Running Blue is a Promotional and live concert booker that give a shit about Rock n Roll and is happy to bring to London an extraordinary evenings entertainment courtesy of Mr Darrell Bath (The Crybabys) And Mr Rob Carlyle (The Compulsions) as these two Rock n Rollers from both sides of the pond play some tunes from their respective back catalogues as well as others. They’ll be joined on the evening by Rich Ragany as they did last year for a sold-out show. Tickets are limited so we suggest you get on it right away to avoid disappointment.
As well as this show Running Blue have several other events please visit their facebook page to keep u to date with their shows and support them supporting live music
The Quireboys are the latest band to pull the plug on their Pledge Music campaign they released the following press statement,
“We’ve been watching this all play out very closely and have tried to work in any way possible with Pledge to arrive at a positive outcome but in reality, we are just not confident that the campaign we entered into with Pledge, will ever be fulfilled or paid and that is something we cant continue to endorse.
This was all brought to light recently with other key bands (who were also involved in Pledge Campaigns) pointing out that they haven’t been paid or look likely to be. We have recorded and mastered our new album ‘Amazing Disgrace’, we have booked the PR, videos, pressing, we have received nothing and we never will under this platform.
We have written to Pledge today asking them to officially cancel the campaign and let us know who booked what, once we have that we will be in touch via our label Off Yer Rocka Recordings who have kindly funded our costs in the interim period to keep this incredible recording alive.
The band Last in Line posted some great advice the other day about cancelling your Pledge booking which you should do immediately. If you didn’t see it, we’ve used some of their words:
We are told that PledgeMusic’s cancellation process has been initiated. The refund process will go through Pledges’ payment processor Bluesnap. Fans can also directly dispute the charge with their credit card company. At this time our recommendation is that you also log into your PledgeMusic account and cancel your order. We would suggest that you take an additional step of contacting your credit card company to request buyer protection and further ensure the charges to PledgeMusic are reversed.
To CANCEL YOUR PLEDGE ORDER:
LOG IN to PledgeMusic and FIND your order.
Click on “CONTACT US ABOUT THIS PLEDGE” then pull down the menu item “CANCELLING THIS PLEDGE ORDER”
Click on “I STILL HAVE A QUESTION”
In the form that opens type that “I AM CANCELLING THIS PLEDGE, AND AM REQUESTING A REFUND DUE TO THE CAMPAIGN BEING CANCELLED”
You will receive a confirmation email from them immediately
Now PLEASE call your credit card and request a “CHARGE DISPUTE” as additional insurance for your refund.
We are truly gutted that this has come about, you all supported us above and beyond, especially getting us over 200%, however, we’re simply not into finger pointing or blame culture, its happened and we need to deal with it, firstly you must do the above, once that has been completed we can move onto the Solution…
Our label ‘Off Yer Rocka Recordings’ has now loaded all items that people were buying through Pledge and loaded them onto ‘The Quireboys’ section of the label site. OYR will now press and fulfil any new orders that come into this platform. What’s more and as a gesture of goodwill from The Quireboys and OYR, for any item purchased we will be offering an album free of charge from our back catalogue which we will deliver at the same time.
It’s been a while since ‘Super Natural’ and its been a while since the news broke that Jim Jones was heading down the long winding crowdfunding road for the new record, last June to be precise. Well, the wait is over the record is finally here. This takes off where ‘Super Natural’ left off and some. Sure there is no great departure just a lot more time has been afforded by going down the crowdfunding route and its paid off in spades for this is easily Jims most complete collection of music to date and I include Thee Hypnotics and the Revue in that. It includes everything – emotionally and physically by the sounds of it, there is even Keith Richards Gibson acoustic in there throughout like the main artery carrying the lifeblood that this record needs to survive.
‘Sex Robot’ yeah if your introducing your new record might as well go in like a stick of dynamite hitting the death decks and boy does ‘Sex Robot’ deliver a pulsating introduction. From the first fuzzed out riff through the handclaps and throbbing snare slap this record is off and the opening track is setting the bar right up there with a full on aural assault on your senses. Stomping rhythm and like a clenched fist The Righteous Mind means business Its a rock n roll call to arms enough is enough let’s do this. If that didn’t get your blood pumping then a side step to the left sees the Dirty Blues Gospel of ‘Satans Got His Heart Set On You’ is up next.
