Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 279 - Eddie and the Hot Rods

 Thriller - Eddie and the Hot Rods

Island

Produced by Peter Ker

Released March 1979

UK Chart #50

 

Thriller 

2002 CD Reissue (with Bonus Tracks)

Personnel
Barrie Masters - vocals
Graeme Douglas - guitar, backing vocals
Dave Higgs - guitar, backing vocals
Paul Gray - bass guitar, backing vocals
Steve Nicol - drums, backing vocals

Additional Musicians
Jools Holland - keyboards
Lee Brilleaux - Harmonica

Linda McCartney - Backing Vocals

Singles on Thriller

(Neither Charted)

Media Messiahs / Horror Through Straightness

The Power and The Glory / Highlands One Hopefuls Two

John Peel Session

Broadcast 5th March 1979

Strangers on the Payphone

The Power and The Glory

Breathless

Living Dangerously

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For an album that was largely ignored by the music press (and even to a degree by the buying public) the third Studio Album by Eddie and the Hot Rods is pretty much like an undiscovered gem. It didn't possess hit singles (like Life on the Line) as both 45's released failed to reach the charts yet there is some cracking tunes on it. The Power and The Glory written by Graeme Douglas is stand out as is Circles (Dave Higgs), Take It or Leave It (Graeme Douglas and Barrie Masters) and Living Dangerously (Dave Higgs).

The big shame of course was not long after the release of the album that the band were sacked from the label and forced to join EMI who didn't exactly stick their necks out for them once they had recorded a new album (their only one for the label. It was also to be their last album for 15 years!) in 1981 (Fish 'n' Chips).

Eddie and the Hot Rods are a band that when I think about my love for music play a vital part in my journey of discovery. Growing up I listened to all sorts of music and loved a lot of it but it wasn't until I first heard Teenage Depression that I felt here was a band who were writing something that actually made sense to me, a 13 year old kid!

Around that time was the rise of the Sex Pistols and for a lot of people I knew it was Rotten and Co. who turned their world upside down. Whilst I liked them it was the Canvey Island boys led by Barrie Masters that had my deeper affection.

This view was further solidified with the release of Do Anything You Wanna Do (penned by Graeme Douglas and Ed Hollis), Quit This Town (another Douglas/Hollis tune) and the album Life on the Line.

If this post today is really about anything it's really just to say a big thank you to Barrie Masters, Dave Higgs (RIP), Graeme Douglas, Paul Gray and Steve Nicol for providing some much needed assistance in getting through a tough teenage life!

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!