Revisiting Generation X - Generation X (1978)

Generation X - Generation X
Chrysalis
Produced by Martin Rushent
Released 17th March 1978
UK Charts #29


 

Personnel
Generation X
    Billy Idol − vocals
    Tony James − bass and vocals
    Bob "Derwood" Andrews − guitar and vocals
    Mark Laff − drums and vocals

US Version of the Album

Listen, The Insvisible Man and Too Personal were replaced on this edition with:

Gimme Some Truth (John Lennon).

Wild Youth.

Your Generation.

Wild Dub.

Single from the album

 A-Side: Ready Steady Go

B-Side: No No No

Released 7th February 1978

UK Chart #47

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I did a piece on this particular album a few years ago but seeing that a number of links etc were dead on it I thought I would raise it back to life again on the 41st Anniversary of its release.

Generation X were there right there in 1976 when Punk began to explode in the UK. People seem to forget that Tony James, William Broad (Billy Idol) and John Towe were all originally part of Chelsea with Gene October. They jumped the good ship Chelsea after Gene had thought James/Broad were becoming too creatively dominant and so they abandoned October and took John Towe with them for good measure!  Derwood joined on guitar and Broad (who had changed his name to Billy Idol) took vocal duties and they played their debut on the 10th December at Central School of Art and Design in London and then on 14th December 1976 they played their second show at a new venue called The Roxy (the first of the Punk bands to do so). Towe left the band and Mark Laff (ex-Subway Sect) joined on drums in time for their signing to Chrysalis Records.

There always seemed to be a bit of jealousy regarding Generation X, especially among the male world of Punk and I think that had a lot to do with Billy and Co. being a darn sight more handsome than most bands around at the time! I always find it funny that some people don't really regard them as Punk but as some of of Bandwagon Jumpers (clearly forgetting their history!).

I loved the early singles, and the Peel Sessions they did in 1977. The first one in April included Day by Day, Listen!, Youth Youth Youth and Your Generation. John Towe was still drumming for them on that session. The second session from July 1977 included From the Heart, Rock On, Gimmie Some Truth and No No No. Mark Laff was on drums for this session.

As for the album I still think it stands up as great record. Personally I don't think there's a bad track on it. It was basically their live set so I was pretty much aware of most, if not all, of the songs when it was released. It was recorded over the space of a week at the TW Studios in Fulham. All the songs were written by Idol/James (except on the US release where Gimmie Some Truth was a cover of a song by John Lennon).

 

It maybe had a more Punky Pop edge to it that some people didn't like (which is funny because they had ditched Phil Wainman as Producer in favour of Martin Rushent because they felt he made them sound too Pop and they wanted a more harder-edged sound! Not totally sure they got that, but on their second album which is 40 years old this year, Valley of the Dolls - released 26th January 1979 and produced by Ian Hunter they certainly got a wee touch of it). 

 

I loved it the moment it came out and it's an album that still gets an airing in my house to this day.

 

Enjoy.

 

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 331 - Generation X (#2)

 Perfect Hits 1975-1981 - Generation X

Chrysalis

Released 1991

There are a number of links below, feel free to click on them to listen to more music from Generation X.

Singles featured on Perfect Hits 1975-1981

1977 – Your Generation b/w Day by Day*

UK Chart #36

*Version on the album is from the John Peel Session 20th April 1977.

   1977 – Wild Youth b/w Wild Dub 

Did Not Chart

    1978 – Ready Steady Go b/w No No No 

UK No. 47

B-Side not on the album

    1978 – King Rocker b/w Gimme Some Truth 

UK No. 11

    1980 – Dancing with Myself b/w Ugly Rash

UK No. 62

12" included Loopy Dub and Ugly Dub on the B-Side both written by Billy Idol, Tony James and Terry Chimes.

B-Side not on the album

Dancing By Myself was the also the Debut Solo Single for Billy Idol in 1981 and a slightly longer version appeared on the Don't Stop EP both credited to Billy Idol and Gen X

When it was re-issued in 1982 it was simply credited to Billy Idol (though Tony James' writing credit was still present).

