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

A Camp: Song For The Leftovers 2001

A Camp is The Cardigans singer, Nina Persson’s solo side project. This is their second single after I Can Buy You. Both, Song For The Leftovers and the B-Side Train of Salvation were  written and originally produced by Persson and Niclas Frisk for the debut A Camp album. But half way through the recording Persson teamed up with Sparklehorse’s Mark Linkous. They decided to re-record the album. Song For The Leftovers is from the new session and is produced by Persson and Linous. Train of Salvation is from the original sessions and is produced by Persson and Frisk.

Song For The Leftovers
Train Of Salvation

Iron Knowledge: Show-Stopper 1974

Not a lot is known about Iron Knowledge. They were from Youngstown Ohio and played Hendrix influenced Funk Rock. The 1974 high energy Show-Stopper was their first release. They put out one more single after this (Give Me A Little Taste Of Your Love). Which like Show Stopper was released on Tammy Records. It sounds like the guitar on Show-Stopper is Drop D tuning. That is, instead of the strings being tuned in the standard way (E A D G B E) they are tuned to D A D G A D. Making the intro sound deep and dirty. The B-Side is the complete opposite, it is a slow burning groove.

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

 Show-Stopper

Oh Love 

The Clique: Sugar On Sunday 1969

 

The Clique were a band from Houston, Texas. Formed by record producer Gary Zekley in 1966. Although their recordings featured mainly session musicians Jerry Cope, Sid Templeton and Tommy Pena formed the core of the touring band. Sugar on Sunday was their third single. It was a cover of a Tommy James & the Shondells song.  It was released on White Whale Records in 1969 and reached number 22 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was the highest chart position they ever reached. They released one album and several more singles before disbanding in 1972. The Clique might have stayed an obscure little known 60’s Texan band. But in 1986 a group form Athens, Georgia called R.E.M. covered the B-side of this single (I am Superman) and now The Clique are famous for that. Forever linked to R.E.M.

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

Sugar On Sunday

I am Superman

As a bonus, here's their first single. A cover of the 13th Floor Elevators Slash 1.

Splash 1 

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

The Boyfriends: I Don't Want Nobody 1978

How good were New York’s The Boyfriends? The Ramones covered one of their unreleased songs (I Need Your Love) on their album Subterranean Jungle. This is they debut single released on Bomp! Records in 1978.  Sadly, this is pretty much it for The Boyfriends. Just after this was released they sign on to Malcolm McLaren’s management. After turning down good offers in order to wait for a great offer, he left them with no record contract and no management. Only 100 copies of their second single (Wrapped Up In A Dream) were pressed in 1981. 

Bobby Dee Waxman     Guitar/Vocals
Paddy Lorenzo              Guitar/Vocals
Jay Nap                                      Bass
Lee Crystal                               Drums

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

I Don't Want Nobody

You're The One

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.