lunes, 18 de marzo de 2024

Tom Robinson

There were few punk-era, major-label performers as intensely creative and controversial as Tom Robinson. Cutting his teeth with folk-rockers Café Society (who released a Ray Davies-produced record on the head Kink's Konk label in 1975), Robinson roared into the spotlight in 1978 with a great single ("2-4-6-8 Motorway") and a much-ballyhooed contract with EMI. What was remarkable about this was that Robinson was the kind of politically conscious, confrontational performer that major labels generally ignored -he was openly gay and sang about it ("Glad to Be Gay"); he was vociferous in his hatred for then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; he helped form Rock Against Racism; and he generally spoke in favor of any leftist political tract that would embarrass the ruling ultraconservative Tory government. His debut album, 1978's 'Power in the Darkness', was an occasionally stunning piece of punk/hard rock agitprop that, along with being ferociously direct, was politicized rock that focused more on songs than slogans.

His second album, the Todd Rundgren-produced 'TRB Two', performed less well. By the end of the '70s, Robinson signed to maverick major I.R.S. as a solo act. In a wise move, he ditched the hard rock polemics of 'TRB' for a more sophisticated pop/rock sound. A brief period of silence ended with him, somewhat surprisingly, signing with Geffen and releasing 'Hope and Glory'. It was a politically tinged but mostly mainstream rock record that featured a cover of that decidedly non-punk song, Steely Dan's "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," with Robinson deftly exploring the song's homoerotic subtext. Still, it wasn't enough to resuscitate his career and for the remainder of the decade Robinson released U.K.-only albums while also hosting a radio show for the BBC, which started in 1986 on their World Service.
 
During the '90s, Robinson released a trio of albums for Cooking Vinyl -'Living in a Boom Time', 'Love Over Rage', and 'Having It Both Ways'- and saw himself performing at Glastonbury 1994. With a renewed interest in his music, the U.K. tabloids also delved into his personal life, revealing that he had fathered a child with Sue Brearley, whom he would later go on to marry. Robinson continued with his radio shows for the BBC, eventually becoming one of BBC 6 Music's stalwarts. In 2015, Robinson returned to the studio some 15 years after his 1999 album 'Home from Home', and the resulting 'Only the Now' was released in October of that year. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC
 

viernes, 15 de marzo de 2024

Sham 69

While most of the early British punk bands spoke of working-class concerns -primarily unemployment and the shrinking U.K. economy, which was leaving a generation with nothing to do and nowhere to go- many of the pioneering groups had working-class credentials that were suspect at best; the Sex Pistols' career was being molded by a haberdasher and would-be artist, while The Clash were led by the son of a diplomat. Sham 69, however, was different; proletarian and proud of it, Sham 69 was the voice of the people in the first wave of British punk, and if they were never as fashionable as such contemporaries as the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Wire, or The Jam (who, in their early days, shared Sham's provincial outlook and "we're with the kids" fan solidarity), they enjoyed a long run of chart successes and were a major influence on the street punk and Oi! movements which followed. 

Sham 69 was formed in the working-class community of Hersham (in Surrey) in 1975 by singer and lyricist Jimmy Pursey; the name came from an ancient bit of graffiti celebrating a local football team's winning season in 1969. From the start, Sham 69's politics were populist, and their sound accessible; straight-ahead four-square punk with a hard rock influence and lyrics that often used sing-along slogans in their choruses, such as "If the Kids Are United" and "(Gonna Be A) Borstal Breakout." The band went through a revolving cast of musicians early on before settling on the lineup of Pursey, Dave Parsons on guitar, Albie Slider on bass, and Mark Cain behind the drums. They began scaring up gigs where they could, and began playing the notorious London punk venue the Roxy on a regular basis, where they built up a loyal following. Step Forward, a small independent label, released the band's first single, "I Don't Wanna," in September 1977. The success of the single and the band's growing fan base prompted Polydor to sign the band in the U.K., and their first album, 'Tell Us the Truth' -one side recorded live, the other in the studio- was released in early 1978. (Sire released the album in the United States, and it would prove to be the only Sham 69 album released in America until the late '80s.) By the time the album came out, Albie Slider had left the band and Dave "Kermit" Tregunna took over on bass. Sham's second album, 'That's Life', was released in the fall of 1978, and featured two major hit singles, "Hurry Up Harry" and "Angels With Dirty Faces"; and as many of the first wave of U.K. punk bands were beginning to peter out, Sham 69's popularity continued to grow.
 

 
However, there was a fly in the ointment for Sham 69; the band's rowdy, sing-along attitude began attracting a violent and undiscriminating audience, and fighting became increasing common at the band's live shows. The group also found their gigs were becoming recruiting grounds for Britain 's extreme right-wing (and racist) political party, the National Front; while Pursey often spoke out against the NF, for some reason it was an association that wouldn't go away. While the group's third album, 'The Adventures of Hersham Boys', was a commercial success (as were the singles "If The Kids Are United" and "You're a Better Man Than I"), the increasing violence at concerts made it harder to tour, and Pursey began producing other bands and investigating new musical directions.
 
Drummer Mark Cain also quit the band, with Ricky Goldstein taking over on percussion. After the group's fourth album, 'The Game', received a lukewarm reception from both reviewers and fans, Pursey opted to split up Sham 69 in mid-1980. Pursey went on to a solo career, briefly working with former Sex Pistols Steve Jones and Paul Cook, while Dave Parsons and Dave Tregunna formed a short-lived band called The Wanderers with former Dead Boys vocalist Stiv Bators. After "the Sham Pistols" failed to work out, Pursey recorded a series of ambitious but commercially unsuccessful solo albums, and Tregunna joined The Lords of the New Church. In 1987, Pursey and Parsons assembled a new edition of Sham 69; Pursey continues to tour and record with Sham 69, while also pursuing an acting career and recording solo material. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
 

