In Memory of Pete Shelley (Buzzcocks) - 17th April 1955 - 6th December 2018

(Jackie Butler/Getty Images)

Lead Vocalist, Songwriter and Guitarist for the legendary Buzzcocks, Pete Shelley aged 63, passed away earlier today due to a suspected heart attack in Estonia where he has lived for the past number of years.

There's not an awful lot more information available at this time but I would like to extend my condolences to Pete's family, fellow Buzzcocks and along with them many friends who will be rocked by this sad news.

So as a tribute to Pete Shelley I thought I would post a few musical highlights from his days in Buzzcocks. I actually can't speak too much with regard to his Solo material as I only really knew a couple of songs so I'm sure you will forgive me for not touching on that particular area of his musical life. Click on the links below to listen to the most of the albums (and I'm sure you could find the self-titled one on Spotify or whatever your musical streaming preference is).

There were only nine studio albums by the band, three were released between 1978-1979 (Another Music in a Different Kitchen and Love Bites in '78 and A Different Kind of Tension in '79); the remaining six coming after their reformation in 1992 (Trade Test Transmissions in '93, All Set in '96, Modern in '99, Buzzcocks in 2003, Flat-Pack Philosophy in 2006 and then after a long wait of eight years their last studio album was The Way in 2014).

The S4L Top Ten

Buzzcocks songs written by Pete Shelley

I'm sure your Top Ten would probably be different but here's the ones that I love.

 

1. Moving Away From The Pulsebeat

2. What Do I Get?

3. Nostalgia

4. Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)

5. I Believe

6. Keep On Believing

7. I Don't Mind

8. Fiction Romance

9. Love You More

10. Noise Annoys

40 Years of Punk & New Wave 1977: The Roxy London WC2 - Various Artists (June '77)

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The Roxy London WC2 - Various Artists

Harvest Records

Produced by Mike Thorne
Released June 1977

UK Chart #24

Side 1

Side 2

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The first Live Compilation from the Punk/New Wave scene in 1977 was recorded at The Roxy. It wasn't pretty by any standards, sounding like it could have been recorded on someone's tape recorder! 

When you think of the bands that had played there during the January - April period it was actually a bit of a disappointment that they ended up with so few bands to record for the album. I realise of course that there were a number of bands like The Damned, The Clash, The Jam, Chelsea, The Stranglers etc who were already signed to labels and that logistically it would have been a bit of a nightmare for Harvest to get the approval of labels like CBS, United Artists and Polydor. 

It does have a few highlights though from a couple of the bands who were really making their mark upon the scene back then. Although it would never really appear on a list of my Favourite Live Albums (though there is one website magazine that declares that it is among the Five Best Punk Rock Compilations of All Time!) I think it is worth digging it out and giving it a blast again after 40 years of gathering dust!

It's amazing to think that there are a number of bands on here that are still on the go in one form or another.

There's loads of links below to point you toward even more singles, albums and live performances. Click on them to enjoy the music.

Kicking off with Slaughter and The Dogs from Manchester. Just a month prior to the release of the album they had issued their Debut Single Cranked Up Really High on Rabid Records. They have the two opening songs.

Slaughter and The Dogs would go on to sign with Decca Records releasing a further three singles and their Debut Album Do It Dog Style between September 1977 and February 1978. 

Over time they have issued a few studio albums and a bunch of live albums as well. They released a brand new album called Vicious in 2016 on Cleopatra Records. They are still out playing live shows as well (check out a show from this year at 100 Club in London - Part One, Part Two).

Next up it was the first of a number of unsigned bands to appear on the album, The Unwanted. Their Debut single wouldn't appear until October 1977 after they had signed with Raw Records. Withdrawal/1984/Bleak Outlook was followed in February 1978 by their only other single Secret Police/These Boots Were Made For Walking (also on Raw Records). Prior to signing to Raw Records there were a number of personnel changes to the band and the band wouldn't last beyond 1978. In 1985 a ten track album was released by Dolorean Records entitled Secret Past that gathered together the singles and other fragments from the band's short life.