Step forward with that piano and saxophone as Jones does what Jones does over the top of such a swinging groove and remember to join in on the chorus. Keeping up the intensity yet displaying another side of this band yet in keeping with the roots of Rock n Roll the saxophone steals in and quite literally blows my mind as the duelling keys and sax makes this already; a contender. As we settle in ‘O Genie’ has some needle in the red, fuzzed up geetar as we purposefully slide through the verses like a snake on the prowl there is a menace to the song as it glides toward the Asian rhythm and Jim almost whispers the verse into your ear its intense and terrifying at the same time but you don’t want to turn it off just let it wash over you.
Proceedings head back towards the most Rock and Roll of songs with ‘Attack Of The Killer Brainz’ riding in on a massive big riff for an awesome slice of RnR that is always most welcome. the downside of all that Rock n Roll sees ‘Meth Chuch’ enter the fray like a misty morning. Gentle creep crawling through West London Jones tells a Bowie esk tale of one night under the shadow of Grenfell Tower the song perfectly captures the mood and eery use of strings is a captivating number.
Again the pace and sense of drama are captured on the slow-moving ‘Dark Secrets’ as Jones lowers the tone quite literally with hushed vocals the arrangement is captivating and perfectly executed. ‘I Found Love’ is a little Gospel meets Rock and Roll and Jones reaches into his soul to raise the roof with his wild vocal as the cymbals lead the rhythm. ‘I Found Love’ is the appetizer for ‘Out Align’ as the amps are given a right rinsing through the steady beat.
As we enter the last knockings of this new record I can’t help but feel I’ve been on a journey through a musical landscape that felt so good in such trying times. There is a light at the end of the austerity tunnel and Jim Jones and the Righteous Mind will lead us there if you let them in. ‘Going There Anyway’ is a mellow jazzy number with some fine lap steel and six string bending going on another smokey number before ‘Shazam’ puts the full stop on what is a most excellent record it twists and turns like a river flowing with rock n roll as it twists and turns and leaves gold deposits at every bend and as the listener navigates his way down to reach the end is exhilarating and rewarding and with 100 influences peppering the veins of the songs this will easily be near the top of any end of year top album list no doubt about that.
‘Collectiv’ should excite you as it has me. what you do next is a no brainer, click the link and place your order and let ‘Collectiv’ hit your speakers like a bomb going off you can thank me later but for now do the right thing, go on you know you want to.
To celebrate the release of our new album, 'CollectiV', we’re playing a special Vive Le Rock-sponsored show with special guest musicians and DJs at London's The 100 Club on Thursday, March 21st. Tickets are shifting fast so get yours from www.righteousmind.co.uk. Early arrivers will also get entered into a draw to win goodie bags. See you there!
On this very day in 1980, Ronald Belford “Bon” Scott was found dead in Camden London. Scott was the iconic hellraising singer of AC/DC and was the epitome of hard rockin, hard-partying rock and roller. Nothing was half measure with Scott. It was alleged that On 15 February 1980, Scott attended a session where Malcolm and Angus Young who were working on the beginnings of two songs that would later be recorded on the Back in Black album; “Have a Drink On Me” and “Let Me Put My Love Into You” with Scott accompanying on drums rather than singing or writing lyrics.
Days earlier, Scott had gone with Mick Cocks to visit their friends the French group Trust in the Scorpio Sound studio in London where they recorded the album ‘Répression’; Scott was working on the English adaptation of texts by Bernie Bonvoisin for the English version of the album. During this visit, the musicians did a jam session of “Ride On”. This improvised session was Scott’s last recording.
Sometime during the evening of 18 February and early morning of 19 February, Scott passed out and died at the age of 33. He had just visited a London club called the Music Machine (currently known as KOKO) at the end of Camden High Street opposite Mornington Crescent Tube Station. He was left to sleep in a Renault 5 owned by a friend of Scott’s, Alistair Kinnear, at 67 Overhill Road in East Dulwich. Later that day, Kinnear found Scott lifeless and alerted the authorities. Scott was taken to King’s College Hospital in Camberwell, where he was pronounced DOA. It sent shockwaves through the industry at the time but the band soldiered on to reach greater success with a new singer (Cough Cough) Brian Johnson formerly of the band Geordie. ‘Back In Black’ is one of the biggest selling rock albums of all time but the heart and soul had left the building when Scott passed and the band were never the same again, Scott’s tenure in the band produced over half a dozen classic albums that pioneered boogie rock n roll with an incredible voice Scott will rightfully be remembered as a legend in hard rock. R.I.P Bon.