jueves, 14 de marzo de 2024

Sex Pistols

They didn't invent punk rock, and they weren't the first British punk band to perform or record, but no band did more to turn punk into a global cultural phenomenon than the Sex Pistols. In just over two years, the group's success de scandale took them from utter obscurity to global infamy, beloved by converts to punk rock, hated by nearly everyone else, and subject to legal and vigilante persecution in their native England. The Sex Pistols' music was not formally groundbreaking, yet their simple meat-and-potatoes rock was filled with a power and aggression that was all but unknown in the mid-'70s, and the ferocious, sneering vocals of Johnny Rotten (as well as his pointed, accusatory lyrics) upended all expectations of how a rock frontman should look or sound. Even as the media treated them as pariahs, the potency of their music and their image spoke to an audience waiting for something different than the prog and soft rock sounds that ruled the charts in the 1970s, sparking a revolution that is still playing itself out. The group's only album from their original incarnation, 1977's 'Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols', is a cornerstone of British punk, 1980's 'Flogging a Dead Horse' collected the original singles that earned them their reputation, 1996's 'Filthy Lucre Live', recorded at a reunion concert, is that rare Sex Pistols live album with decent fidelity, and 2021's '76-77' is a box set that collects the band's pre-'Never Mind the Bollocks' studio sessions.
 
The Sex Pistols story began in 1972, when 17-year-old Steve Jones and 16-year-old Paul Cook decided to form a band. They were working-class teenagers from London's Shepherd's Bush district, and their initial influences were rooted in Roxy Music, David Bowie, and what would come to be called junk shop glam. With Jones on vocals and Cook on drums, they recruited Warwick Nightingale to play guitar, and began practicing, using the names The Strand and The Swankers. They began hanging out at a clothing boutique called Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die, that specialized in fashions recalling the rebellion of the first rock & roll era. In time, Jones and Cook got to know Malcolm McLaren, who co-founded the shop with Vivienne Westwood; McLaren had an interest in music, media, and cultural subversion, and had briefly attempted to manage The New York Dolls shortly before they broke up. In 1974, hoping to get the band off the ground, Jones asked McLaren if he'd be interested in managing them, and he agreed, renting the band a rehearsal space. By this time, they needed a bassist. Enter Glen Matlock, an art student who worked part time at Too Fast To Live and could play the bass; McLaren recruited him to join the group. It was soon agreed that Nightingale wasn't up to the challenge of playing in the group; he was fired, and Jones took over on guitar.
 

 
McLaren had bandied about the name QT Jones and the Sex Pistols (or Cutie Jones and the Sex Pistols), but when it became clear Jones wasn't comfortable singing lead, the first part of the name was dropped and they set out to find a vocalist. McLaren first invited former New York Doll Sylvain Sylvain to front the group, but Sylvain turned down the gig, so McLaren was on the lookout for local talent when, in August 1975, he spotted an intense looking young man wearing a Pink Floyd T-shirt that he had customized by scrawling "I HATE" over their logo. Intrigued, McLaren arranged for the creative misfit, whose name was John Lydon, to meet his band over drinks at a pub. Lydon was given a makeshift audition at the shop, singing along to a 45 of Alice Cooper's "(I'm) Eighteen," and they decided to bring him aboard. Lydon was soon nicknamed Johnny Rotten, in honor of his bad teeth, and the group's lineup was complete.
 
The group settled into regular rehearsals, and began writing original songs, with Matlock writing the music along with Jones and Cook, and Rotten penning the lyrics. It soon became obvious that Rotten's lyrical perspective was every bit as challenging as his appearance and personality, and their tunes took on a distinctive edge. (McLaren was well aware of a new underground rock scene that was then incubating in New York City with bands like Television and the Ramones; he tried to persuade Richard Hell to sign a management deal with him, and while Hell said no, McLaren carefully noted his nihilistic outlook and purposefully ripped clothing and passed suggestions along to his new charges.) In November 1975, the Sex Pistols gave their first public performance, opening for a group called Bazooka Joe at Saint Martins College. They began the set with some covers, but their intense stage volume and cacophonous attack led to the power being pulled on them before they could play any originals. They did make a strong impression on Bazooka Joe bassist Stuart Goddard, who would soon quit the group and rename himself Adam Ant. After playing a few more college gigs, the Sex Pistols began to develop a small but loyal following, and to help publicize the band, McLaren turned to his friend Jamie Reid, a graphic artist who, like McLaren, was a follower of the Situationists, a political and creative faction whose philosophy was informed by Marxism and avant-garde art. Reid created striking graphics for the Sex Pistols' posters and promotional materials, often using found images and lettering taken from newspaper headlines in the manner of a ransom note, a technique he used to create their official logo.
 

 
As the Pistols attracted a group of fans they dubbed the Bromley Contingent -which included future stars Siouxsie Sioux, Steven Severin, and Billy Idol- they were booked to open for Eddie & the Hot Rods in February 1976. Their performance (in which fans invaded the stage and some of the Hot Rods' gear was damaged) was witnessed by a writer for New Musical Express who was there to review the show; his column focused on the Sex Pistols rather than the headliners, marking their first nationwide press coverage. Steve Jones was quoted in the piece as saying, "Actually we're not into music, we're into chaos," and the phrase drew the attention of music fans across the nation. A pair of students from Birmingham, Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto, traveled to London to see the Sex Pistols and walked away converts, soon forming a like-minded band called the Buzzcocks and arranging for the Pistols to play a show in their town.
 
As the Sex Pistols kept gigging and the U.K. music press followed their movements, other punk bands began making noise (some of whom, including The Stranglers and The Damned, had already been playing before the Pistols caught the eye of the press), and they were considered the leaders of a small but lively scene. Record companies paid attention, and in October 1976, McLaren negotiated a deal for the Sex Pistols with EMI, one of Britain's biggest and most powerful labels. EMI wasted little time taking the band into the recording studio, and their debut single, "Anarchy in the U.K.," arrived in shops in late November. (Upstart indie label Stiff Records managed to beat the Sex Pistols to the punch by signing The Damned and bringing out their first single, "New Rose," four weeks earlier.) McLaren set out to arrange a concert tour that would feature the Sex Pistols along with rising punk stars The Clash and The Damned, as well as The Heartbreakers, an American band led by New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders. On December 1, 1976, in order to publicize the single and the tour, EMI arranged for the Sex Pistols to appear on a popular TV chat show, "Today", hosted by Bill Grundy. Both Grundy and the band reportedly enjoyed several drinks before they went on air live, and Grundy, bemused by the Pistols and the Bromley Contingent, challenged Jones to say something outrageous. Jones responded with a string of insults that included repeated use of the "F" word, which was immediately heard by families across Britain during the dinner hour.
 

