Killing Joke: Requiem 1980

Killing Joke were formed in 1978 in Notting Hill, London. Although they shared an aggressive element with Punk, they were different from most London bands of the time. They played slower, denser songs and they used a synthesizer. Their earlier records were released on their own Malicious Damage label. Requiem was released on EG Records in 1980. It was Killing Joke’s third single. It’s a different version than the one that appears on their self-titled debut album. The B-Side, Change was originally released as limited edition seven inch. Only 300 copies were sold. It appears on the American version of their debut album, but not the British version.

Produced by Killing Joke

Jaz Coleman        Vocals, Keyboards
Geordie Walker                      Guitars
Youth                                          Bass
Paul Ferguson                         Drums

  

Requiem.mp3

Change.mp3 

As a bonus here is the Eighties. It’s the song Killing Joke claim Kurt Cobain copied for Come As You Are. In 1993 they sued. The suit was dropped when Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994. 

Eighties.mp3

Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians: Balloon Man 1988

Robyn Hitchcock was a member of Cambridge band The Soft Boys. Formed in 1976, they were often labelled ‘New Wave’ by the English press, even though they were more influenced by Syd Barrett than Sid Vicious. After their demise in 1980, Robyn Hitchcock pursued a solo career. Balloon Man was released in 1988. It became a College radio hit in the USA. The video for the song was even played on MTV. He is backed on the record by the Egyptians. Which he formed in 1984 and were made up of the Soft Boys rhythm section.

Produced by Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians and Pat Collier

Robyn Hitchcock      Piano, Guitar, Vocals
Andy Metcalfe                                    Bass
Morris Windsor                                Drums

On A globe of frogs
Peter Buck                        12 String Guitar

Warning recorded from vinyl**surface noise**
Balloon Man.mp3

A Globe of Frogs.mp3

Discharge: Decontrol 1980

Discharge were formed in Lemmy’s hometown of Stoke-on-Trent in 1977. They were a Punk band, but their songs have been covered by the likes of Metallica, Anthrax, Sepultura, and Napalm Death. Often hailed as the first band to blend Punk and Metal. Their sound was so widely copied it became know as D-beat (D for Discharge). The two songs on the B-side, It's No T.V. Sketch and Tomorrow Belongs To Us typify that sound. Decontrol was released in 1980 on Clay Records. It reached number 5 on the UK Indie Chart.

 Producers John Brierley and Mike Stone

Cal          Vocals
Bones      Guitar
Rainy         Bass
Tezz        Drums

Warning recorded from vinyl. Surface noise can be heard

Decontrol

It's No T.V. Sketch

Tomorrow Belongs To Us

John Foxx: Underpass 1980

 

In 1979 after Ultravox! were dropped by their record company, singer and electronic music pioneer John Foxx decided to leave the band for a solo career. Unfortunately, Ultravox’s subsequent success with new singer Midge Ure over shadowed John Foxx’s solo work. By 1985 (his last live gig was in 1982) he had reverted to his original name (Dennis Leigh) and his original career (Graphic Design).  In 1992 he was a Graphic Arts & Design lecturer at the Leeds Metropolitan University. He re-entered the music business in 1997 making Dance and the Triphop music. Underpass was his first solo single. Released by Virgin Records in 1980. It reached number 31 in the British singles chart, his highest solo chart position. All instrument were played by Foxx.

Underpass

Film One

Young Marble Giants: Final Day 1981

Young Marble Giants were formed in Cardiff, Wales in 1978. Adopting a less is more approach to their music. They simplified the songs and turned down the volume. Not wanting to use a loud ‘live’ drummer, they used tape recordings of a home made drum machine or no drums at all. This is their first single, released on Rough Trade Records a few months after their debut album, Colossal Youth. Final Days and the B-Sides Radio Silente and Cakewalking were all written by guitarist Stuart Moxham. They released one more EP, Test Patten without singer Alison Statton before splitting up.

Alison Statton              Vocals

Philip Moxham                Bass

Stuart Moxham   Guitar, Organ

Final Day 7"

Russ Le Roq: Never Let You Slide / Shattered Glass 1983

In 1982 future Academy Award winner actor Russel Crowe was a young and ambitious eighteen year old living in Hillsborough, Auckland, New Zealand. At the time his cousins, Martin and Jeff Crowe, were playing International Cricket for New Zealand. After being labelled "the singing cousin of the cricketing Crowes' " more than once he changed his name to Russ Le Roq.  This is his third single, like the previous two it was released on Ode Records. Never Let You Slide and the B-Side St. Kilda were written by Crowe. Fire is a Pointer Sisters (Bruce Springsteen) cover.  Unfortunately it failed to chart like its predecessors. For the next single (Shattered Glass) he changed to a more Synth-Pop sound. It failed too. It was released on CBS(New Zealand). I did not include the B-slide to Shattered Glass because it is a dub version of the A-Side.

