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

 🌟🌟🌟½

The Roxy London WC2 - Various Artists

Harvest Records

Produced by Mike Thorne
Released June 1977

UK Chart #24

Side 1

Side 2

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

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)

45RPM: #92 I'm The One - Slaughter & The Dogs (1980)

I'm The One - Slaughter & The Dogs

DJM Records

Engineered by John Cooper

Released June 1980

This is the third single by Slaughter & The Dogs to be featured in the 45RPM Series. The Manchester band had split in 1979 but reformed to release You're Ready Now in November 1979 but by the end of the year lead vocalist Wayne Barrett had departed (again!) and Ed Garrity was brought on board. Ed of course was well known in Punk circles having been the Ed in Ed Banger and the Nosebleeds and Ed Banger and His Group Therapy.

The band changed their name, dropping & The Dogs, and recorded and released Bite Back in May 1980 as Slaughter (produced by the brilliant Dale Griffin). East Side of Town had been released as a single in February 1980, and it sounded absolutely nothing like the band of old! I'm not sure why they reverted back to Slaughter & The Dogs but maybe it had something to do with the album not selling so well and the sort of change of image from a Punk Band to a more AOR type band!

I'm The One at least regained a little of that old Slaughter & The Dogs fire as did the B-Sides.

A-Side: I'm The One

B-Side: What's Wrong Boy (Live)

B-Side: Hell In New York

45RPM: #64 You're Ready Now - Slaughter and the Dogs (1979)

Wayne Barrett disbanded Slaughter and the Dogs in early 1979 after the release of the It's Alright EP, and a new single was released under the name the Studio Sweethearts in June called I Believe. But by November Slaughter and the Dogs were back together again with Wayne Barrett back on vocals for one more shot on DJM Records who were distributed by Pye Records.

The single, released 9th November, was a cover of an old Frankie Valli solo hit from 1966 You're Ready Now backed by a Roxy Club Classic Runaway (which would be the opening track on The Roxy London WC2 album released in 1977 on Harvest EMI). It had hit record written all over it but it was not to be!

By the end of the year Barrett had gone again and Ed Garrity (formerly of Ed Banger and the Nosebleeds) had replaced him and the band changed their name to Slaughter.

A-Side: You're Ready Now

B-Side: Runaway

45RPM: #27 Where Have All The Boot Boys Gone? - Slaughter and The Dogs (1977)

Three months prior to the release of their second single Slaughter and The Dogs had released their debut single on Rabid Records entitled Cranked Up Really High (backed by The Bitch).

Slaughter and The Dogs already had their name written into Manchester Music History as they had appeared on the same bill as Sex Pistols and Buzzcocks at the Lesser Free Trade Hall. That concert was one of the prime forces for rise of the Manchester Punk Scene that exploded at The Electric Circus.

They also played The Roxy in Covent Garden, London and have a couple of songs on The Roxy London WC2 album (Runaway and Boston Babies). That album came out on Harvest EMI in June 1977 and also featured The Adverts, X-Ray Spex, Wire, Johnny Moped, The Unwanted, Eater and Buzzcocks.

The live performances of Slaughter and The Dogs caught the attention of Decca Records and their first release on the major was this, what has become a real Punk Classic (both A and B Side). The 12", limited to 10,000, came with a picture cover whilst the 7" didn't. The single has been reissued a number of times over the years on different labels.

I'm trying to remember if my mind is playing tricks on me but I'm fairly certain that Slaughter and The Dogs appeared on a Saturday Morning kids show on ITV where they played both songs, maybe someone can confirm if that was something that really happened.

Where Have All The Boot Boys Gone? / You're A Bore

Slaughter and The Dogs

Decca Records

Produced by Nick Tauber

Released 16th September 1977

Wayne Barrett - Vocals

Mick Rossi - Guitars

Howard "Zips" Bates - Bass

Brian "The Mad Muffet" Grantham - Drums

A-Side: Where Have All The Boot Boys Gone?

B-Side: You're a Bore

Slaughter and The Dogs - Blackpool 1996

Here's a little blast from the past, Slaughter and the Dogs from Holidays in the Sun at Blackpool in 1996.

You Ready Now

Boston Babies

Who Are The Mystery Girls

Where Have All the Boot Boys Gone

Cranked Up Really High