Bands that missed out (unjustly, in your opinion)

[Port Said Red]

Thanks @AppyDAZE I can see the similarities in the first whipping boy track and I know the 2nd track from somewhere. Both good sounds.

[AppyDAZE]

42 minutes ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

I always remember a quote from (I think) the NME;

In the great supermarket that is punk, The Damned always seem to get the trolley with the wonky wheel.

Summed them up really, a bloody good band that never really got the success others of their peers did.

Another that `missed out` in the main were All About Eve with the delectable Julianne Regan on vocals. I saw them live a couple of times at the Colston and the Bierkeller and they were excellent but seemed to sink without trace. One hit with Martha`s Harbour and then nothing.

Even accused of being "hippies" (as were The Stranglers) by some hardcore punks back in the day.

Massively influenced by the MC5 of course, but also by a lot of other stuff from the late 60s too.

I saw the Damned 4 times in the early 80s. Brilliant band, I love 'em.

All About Eve, I like, The Church is another great band from them times.

[AppyDAZE]

40 minutes ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

I always remember a quote from (I think) the NME;

In the great supermarket that is punk, The Damned always seem to get the trolley with the wonky wheel.

Summed them up really, a bloody good band that never really got the success others of their peers did.

Another that `missed out` in the main were All About Eve with the delectable Julianne Regan on vocals. I saw them live a couple of times at the Colston and the Bierkeller and they were excellent but seemed to sink without trace. One hit with Martha`s Harbour and then nothing.

:laugh: THAT TOTP appearance.

[Port Said Red]

1 hour ago, AppyDAZE said:

THAT TOTP appearance.

I guess this leads us on to one hit wonders, I don't mean the kind of novelty bands that come and go, but more the bands who rarely produced things that were deemed fit for the chart music fans. Here are three I have in my collection, all on 12 inch vinyl.  

 

Also does anyone else have the excellent Avon Calling compilation that was put together in the late 70's? I often wondered why Essential Bop never went on to make the big time. From memory they were mooted in the NME as one of the bands to watch along with The Mighty Wah! and ABC amongst others. I think Steve Bush still gigs around Bristol?

[AppyDAZE]

26 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

I guess this leads us on to one hit wonders, I don't mean the kind of novelty bands that come and go, but more the bands who rarely produced things that were deemed fit for the chart music fans. Here are three I have in my collection, all on 12 inch vinyl.  

 

Also does anyone else have the excellent Avon Calling compilation that was put together in the late 70's? I often wondered why Essential Bop never went on to make the big time. From memory they were mooted in the NME as one of the bands to watch along with The Mighty Wah! and ABC amongst others. I think Steve Bush still gigs around Bristol?

£7.99 on Amazon download. Imagine you knew this back in 1979. Amazon? Download? 

Not heard any of it in years, but I remember it was pretty decent.

PS 46 tracks, so many bonus tracks. Looks a bargain.

[AppyDAZE]

Cutting Crew... I always had a soft spot for their hit, if we're talking about one hit wonders.

T'Pau, they had two was it? See, I told you I've like the good, the bad and the dreadful    and I wasn't lying.

[AppyDAZE]

BTW 

Listening right now. Really good actually.

[One Team In Keynsham]

3 hours ago, Port Said Red said:

I guess this leads us on to one hit wonders, I don't mean the kind of novelty bands that come and go, but more the bands who rarely produced things that were deemed fit for the chart music fans. Here are three I have in my collection, all on 12 inch vinyl.  

 

Also does anyone else have the excellent Avon Calling compilation that was put together in the late 70's? I often wondered why Essential Bop never went on to make the big time. From memory they were mooted in the NME as one of the bands to watch along with The Mighty Wah! and ABC amongst others. I think Steve Bush still gigs around Bristol?

Was supposed to see Jesus And Mary Chain tomorrow night at the Round House. Bloody coronavirus.

Have that same 12" single:

[Major Isewater]

Magazine, top , top musicians  . John McGeogh who later went onto play with Siouxsie and the Banshees . 
 

Dave Formula , on the keyboards .

Barry Adamson , master bassist .

The poet , Howard Devoto , who didn’t want fame and fortune ( until it was too late) . 
 

His lyrics were ‘ bleak and easy ‘ but not very accessible for the many .

Their biggest hit was ‘ Shot by both sides ‘ but check out their debut album ‘ Real Life ‘ . 
 

[Lanterne Rouge]

1 hour ago, Major Isewater said:

Magazine, top , top musicians  . John McGeogh who later went onto play with Siouxsie and the Banshees . 
 