Scott was born in Kirriemuir, Scotland, and emigrated to Melbourne, Australia with his family in 1952 He was six at the time. Scott started the Spektors in 1966 as the drummer the band then merged with another local band to form the Valentines who had a top 30 hit singe before breaking up due to a drug scandal or as the band put it at the time “Musical Differences”. Scott then moved to Adelaide where he joined Fraternity. on 3 May 1974, at the Old Lion Hotel in North Adelaide, during a rehearsal with the Mount Lofty Rangers, a very drunk Scott had a raging argument with a member of the band. Scott stormed out of the venue, threw a bottle of Jack Daniel’s on to the ground, then sped off on his motorbike. Scott suffered serious injuries from the ensuing motorcycle accident, spending three days in a coma and a further 18 days in the hospital. It was during his recovery where he worked at the office of Vince Lovegrove who ran a talent and booking agency which was where Scott was introduced to the Youngs due to them being on the lookout for a lead singer and the rest, as they say, is history.
On a Much lighter note a big Happy Birthday to Black Sabbaths Tony Iommi who was born on this day back in 1948. When a young Iommi was working in a sheet metal factory it was to be his last day at the job he managed to lose the tip of his middle finger and his ring finger of his right hand. He had to create thimbles to go on his fingertips so he could play the guitar this was after he attempted to play right-handed – remember health & safety at work kids and never play around with heavy machinery on Heavy Metal!
On this very same day in 1982 Iommis, former bandmate Ozzy managed to get himself arrested in San Antonio, Texas for urinating on the cenotaph at the Alamo, which honours the Alamo defenders. Osbourne was wearing a dress at the time of his arrest, (due to his wife Sharon hiding all his clothes so he couldn’t go outside). Osbourne was banned from ever playing in San Antonio, Texas again, (a ban which was lifted in 1992). When later interviewed, Ozzy said his next goal was to urinate on the White House lawn. Ozzy is pictured leaving the Sanantonio Court House with his stylish wife and manager Sharon
With shoegaze enjoying something of a revival in recent years, many long-standing champions of the genre have upped their activity. Swervedriver were often on the heavier end of the spectrum, and whilst they haven’t always been the most prolific in terms of number of album releases (an extended pause following their breakup in 1998 didn’t help), they did return successfully in 2015 with ‘I Wasn’t Born to Lose You’.
‘Future Ruins’ largely continues on from its predecessor, delivering a strong record with many of the elements sure to keep fans of the band happy. The album kicks off of with one of the finest tracks here, the brilliant ‘Mary Winter’. The strong riff and atmospheric melodies are demonstrative of a band in great form, writing music that will tune in directly to their fan base. ‘The Lonely Crowd Fades in the Air’ offers more of that energy before the title track takes the album in a slower and equally enjoyable direction.
Things pick up with ‘Drone Lover’, which oozes pop-laden brilliance, whilst ‘Spiked Flower’ joyfully propels the album forwards before the record eventually lulls a bit with ‘Everybody’s Going Somewhere & No-One’s Going Anywhere’ and ‘Golden Remedy’. Whilst the former particularly may be a bit hard to get into for the casual listener, these two tracks do add some extra layers to the album. The recovery is quick, however, and in style with ‘Good Times Are Hard to Follow’ before the lengthy otherworldliness of ‘Radio-Silent’ takes us to a dreamy end.
‘Future Ruins’ is a strong album and fans of the band will surely be instantly drawn to its infectious hooks and harmonies. And after 4 years since their previous release, the freshness will certainly be welcomed.
The Wildhearts release Dislocated, the first song from their forthcoming album ‘Renaissance Men’. Listen to the cathartic Dislocated
On3rd May ‘Renaissance Men’, The Wildhearts’ first full-length studio album in 10 yearsis released by Graphite Records.