 
The reaction to the "Today" appearance was immediate and severe. The media condemned the band for their foul language, and the more they looked into the Sex Pistols' music, ideas, and the rising punk rock movement, the more outraged they became. The U.K. tabloid press had a field day with the Sex Pistols, and nearly all the dates of the "Anarchy in the U.K". tour were banned by wary public servants. EMI followed suit by pulling the "Anarchy" single from the marketplace (though not before it hit the British singles chart, peaking at number 34), and they dropped the band, letting them keep their £40,000 advance as a farewell gesture. While the Pistols were looking for a new record deal, Glen Matlock was ousted from the lineup and Simon John Ritchie -a close friend of Johnny Rotten and a Sex Pistols superfan who had taken the nickname Sid Vicious- was hired as his replacement, despite having no musical experience. In March 1977, A&M Records signed the Sex Pistols and made plans to rush release their next single, "God Save the Queen," an attack on the monarchy timed to coincide with the nationwide celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee. As A&M was having "God Save the Queen" pressed, the Sex Pistols visited the label's London offices after signing their contracts, where Rotten verbally abused the staff, Vicious managed to smash a toilet, cut his foot, and leave a trail of blood in his wake, and Jones persuaded a woman to have sex with him in the women's bathroom. Between the growing controversy over "God Save the Queen," the staff's complaints about the group's behavior, and an incident in a pub where one of Rotten's friends threatened an A&M executive, the label decided they'd had enough; six days after they were signed, A&M dropped the Sex Pistols, destroying the 25,000 copies of "God Save the Queen" that had been pressed (a handful survived and became valuable collector's items) and giving McLaren and the group a £75,000 settlement.
 
Determined to have "God Save the Queen" out in time for the Jubilee, McLaren and the group struck a deal with Virgin Records, an independent label who were up for the challenge of dealing with the Sex Pistols. Such was the group's reputation that Virgin's usual pressing plant refused to manufacture the singles, and a printing plant objected to making the sleeves, but Virgin founder Richard Branson smoothed over the obstacles and "God Save the Queen" was available for Jubilee week. The BBC banned the song and several major record chains refused to stock the 45, but Virgin had its own chain of stores and an independent distribution network, and it was by far the top-selling single of the week. However, the British Phonographic Institute, who published the U.K. sales charts, declared that sales from record shops owned by labels would no longer be counted for chart placement, which kept the record from the number one spot -a rule they reversed a few weeks later.
 

 
While "God Save the Queen" was a success, it came with a price. The uproar over the Sex Pistols in the British press had only increased, and Johnny Rotten, Paul Cook, and Jamie Reid were all victims of violent attacks by individuals who hated punk and loved the Queen. Virgin released a second single, "Pretty Vacant," whose lyrics were less incendiary than their previous releases; with no specific grounds to censor it, most of the nation's shops stocked the record, and the Pistols enjoyed an unambiguous commercial success. However, they were still banned from performing in most British venues, and the group set out on what became known as the "SPOTS" tour -"Sex Pistols On Tour Secretly", with the band playing surprise shows under assumed names at various small clubs. Meanwhile, Steve Jones and Paul Cook had been recording tracks with producers Bill Price and Chris Thomas in piecemeal fashion for a Sex Pistols album, but their relationship with Rotten was becoming strained, and Vicious, whose attempts to learn the bass were only marginally successful, was not up to playing on the sessions. Different sources contend Jones overdubbed the basslines for the tracks, while others say Glen Matlock was brought in to play the parts. In addition to being unreliable on-stage and in the studio, Vicious was also developing a dangerous appetite for alcohol and drugs, and had become involved in an increasingly unhealthy relationship with Nancy Spungen, an American rock fan who followed The Heartbreakers to England and fell in love with Sid

With their options in England increasingly narrow, McLaren began plotting to sell the Sex Pistols to the larger world. The U.S. rock press had been following the band's antics, and Warner Bros. signed the Pistols to a North American deal. McLaren also struck upon the idea of making a movie about the group, channeling their earnings into the project. At one point American exploitation auteur Russ Meyer had signed on to direct, from a script he commissioned from Roger Ebert, but financing for the project collapsed before the first day of shooting. In the midst of this chaos, the long-awaited album 'Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols' was released in October 1977. The LP was, as expected, a commercial smash in the U.K., but American record buyers were wary. Hoping to boost interest in the record, McLaren and Warner Bros. arranged for the Sex Pistols to play a tour in the United States. A handful of East Coast and Midwest dates that were to kick off the tour had to be canceled when it was discovered the band members all had arrest records (mostly for drugs). By the time they finally obtained visas to travel to America, they were booked into a string of dates in the South and Southwest, where McLaren was convinced bored and disaffected youth would welcome the Pistols. Making their U.S. debut in Atlanta in January 1978, the band found themselves in front of audiences who, for the most part, were morbidly curious or openly hostile. Rotten's increasingly obvious distaste for the band and the media circus that followed them only made things worse, as did Vicious' heroin habit and general unreliability. The final date of the tour was at Winterland in San Francisco on January 14; it was the largest hall on the tour and one of the biggest they had ever played, and while McLaren had accepted the gig in hopes of outraging the Hippie Capital of the world, it ended up being the only U.S. date in a city that already had an audience for punk. The Pistols delivered a shambolic performance for the sold-out crowd, and Rotten ended the show with the words, "Ever get the feeling you've been cheated? Good night." That night, Rotten resigned from the group.
 