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

New Order (Save My Life) 

1977 at The Marquee 

Unreleased track that appeared on Perfect Hits 1975-1981

Perfect Hits 1975-1981 was the second "Best of" by Generation X released by their label Chrysalis. 

The first, The Best of Generation X, had been released in 1985 four years after the band had split and no doubt to cash in on the solo success of Billy Idol. It was actually quite a shoddily put together album and whoever was responsible forgot to add Your Generation (their first single and first minor hit). Four songs from the Debut Album, five from Valley of The Dolls, and and 3 from Kiss Me Deadly the final album plus Wild Youth single made up the album.

The label spared no expense with the artwork either using the album cover from the Debut Album as the main part of the front cover!

 

So when Perfect Hits 1975-1981 came along on CD it was with a certain amount of skeptism.

The Cover art is actually front cover of the 1965 book from which the band took their name.

As a whole I actually really like this Compilation, it's way much better than the 1985 one as whoever was responsible for putting it together did so with a much more careful ear and included some of the band's best songs (though clearly the absence of the great B-Side No No No might beg to differ!). But it does have a few issues.

Firstly the Title of the album Perfect Hits 1975-1981, it doesn't take a genius to know that Generation X did not actually exist in 1975! They formed in late 1976 after Idol, James and Towe had departed Chelsea leaving Gene October without a band! Secondly, the Perfect Hits is a bit of a shady representation of what is on offer because there are actually only four "hits" among the fifteen tracks!

For me one of the big draws to the album was the inclusion of New Order (Save My Life as it is sometimes known - see video above). This song hadn't been on any of the releases by the band before but was a song that dated back as early as 1977. The other unreleased track was a John Peel Session version of Day By Day that was recorded as part of their Debut Session for the BBC. 

There would be nothing from the shelved 1979 "third album", we would have to wait another 7 years for that to finally appear (it was released by German label Empty Records in 1998 as K.M.D. Sweet Revenge).

Once you get past some of the obvious flaws in the album and the absence of a track here and there that would have been better served by its inclusion you have a full on album of delights that includes a couple of masterful tracks from the Debut (Kiss Me Deadly, Youth Youth Youth, and One Hundred Punks Rule), both A & B Side of Wild Youth (Wild Dub being a really landmark track of theirs I reckon), one track from Valley of the Dolls (English Dream), the singles Your Generation, Ready Steady Go, King Rocker (and B-Side Gimmie Some Truth), and Dancing With Myself (though the other two tracks from the Gen X Kiss Me Deadly album - Untouchables and Triumph are both good but really are the weakest songs out of the 15 tracks I think) and the already mentioned unreleased tracks.

These types of compilations don't always please everyone but there's enough on this one, despite it's flaws, to warrant a recommendation for it from me.

 

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

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 265 - Generation X

Valley of the Dolls - Generation X

Chrysalis

Produced by Ian Hunter

Released 26th January 1979

UK Chart #51

Original Tracklist

A1 Running With The Boss Sound    
A2 Night Of The Cadillacs    
A3 Paradise West    
A4 Fridays Angels
A5 King Rocker    
B1 Valley Of The Dolls
B2 English Dream    
B3 Love Like Fire
B4 The Prime Of Kenny Silvers (Part One)
B5 The Prime Of Kenny Silvers (Part Two)

Bonus Tracks on Playlist

Gimmie Some Truth (B-Side of King Rocker)

Shakin' All Over (B-Side of Valley of the Dolls)

Trying For Kicks (B-Side of Fridays Angels)

This Heat (B-Side of Fridays Angels)

Personnel
    Billy Idol − vocals
    Tony James − bass
    Bob "Derwood" Andrews − guitar
    Mark Laff − drums

 

Singles from Valley of the Dolls

Click On The Links Below To Listen to More from Generation X

King Rocker / Gimme Some Truth

5th January 1979

UK Chart #11

Issued in Five Different Picture Sleeves, four being Limited Edition Coloured Vinyl