The Wildhearts’ classic line up of Ginger, CJ, Ritchie and Danny, recorded the energetic and diverse ‘Renaissance Men’ at theTreehouse Studio. Produced by Jim Pinder ‘Renaissance Men’ findsThe Wildhearts at their full creative tilt delivering hard-hitting, retooled classic rock with a modern twist. Bristling riffs and jagged, riotous hooks are their poison and the 10 songs are the perfect manifestation of the band’s immutable wit, charm and righteous anger.
The album cover for ‘Renaissance Men’ was painted by Eliran Kantor (Testament, Iced Earth, Sodom).
The honest and irresistible ‘Renaissance Men’ is an unequivocal triumph, which encapsulates and distils perfectly The Wildhearts’ live energy.
To pre order ‘Renaissance Men’ and stream Dislocated go Here
The album is available to pre-order in usual CD and vinyl, with T-Shirt bundles available, plus in exclusive limited edition transparent red vinyl and orange tape cassette formats. iTunes preorders will receive Dislocated as an instant track download.
‘Renaissance Men’ track listing
01 Dislocated.
02 Let ‘Em Go.
03 The Renaissance Men.
04 Fine Art of Deception.
05 Diagnosis.
06 My Kinda Movie.
07 Little Flower.
08 Emergency (Fentanyl Babylon).
09 My Side Of The Bed.
10 Pilo Erection.
To coincide with the release of ‘Renaissance Men’ The Wildhearts play an 8 date UK tour. This intimate tour will start in Manchester at the Academy 2 on Friday 3rd May and concludes at the Riverside in Newcastle on Sunday 12th May.
“Well fuck me it’s only been 10 years since our last release and we have a monster album on its way. Danny is back in the band and we hit the road in May, playing new tunes and all the old hits. Can’t wait and I know the boys are super bloody excited for this. ROCK!” – CJ Wildheart
Before the Renaissance Men UK tour, The Wildhearts play 2 festivals: the Winters End 2019 in Chepstow and Great British Alternative Festival in Minehead, plus a special warm up show at the Exeter Cavern on Friday 8th March, which is sold out.
Creatively brilliant, The Wildhearts play a distinctive fusion of hard rock, perfectly complemented by contemporary melodies. With a career spanning 30 years The Wildhearts helped change the landscape of British rock through the ’90s, and to this day they haven’t shown any sign of slowing down. Miss these shows at your peril.
A band that were once heralded as the next big thing by Kerrang (back when Kerrang used to have decent bands grace its pages) faded away then basked in the afterglow as a resurgence saw them tread the boards and release a few fantastic albums and the band got more column inches purely on merit and the strength of the albums they were writing and shows they were playing find themselves upon the crest of a wave and when Someone asks how would you fancy having a chat With one of two of the original members, of course, I was going to accept so here without further waffle from me ladies and Gents I give you slyder Smith from Last Of The Great Dreamers.
Firstly 2018 couldn’t have gone any better, could it? With the critically acclaimed album and some great shows, you must be pleased? We’ll get to the latest album but first a quick catch up of sorts, After the first album and the lengthy hiatus, you got together for a few shows take us back. Was there a great master plan?
Not initially, Marc & I got back in touch again over a few chance meetings back in 2012. We talked on the phone but didn’t discuss getting the band back together then. It wasn’t until a bit later I rediscovered the tracks on cassette we’d recorded after Retrosexual in the mid/late 90s & thought they were too good not to be released. There seemed to be a bit of a rejuvenated rock scene out there so when we did decide to put LGD back together it began to gather momentum then.
Firstly we decided to release those tracks as ‘Crash Landing in Teenage Heaven’ to coincide with our reunion show in London in September 2014.
‘Retrosexual’ came out in 1994 and then what? You were heralded by the press such as Kerrang what happened then?
Kerrang heralded us as ‘Glams great white hopes’, we were nominated for “best new band” at the Kerrang Awards 1995. It was an exciting time; we had the record deal, an agent, manager, all we’d been working for since forming in 1989. We did a few European tours with Bang Tango & Warrant & everything was happening. We got out of our deal with Bleeding Hearts Records & had lots of interest from labels through our new manager. We pursued one with a large independent, X Records. It was a 2 single deal with a sizable advance. Things were taking their course & at the 11th hour, the deal collapsed through funding so fell through.
