Paul Weller turned 54 just as tonight's programme began. His band's first 45 takes me back to O'Neill's front room in the Punk Rock SpringÌý and the In The City single, which had just been bought in Ken's records in Derry. Even though it was my record, Vinny's record player was the nearest to the shop, so the first play was on that. It's often been said that the early Jam were Who copyists. I don't dispute that but I couldn't hear it myself in the front room that Saturday. It was fast and furious and had great bass and guitars. What more do you want ? Great hair, that's what. How well would Weller be regarded these days if he'd lost that hair, and put an extra four or five stone around the middle ? Is he an inspiration to ageing punk rockers or is he, by his very appearance, a reminder of how some of us have gone to seed ? Both, I say.
The Jam - In The City
McCarthy - The Procession Of Popular Capitalism
Ian Dury - Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll
Alternative TV - In Control
Runaways - Rock and Roll
Miaow - When It All Comes Down
Animals & Men - Evil Is Going On
Madness - Disappear
Cramps - I Can’t Find My Mind
The Stains - John Wayne Was A Nazi
Distractions - Time Goes By So Slow
The Animals -ÌýI’m Gonna Change The World
Velvet UndergroundÌý- Sweet Jane (Live At Max's)
The second tier of CBGBs bands were those who didn't get signed up by a record company in time to reap critical or financialÌýacclaim. Or maybe they just weren't good enough. I think The Shirts were good, but had too much facial hair. The Shirts (from Brooklyn)Ìýappeared on a 1977 LP called Live At CBGBs. Any casual record shop browser would have seen the title andÌýfought back the disappointment caused byÌý the absence of the Ramones, Talking Heads, Blondie or Television from the record.ÌýÌýFeargal Sharkey bought it andÌýshared our disappointment. We did learnÌýat least one song, to play in the Casbah in Derry. It was by Tuff Darts. Embarrassing title, but it was easy to learn. All For The Love Of RockÌýAnd Roll.ÌýTitles likeÌýthat ensured the band, and their ilk, would always beÌýjust below theÌýNew York Punk Rock Salt.Ìý
Shirts - Laugh And Walk Away
Generation X - Your Generation
Girls At Our Best! - Goodbye To That Jazz
Dictators - Laughing Out Loud
Wedding Present - Once More
Ultravox! - The Man Who Dies Every Day
Flipper - Get Away
That Petrol Emotion - Swamp
Modern Lovers - Government Center
Eyeless In Gaza - Taking Steps
Toys - Living Too Fast
X - Drunk In My Past
Doors - Soul Kitchen
Nightingales - My Brilliant Career
Stems - Love Will Grow
In 1969 The Stooges thought they had finished their first LP for Elektra records. They presented the man from the record company with their five songs. Not surprisingly, they were told that five songs were not enough. Even ifÌýone of them was ten minutes long. So Iggy said 'not a problem, we've plenty more'. It wasn't true, so they spent the night writing three more and recorded them the next day. One of them was Little Doll.
Nothing beats working to a deadline. Also tonight, the Teardrop Explodes b side that sounds like it's not Julian Cope singing. Maybe he hadn't yet found his voice, or maybe it's someone else. Any ideas ?
The Last - She Don’t Know Why I’m Here
Randoms - Lets Get Rid Of New York
The Teardrop Explodes - Camera Camera
Poison Girls - Bully Boys
Yachts - Yachting Types
Died Pretty - Stoneage Cinderella
Dexys Midnight Runners - This Is What She’s Like
Steppes - God’s Got Religion
Vibrators - You Broke My Heart
Stooges - Little Doll
XTC - Mekkanik Dancing
Talking Heads - First Week, Last Week.... Carefree
Iron Butterfly - Gentle As It May Seem
Flatmates - I Could Be In Heaven
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The Ghost of Malcom McLaren hovers over tonight's show. John Lydon's first blow for artistic (and later financial) freedom from old Talcy Malcy is still the best thing he ever did outside of the Sex Pistols. Not being a Sky subscriber I missed his interview with Laurie Taylor. Was it any good ? Please tell me. Also tonight, Malcolm's second attempt at shocking the Great British Public, Bow Wow Wow. He wouldn't get away with it today, putting a fourteen year old girl in a band and getting her to sing songs about sex. Musically it's great, of course although I don't think it excuses him.
Soft Boys - I Want To Be An Anglepoise Lamp
Public Image - Public Image
Bow Wow Wow - Louis Quatorze
Razorcuts - Storyteller
Gang Of Four - A Hole In The Wallet
Dead Kennedys - Chemical Warfare
Mo-Dettes - Paint It Black
Meteors - Blue Sunshine
MC5 - Looking At You
Victim - (Don’t Cry) Tomorrow Love Will Come Again
Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Clowntime Is Over
Squares - This Is Airebeat
Rezillos - Cant Stand My Baby
Count Five - Psychotic Reaction
Purple Hearts - Millions Like Us
I don't often play songs which last over seven minutes but sometimes I make an exception, especially when its the Buzzcocks litany of things that Pete Shelley believes in, from immaculate conception to his mum and dad (Mr and Mrs McNeish). The Buzzcocks' third LP is still strange territory to me, even though it came out just a year after 'Love Bites'. How does that happen ? What changed between 1978 and 1979 thatÌýcaused me (and thousands of others) to suddenly lose interest in the idea of a new LP by Manchester's finest ? The singles were still purchasedÌýbut for some reason, I couldn't be bothered to pay the four pounds forÌý'A Different Kind Of Tension' even though it's up there with the others. I was a teenage fickle music fan, obviously.Fall - Couldn’t Get Ahead
Breakaways - Walking Out On Love
Echo & The Bunnymen - The Cutter
UK Subs - Kicks
Barracudas - I Saw My Death In A Dream Last Night
Adverts - Bombsite Boy
Cabaret Voltaire - Split Second Feeling
Sonics - Money
Swell Maps - Blenheim Shots
Ruts - In A Rut
Buzzcocks - I Believe
Electric Prunes - (I Had Too Much To Dream) Last Night
X Ray Spex - I Am A Cliche
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