 
McLaren entertained the notion of the Sex Pistols continuing with another singer, and shortly after the American tour wrapped, he set up a publicity stunt recording session with Jones and Cook backing Ronnie Biggs, one of the men behind the Great British Train Robbery of 1963 who had been living in fugitive exile in Brazil. Rotten, meanwhile, had gone to Jamaica to help Richard Branson scout talent for Virgin's reggae offshoot label, and announced he was abandoning his stage name and was to be addressed as John Lydon. Vicious had ended up in New York with Spungen, playing occasional shows with pick-up bands, most featuring members of The Heartbreakers. In June 1978, the Ronnie Biggs track, "No One Is Innocent," was issued by Virgin, with a string-laden version of "My Way" sung by Vicious appearing on the flipside. Vicious, like Lydon, had fallen out with McLaren, and while he was persuaded to record a pair of Eddie Cochran covers with Jones and Cook, it marked the end of his participation with the Sex Pistols. By the end of 1978, Jones and Cook were at loggerheads with McLaren as he attempted to complete a Sex Pistols movie and install Tenpole Tudor as their new vocalist. Eventually they would walk away from the Sex Pistols and form a group of their own, The Professionals. Lydon also debuted a new group, the ambitious and experimental Public Image Ltd., playing their first show on Christmas Day 1978.
 
The biggest Pistols-related news, however, belonged to Sid Vicious, and it was all bad. On October 12, 1978, Nancy Spungen was found dead in the room she shared with Sid at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City, with a stab wound to her stomach. Vicious was arrested and charged with her murder, and McLaren quickly made his way to New York to come to his defense. While out on bail, Vicious was involved in an altercation at a nightclub where he smashed a man in the face with a beer glass. He was soon back in jail, and spent 55 days behind bars, detoxing from heroin cold turkey. Vicious was released on February 1, 1979, and his mother had planned a dinner that evening to celebrate. She purchased a cache of heroin for Sid, believing it would be better than him trying to score on the streets himself. By the end of the night, Vicious had died of an overdose at the age of 21. 


 
A few weeks after Vicious' death, Virgin released 'The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle', a two-LP odds-and-ends soundtrack album to the Sex Pistols movie that was still unfinished. There was no band left to promote it -Vicious was gone, and Cook and Jones had joined Lydon in a lawsuit against McLaren over his use of their royalties to fund the movie without their consent. The case would bounce in and out of legal limbo until January 1986, when the rights to the movie (which finally limped into theatrical release in 1980) and back royalties were handed over to the band. Over the next decade, a steady stream of releases -some legally questionable- would recycle various demo tapes and live recordings of the Sex Pistols as new generations of punk fans, as well as loyal followers of the first era, slaked their thirst for the group's music.
 
In 1996, the group surprised fans when they mounted a global reunion tour, with Lydon, Jones, Matlock, and Cook hitting the road for six months of dates in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, South America, Japan, and Australia. One of the first concerts on the tour, a massive outdoor show in London's Finsbury Park, was recorded and issued just weeks later as the album 'Filthy Lucre Live'. In 2000, the group participated in the production of a documentary, "The Filth and the Fury", a study of the band's history directed by Julian Temple, who had worked with McLaren on "The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle" and ended up directing and completing the picture. More live appearances followed in England (2002) and North America (2003), and in 2006 the group sold the rights to their catalog to Universal Music. That same year, the Pistols were voted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, though true to form, they refused to accept the trophy and made their dislike of the institution abundantly clear. They reunited again for a run of five British concerts in November 2007; the performance at the Brixton Academy was filmed, and released in 2008 under the title "There'll Always Be an England". In addition to reissuing 'Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols', Universal prepared and released occasional archival projects documenting the group's history; 2016's 'Live 1976' featured recordings of four concerts the Pistols played before signing to EMI, and 2021's '76-77' was an exhaustive collection of demos and unreleased studio sessions. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC
 

miércoles, 13 de marzo de 2024

Radio Futura

Pop/rock band from Spain Radio Futura started playing in 1978 under the name of Futurama, a project created by keyboardist Herminio Molero. The band debuted in October of 1979 while performing live at Madrid's Ateneo. The following year they had the opportunity to open for Elvis Costello. After signing up to Hispavox, 'Música Moderna' was released. In 1981, Herminio Molero decided to leave the act. Soon after, Radio Futura signed up to Ariola, issuing 'De Un País En Llamas' in May of 1985. While becoming a three-piece act, the group moved to the U.S. in 1986, recording 'La Canción de Juan Perro' at New York's Sigma Sound studios. On October 28 and 29, 1988, the band recorded a live album with Javier Monforte on guitar, Oscar Quezada on drums, and Pedro Navarrete on keyboards. After releasing 'Tierra Para Bailar' in 1992, Radio Futura broke up. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
 
[MORE INFO: WIKIPEDIA]
 

martes, 12 de marzo de 2024

The Police

Prefabricated punks who later became globe-conquering superstars, The Police played a pivotal part in bringing New Wave into the pop mainstream. Rooted in reggae and flirting with punk, The Police also dabbled in jazz, worldbeat, and atmospheric instrumentals that nodded toward new age music, a combination that made the trio one of the most distinctive bands of their era. They were also one of the most commercially successful groups of the late 1970s and early '80s, appealing to album rock, Top 40, and MTV audiences in equal measure, building a repertoire filled with pop/rock staples, including "Roxanne," "Message in a Bottle," "Don't Stand So Close to Me," "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," and "Every Breath You Take," the blockbuster that spent eight weeks at number one in 1983. "Every Breath You Take" and its accompanying album 'Synchronicity' served as a career-capping moment for the band. The volatile internal chemistry between vocalist/bassist Sting, drummer Stewart Copeland, and guitarist Andy Summers turned combustible in the wake of 'Synchronicity', leading The Police to disband at the peak of their popularity. They left behind an enduring body of work, one which they celebrated with a reunion tour in 2007.
 