Although we pushed on a bit after that I think the moment had passed, our manager quit the business completely & we were left trying to pick up the pieces & salvage something. Eventually, we decided to call it a day, sadly our creativity was at a peak at that point but we were just emotionally drained by the whole thing.
Since you got back together was there a plan?You seem to have worked harder and harder and played plenty of dates all over the place and if you don’t mind me saying got better and better as songwriters as well would that be fair? ‘Dope School’ and ‘Glitterball Apocalypse’ were two of the best songs you’ve written in my opinion. Great videos as well.
Once we’d done the comeback show & a handful of others we did a 12 date club tour in April 2015 still promoting the Crash Landing album. Marc & I had discussed new material & it was that summer we started writing together again. In actual fact Glitterball & Dope were probably the first two we worked on. It was a bit daunting at first as I stopped playing for about 10 years & hadn’t written anything since about 2002. As soon as we started though it kept flowing resulting in the Transmissions from Oblivion album released in 2016. We also set about trying to get onto festivals & tours. The first was with Cherie Currie(The Runaways) in November 2015. This was when we released our first ‘brand new’ single Dope School since reforming.
How did the business change for you or was it more you changing how you viewed the business?
It has changed massively since we were doing it before, obviously no internet back then, digital releases or social media. I think the product is devalued a lot because of that but it is very easy to get your product out there & connect with people but with that, the market place is flooded with bands so there’s a lot more competition.
‘Transmission From Oblivion’, was another advance in songs and a really strong album, you picked up some great tours with the likes of the Quireboys which would be fair to say is a great fit for the band, was having a steady line up a plus at the time with Denley on drums must have been a massive plus?
The Transmission album was the first new album proper since reforming. It was probably 75% brand new plus Marc & I had a few songs we had in our lockers that we’d written after LGD split that were rejuvenated. That was released in late 2016 & we secured the Quireboys tour just after for the following Spring. That tour was a great fit, we played to some brilliant audiences over about 20 dates & won over a lot of new fans.
Having a steady line-up is definitely very important, we do have a few different bass players that play with us live which isn’t ideal but we get by. It’s a big commitment at this level to do what we do; financially it’s a struggle plus juggling homelife is also difficult. Sadly after 3 years with us, Denley has had to take a step back from touring for this reason as the band gets busier & busier. We do have a new man in, also from South Wales, Rik Pratt, along with a new bass player Tim Emery who will be the number 1, you may see deps in every now & then but that’s just the nature of it at this level.
What about the songwriting. Do you work differently these days compared to the first time around? What motivates you? To keep the constant touring, writing and releasing records?
Things are slightly different this time around, especially Renegades which was pretty much written over a period of 3 or 4 months whereas the 1st two albums – the songs kind of accumulated over years. We collaborate on lyrics perhaps more now than we did but I guess the formula we have is that Marc & I will usually work on our own ideas & then bring them to the table each adding bits to each other’s songs. We would sometimes have a clear vision of how we thought a song would end up but also hear different things in each other’s ideas. We would then knock them into shape a bit before bringing in the rhythm section to fine-tune the arrangements & try out different feels & tempos.
I think having started writing again & realising we can still do this it has become very exciting, we are very proud of what we’ve done since reforming & feel each album we have made bettered the last so I guess that drives us to keep doing it. Also, we love playing live & want to reach more & more people & travel to different places. We’ve made a lot of friends & new fans on the road & really enjoy meeting & touring with other bands, it’s a great feeling & what it’s all about.
The last album, in my opinion, was the bands finest and a consistently strong record where the bands sounded really confident and you knew the songs were excellent. Is it something you notice when writing or recording?
I think we were feeling confident whilst writing & arranging in the rehearsal studio. We knew we had some real gems there. The songs all develop differently, some quicker than others, some easier than others. As you go along that journey adding harmonies & guitar parts they evolve & develop & quite often there will be moments when you think wow this is going to be amazing!
You did some great shows in 2018 off the back of the new album what can we expect in 2019? tours the UK and further afield? what are your hopes for the coming year?