Valley of the Dolls / Shakin' All Over

30th March 1979

UK Chart #23

Issued on Limited Edition Brown Vinyl

Fridays Angels / Trying For Kicks / This Heat

15th June 1979

UK Chart #62

Issued on Limited Edition Red Vinyl

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

 

After a blistering Debut Album in 1978 that was produced by Martin Rushent and peaked at #29 in the charts, Generation X tried to up the ante by going for a bit more of a heavier sound. This  moving away from the Punk/Pop sound caused some rifts down the line that would eventually see Mark Laff and Derwood Andrews leave the band and their prospective third album put on the shelf!

That was for a day to come, for the moment there was the matter of a new album. A few weeks prior to release King Rocker was issued as a single and became their biggest hit by far reaching #11. Where previous singles  had failed to make it into the Top 30 (Your Generation stalled at #36, Wild Youth didn't chart, and Ready Steady Go only got to #47) the plan to release the single in four different sleeves featuring a different member of the band and also in a variety of coloured vinyls no doubt was one of the reasons for the song rising so high in the charts. 

As for the album, they dispensed with the production services of Martin Rushent and brought on board Ian Hunter of Mott the Hoople fame. As the album kicks off with Running with the Boss Sound you got the impression that it wasn't that much different to tracks on the Debut like Promises/Kiss Me Deadly/Youth Youth Youth but it was a much cleaner sound bringing out Derwood's guitar abilities to the fore.

Night of the Cadillacs sounded almost metal at times, which no doubt would have annoyed many a Punk who already thought that Generation X were not even to be considered in the same league as bands like The Clash, The Pistols and The Damned.

Fridays Angels I thought was pretty poor, not sure why they released it as a single either! Whilst King Rocker (the B-Side Gimmie Some Truth was taken from a Peel Session) was an excellent choice for a single and one of the better tracks on the album. The title track was another good one and I thought it was a cracking single as well (the B-Side Shakin' All Over was taken from a Peel Session).

English Dream was pretty impressive whereas Love Like Fire was pretty naff! The Prime of Kenny Silvers (Part 1 & 2) was just too long and uninspiring.

Second Albums don't always live up to the standards set by the Debut and that was clearly the case with Valley of the Dolls. The band showed that they had made some progress musically speaking but sometimes the quality of the songs didn't really measure up. Five of the songs I thought were brilliant but the other half of the album not so much.

As I mentioned above come the end of 1979 the band had imploded, the third album Sweet Revenge was shelved (though it was finally released in 1998 by Empty Records). What was left of the band (Idol and James) recruited James Stevenson (ex-Chelsea - guitar) and Terry Chimes (ex- The Clash - drums) and shortened the name to Gen X. When the third album Kiss Me Deadly finally appeared in 1981 it featured several different guitarists: Rich Kids' Steve New, Danny Kustow from Tom Robinson Band, future Siouxsie and the Banshees guitarist John McGeoch and ex-Sex Pistol Steve Jones. The album failed to chart.

Billy Idol departed to the USA to begin a solo career. Tony James later formed Sigue Sigue Sputnik and played with The Sisters of Mercy and also later would form Carbon/Silicon. James Stevenson would join Gene Loves Jezebel (and a host of other artists down through the years). Terry Chimes rejoined The Clash following the sacking of Topper Headon. Mark Laff formed Empire and later Twenty Flight Rockers and in 2007 returned to drum for Subway Sect (where he started) for their 1978 Now album. Derwood Andrews joined Laff in Empire before moving on to Westworld and a number of other bands as well as a solo career.

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

Rewind: Generation X - Generation X (1978)

Generation X - Generation X 

Chrysalis

Produced by Martin Rushent

Released 17th March 1978

UK Album Chart #29

Personnel
    Billy Idol − vocals
    Tony James − bass
    Bob "Derwood" Andrews − guitar
    Mark Laff − drums 

 Generation X (2002 CD Version with Bonus Tracks)

Some folks are a wee bit too snobby when it comes their opinions regarding Generation X. Folks turned their noses up against them because they were the first of the Punk Bands to appear on Top of the Pops or others dismiss them as not being punks at all! I think on the part of a lot of guys it was maybe jealousy because Billy Idol was a darn sight more handsome than most of us!

