Monday, 28 November 2016

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 333 - Eddie And The Hot Rods

The Best of Eddie And The Hot Rods The End of the Beginning - Eddie And The Hot Rods
Island Records
Released 1993




Singles and EPs featured on The End of the Beginning
Live At The Marquee EP
Released July 1976
UK Chart #43
Tracklist
A-Side: 96 Tears / Get Out Of Denver*
B-Side: Gloria* / (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction*

Teenage Depression* / Shake
Released October 1976
UK Chart #35


At The Sound Of Speed EP
12" Version
Released June 1977
Tracklist 
A-Side: Hard Drivin' Man */ Horseplay / Double Checkin' Woman / All I Need Is Money
B-Side: On The Run*

Do Anything You Wanna Do* / Schoolgirl Love*
Credited as Rods
Released July 1977
UK Chart #9

 
Til The Night Is Gone (Let's Rock)* / Flipside Rock
Robin Tyner & The Hot Rods
Released November 1977
Did Not Chart

Quit This Town* / Distortion May Be Expected (Laughbagindub)
Released December 1977
UK Chart #36

Life On The Line* / Do Anything You Wanna Do (Live)
Released March 1978
Did Not Chart

The Power and The Glory* / Highlands One Hopefuls Two
Released March 1979
Did Not Chart

*All tracks on the album

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There are a few Compilations of Eddie And The Hot Rods that have come out over the years: Do Anything You Wanna Do...18 Hot Rods Rockers (Anagram 1996), Do Anything You Wanna Do (Spectrum 2000) and The Singles Collection (Captain Oi! 2009) but the one I go back to is the first major Best Of released by Island Records in 1993.

They pretty much got the balance of material right for this one spotlighting some of the Hit Singles, tracks from the live EPs recorded at The Marquee and The Rainbow, B-Sides and a few album tracks thrown in for good measure.

 (I Might Be Lying Picture Cover. The single was released in April 1977 and reached #44 in the UK Chart)

My one and only grumble with tracks that were left off the album was with regard to I Might Be Lying. Though only a minor hit (#44), it is I think one of the great Hot Rods songs. The B-Side Ignore Them (Always Crashing In the Same Bar) - again another classic flip side - was not quite missing as they used the album version from Life On The Line entitled Ignore Them (Still Life).

Though never really regarded as a Punk/New Wave band by many I've always felt that Eddie And The Hot Rods are part of its history and are (along with Dr. Feelgood) one of the cogs in the development of the whole scene. Many would disagree with that and say that they were "just a Pub Rock Band" - but think about it for a moment, there's not many bands that can say that they didn't begin their musical careers playing in Pubs and Working Mens Clubs! Plus, many of the early Punk bands owe a great debt to the many Pubs that opened their doors as music venues across the country and gave them opportunities to play live.

For me Eddie And The Hot Rods were the stepping stone into Punk. I have said that often to people and I'm not going to change my mind on it either.

This year is the 40th Anniversary of the release of their Debut Album Teenage Depression (released 22nd November 1976. #43 UK Chart) and that means that I have been listening to them for 40 years as well. They are, and will always be considered as one of my favourite bands and the above compilation offers a brilliant account as to the reasons why.
 

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

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