We have a lot of dates planned for the year, mostly during the Spring, we are on a European tour with Enuff Znuff in February & reaching a few new countries like Austria, Italy & Sweden, We return to both Norway & Spain this year & have a UK tour opening for the Electric Boys. Plus some other dates & festivals throughout the summer. We just want to keep reaching more people & getting our music heard as much as possible. Also November this year it will be 25 years since the release of our debut, Retrosexual so we may do something special for that, a one-off show maybe with an anniversary release on vinyl?
Finally how many new songs are written and are there plans to get back into a studio this year?
We’ve discussed album number five & both have some songs we’ve started working on individually. Hopefully, we will get together for a writing session together over the summer & at the moment we have some free time in the autumn to maybe start recording.
Happy Birthday Brian James the guy who kickstarted punk in London – Hell he Invented UK Punk for God’s sake even The Captain says as much. Brian was the force behind The Damned who were the first to do this first to do that – The FIRST! remember that.
It didn’t end there for Brian Who when he left The Damned (the band he started) he went on to play for Iggy Pop then put together his own supergroup – The Lords Of The New Church. Before heading out under his own name.
Born in In Hammersmith in 1955. Brian Robertson as he was christened first came to prominence when he picked up the guitar alongside fellow punk icons Mick Jones (the Clash) and Brady (Hollywood Brats) under the banner SS London, he then formed The Damned and the rest, as they say, is history. I don’t think Brian or The Damned ever got the props they truly deserved and history has ushered The Pistols and The Clash to the top of the pile yet it was The Damned led by Brian that reached all the firsts and has remained punk to the core until this day where he still writes and occasionally plays.
If you don’t know Brians style then you’ve not really heard real punk rock from the first chords of ‘New Rose’ to his unique style on ‘Grand Cru’ or ‘The Guitar That Dripped Blood’ Brian has always done things on his own terms and stayed true to himself. He has an impeccable CV and a list of albums he’s played on that can go toe to toe with any of his peers no question about it.
Brian switched from his Les Paul to the Telecaster and that drag as seen on the Lords footage is what sets the great from the good.
Ten years after Brian James popped into the world Ray and Dave Davies as The Kinks were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Tired Of Waiting For You’, the group’s second UK No.1. According to Ray Davies, the music for ‘Tired of Waiting for You’ was written on the train to the recording studio and the words were written at a coffee shop during a break in the session. So let that be a lesson pop pickers last minute changes can work.
On a sadder note on this day in 1995 Replacements guitarist, Bob Stinson passed away. Stinson was found in his apartment in Uptown Minneapolis. Bob was only 35. He founded The Replacements with Chris Mars and His Brother Tommy and later roped in Westerberg. He lasted up until the sessions for ‘Pleased To Meet Me’ before leaving due to creative differences Now this stacks up more than for his drug or alcohol use C’mon this was the Replacements.
The band headed down a more commercial route after Bob left but he hadn’t finished with music quite yet as he Went on to form Model Prisoner with Sonny Vincent, Static Taxi who recorded two albums. In a rather amusing anecdote, Vincent remembered a time when former Dead Boy Cheetah Chrome relocated to Minneapolis to play in shotgun rationale “quite insane for a while… You have to imagine a band consisting of both Bob Stinson and Cheetah Chrome playing and working together.. then add to that I was no angel and you start to get a glimpse of the mercurial energy and intense chaos that we lived in, it didn’t last long but it was like living in a constant lightning storm and the sound was the same, tight and concentrated but always exploding over the edge”. Stinson didn’t die of a drug overdose but the frequent drug use caused his overall health to diminish, resulting in organ failure. So if you get the chance put on one of those early Mats records or Model Prisoner and toast a life most certainly lived. Rest In Peace Bob Stinson.
As it Brian James Birthday we thought we’d do things a little differently today and pay tribute to the guitar Legend by playing three videos from his immense career starting with his genius riff that was ‘Methods To My Madness’
The Brian James Gang tear New Rose a new one
Finally, we thought we’d delve deeper sadly there isn’t a video we could find so we brought you this hidden gem as we all say, Happy Birthday Brian James!