Generation X were there right there in 1976 when Punk began to explode in the UK. People seem to forget that Tony James, Billy Idol and John Towe were all originally part of Chelsea with Gene October. Derwood joined on guitar and Idol took vocal duties and they played their debut 14th December 1976 at The Roxy (the first of the Punk bands to do so). Towe left the band and Mark Laff (ex-Subway Sect) joined on drums in time for their signing to Chrysalis Records.

I loved the early singles, and the Peel Sessions they did in 1977. The first one in April included Day by Day, Listen!, Youth Youth Youth and Your Generation. John Towe was still drumming for them on that session. The second session from July 1977 included From the Heart, Rock On, Gimmie Some Truth and No No No. Mark Laff was on drums for this session.

As for the album I still think it stands up as great album. Personally I don't think there's a bad track on it. This was basically their live set so I was pretty much aware of most if not all of the songs when it was released. It maybe had a more Punky Pop edge to it that some people didn't like but I loved it the moment it came out and it's still an album that gets an airing.

Early Singles

(Click on the links)

1977

Your Generation / Day By Day

UK Chart #36

Wild Youth / Wild Dub

Didn't Chart

1978

Ready Steady Go / No No No

UK Chart #47

Gary Crowley's Punk and New Wave Show (20th October) - Generation X Special

Worth checking out

(Outside UK you may not be able to listen)

Gary Crowley's Punk and New Wave Show - Generation X Special (20/10/2015) by Soho Radio on Mixcloud

45RPM: #16 Your Generation - Generation X (1977)

In April 1977 Generation X recorded their debut session for John Peel. The four songs they chose to do were:

Day By Day

Listen!

Youth Youth Youth

Your Generation

Forward wind to September 1st 1977 and the debut single for Generation X was Your Generation backed by Day By Day.

I can remember dashing home from school to see the Marc Show (Marc Bolan's tea time show on ITV) and the guests one week were Generation X (he also had The Damned, Eddie and the Hot Rods and The Jam among his guests over the season). They were also one of the first Punk bands to appear on Top of the Pops.

Your Generation / Day By Day

Generation X

Chrysalis

1st September 1977

UK Chart #36

Alphabet Beats #046: G is for...Generation X

G is for...

Few people (if any) need an introduction to Billy Idol. The past year alone has seen a real resurgence in his solo career with the release of the magnificent 'Kings and Queens of the Underground' album and sell out dates on tour to promote it. The funny thing is that there are still some people (and I've actually met a few) who assume that before 'Rebel Yell', 'White Wedding' etc that he was not a part of the musical landscape. In this Internet Age I find that quite amazing!

So for those who don't know here's a quick lesson in musical history and for those in the know already it's a refresher course in Generation X 101!

In 1976 Billy Idol, Tony James and John Towe were members another of the early Punk Rock bands and departed leaving Chelsea vocalist Gene October with a problem that would become a kind of revolving door policy of members!

Generation X played their debut show at The Roxy on 14th December 1976, thus becoming the first band to play at the new Punk venue in Covent Garden. For the record the second night had The Heartbreakers (Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan), the third night Siouxsie and the Banshees but the Gala Opening on 1st January 1977 was The Clash!

Towe soon departed the band and was replaced with Mark Laff (from Subway Sect) and Billy dropped the guitar to take over lead vocals and thus Bob "Derwood" Andrews entered the picture.

Their debut single 'Your Generation' was released in September 1977. The single gave them opportunities to appear on TV - Top of the Pops, and Marc (Marc Bolan's Tea Time music show).

The debut album arrived in 1978 and hit #29 in the UK Charts. Out of the 11 tracks (including 'Ready Steady Go') on it there is not a single bad one (in my honest opinion).