Dave Formula , on the keyboards .

Barry Adamson , master bassist .

The poet , Howard Devoto , who didn’t want fame and fortune ( until it was too late) . 
 

His lyrics were ‘ bleak and easy ‘ but not very accessible for the many .

Their biggest hit was ‘ Shot by both sides ‘ but check out their debut album ‘ Real Life ‘ . 
 

He started out as the lead singer in The Buzzcocks but left before they really made it big.

[Major Isewater]

25 minutes ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

He started out as the lead singer in The Buzzcocks but left before they really made it big.

He didn’t want to be ‘ branded ‘ as a punk or restricted in his music hence , Magazine.

 He was also behind the liberation of music and the Punk idea that you could do it yourself when he drafted the  ‘ Spiral Scratch ‘ EP which was recorded, distributed and sold by the Buzzcocks themselves. 
 

Pete Shelley wanted to make more ‘ commercial ‘ songs and made some real pop classics . 
 

Devoto , admitted , years later that he was a bit ‘ pretentious ‘ and wouldn’t have minded a bit more money and recognition. 

 

[The Saturday Boy]

The Redskins, early 80s skinhead ska. Saw them at Trinity Hall in around 1983, for a striking miners benefit gig with Billy Bragg. Still a massive fan of both.

Neither Washington nor Moscow by The Redskins is still in my top 10 ever albums.

 

[AppyDAZE]

 

[AppyDAZE]

Apparently inspired by a night out with the amazing, wow etc  Kate Bush

[City Rocker]

21 hours ago, AppyDAZE said:

BTW 

Listening right now. Really good actually.

I still have a copy of the Avon Calling LP on vinyl (as above, on Heartbeat Records), which I bought after John Peel featured it on his show for a week when it was released. First ever radio airplay for our very own (as in BCFC fans) Vice Squad, who hit the (relative) big time a couple of years later. I even had the free promo poster on my wall for years.

Anyway I used to listen to this album over and over, it was a fantastic record which demonstrated how innovative and different and deliberately 'off-trend' Bristol artists were/are.

[Maltshoveller]

On 21/03/2020 at 11:22, Lanterne Rouge said:

I always remember a quote from (I think) the NME;

In the great supermarket that is punk, The Damned always seem to get the trolley with the wonky wheel.

Summed them up really, a bloody good band that never really got the success others of their peers did.

Another that `missed out` in the main were All About Eve with the delectable Julianne Regan on vocals. I saw them live a couple of times at the Colston and the Bierkeller and they were excellent but seemed to sink without trace. One hit with Martha`s Harbour and then nothing.

Yeah agree with you 

All about eve were very good live

[Med/MadHatter]

9 hours ago, City Rocker said:

I still have a copy of the Avon Calling LP on vinyl (as above, on Heartbeat Records), which I bought after John Peel featured it on his show for a week when it was released. First ever radio airplay for our very own (as in BCFC fans) Vice Squad, who hit the (relative) big time a couple of years later. I even had the free promo poster on my wall for years.

Anyway I used to listen to this album over and over, it was a fantastic record which demonstrated how innovative and different and deliberately 'off-trend' Bristol artists were/are.

That was an excellent piece of vinyl, had forgotten about that, thanks!

[Red-Robbo]

On 21/03/2020 at 13:47, Port Said Red said:

I guess this leads us on to one hit wonders, I don't mean the kind of novelty bands that come and go, but more the bands who rarely produced things that were deemed fit for the chart music fans. Here are three I have in my collection, all on 12 inch vinyl.  

 

Also does anyone else have the excellent Avon Calling compilation that was put together in the late 70's? I often wondered why Essential Bop never went on to make the big time. From memory they were mooted in the NME as one of the bands to watch along with The Mighty Wah! and ABC amongst others. I think Steve Bush still gigs around Bristol?

I do indeed - on its recent CD reissue. Why Gl*xo Babies, Apartment and Europeans also never made waves outside our fair city is a mystery.

Also recommended Bristol Boys Make More Noise - a Bristol ska revival compilation. Blue Riverside were facking great - and I have no memory of them from the time. 

Still on a local theme, the old house arrest has given me time to dig out some records from the garage and get them digitalised. I found Temple Cloud - the Sarah records compilation from about 89/90. Been grooving in a quirky late 80s student stylee.

[AppyDAZE]

9 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

I do indeed - on its recent CD reissue. Why Gl*xo Babies, Apartment and Europeans also never made waves outside our fair city is a mystery.