On this most rockin’ of days way back in 1975, AC/DC released their debut album ‘High Voltage’. The album featured a cover of ‘Baby, Please Don’t Go’ a blues song first recorded by Big Joe Williams and ‘She’s Got Balls’ which was written about singer Bon Scott’s ex-wife Irene – the first AC/DC song for which he wrote lyrics.
Bon, Malcolm, Angus, Mark and Phil saw this record peak at number 14 but has since gone 5x platinum what you could describe as being a slow burner.
Originally released on Albert Productions in Australia and has never been reissued by another label in this format. The international version of High Voltage, which was issued on Atlantic Records in 1976, has different cover art and track listing, with only “She’s Got Balls” and “Little Lover” appearing overseas. “Baby Please Don’t Go”, “Soul Stripper”, “You Ain’t Got a Hold On Me” and “Show Business” was later released on ’74 Jailbreak in 1984. “Stick Around” (about Scott’s inability to hold onto a lover for more than one night) and “Love Song” have been released on Backtracks in 2009. The title and artwork were the suggestion of Chris Gilbey of Albert Productions. In the 1994 Scott biography Highway to Hell, Gilbey explains that he came up with the concept of “an electricity substation with a dog pissing against it. It’s so tame now, but back then we thought it was pretty revolutionary.”
The musicians that played on this release were quite different from the internationally famous line up of AC/DC – George Young who also produced the record played some bass guitar, rhythm guitar, and backing vocals, Rob Bailey also played bass guitar whilst Peter Clack played drums on their cover of ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’. Tony Currenti played drums on the other seven numbers. Whilst it might not be the best DC album ever this version is certainly worth tracking down if you don’t already have it amongst the other 3,000 different versions with different covers and track lists.
In other significant news on this very day in 1979, Blondie scored their first UK No.1 album when ‘Parallel Lines’ started a four-week run at the top of the charts, featuring the singles ‘Heart Of Glass’, ‘Hanging On The Telephone’ and ‘Sunday Girl.’ With its iconic album sleeve, a generation of teenage boys fell in love more so when they managed to see the video for ‘Heart Of Glass’. Deborah Harry – vocals, Chris Stein – guitar, 12-string guitar, E-bow, Clem Burke – drums, Jimmy Destri – electronic keyboards, Nigel Harrison – bass guitar and Frank Infante – guitar was the iconic line up who recorded ‘Parallel Lines’ in New York City where the band shared an unbreakable bond and used the city in many of their videos and were forever tied to clubs like CBGB and Max’s. ‘Heart Of Glass’ was one of the biggest selling singles in the decade reaching number one in over eight major record buying countries. Amazingly it was only the UK where the album hit the number one spot only reaching number six in their native USA. who knew?
The album has been reissued and expanded several times since its release back in 79 and you can pick up a copy Here
Also, RPM would like to give a shout out and a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday to Billie Joe Armstrong, Born Today back in 1972. Whilst fronting Green Day Armstrong is also a member of the punk rock band Pinhead Gunpowder and provides lead vocals for Green Day’s side projects Foxboro Hot Tubs and The Network. Many Happy returns Mr Armstrong.
Finally, on this very day in 1979, The Clash opened the US leg of their ‘Pearl Harbour ’79’, North American tour at New York’s Palladium. The Clash were keen to embrace the US, though Epic were less enthusiastic despite releasing …Melody Maker writer Caroline Coon paid her own way to New York and set up eight shows in medium-sized venues that mainly sold out. The Pearl Harbour ’79 US tour allowed The Clash to visit key cities. The band took Rock’n’Roll legend Bo Diddley out as support act to make America aware of its musical legacy. “We brought them in and helped to introduce them to people who weren’t aware of them,” Jones told Coon. Diddley got on famously with the band, who hung on his every war story.
Running Blue is a Promotional and live concert booker that give a shit about Rock n Roll and is happy to bring to London an extraordinary evenings entertainment courtesy of Mr Darrell Bath (The Crybabys) And Mr Rob Carlyle (The Compulsions) as these two Rock n Rollers from both sides of the pond play some tunes from their respective back catalogues as well as others. They’ll be joined on the evening by Rich Ragany as they did last year for a sold-out show. Tickets are limited so we suggest you get on it right away to avoid disappointment.
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