40 Years of Punk & New Wave 1977: Marquee Moon - Television

Marquee Moon - Television

Elektra

Produced by Andy Johns and Tom Verlaine

Released 8th February 1977 (US), 4th March 1977 (UK)

UK Album Charts #28

Swedish Album Charts #28

Side A

 Side B

   Television
    Billy Ficca – drums
    Richard Lloyd – guitar (solo on tracks A1, A4, B1, and B2), vocals
    Fred Smith – bass guitar, vocals
    Tom Verlaine – guitar (solo on tracks A2, A3, A4, B3, and B4), keyboards, lead vocals

 Singles On Marquee Moon

 Venus / Friction

Elektra

Japanese Release March 1977

Marquee Moon (Stereo) / Marquee Moon (Mono)

Elektra UK 12" Green Vinyl

Released April 1977

UK Chart #30

Prove It / Venus

Elektra UK 12" Green Vinyl

Released July 1977

UK Chart #25

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

Prior to the formation of Television in late 1973 old friends Richard Hell and Tom Verlaine had formed a band called The Neon Boys, Billy Ficca played drums. We only know what they were like after a single was released in 1980 of the band (which you can hear in the above link). After the band broke up they all got back together again under a new name - Television. They recruited Richard Lloyd as second guitarist and then began playing live. Their debut was the Townhouse Theater on March 2nd 1974. The same year they made their debut at CBGB's and then onto other shows like Max's Kansas City etc and then in 1975 they were back at at CBGB's where they would begin to gain a Cult following!

 

A disagreement with Hell over his overly dramatic stage antics led to his departure from the band along with some of his songs that would later turn up in his own band Richard Hell and the Voidoids, but before their formation he would instrumental in setting up The Heartbreakers alongside former NY Dolls legends Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan.

Fred Smith (who had been in Blondie) took over Bass duties. Smith has declared that "Blondie was like a sinking ship and Television was my favorite band". Those two bands had played together at CBGB's and would also tour together in Europe in 1977 on a Television headlined tour (though Verlaine was very unimpressed by them saying that Blondie did not suit their show because they were too different artistically).

One lasting result of Hell's presence in the band was the first Television single, 'Little Johnny Jewel', released on Ork Records in 1975.

Signing with Elektra Records in August 1976 was a big deal for them (pretty much all the influential early New York Punk scene bands were signed now) because the label agreed that Verlaine could produce the album as long as he was assisted by a well known recording engineer. Tom Verlaine chose Andy Johns mainly on the strength of the work he had previously done with the Rolling Stones.

A number of tracks recorded for the album were done in a single take, like the title track, which Billy Ficca had assumed was just a rehearsal! Andy Johns had suggested doing another take but Veraline was insistent that they had captured it correctly. In the studio they had written Guiding Light and Torn Curtain and the remaining tracks were ones they played live on a regular basis. No other songs bar the eight that appeared on the album were tested.

The album was a commercial disaster in the States but gained a lot of friends in the UK thanks in part to Nick Kent's review for the NME (though we in the UK would have to wait until March for its release). It did receive a lot of good reviews in the States, though Noel Coppage of Stereo Review likened Marquee Moon to a "stale version of Bruce Springsteen" (I have no idea what he was listening to in order to come up with that remark!).

The follow up 'Adventure' in 1978 rose high on the charts but Lloyd's drug addiction and Verlaine's and the other band members staunch artistic visions led to the disillution of the group.

They did reunite in 1992 releasing a brand new album and have sporadically played ever since being invited to play at All Tomorrows Parties Festival in 2001. Lloyd left the band again in 2007 and Jimmy Rip took over guitar duties.

It should be said that Television were never really a "Punk" band as we would come to define the term "Punk" and if you were going to see them expecting something like the Ramones or Dead Boys you would have been very disappointed. But I have included them as a part of this series because they were a part of that early American Punk/New Wave Scene that sprung out of CBGB. 

Marquee Moon has been one of my favourite albums since it came out and I would easily have it in my Top 5 All Time Albums. 

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 102 - Television

Television had released in 1977 what is, I reckon, one of the best debut albums ever and infact one of the greatest albums ever made in Marquee Moon. I know that might sound over the top to some but hey, that's what I think. Thirty nine years on from its release it's an album that still brings such a sense of pleasure listening to it.