Also recommended Bristol Boys Make More Noise - a Bristol ska revival compilation. Blue Riverside were facking great - and I have no memory of them from the time. 

Still on a local theme, the old house arrest has given me time to dig out some records from the garage and get them digitalised. I found Temple Cloud - the Sarah records compilation from about 89/90. Been grooving in a quirky late 80s student stylee.

@Red-RobboCan you remember the name of the shop on Park Street that lasted well into the 2000s and used to sell clothes out the front and cool music CDs out the back. it is bugging me. They were the reason I discovered The Shins first album because they labelled it must buy or something like that.

Right hand side going up, about half way up. if that makes sense to anyone.

[AppyDAZE]

Also, a shout out to that shop on the Triangle, name escapes me again. But was a cool shop up some narrow stairs.

[AppyDAZE]

And then there was another shop DOWN some stairs this time,  in Clifton village that was good. The one where i bought XTC's Black Sea (phenomenal album) complete with green paper bag, in 1980, September.

Younger readers, i am not imagining this honestly 

[slartibartfast]

Horslips.............top Championship band, never quite made the Prem !

[One Team In Keynsham]

8 minutes ago, AppyDAZE said:

Also, a shout out to that shop on the Triangle, name escapes me again. But was a cool shop up some narrow stairs.

Revolver. 

Their carrier bag is my profile pic. Loved the place.

8 minutes ago, AppyDAZE said:

And then there was another shop DOWN some stairs this time,  in Clifton village that was good. The one where i bought XTC's Black Sea (phenomenal album) complete with green paper bag, in 1980, September.

Younger readers, i am not imagining this honestly 

Good call on Black Sea. Great album. Still have it on vinyl.

[AppyDAZE]

2 minutes ago, One Team In Keynsham said:

Revolver. 

Their carrier bag is my profile pic. Loved the place.

Was brilliant going into places like that. I so miss the old days as regards music buying.

Although admittedly, it is so much easier to check stuff out now. so it's swings and roundabouts

[Red-Robbo]

16 minutes ago, AppyDAZE said:

@Red-RobboCan you remember the name of the shop on Park Street that lasted well into the 2000s and used to sell clothes out the front and cool music CDs out the back. it is bugging me. They were the reason I discovered The Shins first album because they labelled it must buy or something like that.

Right hand side going up, about half way up. if that makes sense to anyone.

Tony's?  It did second hand mainly, with a bit of new stuff. always some characters on the decks.

12 minutes ago, AppyDAZE said:

Also, a shout out to that shop on the Triangle, name escapes me again. But was a cool shop up some narrow stairs.

The late, great Revolver.  I think there's a thread elsewhere about this institution.

[AppyDAZE]

Thanks you two. i would never come up with those names. Cheers

[AppyDAZE]

Hang on though.... what was the one in Clifton Village, where I bought XTC, called?

I think it was somewhere near where the cafe and all the outside stuff is today (well not TODAY  :laugh:) where they put the chairs outside, but you know what I'm saying. there was a record shop there, i know it because i bought my Black Sea there.. but I'll shut up cos i know i must be getting on your collective tits

[One Team In Keynsham]

6 minutes ago, AppyDAZE said:

Hang on though.... what was the one in Clifton Village, where I bought XTC, called?

I think it was somewhere near where the cafe and all the outside stuff is today (well not TODAY  :laugh:) where they put the chairs outside, but you know what I'm saying. there was a record shop there, i know it because i bought my Black Sea there.. but I'll shut up cos i know i must be getting on your collective tits

Not sure which one that was.

And not getting on my tits, happy to blather about this all day long.

[AppyDAZE]

2 minutes ago, One Team In Keynsham said:

Not sure which one that was.

And not getting on my tits, happy to blather about this all day long.

Thinking back (a long time btw 40 years) it could well have been the other side on Princess Victoria street

[Port Said Red]

7 minutes ago, AppyDAZE said:

Hang on though.... what was the one in Clifton Village, where I bought XTC, called?

I think it was somewhere near where the cafe and all the outside stuff is today (well not TODAY  :laugh:) where they put the chairs outside, but you know what I'm saying. there was a record shop there, i know it because i bought my Black Sea there.. but I'll shut up cos i know i must be getting on your collective tits

 

1 minute ago, One Team In Keynsham said:

Not sure which one that was.

And not getting on my tits, happy to blather about this all day long.

I used to go to the place in that weird set of shops in a sort of basement precinct next to the bus station. I cant remember that name either