From the back cover of Never Let You Slide

Never Let You Slide personal

Produced by  Graeme Mhyre

Russ Le Roq    Guitar/Vocals
Ken Chung                  Drums
Graham Silcock           Guitar
Pat Roxburgh                Bass

Shattered Glass Personal

Produced by Trevor Reekie

Russ Le Roq                Vocals
Graham Silcock            Guitar
Pat Roxburgh                 Bass
Steve Edger                 Drums
John Cooper                TS808
Rohan Hunt                  Synth

***Warning recorded from vinyl surface noise.***

Never Let You Slide

Fire

St. Kilda

Shattered Glass

Or the whole lot as a .zip

Russ Le Roq 

Double O Zeros: Be A Zero EP 1984

The Double "O" Zeros were formed in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1982. Originally they had a more purer Power Pop / Punk sound and image. After the release of their first single, Pretty Women in 1983, they adopted a more glam look and sound. This is they second release, 1984’s Be A Zero EP. Released on Mountain Records. It was a 7”, 33 1/3 rpm, five track EP. Singer Sammy Serious wrote all the songs. In 1985 Double O Zeros spent six months in London, England. On their return to America they moved to Los Angeles and shorted their name to The Zeros.

Produced By Double O Zeros

Sammy Serious           Vocals
Joe Normal                  Guitar
Mr. Insane                   Drums
Mace Beyers                 Bass

***Warning recorded from Vinyl. Some Surface Noise***

Be A Zero EP

West Auckland Punk Gig Poster 2 1983

 

Firstly, sorry about the poor quality of the poster. It’s a scan of a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy. Not many of these West Auckland gig posters survived. This one is from 1983. No Tag were just about to release their album. The Plunket Boys had become Vicious Circle on their way to becoming The Warners.  Zyklon-B contained members of The Mormons and Agent Orange (the Mt Roskill Punk band not U.S. one).

Here’s three songs by bands who played at this gig.

The Henchmen - Bitch Goddess

Zyklon-B - Youth On Our Side

No Tag - Mistaken Identity

Or all of them as a .zip

West Auckland Punk Gig Poster

The Gun Club: Ghost On The Highway 1981

 

Formed in 1980 in Los Angeles by the president of the Blondie fan club, Jeffrey Lee Pierce. But The Gun Club didn’t sound anything like Blondie, in fact they didn’t sound like anyone else at the time. They mixed Blues, Country and Rockabilly playing them with the energy and simplicity of Punk. Their influence can be heard in bands from The White Strips to R.E.M. though a multitude of Alt Country bands.  Ghost On The Highway was their first single. Released by Beggars Banquet, licensed from Ruby Records. Both Ghost On The Highway and the B-Side (Sex Beat) were written by Jeffrey Lee Pierce.

Ward Dotson                       Guitar
Jeffrey Lee Pierce    Vocals/Guitar
Rob Ritter                              Bass
Terry Graham                     Drums

Produced by Chris D

Ghost On The Highway
Sex Beat

Or both as a .zip
The Gun Club

The Really 3rds: Everyday, Everyway1981

This is a self-released single from Welsh Power Pop trio The Really 3rds. This 1981 7” was their sole release. They changed their name to Shake Some Action soon after this release and joined the then Mod revival. Everyday, Everyway was written by Neil Lawrence. The B-side is by Neil Lawrence and Paul Pember, who, with someone called Philip made up The Really 3rds. And that is all that is known about them.

Everyday, Everyway
Daptapper

Ainsworths / Regulators: Double B-Side 1980

 

Both the Ainsworths and Regulators were part of the late 1970’s early 80’s Pop/Mod scene based in Auckland New Zealand’s North Shore.  Other bands included Screaming Meemees, The Killjoys and Rebel Truce. In 1980 the two bands self-released a split sided 7 inch with Ainsworths’ Coin on one side and Regulators’ Neat Boy on the other. It was to be the only release for the Regulators.  However, Ainsworth also contributed a track (Danger man) to the compilation Class Of ’81.