Sting, a teacher born Gordon Sumner who moonlighted playing jazz bass in Newcastle, first crossed paths with Stewart Copeland when the drummer was playing with the prog rock band Curved Air. At the time Curved Air passed through Newcastle, Sting was part of Last Exit, a jazz-fusion band who released the single "Whispering Voices" on the indie imprint Wudwink in 1975. The single caught the ear of Carol Wilson, who was working for the publishing division of Virgin Records' Richard Branson. Buoyed by this attention, the group moved to London but they fell apart shortly after this relocation. While some of his bandmates headed back to Newcastle, Sting stayed in London, seeking out Copeland in hopes of a collaboration. As it happened, Curved Air had just split, so the pair joined forces with the intent of breaking into London's thriving punk scene.


 
Adding guitarist Henri Padovani, Sting and Copeland formed a nascent version of The Police. By March 1, 1977, they played their first gig and by May, they released the "Fall Out"/"Nothing Achieving" single on Illegal Records, an imprint co-founded by Copeland's brother Miles; both sides of the 45 were written by Stewart. Around the time the "Fall Out" single hit the stores, Mike Howlett -a bassist who had just left the prog rock outfit Gong- invited Sting to join him and guitarist Andy Summers, a veteran of a latter-day incarnation of The Animals and an early version of Soft Machine, to play in a group called Strontium 90. Howlett planned to bring drummer Chris Cutler, a veteran of the challenging Henry Cow, into the fold but he had other commitments, so Sting drafted Copeland as the group's drummer. During the early summer of 1977, Strontium 90 recorded a demo and played a pair of concerts, including a debut at a Gong reunion show in Paris. Despite this activity, Strontium 90 dissolved quickly and Sting asked Summers to join The Police. The Police briefly existed as a quartet with both Summers and Padovani, but by August the new recruit insisted that he be the group's only guitarist. Shortly afterward, Padovani was dismissed and The Police became a trio. 

The Police began gigging in earnest late in 1977, but the group found it difficult to build an audience. Strapped for cash, they agreed to play in a commercial for Wrigley's gum, dying their hair blond as part of the agreement. Although the spot never aired, the commercial wound up giving the group their distinctive bleached-blond look. Not long afterward, Copeland's brother Miles underwrote the recording of the band's debut, 'Outlandos d'Amour'. Seeing potential in "Roxanne," Miles became The Police's manager and secured the group a deal with A&M Records. 


 
Miles Copeland managed to stir up some controversy regarding the single release of "Roxanne" and its successor "Can't Stand Losing You." Upon its April 1978 release, "Roxanne" never made it onto the BBC's playlists, which Miles spun into the single being "Banned from the BBC" -a label that stretched the truth but was slapped onto the initial singles of "Roxanne." Despite this commotion, it didn't chart. "Can't Stand Losing You" wound up getting banned from the BBC due to the single's cover art -a tongue-in-cheek depiction of suicide by hanging- and The Police parlayed that into a modest 42 placement on the U.K. charts in late summer 1978. "So Lonely," the group's third single, didn't chart at all.
 
Britain may not have been paying attention to the band, but they were gaining traction in North America. "Roxanne" wound up cracking the Top 40 in both the U.S. and Canada in early 1979, which at that time was a rarity for punk bands. The stateside success was enough to get "Roxanne" re-released in the U.K., where it went to 12, followed by a number two placement for the re-release of "Can't Stand Losing You." With some chart momentum on their side -they were popular enough to have a re-release of "Fall Out" scrape the U.K. singles chart- The Police embarked on an extensive American tour, completing a new album in the meantime. Entitled 'Reggatta de Blanc', their second album went to number one upon its October 1979 release, partially on the strength of the number one singles "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon." Neither single charted in the U.S. Top 40 -the latter made it all the way to 74- but 'Regatta de Blanc' still climbed to number 25 on the Billboard Top 200, while its title track snagged the group their first Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. 


 
The Police scored another U.K. hit in February 1980 when "So Lonely" reached six upon its re-release, but the year is better remembered as the group's international breakthrough thanks to 'Zenyatta Mondatta'. Delivered in October 1980, the record reached number one in the U.K. and number five in the U.S., with its first single, "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da Da," becoming the group's first American Top Ten hit; in the U.K., it was the record's second single, reaching number five. "Don't Stand So Close to Me," released as 'Zenyatta Mondatta's first single in the U.K. and as its second in the U.S., eclipsed its companion, reaching number one in the U.K. and a Duo or Group With Vocal. "Behind My Camel," an album track from 'Zenyatta Mondatta', also earned the trio the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance that year.
 
High on their chart success, The Police headed to Montserrat to record their fourth album with producer Hugh Padgham. The resulting 'Ghost in the Machine' appeared in the fall of 1981, topping the U.K. charts and scaling its way to number two in the U.S. The rise of 'Ghost in the Machine' was fueled by "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," a Top Ten hit throughout the world which was also a staple on MTV. "Spirits in the Material World" was another international hit, reaching 11 in the U.S. and 12 in the U.K., while "Invisible Sun" reached number two in the U.K. 'Ghost in the Machine' also increased The Police's presence on album rock radio, as evidenced by "Secret Journey" reaching 46 in the U.S.
 

 
During the reign of 'Ghost in the Machine', the individual members of The Police seized the opportunities brought by success. Sting resumed the acting career he attempted to launch in 1979, when he appeared in Franc Roddam's silver screen adaptation of The Who's rock opera "Quadrophenia". He appeared in the film "Brimstone and Treacle" -its soundtrack featured three new Police songs, including the simmering "I Burn for You"- and had a key role in David Lynch's 1984 adaptation of Frank Herbert's "Dune". Copeland was also drawn to Hollywood, composing the score for Francis Ford Coppola's "Rumble Fish". Meanwhile, Summers collaborated with Robert Fripp for the 1982 LP 'I Advance Masked'. 

All this success was dwarfed by 'Synchronicity', the 1983 album that turned into a multi-million blockbuster. Much of that success was due to "Every Breath You Take," an ominous ballad that topped the charts in both the U.S. and U.K. "Every Breath You Take" became an instant standard, winning the Grammy for Song of the Year along with Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. BMI would later name "Every Breath You Take" its most performed song, as it racked up over 15 million radio plays. The ballad wasn't the only hit on 'Synchronicity'. "Wrapped Around Your Finger" and "King of Pain" both reached the Top 10 in the U.S. -the former only went to 17 in the U.K.- and "Synchronicity II" turned into a hit on MTV and the radio, peaking at 16 on the Top 40; "Synchronicity II" also took home the Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group.
 

