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 Spring 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 - I’m Gonna Change The World
Velvet Underground - 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 financial acclaim. Or maybe they just weren't good enough. I think The Shirts were good, but had too much facial hair. The Shirts (from Brooklyn) appeared on a 1977 LP called Live At CBGBs. Any casual record shop browser would have seen the title and fought back the disappointment caused by the absence of the Ramones, Talking Heads, Blondie or Television from the record. Feargal Sharkey bought it and shared our disappointment. We did learn at 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 Rock And Roll. Titles like that ensured the band, and their ilk, would always be just below the New York Punk Rock Salt.
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 if one 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