Ainsworths

Ainsworths – Coin

Producer – Steve Kennedy

Rowan Sheddon       Guitar
Hillary Hunt              Vocals
Adam Holt                   Bass
Phil                           Drums

Regulators – Neat Boy

Producer – Doug Rogers

Andrew Boak                  Guitar/Vocals
Geoff Hayden                              Bass
Richard Foulkes                        Drums

***Recorded from vinyl. Some Surface Noise.***

Ainsworths - Coin

Regulators - Neat Boy

Lightning Raiders: Criminal World 1981

 

The Lighting Raiders are one of those bands that should have been huge, but for some reason never made it. They had the songs, they had the connections and credibility. Original bassist Andy Allan played on the Sex Pistols single Silly Thing. Steve Jones and Paul Cook returned the favour and played on the Lightning Raiders debut single (Psychedelic Musik). They could pull a crowd, and had a fierce live reputation. The critics’ love them, reviews were always positive. They released the Criminal World 7” and an EP in 1981 both on Island Record’s subsidiary label Revenge Records. Who then mysteriously dropped them from the label just as the recording of the album was about to start. And that was it for Lightning Raiders they broke up.

John Hodge (Little John )     Guitar
Gass Wild                            Vocals
Duncan Sanderson                Bass
Bruce Irvine                          Guitar 
George Butler                     Drums

***Warning Recorded off of Vinyl. Surface Noise and a few clicks.***
Criminal World
Citizens

Joe 90: Walls Surrounding Me 1987

 

Another obscure one. Joe 90 were a band from Hamilton, New Zealand. In 1987 it was a city better known for its Hard Rock and Metal bands. But Joe 90 had a synthesizer in their line up and they played Pop music. Walls Surrounding Me was not an independent release it came out on EMI. Who in the late 80’s did not spend money on local bands lightly. It failed to chart and was their sole release. Both Walls Surrounding Me and Imperial Measures were written by vocalist Darryl Monteith.

Produced By Mike & Phil Whitehead

Darryl Monteith        Vocals/Guitar

Shaun Joyce      Keyboard/Vocals

Kevin Webb                          Bass

Chris Oaks                           Drum

***Warning recorded off of vinyl. Surface Noise***

Walls Surrounding Me

Imperial Measures

West Auckland Punk Gig Poster 1982

This is a gig poster for a local Punk dance in Auckland New Zealand from 1982. No Tag, The Mormons, The Plunket Boys and Red Cross were  cornerstone bands of the early 1980’s West Auckland hall punk scene. They played self-organised gigs in hired West Auckland halls. The gigs were promoted by world of mouth and self-designed photocopied posters like this one. The Plunket Boys put this gig (and therefore this poster) together. It was closed down early by the Police like many were. The reason the Queen says there are four bands playing but there are five on the poster, is because No Tag were added at the last minute.

The Steroids: Mr. Average 1980

This is the debut single of Wellington, New Zealand’s The Steroids. Released in 1980 on  their own White Light Records. It is also the debut recording of Alan Jansson. Who, two years after playing guitar on this record was ‘Pulsing’ all over the radio with his new band The Body Electric. In 1995, he scored a worldwide hit as the producer and co-writer of OMC’s multi-million selling How Bizarre. But this is a great example of an early self-released New Zealand punk record.

Produced by P. Blake

Alan Jimson (Jansson)   Guitar
Andrew Dray                    Bass
Robbie Holmes              Drums

Art work by Claudie

***Warning recorded from vinyl. Surface Noise***

Mr. Average

Out Of Control

Flying Nun Records 1987 Catalogue

This is not a photocopy of the 1987 Flying Nun catalogue. The 1987 Flying Nun catalogue was a  photocopied double sided A4 folding in half. You could still buy copies of The Clean's Tally Ho wholesale for $2.30 plus GST (a sales tax. In 1987 it was 10%). Some of these records now go for over a hundred times the then listed prices.

 

Three Lost Singles From The 1980’s

The Frost
Mirrors

1981

 

From the EP The Frost Introduces Classical Punk. Which was an odd title, as not one of the songs on the EP comes close to being a “Punk” song. Just look at the photo. Believe it or not, it’s garage synth-pop. It was released on Destiny Records, a Massachusetts label in 1981. That’s pretty much all that is known about this band.  