January 26th 1979 saw the release of the follow up. Now whilst it has a number of good tracks on it personally speaking I don't think it measures up to the standard the debut set. Mott the Hoople's Ian Hunter produced the album and it contains their biggest hit single 'King Rocker' (reached #11 on the UK Charts).

A third album was in the pipeline entitled 'Sweet Revenge' but was pulled after an internal dispute within the band and never saw the light of day until the release of 'Anthology' in 2003 (it is Disc 2 of this 3CD package).

A line up change as Bob Andrews and Mark Laff left the band in 1980 brought ex-Chelsea Guitarist James Stevenson (he gets everywhere does our James!) and ex-Clash Drummer Terry Chimes to the band for the release of what would be their final studio album and sporting a new name Gen X.

Listen to 'Kiss Me Deadly' Album Here.

The Singles
    1977 – "Your Generation" b/w "Day by Day" UK No. 36
    1977 – "Wild Youth" b/w "Wild Dub" UK
    1978 – "Ready Steady Go" b/w "No No No" UK No. 47
    1978 – "King Rocker" b/w "Gimme Some Truth" UK No. 11
    1979 – "Valley of the Dolls" b/w "Shakin' All Over" UK No. 23
    1979 – "Fridays Angels" b/w "Trying for Kicks" / "This Heat" UK No. 62
    1980 – "Dancing with Myself" b/w "Ugly Rash" (As "Gen X.") UK No. 62

Live

BBC In Concert 1st January 1981.

And

For One Time Only:

Generation X Reunion, London Astoria 20th September 1993.

HERE ENDETH THE LESSON!

The Return of The King Rocker - Billy Idol

Billy Idol is set to release his first album in almost decade in October.  The album is produced by Trevor Horn and is entitled 'Kings and Queens of the Underground'.

 Track list:
1. Bitter Pill
2. Can’t Break Me Down
3. Save Me Now
4. One Breath Away
5. Postcards From The Past
6. Kings and Queens Of The Underground
7. Eyes Wide Shut
8. Ghosts In My Guitar
9. Nothing To Fear
10. Love And Glory
11. Whiskey And Pills

For more information check out Billy's Website.

His last album was in 2006 called 'Happy Holidays' but for the last original material you have to go to 2005's 'Devil's Playground'.

He will at the same time publish his self-penned autobiography 'Dancing With Myself' with Touchstone.

He's also Touring in November Check Out The Dates Here.

Can't Break Me Down - New Single from Billy Idol

More Music

Generation X - John Peel Session April 1977.

Day By Day

Listen

Youth Youth Youth

Your Generation.

Generation X - John Peel Session July 1977.

From The Heart

Rock On

Gimmie Some Truth

No No No.

Generation X - Generation X 1978 (Full Album).

Valley of the Dolls - Generation X 1979 (Full Album).

Kiss Me Deadly - Gen X 1981 (Full Album).

Perfect Hits - Generation 1991 (Full Album).

Generation X Singles

Your Generation (Marc Show 1977).

Wild Youth (Impact 1977).

Ready Steady Go (1978).

King Rocker (Top of the Pops 1979).

Valley of the Dolls (Top of the Pops 1979).

Friday's Angels (1979).

Dancing With Myself (1979 Version).

Dancing With Myself (1980 12" Version).

Billy Idol Solo

The Singles

Dancing With Myself (1981).

Mony Mony (1981).

Hot In The City (1982).

White Wedding Pt1 (1982).

Rebel Yell (1984).

Eyes Without A Face (1984).

Flesh For Fantasy (1984).

Catch My Fall (1984).

To Be A Lover (1986).

Don't Need A Gun (1987).

Sweet Sixteen (1987).

Soul Standing By (1987 Australian Release).

Cradle of Love (1990).

L.A. Woman (1990).

Prodigal Blues (1990).

Heroin (1993).

Shock To The System (1993).

Adam In Chains (1993).

Speed (1994).

Don't You Forget About Me (2001).

Scream (2005).

John Wayne (2008).