Two tracks from Wire followed. They were not signed at the time but did manage to get a contract with Harvest Records for whom they recorded a few albums and singles. They didn't exactly sound on this album like they were going to be around for long but to date they have released 15 Studio Albums, 17 Live Albums, 7 Compilations, 13 EPs and 18 Singles!

Their set at The Roxy was actually released in full on the Pinkflag label as part of a 2CD package in 2006 that also included a show from CBGB, NYC in 1978. You can listen to the full sets here - 1st April 1977, 2nd April 1977.

Wire's latest album Silver/Lead was released in 2017, you can listen here!

Side 1 ends with The Adverts. In April 1977 they had released their Debut Single, One Chord Wonders on Stiff Records. The band actually played The Roxy 9 times between January-April 1977. Right from the get go I always thought TV Smith was one of the best songwriters during the Punk/New Wave scene. Their track Bored Teenagers would eventually be released as a B-Side to their hit single Gary Gilmore's Eyes.

TV Smith is still recording and playing shows. His latest album I Delete came out in 2014 and you can watch him in action with The Bored Teenagers from the 100 Club from January 2017 here! 

Johnny Moped open Side 2 with a real barn burner in Hard Loving Man. They were unsigned as well (but not for too much longer as Chiswick Records picked them up). Their Debut Single No One/Incendiary Device hit the streets in August 1977.

Still on the go these days, Johnny Moped released their first album for 26 years in 2016 on Damaged Goods entitled It's A Real Cool Baby.

Eater was the third band to have two tracks on the album. The band featuring 15 year old drummer Dee Generate had, by the time The Roxy album was released had two singles issued by The Label (Outside View and Thinkin' of The U.S.A.). They weren't that brilliant live really, though their first two singles I think are magnificent. You can check out The Compleat Eater that was released by Anagram Records in 1993 here.

X-Ray Spex were the only female fronted band to be included on the album. They were another band who were unsigned at that moment. They did sign a one-off deal with Virgin Records who released their Debut Single Oh Bondage Up Yours/I'm A Cliché in October 1977. The band then moved to EMI International where they had four charting singles between 1978-79 and a Debut Album that peaked at #30 in the UK Chart in 1978.

Buzzcocks (minus Howard Devoto who had left not long after the Debut EP was released in January 1977) round off the album with two wee gems Breakdown and Love Battery.

Although the band had already released an EP they didn't actually get signed to a major label until August 1977 when they put pen to paper with United Artists at the Electric Circus in Manchester on the day Elvis Presley died (16th).

The band would go on to release a bucket load of real quality singles and some priceless albums before breaking up in 1981. But they did get back together again and to this day have continued to release great albums. Their latest, The Way, is one of their finest.

The band continue to tour fronted by Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle and last year they were out celebrating 40 years of the band (Check out the encore from Glasgow in October 2016)

Revisiting Another Music In A Different Kitchen - Buzzcocks (1978)

Today we turn our attention toward what I think is one of the best Punk/New Wave Albums of All Time! That's a rather large boast I know especially when you consider classic albums like Damned Damned Damned - The Damned, The Clash self-titled Debut Album, The Pistols Never Mind the..., but I honestly do think that Another Music In A Different Kitchen sits kindly among those albums and should be spoken of in the same breath.

What set Buzzcocks apart from the likes of The Clash, The Damned and The Sex Pistols was there was a real edge of Pop Sensibility and on 'Another Music...' you can hear that right from the opening bass line of 'Fast Cars' to the crashing drums of 'Moving Away From The Pulsebeat'. They also managed to maintain a punky edge with the likes of 'No Reply', 'You Tear Me Up', 'Love Battery' and 'I Need'.

What was striking first off about the album was that neither of the first two singles for United Artists (Orgasm Addict and What Do I Get?) featured on it (though they and their B-Sides were added to the 1996 CD Reissue and the 2001 Remastered Special Edition - along with their Debut Peel Session, Demos and an 9 track set from the Electric Circus in Manchester from October 1977). None of the songs from Spiral Scratch featured except a snippet of Boredom at the very start of the album before it launches into Fast Cars.

Early copies of the album came in a special Buzzcocks Carrier Bag (pictured above) declaring what was inside was Product. Some of these copies actually go for handsome sums of cash if you ever felt the need to part with yours!

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Another Music In A Different Kitchen - Buzzcocks

United Artists

Produced by Martin Rushent

Released 10th March 1978

UK Chart #15

Side 1

Side 2

Personnel
Pete Shelley – lead guitar, lead vocals
Steve Diggle – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Steve Garvey – bass guitar
John Maher – drums, percussion

The album has been reissued a number of times over the years with a Blue Vinyl version released in 1987 on French Label Fan Club and in Spain it was released on Transluscent Grey 180 gram Vinyl by ViNiLiSSiMO in 2011. A Translucent Orange 180 gram Vinyl version was released on Parlophone/Rhino in 2015 for Black Friday Record Store Day with a Limited Edition Run of 6,200 copies.

It was first issued on CD by Fame/EMI in 1988, this was just the standard album with no bonus tracks. The 1996 reissue on CD did contain both the A and B-Sides of their first two United Artists singles. 

 (Front Cover of Remastered Special Edition 2008 on CD)

(Back Cover Remastered Special Edition 2008 on CD)

As mentioned above there was a Remastered Special Edition in 2008 on EMI that was also reissued in 2013 (not quite sure why as there was nothing new added to it).

Singles On Another Music In A Different Kitchen

A-Side

I Don't Mind

B-Side

Autonomy

Released April 1978

UK Chart #55

This one was an Australian Release. I remember picking it up on Import from HMV in Oxford Street.

Not sure how Limited these were on Colour Vinyl. I never even knew that there was a Blue one as I'd only ever seen the Clear Vinyl.

(Clear Vinyl)

 (Blue Vinyl)

Also on plain Black Vinyl

A-Side: What Do I Get / Fast Cars

B-Side: Moving Away From The Pulsebeat / The End

Listen Here

Wizard (Australia)

Released in May 1978

With the line up finally settled, this was the third line up of the band after departures of original vocalist Howard Devoto (who left shortly after Spiral Scratch was released) and the sacking of Bassist Garth Davies (he had lasted one single and one Peel Session) into what has become the Classic Line Up of Shelley, Diggle, Garvey and Maher, recording of the album begun in ernest in December 1977 and was completed by January 1978.

Fast Cars is credited to Shelley/Devoto but actually pretty much most of the song was penned by Steve Diggle.

A live version of Love Battery turned up on Live At The Roxy London WC2 album that was released in the summer of 1977. 

Only one single was released from the album and surprisingly it never even made it into the Top 50! I Don't Mind is one of those classic songs penned by Pete Shelley (Penetration recorded a version of it during their Pledge Campaign in 2015 which was pretty cool as their drummer for the Resolution Sessions was none other than John Maher). The B-side, Autonomy, is one of Steve Diggle's finest tunes I reckon. The Offspring did a cover version of the song.

There's so many brilliant songs on it that I hardly dare to pick one absolute favourite though I still marvel at the sheer beauty of Fiction Romance, that brings that double guitar attack of Shelley and Diggle together wonderfully and Moving Away From The Pulsebeat  (the link is for the 1989 Reunion Tour Live Version) with that fantastic drum beat that John Maher pulls off with such aplomb.  David Quantick (who used to write for the NME) did a great review of it back in 2010 for the BBC Music Website, he said,  "Everything about it – from its silver, orange-lettered sleeve to Martin Rushent’s aluminium-sheen production – is right. The songs are all brilliant pop tunes in the classic style, but with lyrics whose doomed romanticism would put John Lennon to shame, and the kind of riffs that only a Stooges and T.Rex fan could write...It’s my favourite album ever; buy it and find out why." I know exactly what he feels!

40 Years of Punk & New Wave 1977: Spiral Scratch EP - Buzzcocks

Spiral Scratch - Buzzcocks

New Hormones

Produced by Martin Zero (Hannett)

Released 29th January 1977

Side One

Side Two

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the release of Spiral Scratch, Domino released on Friday (27th January 2017) a very Limited Edition Reissue - only 300 copies! (Go Here To See If You Can Get One)

If you are out of luck with the Limited Edition Reissue EP you could always try and get hold of another Limited Edition because it's also contained within, this time it's Buzzcocks Mk.1 Vinyl Box Set that is due for release in March.

Limited to 1000 copies globally, each Buzzcocks Mk.1 is hand numbered and housed in a rigid outer box with lift off lid. It will be released on 10th March 2017. For the cost of £50 you get all of this:

Contents

  Spiral Scratch 7" (Standard Edition) Vinyl, CD
    Time's Up! Heavyweight 12" Vinyl, CD
    Download Card with audio for Spiral Scratch and Time's Up 

plus bonus 'Breakdown' video download (live from Lesser Free Trade Hall, Manchester)
    Shy Talk Fanzine No.4 featuring contributions from (ex-manager) Richard Boon, (sleeve designer) Malcolm Garrett, (photographer) Kevin Cummins, (author) Clinton Heylin and (Manchester punk icon) Denise Shaw
    Buzzcocks Chronology (1976-77) A4 Booklet
    A print of the original Spiral Scratch Recording Tape Box
    Postcard Flyers (7)
    Photo Prints (5)
    Pin Badges (3)
    Posters (2)

If you should fail to secure a copy of the Boxset, the Time's Up! album will be available on Vinyl and CD from 10th March 2017.

Featuring the original line-up of Howard Devoto (vocals and songwriter), Pete Shelley (guitar and songwriter), Steve Diggle (bass guitar) and John Maher (drums), Time’s Up was recorded at Revolution Studios, Bramhall Lane Stockport on the 18th of October 1976. The session, recording Buzzcocks’ live set at the time, cost £45 and was engineered by Andy MacPherson. 

Time's Up first appeared as a Bootleg and has since 1978 been released on various formats and by different companies in various Countries (mainly the UK but also Venezuela, Australia, USA, Belguim and Brazil) officially and unofficially. 

Spiral Scratch EP has also been reissued a number of times down through the years on different labels.

As I have previously written about the release of Spiral Scratch in December 2015, as part of my 45RPM Series, I thought instead of repeating myself I decided that you can go and check that out for yourselves:

45RPM: #72 - Spiral Scratch EP - Buzzcocks (1977)

Rewind: Love Bites - Buzzcocks (1978) - Updated and Expanded

This is a revised and expanded upon post from one that was done last year. There will be more links and information etc to enhance your listening pleasure.

I am particularly grateful to Richard Boon (one time manager of Buzzcocks) for some clarification on a couple of points that have puzzled me for a number of years.

 Love Bites - Buzzcocks
United Artists
Produced by Martin Rushent
Released 22nd September 1978
UK Chart #13

 Personnel
 Pete Shelley – lead guitar, lead vocals (all but Love Is Lies)
    Steve Diggle – rhythm and acoustic guitars, backing and lead vocals on Love Is Lies
    Steve Garvey – bass guitar
    John Maher – drums

An expanded version of the album called Love Bites (Special Edition - 2008) brought together the non-album singles (posted below) The Peel Sessions, Demos and a Live Show from The Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester on 21st July 1978.

Single from Love Bites

Ever Fallen In Love (with someone you shouldn't've) / Just Lust

 United Artists
Produced by Martin Rushent
Released 8th September 1978
UK Chart #12

 A-Side

B-Side

I had wondered for years who the mysterious co-writer of Just Lust A. Dial is and recently found out that it was none other than former Buzzcocks manager Richard Boon. I asked Richard about how this came about and here's what he said: 

"Peter and I had written together before ('Whatever Happened To?) - part of the overarching plan, such as it was, after signing to UA, to deliberately move out of 'punk' to 'pop' (B-side, 'Orgasm Addict') and make that shift apparent ('Pop' A-side 'What Do I Get?' backed by B-side 'Oh Shit!' Part of that plan was to make the B-sides to 'pop' A-sides more interesting (cf: 'Why Can't I Touch It'; 'Something's Gone Wrong Again,' etc) 'With 'Just Lust,' Pete had this rather awkward  guitar riff he wanted something to do with, but couldn't find lyrics for, himself, but he wanted to record. Would I help? Sure - then, once BCs had recorded the backing track, he phoned me from the studio to see if I'd finished lyrics, which I dictated to him over the phone. The 'Alan Dial' moniker refers back to the fact that I fell into that 'manager' role partly because I lived in a house in Salford with Howard that had a landline (remember them?) so I could book vans, rehearsal spaces, etc, and was the name I adopted for 'gigs' with The Negatives - a band who deliberately couldn't play: I couldn't play sax/clarinet; Paul Morley ('Modest Young') couldn't play guitar; Kevin Cummings couldn't play bass and drummer Merlin Motors (after his car-mechanic shop in Stockport) couldn't play drums. Weirdly, we actually did some gigs."

The 1994 CD Version of the Album also included:

Love You More / Noise Annoys

30th June 1978

UK Chart #34

Promises / Lipstick*

17th November 1978

UK Chart #20

*Earlier in 1978 Magazine, featuring former Buzzcocks lead vocalist Howard Devoto released one of the classic singles of the whole Punk/New Wave Scene in Shot By Both Sides. That released was credited to both Devoto and Pete Shelley. Come the release of the Promises single the B-Side Lipstick was sporting the same guitar riff as the Magazine track and this time it was just credited to Shelley. I had always had questions regarding that and no way of finding out until I took the chance to ask Richard Boon:

" there was a germ of a Devoto/Shelley tune before Howard wanted out of Buzzers to finish college, then put a different kinda outfit together, which became Magazine. But he wanted to use Pete's guitar line, as did McGeogh. Pete also, recognising a great guitar line wanted to use it too. So both did, to different ends. And both agreed to that."

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In March of 1978 Buzzcocks had released their debut album Another Music In A Different Kitchen and it reached #15 in the UK Album Charts. Six months down the road from that they released their second album (this was back in the day when many bands were still putting two albums out a year!).

A bit like Ramones Road To Ruin (released on the same day) this second album for Manchester's finest was a slight departure from their debut (not much but it was noticeable I think) but it was well received and went two places higher than the debut, peaking at #13.

In April 1978 Buzzcocks did a Session for John Peel (their second) and it included Noise Annoys and surprisingly two instrumentals - Walking Distance and Late for the Train. It was broadcast on the 17th April. Instrumentals were not something Punk/New Wave bands were known for but I have to say I was quite taken with Steve Garvey's Walking Distance right from the off. I wasn't so sure about Late For the Train. A further Session in October would include Sixteen Again, Everybody's Happy Nowadays, Lipstick and Promises.

The "Entertaining Friends" Tour in May-June 1978 saw the band out on the road with Penetration and it was no doubt that Pauline Murray and the band caught the idea to record a version of Nostalgia for their debut album Moving Targets that would be released a month after Love Bites.

The Love You More single held out some good thoughts that the next Buzzcocks album was going to be a real gem (though it in the end wasn't part of the original release of the album). 1min and 51secs of perfect pop, what more could you ask for?

Prior to the album release the band issued what would become one of their most successful singles of their career with Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've). It's also a song that has been covered by many different artists down through the years. Fine Young Cannibals had a massive #9 hit with it back in 1986 and much to the surprise of many Pete Yorn did a version that ended up on the Soundtrack to Shrek 2!

As for the album itself, well it's loaded with little gems from the pen of Pete Shelley mainly, though Steve Diggle contributed Love is Lies and Garvey the instrumental Walking Distance and of course the co-write of Just Lust with A. Dial spoken about above.

There was a more Pop/Punk sound to the album than the Debut and in many ways that was a good thing to show that the band were growing musically and were not content to repeat the old formula.

My favourite tracks on the album beside Ever Fallen In Love are Nostalgia, Sixteen Again, Nothing Left and E.S.P., I think Love Is Lies is probably the weakest song on the album. The acoustic guitar led Diggle tune is not one of his best in my opinion.

A number of my friends at the time the album was released were big fans of Buzzcocks but only really saw them as a Singles band (and there's no denying they made some classic singles) but I think that Shelley and Co. were responsible for making the Punk/New Wave album an acceptable thing again and their first three albums I think are a clear testimony of that very fact.