***Warning recorded off of vinyl. Surface Noise***

The Frost - Mirrors

Blind Date

Local Dance

1982

This is the second and last single from Auckland, New Zealand’s Blind Date. Released on WEA in 1982. The drummer, Lyn Buchanan went on to become one New Zealand’s leading drummers. That’s pretty much all that I know about this band.

***Warning recorded off of vinyl. Surface Noise and some clicks***

Blind Date - Local Dance

Dumptruck
Island
1987

This is the first single after Seth Tiven left the band, leaving Kirk Swan as the sole songwriter. The band folded soon after this release. It was released on Big Time Records in 1987 and was produced Hugh Jones. It’s from their third album For The Country. And that’s pretty much all that I know about this band. 

Dumptruck - Island

Modern English: Smiles And Laughter 1981

   The biggest problem Modern English has, is they will always be remembered for I Melt With You. The quintessence 80’s synth-pop hit. It has been forgotten that they were an early signing to the 4AD label along with the Cocteau Twins.  Members of Modern English were also part of This Moral Coil. Whose biggest hit, a haunting version of Tim Buckley’s Song to the Siren, started life as a B-side to a medley of two Modern English songs (Sixteen Days and Gathering Dust).
   1981’s Smiles And Laughter was Modern English’s fourth single for 4AD. It and the B-side - Mesh And Lace - were recorded around the same time as their debut album. Yet neither is included on the album, despite the fact the album was called Mesh And Lace. Both song titles are "something" and "something", Smiles And Laughter, Mesh And Lace. 

Robbie Grey                      vocals
Gary McDowell       guitar, vocals
Michael Conroy        bass, vocals
Richard Brown                   drums
Stephen Walker           keyboards

Produced by Modern English & Robbie Mayhew

Smiles and Laughter

Mesh and Lace

As a bonus here's the two Modern English song This Moral Coil covered.

Sixteen Days

Gathering Dust

Splodgenessabounds: Simon Templer 1980

Punk rock meets Benny Hill. Splodgenessabounds specialized in toilet humour lyrics, many of their songs were about farting and sniggering at sex. With song titles that sounded like a Viz cartoon (Michael Booth's Talking Bum) clearly they were not The Clash. Their live shows feature simulated and some not so simulated sexual acts between singer Max Splodge and his backing singer girlfriend Baby Greensleeves.
Simon Templer released in 1980, was their debut single. It failed to get any airplay but the B-side Two Pints Of Larger And A Packet Of Crisps Please, did. In fact, it became a bit of a radio hit. It pushed the single all the way to #7 in the UK Singles Chart. The BBC situation comedy Two Pints Of Larger And A Packet Of Crisps was named in its honour. It was one of the last releases on Deram Records.  Who gave it the catalogue number Bum 01. 

Max Splodge                                             Vocals
Chrissie (Baby Greensleeves)     Backing vocals
Desert Island Joe Slythe                       Coconuts
Miles Flat                                                   Guitar
Pat Thetic Noble                                        Guitar
Roger Rodent                                    Bass guitar
Wiffy Archer                              Comb and paper
Winston Forbes                                  Keyboards
Squint                                                   Windows

Produced by Mike Robinson

***Warning recorded off of vinyl. Surface Noise.***

Simon Templer

Michael Booth's Talking Bum
Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps Please

Hoodoo Gurus: Tojo 1983

This is the 1983 second single from Sydney, Australian’s Hoodoo Gurus. It’s the first to include guitarist Brad Shepherd, who has been with the band ever since. Like most of their singles it was written by the singer and the other guitarist Dave Faulkner.
There are two main references in the song. The first, the World War Two Japanese Prime Minister General Hideki Tojo. The Japanese bombed Darwin, Australian in the War but didn’t invade. They were stopped in Papua New Guinea by Australian troops. The second is the 1975 song ‘Santa Never Made It Into Darwin’ by New Zealand duo Bill & Boyd. Which was a charity record to raise money for the victims of Cyclone Tracy which devastated Darwin on Christmas Eve / Christmas Day 1974. Both General Tojo and Cyclone Tracy had tried to destroy Darwin. It was released on Big Time Records in June, 1983. (Lets All) Turn On was the B-side.

James Baker                                 drums
Clyde Bramley                    bass, vocals
Dave Faulkner           lead vocals, guitar
Brad Shepherd                 guitar, vocals

Producer — Alan Thorne
Design (cover) — Yanni Stumbles, Dave Faulkner

***Warning recorded off of vinyl. Little bit of Surface Noise & a couple of clicks.***
Tojo
(Lets All) Turn On