S4L Radio: Show #6 Playlist

The latest Playlist on S4L Radio is another great collection of tunes that includes a nod to some fantastic Power Pop tunes, the Berserkley label, and a spotlight shines on a number of tracks that were released in July 1977 and are celebrating 40 years since their release.

There's music from Australia, France, U.S.A., Northern Ireland and England. There's some big bands/artists and a few who barely raised an eyebrow except to those who purchased the records. 

Enjoy, until the next time when we do it all over again.

 The Playlist

On The Playlist

Who Listens To The Radio - The Sports

Australian band The Sports had originally released the single in 1978 in their homeland on Mushroom Records and had a minor hit with it (#55 in the Australian Charts). There are actually two different versions of the song and I can't work out what version came first. The Sire Records release is different to the version which I have included on the Playlist that released by Stiff Records also in 1979. I have a feeling that Stiff Records released the original version but on You Tube I have noticed there are a couple of places that say this version is a remix! Who cares who is wrong or right on this one, I loved the single when it came out.

Sticking with that Power Pop Theme here's a three play from the Beserkley Label

I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend - The Rubinoos

Some people were quite dismissive of The Rubinoos but they released a number of cracking singles (this being one of them). The band had been on the go since 1970 and released their Debut Single in 1975! The band got some attention a few years back for taking Avril Lavigne to court for plagiarism for her song Girlfriend. The parties condfidentially settled out of court. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend was their fifth single in the US and the UK but was actually  first released in the UK in July 1978 (it was a more than a full year later in their homeland - August 1979).

Roadrunner Once - Jonathan Richman

On the B-Side was Roadrunner Twice by The Modern Lovers. There was also a Roadrunner Thrice - You can listen to all three in one hit here.

I Can't Stop Hurting Myself - The Greg Kihn Band

At aged 68, this year Greg Kihn recently released a cracking new album called ReKihndled. He's another artist on the Beserkley label who is often overlooked. Dig through his catalogue and there's quite a few gems to find.

Schooldays - Starjets

There were so many great bands coming out of Northern Ireland in the late 1970's and the Starjets were just one of many. Only one album (God Bless Starjets) and a handful of singles were issued on Epic Records between 1978-1980. War Stories was the only chart success peaking at #51 (it did get them a spot on Top of The Pops). It was the follow up single though that I loved the best from them, Schooldays. After a change of name to the Tango Brigade and not finding any success Terry Sharpe later found some success with The Adventures.

Who's Gonna Tell Mary? - The Moondogs

The band from Derry, Northern Ireland only released a handful of Singles and one album, That's What Friends Are For (1981) and they also had their own TV Show - Moondogs Matinee! It only ran for seven shows but hey, a TV show is not bad for a band who had very little chart success". Who's Gonna Tell Mary? was their second Single.

It Shows In Your Face - The Gas

Debut Single from The Gas, this one is for my buddy Crawford who is a huge fan of The Gas. It was released in 1980 on Polydor Records.

Nobody Loves Me - The Letters

Only single ever released back in 1980 on the Heartbreat label that was based in Bristol.

Rock and Roll Love Letter - The Records

Formed out of the ashes of The Kursaal Flyers the band got a good start by backing Rachel Sweet on the Be Stiff Tour in 1978 and then got a deal with Virgin. They are probably more well known for their song Starry Eyes. This was a Cover of the Tim Moore song that The Bay City Rollers had also done.

The Letter - Hoobastank (featuring Vanessa Amorosi)

Don't know why this one came into my head but it seemed to fit the little theme of the last couple of songs The Letters, Rock and Roll Love Letter etc. 

It was actually only an Australian release as a Single probably due to the fact that Vanessa Amorosi is herself an Australian artist in her own right.

I always wondered about Hoobastank, besides having a funny name, they had a huge hit with The Reason and then kind of went underground a bit. They are still on the go apparently but haven't released new music for a number of years.

Spotlight on July 1977

There are quite a number of Singles that have their 40th Anniversary this month so I thought I'd spotlight a few of them.

 All Around The World - The Jam
Single #2 from the boys in suits from Woking and their first Top Twenty hit (peaked at #13). Both A and B-Sides do not feature on the Debut Album In The City. Released 15th July 1977. On the Playlist is their performance on the Marc (Bolan) Show from 1977.

Look Alikes - The Drones
Debut EP from Manchester band The Drones called Temptations of A White Collar Worker. Released on their own O.H.M...S label. The band had begun in 1975 as Rockslide and had even released a Single but when it failed to make an impact they reinvented themselves as a Punk band playing their live debut in 1976 with Generation X as support. Relocating to London they played The Roxy supporting The Vibrators, X-Ray Spex, Chelsea and somewhere in the middle of that they also headlined one night.
The EP sold quite well and was released with three different coloured sleeves - Black/Red, Blue/Red and Green/Red.

This Perfect Day - The Saints
At the start of July in 1977  Australian band The Saints released what was their third single and their second for Harvest.
There was a Limited Edition 12" of it available that included the bonus track Do The Robot. Although they got on Top of The Pops the Single itself never made it beyond #34 on the UK Chart.

Swallow My Pride - Ramones
Originally released in the USA in February 1977 but Sire Records got it all wrong releasing this one in the Summertime in the UK as the follow-up to Sheena Is A Punk Rocker. The opening line, "Winter is here", seemed very out of place! Nevertheless, the song did reach #36 on the chart but in their homeland it hadn't charted at all. The UK Single also included a live cover version of Let's Dance as well as a studio version of Pinhead. Released 15th July 1977.

Old, New, Borrowed and Blue
Segment

 

OLD

 Just Another Teenage Anthem - New Hearts
Debut Single in November 1977 on CBS for Ian Page and Dave Cairns before they moved on to bigger and brighter things with the Secret Affair. Both bands made their live debut supporting The Jam. When this was released New Hearts were the support band for The Jam's Modern World Tour.

New(ish)

Move On - The Spitfires
Watford based Mods released this 19th May 2017 as a Download and as a 7" Blue Vinyl Record.

Borrowed

All Or Nothing - Little Bob Story
Released on 15th July 1977 a mighty fine Cover of the Small Faces classic.
Little Bob Story were from France and played music with a blues and rhythm 'n' blues influence. They have been on the go since 1974 and are still playing in 2017.
Blue

Baby Blue (What Have They Been Telling You?) - Stiff Little Fingers
From the 1994 Get A Life Album.

The Parting Shot

Say Goodbye - Green Day
 "Say a prayer for the ones that we love
Say goodbye to the ones that we love"
From their 12th Studio album Revolution Radio. Released in October 2016 the album hit the top spot on release in both the USA and the UK.
Have to say that it's an album that I really enjoyed and wasn't expecting to as I had been a little disappointed by previous albums (though saying that there were some songs from various albums after American Idiot that I liked).