Adventure was not an album that was well received, especially in the US where it fared worse than Marquee Moon (and at home it was a really poor seller for the band). Away from the States it did much better. It entered the UK Album Charts at #7!

Add the poor reception of the album and Richard Lloyd's issues with drugs and the questions regarding the direction of the band by all its members, it is no wonder that later in 1978 the band imploded!

The album may lack the punch that Marquee Moon had but there are a few moments on it that are wonderful I think - the whole of side one is great and maybe the inclusion of the title track might have been a good idea for side two (It wasn't added to the album until the CD Reissue in 2003).

It was released with a Limited Edition Red Vinyl to begin with as was the Foxhole single, which also had the gimmick of four different coloured picture covers (Blue, Green, Yellow and Red) that surely helped them obtain a respectabel #36 on the UK Singles Chart and #7 on the UK Album Chart.

Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine went off to begin solo careers. Fourteen years later they got back together again and released a third album simply titled Television. Richard Lloyd departed the band in 2007 and over the years Television have played here and there but not with any great frequency. There were rumours of another album more than five years ago but nothing has seen the light of day as of yet.

Adventure - Television

Elektra

Produced by John Jansen and Tom Verlaine

Released April 1978

UK Chart #7

 Side A
1. "Glory" 
2. "Days" 
3. "Foxhole" 
4. "Careful" 
5. "Carried Away"
 
Side B
1. "The Fire"
2. "Ain't That Nothin'"
3. "The Dream's Dream"

2003 CD Reissue Bonus Tracks

Adventure.

Ain't That Nothin (Single Version).

Glory (Early Version).

Ain't That Nothin' (Instrumental).

Television
    Tom Verlaine – lead vocals, guitar, piano

    Richard Lloyd – guitar, vocals
    Fred Smith – bass, vocals
    Billy Ficca – drums

Television - I Need a New Adventure

Adventure LP Outtakes
1. Ain't That Nothin'
2. Adventure
3. Glory
4. Days
5. Foxhole
6. Carried Away (a.k.a. The Vibrato Song)
7. Ain't That Nothin'
8. Careful
9. Glory
10. Carried Away
11. Up All Night (unreleased)
12. Grip of Love (later appeared on Tom's first solo album)
13. Last Night (a.k.a. Piano Song. This song ended up on Tom's 1st solo album)
14. The Dream's Dream
15. Glory
16. The Fire
 

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

Revisiting Marquee Moon - Television (1977)

 Marquee Moon - Television

Elektra

Produced by Andy Johns and Tom Verlaine

Released 8th February 1977 (US), 4th March 1977 (UK)

UK Album Charts #28

Swedish Album Charts #28

   Television
    Billy Ficca – drums
    Richard Lloyd – guitar (solo on tracks 1, 4, 5, and 6), vocals
    Fred Smith – bass guitar, vocals
    Tom Verlaine – guitar (solo on tracks 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8), keyboards, lead vocals

The debut album by New York City's Television was recorded in September 1976 and unleashed to the public in the USA on this very day way back in 1977.

They had begun life in 1972 as The Neon Boys (well Tom Verlaine, Billy Fica and a chap called Richard Hell) but the band folded in 1973 only to rise again from the ashes with a new guitarist Richard Lloyd and a new name, Television. In 1974 they had become regular performers at CBGB's, gaining a loyal following and in 1975 released their debut single 'Little Johnny Jewel' on Ork Records (a label owned by their manager Terry Ork). Soon after Richard Hell left the band (taking with him a whole bunch of songs that would resurface with his band The Voidoids). He would go on to form an early incarnation of The Heartbreakers (featuring former New York Dolls Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan).

(Oh, I forgot to mention, a number of labels were interested in the band around 1974 and they even went as far as recording demos with Brian Eno of a possible deal with Island Records. But Tom Veraline was quite unimpressed with the sound Eno had created and thus the band held out for something better.)

Fred Smith jumped from Blondie to Television taking over on Bass duties (Smith has declared that
"Blondie was like a sinking ship and Television was my favorite band"). Those two bands had played together at CBGB's and would also tour together in Europe in 1977 on a Television headlined tour (though Verlaine was very unimpressed by them saying that Blondie did not suit their show because they were too different artistically).

