Tag Archive: Barbarellas


BACKTRACKING # 28 : THE STRANGLERS’ GRIP

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July 24, 2011

Part of an irregular series of bite-sized posts about 7″ singles I own – shameless nostalgia from the days of vinyl. (Search ‘Backtracking’ to collect the set!)

THE STRANGLERS – Grip (On Yourself) b/w London Lady ( United Artists Records, 1977)

“If you say we’re not Punks, we’ll break your fucking neck” is the message I get from the cover shot of The Stranglers’ debut single.

In the summer of ’77 drummer Jet Black was 39, Hugh Cornwell and keyboard man Dave Greenfield were both 28 while Jean-Jacques Burnell was a mere spring chicken at 25. They’d come through the pub-rock scene and got tagged as punks largely through being at the right place at the right time.

Their music had little in common with The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Buzzcocks et al. The prominent keyboards alone set them apart and Grip also features Eric Clarke, a Welsh coal miner, on saxophone although he got no credit for his contribution. Continue reading →

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BACKTRACKING #18 : THE KILLJOYS

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June 6, 2011

Part of an irregular series of bite-sized posts about 7″ singles I own – shameless nostalgia from the days of vinyl. (Search ‘Backtracking’ to collect the set!)

THE KILLJOYS – Johnny Won’t Get To Heaven b/w Naive (Raw Records, 1977)

Kevin Rowland was never a convincing punk rocker although this is one of the best singles from 1977. It was the band’s one and only official release. “The main thing I learned from The Killjoys was how not to do it”, he later reflected

Rowland started his musical career with Lucy And The Lovers, a Roxy Music influenced band I have never knowingly heard. The tidal wave of Punk Rock forced a rethink and The Killjoys were born. Continue reading →

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BACKTRACKING #6 : RAMONES

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March 16, 2011

Bite-sized posts about 7″ singles I own – shameless nostalgia from the days of vinyl.

Ramones – I Remember You  b/w California Sun / I Don’t Wanna Walk Around With You (Sire, 1976)

A little bit of CBGB’s in the heart of Birmingham; that’s what it felt like to see the Ramones supported by label-mates Talking Heads at Barbarella’s in May 1977.

With hindsight, this was a unique and historic double bill although at the time both bands had just released their debut albums so no-one really knew what to expect.

The Ramones I knew mainly through the fact that Blitzkrieg Bop was adopted as one of the signature tunes for Punk gigs at this venue alongside a fair smattering of dub reggae. That song was the highlight of their set. Continue reading →

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BACKTRACKING #3 : EDDIE & THE HOT RODS

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March 3, 2011

Bite-sized posts about 7″ singles I own – shameless nostalgia from the days of vinyl.

Eddie & The Hot Rods – Live At The Marquee (Island Records, 1976)

Barrie Masters was born to be on stage. You could see it in his eyes. He revelled in the adulation. He could work an audience so they were eating out of his hands. Ok, so he got all his moves, and singing style, from the young Mick Jagger but who cared?  In 1976 , the Stones were already has-beens, dinosaurs on the way to becoming the heavily sponsored relics they are today.

Eddie & The Hot Rods were the new kids on the block, giving their own take on the R’n’B classics and making them relevant to a new generation tired on pomp rock and concept albums. In refusing to adopt the stance of aloof pop stars, they showed that there was life beyond the pretentiousness of ‘Prog’ and the faded sequins of Glam or Disco. Continue reading →

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ELECTRONIC GOSPEL

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September 23, 2008

A vivid and treasured memory from 1977 is that of walking into Barbarellas club in Birmingham while Talking Heads were midway through ‘Uh-Ho Love Comes To Town’. They were actually the support act to The Ramones which explains why I missed the first part of their set.

I still remember being enthralled by David Byrne who looked nervous and nerdy but curiously charismatic at the same time. The way he sang looked like therapy – a way of releasing his demons in public.

I saw the band less than a year later at the same venue – this time they were headlining (with Dire Straits as support) – and this cemented my unwavering love for the band. Continue reading →

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