 
'Synchronicity' dominated 1983, spending 17 weeks on the top of the U.S. charts, vying for the position with Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'. The Police supported the album with a stadium tour that spilled into 1984, but Sting started to grow restless with the trio. Following the tour's completion in March 1984, the group went on hiatus. Sting turned his attention to recording his debut, 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles' with a group of jazz musicians featuring Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland, and Omar Hakim. In America, "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" and "Fortress Around Your Heart" gave Sting two Top Ten hits, while "Love Is the Seventh Wave" and "Russians" charted at 17 and 16 on Billboard's Top 40, respectively, helping make Sting was inescapable throughout 1985. He sang the "I want my MTV" refrain on Dire Straits' smash hit "Money for Nothing," he cameoed on records by Phil Collins, Miles Davis, and Arcadia alike, he appeared on Hal Willner's 'Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill' tribute album and he took his 'Dream of the Blue Turtles' out on the road on a tour that was captured on Michael Apted's documentary "Bring on the Night", which was released toward the end of the year. 

The Police reconvened in June 1986 to play three concerts on the "Amnesty International: A Conspiracy of Hope" tour, which led to the group attempting to record a new album that July. Prior to heading into the studio, Copeland broke his collarbone in a horse-riding accident. The injury exacerbated simmering tensions within the group and the trio wound up completing just one track: a new version of "Don't Stand So Close to Me." Attached as a new track on the 1986 compilation 'Every Breath You Take: The Singles', and the song was a modest hit. Following its release, the band separated, this time for good.
 
Over the next two decades, the paths of The Police would occasionally cross. Andy Summers would play with Sting both on record and on-stage, while the entire trio reunited for an impromptu performance at Sting's 1992 wedding to Trudie Styler. The group reunited in 2003, when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, planting the seed for The Police's full-fledged reunion tour of 2007-2008. The reunion, which was the highest-grossing tour of 2008, featured an appearance by their original guitarist Henri Padovani and culminated in an August 2008 show at Madison Square Garden. 'Certifiable: Live in Buenos Aires', a combination video and CD set documenting the group's reunion tour, appeared in November 2008, closing the book on The Police's reunion and career. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
 

jueves, 7 de marzo de 2024

Patrick Cowley

An instrumental contributor to the development of dance music -post-disco and Hi-NRG in particular- Patrick Cowley's influence carried far beyond his early-'80s prime. Artists including Pet Shop Boys and New Order considered Cowley a major musical influence on their work. He explored uncharted territories of synthesizer sounds and instrument programming long before modern-day music conveniences. Cowley's extensive work with Sylvester gained him fame and glory as a producer, writer, and musician. His ongoing experimentation with electronic instruments resulted in some of the most recognized disco hits, including "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," "Do You Wanna Funk," and "Megatron Man." During his lifetime, he released a trio of solo LPs, including 1981's 'Menergy'. Several decades after his 1982 death, his work gained new audiences when several volumes of rare and previously unissued Cowley material were released, including the new wave album 'Catholic' (with Jorge Socarras), experimental pornographic soundtracks such as 'School Daze', and the funk, jazz, and disco covers of 'Some Funkettes'. 

Born in Buffalo in 1950, Cowley spent most of his youth in northern New York working in local rock bands. He studied at the University of Buffalo with a concentration in English. In 1971, after a relocation to San Francisco College, he began an intensive study of the synthesizer. Shortly after his studies began, Cowley's work was noticed by a local musician, Sylvester, who asked Cowley to join him in the studio. Cowley's synthesizer innovations resulted in the album 'Step II', which made way for the global recognition of Sylvester and garnered Cowley a job as a touring musician. Slowly, his work on the synthesizer became synonymous with Sylvester's sound and was important in creating hits like "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," "Dance (Disco Heat)," and "Can't Stop Dancing." 

Though touring with a band kept him far from home, Cowley remained close to the roots of the San Francisco club scene. In 1981, he found kinship with Marty Blecman, a producer/keyboardist who had worked at Fantasy Records, a predominately jazz and rock label. The two formed their own label, Megatone Records, in the summer of 1981. Cowley's first solo hit was the single "Menergy," which hit Billboard's club chart in late October. That same year, his first release on Megatone was the single "Megatron Man," followed by a full-length album of the same name.
 

 
Cowley found more success in the '80s with several chart-topping hits. At the time he released "Megatron Man," he also teamed up with San Francisco singer Paul Parker. Both wrote and produced the dance-oriented single "Right on Target," which reached the top of club charts. He found even more chart-topping success teaming up with Sylvester once again to produce the single "Do You Wanna Funk" for Megatone. In 1982, Cowley produced his final album, 'Mind Warp', for Megatone. That year also saw the official release of Cowley's remix of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love," originally made years prior but previously unavailable commercially. He died of what became known as AIDS on November 12, 1982. 

Blecman cites Cowley as patching his own programs by hand to create a certain sound that Cowley felt was necessary in order for a track to be complete. Initially founded as a partnership, Megatone Records was incorporated in 1983 and moved to Hollywood, California in 1994. Blecman headed the record label until his death on September 20, 1991. Several Cowley-related anthologies were released over the course of the following decades, beginning with 'Catholic' (a compilation of late-'70s recordings made with Jorge Socarras), a self-titled set by Indoor Life (a group that released a Cowley-produced EP in 1980), and 'School Daze' (adventurous '70s and early-'80s instrumentals Cowley gave to John Coletti, owner of Fox Studio, an outlet for gay pornographic films). The latter, released by San Francisco's Dark Entries label, was especially well-received, and the label eventually reissued 'Catholic' on vinyl and subsequently released 'Muscle Up' (another volume of Cowley's previous unreleased porn soundtracks). Related label HNYTRX also released 'Kickin' In', a 12" EP of previously unissued disco cuts, led by its 12-minute title track. 'Candida Cosmica', an EP of experimental pieces recorded in the '70s with filmmaker and sex educator Candida Royalle, was released in 2016. 'Afternooners', the third and final compilation of Cowley's soundtrack work, appeared in 2017. 'Mechanical Fantasy Box', a further album of previously unheard experiments dating from 1973 to 1980, was released in 2019. 'Some Funkettes' appeared in 2020, containing Cowley's instrumental covers of songs by Donna Summer, Herbie Hancock, The Temptations, and others. 'Malebox', six mainly instrumental disco-funk tracks recorded between 1979 and 1981, surfaced in 2022. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC

miércoles, 6 de marzo de 2024

The Fall-Outs

Seattle punk-poppers The Fall-Outs never got the glory of compatriots like The Young Fresh Fellows, Mudhoney, or even The Fastbacks or Flop, largely because they were a part-time concern throughout their career. Impressively, they managed to maintain nearly the same lineup throughout: Dave Holmes on guitar and vocals, Shannon McConnell on bass, and Dino Lencioni on drums. (McConnell quit the group for a couple of years in the early '90s; Mudhoney's Steve Turner filled in on bass until McConnell decided to rejoin in 1993, and also signed the group to his own Super-Electro label.)
 
The Fall-Outs played locally for a couple of years before finally getting around to making a recording, an untitled eight-song demo cassette. Two years later, The Fall-Outs made their vinyl debut with the 'Here I Come' EP, followed a year later with the 'Don't Want the Sun' EP. These EPs, plus assorted other early songs, including tracks from that demo cassette, were finally released on CD as 'Here I Come and Other Hits' on Estrus in 1993. The year before that, the group, with Turner on bass, had recorded their self-titled full-length debut. A second album, 'Sleep', followed in 1995. Following the release of 'Sleep', The Fall-Outs went back onto part-time status, at one point going several years between gigs, but the band returned to the studio in 2003, with new bassist Zaac Aubrey in tow, to record a new album, 'Summertime'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
 

martes, 5 de marzo de 2024

Nacha Pop

Spanish pop/rock band Nacha Pop was formed in 1978 by ex-Helicopeter Uhu singer/guitarist Nacho Garcia and bassist Carlos Pascow, who were soon joined by Garcia's cousin, singer/songwriter Antonio Vega. That same year, the band recorded a demo featuring "Chica de Ayer" and "Sol del Caribe," signing with Hispavox in 1980; they then issued a self-titled album produced by Teddy Bautista. Nacha Pop's following albums, 'Buena Disposicion' and 'Mas Numeros, Otras Letras', made the group one of the most popular numbers in the local rock scene. After releasing an EP called 'Una Decima de Segundo' and 1987's 'El Momento', produced by Carlos Narea, the group decided to perform for the last time on October 19 and 20, 1988, making a live record called 'Nacha Pop 1980-1988'. In 2001, Nacha Pop's "Lucha de Gigantes" was featured in the movie "Amores Perros", directed by Alejandro Gonzalez. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
 

lunes, 4 de marzo de 2024

Mr. Mister

A product of the L.A. session-musician community (which also produced the harder-rocking Toto), Mr. Mister enjoyed a brief but massive burst of popularity during the mid-'80s, crafting an atmospheric, vaguely progressive variation on slick, radio-ready pop/rock. While they disappeared almost as quickly as they arrived on the scene, their two number one hits, "Broken Wings" and "Kyrie," remain enduring classics of '80s mainstream pop.
 
Mr. Mister was formed in 1982 by bassist/lead vocalist Richard Page and keyboardist/vocalist Steve George, boyhood friends from Phoenix, Arizona, and accomplished sessionmen. The two had previously played together in a jazz fusion outfit called Pages, which recorded three major-label albums from 1979-1981 (the final one being more pop/rock-oriented). Plagued by a lack of sales, an abundance of personnel shifts, and an uncertainty over direction, the group disbanded by the end of 1981, and Page and George returned to their session careers (they'd previously done vocals on Village People records, among others). The two wrote songs and offered backup for artists including REO Speedwagon, John Parr, Chaka Khan, The Pointer Sisters, Donna Summer, Al Jarreau, and Kenny Loggins, and conceived the idea for their own band while on tour with Andy Gibb. The first to join was guitarist Steve Farris, who had been working with Eddie Money; next was drummer Pat Mastelotto, who had done numerous sessions for producer Mike Chapman. Page's cousin, lyricist John Lang, was invited to collaborate on material as he had done for Pages, and the group quickly landed a deal with RCA on the strength of several showcase concerts.
 

 
Mr. Mister's debut album, 'I Wear the Face', was released in 1984, producing one chart single, "Hunters of the Night," which failed to reach the Top 40. It didn't sell very well, which made the band's breakthrough with their sophomore effort all the more surprising. 'Welcome to the Real World', issued in May 1985, perfected the band's blend of Genesis-style pop, swirling keyboard textures, slightly spiritual lyrics, and polished studio craft. Page had turned down offers to join Toto and Chicago, and his faith in Mr. Mister was justified with the release of the album's first single, "Broken Wings." It took a few months to catch on, but helped by the band's prominent tour slots, it climbed all the way to the top of the pop charts before year's end, and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Group. The follow-up, "Kyrie," duplicated that feat in March 1986, and 'Welcome to the Real World' topped the album charts the same week, on its way to platinum sales. Third single "Is It Love" reached the Top Ten, and the band consolidated their success with appearances at several awards shows and benefit concerts.
 
Work on their third album was slowed by Mastelotto's back problems, and once the song selection was completed, lyricist Lang moved to New York to attend graduate school. The album, 'Go On', was released in fall 1987; its lead single, "Something Real (Inside Me/Inside You)," barely scraped the Top 30, despite its appearance on "Miami Vice". Second single "Healing Waters" was released only in Europe, yet still managed a Grammy nomination for Best Gospel Performance, Duo or Group. "Stand and Deliver," originally intended for Tina Turner, was used in the Edward James Olmos film of the same name; still, 'Go On' simply couldn't catch hold the way its predecessor had. Disagreements between Page and Farris led to the latter's departure from the group in July 1988. Mr. Mister never settled on a permanent replacement, using Trevor Rabin and Buzzy Feiten in their subsequent recording sessions. Those sessions were dedicated to what was to be the band's fourth album, 'Pull'; however, an RCA roster purge left them homeless, and the record was deemed too proggy and uncommercial to be picked up by any other label. Before the end of 1989, Mr. Mister decided to break up.
 
