanded. 

La Uvi

La Uvi was a punk band from Madrid founded in the early 80s and led by Manolo Quevedo (vocals and bass), “Pollo” (guitar) and Brasi (drums). Belonging to the first wave of Madrid punk, they last much longer than the usual, later mutating into Commando 9 mm. with members of Larsen, shorten later to just Commando. 

 

They played basic and brawling punk-rock and gained some repercussion with "La Policía". Their first EP was a 4 track 7'' including "'La Policía", "Ruidos", "Ya Está Bien" and "Muérete" (Spansuls Records, 1982), re-released years later as 'La Policía' (Munster Records, 2000) and re-released again in picture 7” disc under the title ‘Ya Esta Bien’ (Munster Records, 2007). 

 

In 1996 arrived they released a second single with four songs: 'Lo Que Necesitas Es Punk-Rock' (Subterfuge, 1996). Their song "Ley Y Orden" was included in one of the most important compilation of Spanish punk music, 'Viva La Punk' (Revelde Discos, 2001), an idea of Manolo Uvi, with recordings ranging from Kaka de Luxe (1978) to MCD (1988), and out of print songs like “Radio Alicante Muerta” by Urgente or “La Gran Estafa” by Ultimo Resorte. [SOURCE: GRUPOS NACIONALES NUEVA OLA 80]