Signing with Elektra Records in August 1976 was a big deal for them (pretty much all the influential early New York Punk scene bands were signed now) because the label agreed that Verlaine could produce the album as long as he was assisted by a well known recording engineer. Tom Verlaine chose Andy Johns mainly on the strength of the work he had previously done with the Rolling Stones.

A number of tracks recorded for the album were done in a single take, like the title track, which Billy Ficca had assumed was just a rehearsal! Andy Johns had suggested doing another take but Veraline was insistent that they had captured it correctly. In the studio they had written Guiding Light and Torn Curtain and the remaining tracks were ones they played live on a regular basis. No other songs bar the eight that appeared on the album were tested.

The album was a commercial disaster in the States but gained a lot of friends in the UK thanks in part to Nick Kent's review for the NME. It did receive a lot of good reviews in the States though Noel Coppage of Stereo Review likened Marquee Moon to a "stale version of Bruce Springsteen" (I have no idea what he was listening to in order to come up with that remark!).

In 2003 NME named it as the fourth Best Album of All Time. Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time had it at #128.

Marquee Moon is among my favourite Albums of All Time and is Top Five in my favourite Debut Albums of All Time. It's an album I never tire hearing and over the years I cannot even imagine how many times I've played it (have been through four or five copies of it!), but it must number in the hundreds! And I'm off to play it again!

Alphabet Beats #134: T is for...Television

T is for....

Yesterday we looked at one of the great bands to come out of the New York scene in the 1970's with the Talking Heads so today I thought it would be fitting to look at another from those times - Television.

Televison first line up 1974 L to R

Richard Lloyd, Tom Verlaine, Richard Hell and Billy Ficca.

Prior to the formation of Television in late 1973 old friends Richard Hell and Tom Verlaine had formed a band called The Neon Boys, Billy Ficca played drums. We only know what they were like after a single was released in 1980 of the band (which you can hear in the above link). After the band broke up they all got back together again under a new name - Television. They recruited Richard Lloyd as second guitarist and then began playing live. Their debut was the Townhouse Theater on March 2nd 1974. The same year they made their debut at CBGB's and then onto other shows like Max's Kansas City etc and then in 1975 they were back at at CBGB's where they would begin to gain a Cult following!

A disagreement with Hell over his overly dramatic stage antics led to his departure from the band along with some of his songs that would later turn up in his own band Richard Hell and the Voidoids, but before their formation he would instrumental in setting up The Heartbreakers alongside former NY Dolls legends Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan.

Fred Smith (who had been in Blondie) took over Bass duties.

One lasting result of Hell's presence in the band was the first Television single, 'Little Johnny Jewel', released on Ork Records in 1975.

Little Johnny Jewel (Part 1 and 2).

Television 1977

They got signed to Elektra Records and released what I consider (any many others for that matter) one of the best Debut Albums ever in 'Marquee Moon', the follow up 'Adventure' rose high on the charts but Lloyd's drug addiction and Verlaine's and the other band members staunch artistic visions led to the disillution of the group.

They did reunite in 1992 releasing a brand new album and have sporadically played ever since being invited to play at All Tomorrows Parties Festival in 2001. Lloyd left the band again in 2007 and Jimmy Rip took over guitar duties.

Current Line Up L to R is Fred Smith - Bass, Tom Verlaine - Vocals/Guitar,  Billy Ficca - Drums and Jimmy Rip - Guitar/vocals.

The Music

(Click on the links to enjoy the music)

Studio Albums

    Marquee Moon (1977) #23 Sweden, #28 UK

    Adventure (1978) #7 UK  

   

    Television (1992)

Live albums

    The Blow-Up (1982)  

    Live at the Academy, 1992 (2003)  

    Live at the Old Waldorf (Recorded in 1978) (2003)

Singles
    "Marquee Moon " (1977) #30 UK
    "Prove It" b/w "Venus" (1977) #25 UK
    "Foxhole" b/w "Careful" (1978) #36 UK
    "Glory" b/w "Carried Away" (1978)
    "Ain't That Nothin'" b/w "Glory" (1978)
    "Call Mr. Lee" (1992) #27 Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 

More Television

Foxhole (Old Grey Whistle Test).

See No Evil (Whiskey A Go Go 1977).

Marquee Moon (Live at Mothers NY 1975).

Prove It (Live in Santiago, Chile 2013).

Blank Generation (CBGB's 1974).