The individual members' musical pedigrees ensured that they wouldn't be wanting for work. Mastelotto played drums on XTC's 'Oranges & Lemons' (among many other albums), and joined King Crimson in 1994; he also plays in the progressive/experimental rock band Mastica. Page co-wrote Madonna's 1994 hit ballad "I'll Remember," which led to his forming the group 3rd Matinee with Madonna producer Patrick Leonard. They released an album in 1994 but broke up the following year, and Page issued his solo debut, 'Shelter Me', in 1996; he eventually moved into Disney musicals, among other vocal gigs. Lang formed the post-grunge band Djinn, which released Radio Beirut in 1995. George served as Kenny Loggins' music director from 1991-1997, and subsequently toured with Jewel. Farris toured with Whitesnake in 1997, and recorded with Tori Amos, among others. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
 

viernes, 1 de marzo de 2024

M.O.T.O.

M.O.T.O. (Masters of the Obvious) is an American garage punk band currently based in New Hampshire. Formed in New Orleans in 1981, M.O.T.O. has existed in some form for over 43 years. Over that time, the band has undergone numerous lineup changes, but it has always functioned primarily as a platform for Paul Caporino's songwriting, a repertoire that includes hundreds of songs in a variety of genres such as pop, punk rock, metal, soul, noise music, garage rock and new wave.
 
M.O.T.O. was formed in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1981. The original lineup consisted of Mike Tomeny on guitar, his brother Jeff Tomeny on guitars and vocals and Don Ward on drums in addition to Caporino on guitar and vocals. This edition of the band first performed the songs "Skeletons Need Their Sleep" (composed by Jeff Tomeny) and "Satan Always Calls Collect" (by Tomeny and Caporino), which would reappear on several 7-inch EPs in later years. Because M.O.T.O. recorded and performed live somewhat infrequently, Paul Caporino began to record a series of cassette albums without the assistance of the other members of the band. The tapes were originally intended as demos, but Caporino was so satisfied with the results that he decided to distribute them to the public. These tapes included 'Turn Your Head and Cough', 'BOLT!' (short for "Best of Lent Tape"), 'Rock, Roll & Dismember' and 'MOTOERECTUS'. 
 
Caporino wrote all the songs and played all the instruments on the cassettes, layering multiple guitars, bass, lead and harmony vocals over a Mattel Synsonics drum machine. These early tapes feature many songs that would reappear in live shows and studio recordings over the years, including "Midnight at the Guantanamo Room", "Dick About It", "Month of Sundays", and "I'm Infected". The tapes showcased Caporino's offbeat and sometimes vulgar sense of humor along with his extensive knowledge of the history of popular music. The music contained references to The Beatles, The Kinks, Bob Dylan, Donovan, Led Zeppelin, The Jam, Black Flag, Hüsker Dü, Judas Priest and many other artists. The original lineup also made a few recordings as a band, which were collected on the 'QUASIMOTO' cassette. When, in 1987, the original lineup disbanded, Caporino continued M.O.T.O. as a trio backed by Brad Brewster on drums and Greg Fisk on bass. This edition of the band played more live dates than the original lineup, but recorded very little.


 
Shortly thereafter, Caporino moved to West Somerville, Massachusetts, near Boston. There he formed a new version of the band with drummer Beck Dudley which lasted until 1993 and produced a number of 7-inch EPs, three home-recorded cassettes ('Neon Bone!', '1000 Years of Rock'N'Roll', and 'Talk of M.O.T.O.') and a full-length album, compiled from the first two tapes ('This Corpse is a Warning'). This lineup was the first to regularly record in a professional studio. These recordings were collected in 1994 on the 'Single File' CD, released by Mind Of A Child Records and later re-issued by Criminal IQ Records in 2004. 
 
The band achieved its greatest notoriety to date as a duo, touring extensively and being featured by legendary BBC DJ John Peel, who played the song "Rot Rot Rot" from the 'Hammeroid!' EP on his program several times. It was also during this period that both Caporino and Dudley moved from the Boston area to Chicago. Dudley left the band in 1993 to pursue a Master's Degree in architecture. 
 
Though the band experienced a fall-off in popularity, Caporino continued to home-record cassettes, releasing seven cassettes between 1993 and 1998. The band also performed live with new members Dennis Spaag on bass and Garret Hammond (a future member of Kill Hannah) on drums. The Chicago lineup continued to evolve, featuring drummers Tim Ford and Ryan "Guitar" Murphy, bassist JJ Champion, and guitarist/bassist Laurence Museum of Death. 2003 saw the release of the band's first full album of all-new recordings, 'Kill M.O.T.O.', which featured studio recordings of songs from Caporino's most recent home-recorded cassettes as well as brand new songs. In 2005, the band released 'Raw Power', which met with critical acclaim, including being selected as the best Chicago release of 2005 by the Chicago Reader's Bob Mehr
 
In September 2009, Caporino briefly moved to Providence, Rhode Island. He planned to continue the band with a new lineup in Providence, but subsequently decided to return to his native New Orleans, where he reunited with original members Jeff and Mike Tomeny. Caporino has also begun to perform acoustic solo sets consisting primarily of M.O.T.O. material. M.O.T.O. toured almost constantly, covering Europe, Japan, Australia as well as the US. The band released the studio albums 'No Way Street' (2012) and 'Pack Your Troubles In Dreams' (2013) and has been re-releasing older material via digital download and CD-R. M.O.T.O. relocated, this time to New Hampshire, as Caporino married bassist J.V. McDonough (formerly of The River City Rebels) and added her to the lineup. Joined by China-based expats Gil Brunnhoeffer and Chris Ginn, the band completed their first tour of China in 2013 with Shanghai based punk band Round Eye. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA