Albums That Are 50 Years Old in 2025: 'Down By The Jetty' & 'Malpractice' - Dr. Feelgood

I thought I had posted this already but due to my forgetfulness I spotted I hadn't. Better late than never I guess!

As I mentioned back on my first post of the year I am going to spotlighting throughot 2025 a number of my favourite debut albums and also some of the albums that were released in 1975 that will no doubt be celebrated for their 50th Anniversaries by fans of the particular LPs and quite possibly by some record labels who want to have a cash grab by offering a Re-issue, Remastered 50th Anniversary Edition, with special new liner notes and maybe a hardback book edition. Oh, and not to forget, they will be available numerous on Coloured Vinyls. Apologies for sounding so cynical about but I do find it frustrating that the labels are milking fans almost every anniversary that comes along. That's a gripe for another time though.

Today we are spotlighting two albums by Dr. Feelgood that were released in 1975, the first of them is the band's debut album (which is also on the list of My Favourite Debut Albums, I was almost 11 years old when the Debut Album came out and then 11 years old when the second one was released. I actually never heard them until the 'Stupidity' live album came out and I think it was on John Peel's show.

Across the two albums there are some of the band's legendary songs: "She Does It Right", "Roxette",  "Keep It Out Of Sight", "All Through The City", "Going Back Home" and "Back In The Night".

 

Down By The Jetty - Dr. Feelgood
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United Artists
Produced by Vic Maile
Released January 1975
Did Not Chart
Formats: LP & Cassette

 Personnel
Lee Brilleaux – lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, slide guitar
Wilko Johnson – guitar, piano, backing and lead vocals (A2, A6, B1)
John B. Sparks – bass
John Martin, aka "The Big Figure" – drums
with: Bob Andrews – organ, saxophone and Brinsley Schwarz – saxophone

A1 She Does It Right
A2 Boom, Boom (John Lee Hooker)
A3 The More I Give
A4 Roxette
A5 One Weekend
A6 That Ain't The Way To Behave
A7 I Don't Mind

B1 Twenty Yards Behind
B2 Keep It Out Of Sight
B3 All Through The City
B4 Cheque Book (Mickey Jupp)
B5 Oyeh! (Mick Green)
B6 Bonie Moronie (Larry Williams)/Tequila Live (Danny Flores)

Their 2nd album was released 10 months later

Malpractice - Dr. Feelgood
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United Artists
Produced by Vic Maile
Released October 1975
UK Chart #17
Formats: LP, Cassette & 8-Track

Personnel
Lee Brilleaux – lead vocals, guitar, harmonica
Wilko Johnson – guitar, backing vocals
John B. Sparks – bass
The Big Figure – drums
with: Bob Andrews – piano, Keyboards and saxophone

 

A1 I Can Tell (Ellis McDaniels, Samuel Smith)
A2 Going Back Home (Mick Green, Wilko Johnson)
A3 Back In The Night
A4 Another Man
A5 Rolling And Tumbling (McKinley Morgansfield)
A6 Don't Let Your Daddy Know

B1 Watch Your Step (Robert Parker)
B2 Don't You Just Know It (Huiy "Piano" Smith)
B3 Riot In Cell Block No.9 (Lieber and Stoller)
B4 Because You're Mine (John B. Sparks, Nick Lowe, Wilko Johnson)
B5 You Shouldn't Call The Doctor (If You Can't Afford The Bills)

1975 Dr. Feelgood Extras

The Geordie Scene
She Does It Right
Boom Boom
Down By The Jetty
Roxette
Riot On Cell Block No. 9
I Don't Mind
Route 66

The Old Grey Whistle Test
Keep It Out Of Sight
Roxette
She Does It Right

Live In Finland
She Does It Right
Roxette
Interview

 Live At Southend Kursaal

 

Going Back Home
I'm A Hog For You Baby
Roxette
You Shouldn't Call The Doctor (If You Can't Afford The Bills)

Back In The Night (TV Performance)

John Peel Session

Broadcast 10th February 1975
I Don't Mind
I'm A Hog For You
Keep It Out Of Sight
Route 66

 

MOVING TARGETS RE:CALIBRATED - Penetration (1st November 2024)

 It's been a few weeks since I last did a post here so I better rectify that with this one that spotlights (in my mind at least) one of the finest Debut Albums by a band that I have a fond affection for since buying their Debut 7" "Don't Dictate" in 1977.

There are links to the music below just click on the coloured titles.

 

 MOVING TARGETS RE:CALIBRATED - Penetration
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Polestar
1st November 2024
Limited Edition of 250 on Red Vinyl (Now Sold Out)
Available on Streaming Services Also

Side 1
A1 Future Daze 3:05
A2 Life's a Gamble 3:17
A3 Lovers of Outrage 4:10
A4 Vision 3:32
A5 Silent Community    3:04
A6 Stone Heroes    3:49

Side 2
B1 Movement 3:17
B2 Too Many Friends 3:32
B3 Reunion 3:54
B4 Nostalgia 4:10
B5 Free Money 4:19

Penetration have a couple of dates left on their UK Tour with Essential Logic (London tonight, 17th November and on the 18th November in Brighton) celebrating 45 years since the release of their magnificent debut album 'Moving Targets'. This new re-recording of the album was actually done back in 2007 during rehearsals for a gig at the 100 Club in London. It's the first time it has been released on Vinyl and is only limited to 250 copies which is a bit of a shame. It has been remixed and remastered for this release.

There was a very limited edition of 100 copies self- released on a CDR in 2008 of this by the band, so I am assuming that it is from this recording that has been remixed and remastered for this new vinyl release .

The Debut Album was released in October 1978 on Virgin Records and there was a limited edition of 15,000 on Glow In the Dark Luminous Vinyl.The album reached #22 on the UK Albums Chart.

The band had beefed up their sound for the album with the addition of the twin guitar attack of  Neale Floyd and Fred Purser (he would go on to play with Tygers of Pan Tang).

Moving Targets Tracklist
Side 1
A1 Future Daze
A2 Life's a Gamble
A3 Lovers of Outrage
A4 Vision
A5 Silent Community
A6 Stone Heroes    
Side 2
B1 Movement
B2 Too Many Friends
B3 Reunion
B4 Nostalgia
B5 Free Money

 

Ramones - Ramones (23rd April 1976) 48 Years Old Today!

 I've done a lot of posts on Soundtrack4Life over the years spotlighting the Ramones but I was flicking through many of them recently and noticed that most of them have dead links and pictures that are missing and so I thought maybe I should redo some of them and there's no better place to start than the debut album which was released on this day 48 years ago in 1976. There's lots of links to the music so click on them to enjoy.

Ramones - Ramones
Sire
Produced by Craig Leon
Released 23rd April 1976
US Chart #111
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A1 Blitzkrieg Bop 2:12
A2 Beat On The Brat 2:30
A3 Judy Is A Punk 1:30
A4 I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend 2:24
A5 Chain Saw 1:55
A6 Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue 1:34
A7 I Don't Wanna Go Down To The Basement 2:35

B1 Loudmouth 2:14
B2 Havana Affair 2:00
B3 Listen To My Heart 1:56
B4 53rd & 3rd 2:19
B5 Let's Dance 1:51
B6 I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You 1:43
B7 Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World 2:09

It's been 48 years ago since my ears first heard the sound of the Ramones blaring out of the radio (thanks John Peel) and in that moment the way I listened to music totally changed. The world of music was a bizzare place in the mid seventies. There were Prog bands playing songs that sometimes lasted 20 minutes or more, hard rock bands who seemed divorced from reality, and a pop world that was even more confusing at times. Enter into this mix the self titled debut album of a band from Forest Hills, New York called Ramones.
Released on April 23rd 1976, containing 14 songs that clocked in at 29 minutes and 4 seconds! This album was a radical departure from what had been the norm. Even in New York City bands like Television and Talking Heads were quite arty whereas the Ramones were a band that had their sight clearly set on reclaiming true pop music! Though in saying that, the themes of their songs were not exactly "radio friendly" and on release the album was pretty much ignored by American Radio and the record only reached #111 on the Billboard Chart. You wonder if today a number of these songs would not see the light of day due to their subject matter.
The album cost $6,400 to record over a period of seven days. There's no guitar solos, no pompus musical arrangements, just plain old rock and roll played at breakneck speed.
It was an album that for many changed their whole musical landscape and 48 years on it still sounds incredible.
"Hit it Dee Dee...1-2-3-4!"

 There was a 40th Anniversary Mono Mix of the album released by Rhino Records in 2016 that came as part of a 3CD, 1 LP Limited Edition of 19,760 set (the LP was the Mono Mix). You can listen to the Mono Mix by clicking here. You can also listen to the complete 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition by Clicking Here.  CD1 includes the 2016 Remaster & Mono Mix on CD1. CD2 is a mixture of Single Mixes and Demos. CD3 features two identical sets from The Roxy, CA on 12th August 1976.

**********

 Joey Died 15th April 2001
Dee Dee Died 5th June 2002
Johnny Died 15th September 2004
Tommy Died 11th July 2014

 

All the original members of the band have passed away but their legacy still lives on through the music of CJ Ramone, Richie Ramone, Marky Ramone and loads of bands scattered across the world.

 

40 Year Anniversary: Declaration - The Alarm

I first saw The Alarm supporting U2 at The Lyceum Ballroom, London 20th December 1981. U2 were touring on the back of their second album 'October'.

I was totally unaware that The Alarm had released their debut single in September 1981 ("Unsafe Building"/"Up For Murder") and I was even more unaware that they had previously been a Mod band called Seventeen.

I had been standing in the upstairs bar when I heard the sound of Acoustic Guitars and what could only be described as a sort of cry of the heart and a call to arms all at the same time:

"Take this song of freedom

 Put it on and arm yourself for the fight

Our hearts must have the courage 

To keep on marching on and on"

Then it burst into a song called "For Freedom" and I was hooked. Every song seemed like an anthem waiting to be sung by the masses, except only a few knew who they were that night. It was sort of Punky without being Punk or sort of Folky without being Folk and Rocky without being Rock. In other words, very difficult to describe and maybe that's why I felt drawn toward them because they were like nothing I'd really seen before.

 

I have to confess that I remember little about the U2 set because I was absolutely blown away by this band who were totally new to my ears. It had been a very rare thing when the support band had stood out at the gigs I had been to up until that moment.

I saw that they were also on the following evening as support but it was way too difficult to get a ticket due to the ever growing popularity of U2.

 I would have to wait awhile before I saw them again and by that time they had released another single called "Marching On".

By 1983 they had signed with Miles Copeland's I.R.S. Records and contined to release some cracking singles: "The Stand" (April 1983), "The Alarm EP"  (June 1983) and their first Top 30 single "Sixty Eight Guns" (September 1983, reached #17 on the Charts).

A month prior to the release of the debut album came another great single in the form of "Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke?" that peaked at #22. An excellent foretaste of what was to come. "The Deceiver" (May 1984, #51) was the only other single released from the album.

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Declaration - The Alarm
I.R.S. Records
Produced by Alan Shacklock
Released 13th February 1984
UK Album Charts #6
US Album Charts #50

Listen To The Album Here:

Side 1*

 A1 Declaration

A2 Marching On

A3 Where Were You Hiding When The Storm Broke

A4 Third Light

A5 Sixty Eight Guns

A6 We Are The Light

Side 2*

 B1 Shout To The Devil

B2 Blaze Of Glory

B3 Tell Me

B4 The Deceiver

B5 The Stand (Prophecy)

B6 Howling Wind

*All the links here are from the 2019 Remastered 'Declaration 1984-1985'

The Alarm
    Mike Peters - vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica
    Dave Sharp - acoustic and electric guitars, vocals
    Eddie Macdonald - bass, guitar, vocals
    Nigel Twist - drums, percussion, vocals

Back in the day you didn't have all the details of a band available at click of a mouse or on a phone, yes kids, the Internet wasn't a thing back then. To access what was going on with a band you could sign up for a newsletter by post or you would read about them in the music press (who were not always favourable towards The Alarm), other than that it was TV performances on Top of The Pops or The Tube or The Oxford Road Show, where you would catch them or maybe a DJ on the radio took a liking to them and would spin their latest record.

Your streaming service back then was you physically getting up and putting the record onto the turntable and getting up to turn it over to listen to side 2. 😆

I have a number of Favourite Debut Albums that I have bought over the years and 'Declaration' sits sweetly among the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Eddie and the Hot Rods, The Clash, The Specials, Slade, Buddy Holly and The Crickets, Gene Vincent, Ramones, Blondie, Television, The Psychedelic Furs (to name but a few). I think I have bought it on Vinyl, Cassette and CD as copies have been played until they have worn out. 

When it comes to playing the album I always think that this one sounds much better when played from start to finish rather than today's habit of cherry picking a song here or there. That's not to say I don't have favourite songs on the album, because I do, "Tell Me" and "Howling Wind" are two of them.

Forty years on from its release I still think it sounds great and as a result of finding The Alarm that night back in 1981 at The Lyceum I have made some true and lasting friendships from many different places. I wouldn't trade that in for the world.

Rewind: Madness and Specials Unleash Debut Albums On This Day in 1979

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One Step Beyond - Madness
Stiff Records
Produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley
Released 19th October 1979
UK Chart #2

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Specials - Specials
2 Tone
Produced by Elvis Costello
Released 19th October 1979
UK Chart #4

Two of the bands at the forefront of the 2 Tone Ska Revival released their Debut Albums on this day in 1979. Madness of course had moved on from the 2 Tone label to the "Most Flexible Label in the World", Stiff Records and The Special A.K.A. had been dropped in favour of the more simple Specials.

Out of the two I preferred One Step Beyond, mainly because I didn't think that Elvis Costello had properly captured the urgency and frenetic nature of the Specials that they displayed when playing live, whilst with Madness, Langer and Winstanley did manage to capture the energy of the band.

It was One Step Beyond that had the upper hand when it came to the Charts peaking at #2 whilst Specials made it to #4.

Both bands are still out and about playing live (with newer personnel) and I think I read somewhere that the Specials are hoping to record a new album soon. Can't Touch Us Now in 2016 is the latest studio album from Madness (their 11th) and the first not to feature Cathal Symth (Chas Smash) who had left the band to focus on a Solo Career.

Rewind: Moving Targets - Penetration (3rd October 1978)

Moving Targets - Penetration

Virgin

Proudced by Mick Glossop and Mike Howlett

Released 3rd October 1978

UK Chart #22

Side One

Side Two

Personnel

    Pauline Murray - vocals
    Fred Purser - lead guitar; keyboards on "Reunion"
    Neale Floyd - guitar
    Robert Blamire - bass
    Gary Smallman - drums, percussion

*************

It's amazing to think that Moving Targets is 40 Years Old today! It's an album that I have never had to blow the dust off or brush off the cobwebs because it gets played often and even after 40 years I never tire of listening to it.

Penetration were formed in 1976 in County Durham but at first were called The Points and played their debut live show at the Rock Garden in Middlesbourgh in October 1976. Their second live performance saw them supporting The Stranglers at Newcastle City Hall! The change of name came from the Iggy and The Stooges track Penetration that was released in 1973 on the Raw Power album.

The band signed to Virgin Records and in November 1977 released their debut single Don't Dictate which is widely regarded as a Punk Classic. They followed up in March 1978 with the excellent Firing Squad single. 

 (Firing Squad Picture Sleeve)

Neither single dented the chart and the single released as the forerunner to the debut album, Life's A Gamble, didn't set the chart on fire either! 

It's a shame because all three singles were really decent quality tunes and fortunately the debut album would be the one to open the door to some much deserved chart activity.

The first two singles were not included on the album though when reissued on CD both A & B Sides were present.

A John Peel Session was recorded on 5th July 1978 and it included Future Daze, Vision, Stone Heroes and Movement, all of which would appear on the Debut album.

Nine of the eleven tracks were written by members of the band and it ends suprisingly with two cover versions, firstly Nostalgia which had been on the second album Love Bites by Buzzcocks (released only a month before!)  and secondly Free Money, written by Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye (and had originally appeared on the Horses album from 1975).

