40 Years of Punk & New Wave: The Sounds of 1977 #3 Playlist

The Sounds of 1977 #3 Playlist is another look back to my teenage years and in particular the year that saw absolutely loads of Punk & New Wave records were getting released as more and more bands got signed to labels or decided to put their own singles out.

Not everything that came out under the banner of Punk & New Wave was brilliant and so this playlist represents some of The Good, The Bad and The Downright Ugly (and I'm not telling which ones sit under each heading!).

On The Playlist

First Time - The Boys 

2nd single on Nems. This though is the longer version.

Johnny Won't Get To Heaven - The Killjoys

Debut and only single on Raw Records featuring of course future Dexys frontman Kevin Rowland.

Put You In The Picture - PVC2 

Debut and only single from the Edinburgh band who disbanded when lead vocalist Midge Ure joined the Rich Kids. It was the second record to be released on Zoom Records. PVC2 would go on to become The Zones.

Chelsea 77 - Maniacs

Another band who only had one single and then they were gone. Released in November '77 on United Artists but by the end of January they had split. They were also featured on the Live at The Vortex album with two songs.

Enemies - The Radiators From Space

2nd Single from the Irish punks on Chiswick Records.

Nervous Wreck - Radio Stars

Another from Chiswick Records. The second single from the Radio Stars appears on their debut album Songs For Swinging Lovers (WIK5) released in 1977.

Tarzan of the Kings Road - The Valves

2nd Single from Edinburgh's finest on Zoom Records (ZUM 3).

Don't Dictate - Penetration

Debut Single on Virgin Records from the North East of England. Penetration were fortunate to have a few of their earliest shows supporting Generation X. The version on the playlist is a live version filmed at the Electric Circus in Manchester for So It Goes.

Capitol Radio - The Clash

From the free EP that was given away with NME. The rest of the EP included an interview with Tony Parsons and 'Listen'.

Sonic Reducer - Dead Boys

Debut Single on Sire from the band formed in Cleveland. They evolved from Rocket From The Tombs, changed their name to Frankenstein but when they touched down in NYC they changed again this time to the Dead Boys. The single was also featured on their 1977 Debut Album Young Loud and Snotty.

Dancing The Night Away - The Motors

Was the debut single from the band on Virgin but I've included the John Peel Session version from their Debut Session in April 1977.

Lipstick - Advertising

Debut Single on EMI. After getting burned by the Pistols the label went the safer route to cashing in on the Punk & New Wave scene but Advertising were not hugely successful. They only one more single and an album in 1978 and they were over. Dennis Smith (Bass) would go on to some success with Secret Affair and Simon Boswell would go on to make film music (Shallow Grave) and produce the likes of Nik Kershaw, 9 Below Zero and Sex Gang Children (a very bizzare CV indeed!).

Living On Dreams - The Depressions

Debut Single on Barn Records from the Brighton based four piece.

They played at The Roxy, released a number of singles (some drifting well away from the Punk & New Wave Sound) and changed their name to The Dp's after an audience member was killed in a fight during one of their shows in Preston. The B-Side, Family Planning, is a wee gem.

Priorities - Trash

Their one and only 45RPM release on Polydor Records in 1977 (they did release another Single in 1978 on Dumb Blondes called Nervous). Don't really know too much about them and they vanished very quickly after their second single.

Take It Or Leave It - The Visitors

From Dundee, only ever released one single and then vanished off the face of the earth!

British Refugee - Spitfire Boys

One of Liverpool's first Punk Bands that featured Paul Rutherford (Maggot) on vocals - he would go on to be a member of Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Their drummer, Peter Clarke is more known as Budgie (The Slits, Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Creatures). The band had formed initially to be a support to The Heartbreakers (with Johnny Thunders) at Erics. The single was released in November on local label RK Records and by December the band had split.

Red London - Sham 69

B-Side of Debut Single I Don't Wanna on Step Forward Records (SF4).

Man Of The Year - Models

Originally released on Step Forward Records (SF 3). On the Playlist I have included the July 1977 version from their one and only John Peel Session. On guitar for the Models was Marco Pirroni who of course would go on to greater things as the sidekick to Adam Ant.

Sweet Gene Vincent - Ian Dury & The Blockheads

Second Single release from Mr Dury and Co. on Stiff Records. An absolute belter of a single!

Neat Neat Neat - The Damned

Whilst we were still waiting for a debut from The Clash, a second single from the Sex Pistols (if they could find a label), The Damned released their second 7" offering on Stiff Records the same day as their Debut Album  Damned Damned Damned.