Whilst those cover versions are excellent it's actually the quality of their own writing that really stands out for me. They had grown musically as a band from their debut single to what is offered here on the debut album. A lot of that I think can be put down to the twin guitar attack of Neale Floyd (who had replaced the original guitarist Gary Chaplin, who departed in March 1978) and Fred Purser (who joined in July 1978).

Whilst the studio versions of the songs are just brilliant it was actually the live performances that really captured the sheer force and energy of the songs.

Don't Dictate (Electric Circus 1977).

Life's A Gamble (Reading Festival 1978).

Lovers of Outrage (Reading Festival 1978).

Future Daze (on Alright Now 1979).

Lovers of Outrage (on Alright Now 1979).

 BBC In Concert 7th July 1979 Paris Theatre London.

Nostalgia (Northumbria University 2002).

Stone Heroes (Northumbria University 2002).

Firing Squad (Northumbria University 2002).

Listening to this once again brings up great memories of shows at The Marquee in Wardour Street and The Lyceum Ballroom down at The Strand in London. 

"Sometimes there's a song in my brain
And I feel that my heart knows the refrain
I guess it's just the music
That brings on nostalgia for an age yet to come" 

- (Nostalgia - Pete Shelley)

A Few Favourite Albums: Best Dressed Chicken In Town - Dr. Alimantado (1978)

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Best Dressed Chicken In Town - Dr Alimantado

Greensleeves

Produced by Winston Thompson (AKA Doctor Alimantado)

Released 1978

 Listen to the Best Dressed Chicken In Town that was issued in 2001 on CD with four bonus tracks:

11 Ital Galore 3:38
12 I Am The Greatest Says Muhammed Ali 2:58
13 Johnny Was A Baker 3:35
14 Tribute To The Duke 4.00

Original Tracklisting for the album:

Side 1

Side 2

Single released from the album

Best Dressed Chicken In Town

7" Yellow Vinyl 1978

A-Side: Best Dressed Chicken In Town

B-Side: Can't Conquer Natty Dreadlocks

****************

 (The Good Doctor Himself)

There are lots of links below to more music by Dr. Almantado and music that's associated to this album. Click on them to enjoy the sounds.

The Debut Album from Dr. Alimantado was actually a collection of previous recordings dating back to 1973 with Just The Other Day , Ride On (which was released as a single in 1974 on Ital Records - which was owned and run by Alimantado himself ) and Plead I Cause - which was originally titled Plea I Cause and issued as a B-Side to the 1973 single Jah Have Mercy on Ital. On the CD Reissue Ital Galore dates back to 1972 (the other bonus tracks: I Am The Greatest Says Muhammed Ali was a single with the Soul Syndicate in 1974 on Ital; Johnny Was A Baker was recorded in 1975 at King Tubbys; and Tribute To The Duke was recorded in 1977 but there was a version released under the banner of Dennis Ferron and Doc. Alimantado in 1976 on Ital Sounds.

It was the first album released from UK based Reggae label Greensleeves which had been founded in 1977 by Chris Cracknell and Chris Sedgewick. They had actually begun as a small record shop in West Ealing in 1975 and like other shops like Small Wonder, Beggars Banquet and Raw would move into the process of releasing records once they had moved to Shepherd's Bush in 1977.

The title track (originally called Best Dress Chicken) had been released on the Sun and Stars label in the UK back in 1975 (and in Jamaica on the Capo label the same year though it had actually been recorded in 1974).

The album employed several major reggae hits as the basis for the tracks, including Horace Andy and John Holt's version of  A Quiet Place which was also a recut of The Paragons classic Man Next Door - Got To Get Away was its actual title and was released as a B-Side in 1968 on Duke Records in the UK (on Poison Flour and I Shall Fear No Evil), John Holt's Ali Baba (on I Killed the Barber), and Gregory Isaacs' Thief a Man (on Gimmie Mi Gun which had been released as a single originally in 1975 on Ital Sounds) and My Religion (on Unitone Skank).

Best Dressed Chicken In Town is among my Top Three Favourite Reggae Albums and although there were to be other albums from him this one, more than any of them, stands the test of time.