Anarchy from the UK and Show #117

This week I'll be talking a bit about Sex Pistols. Well this band started everything really, because of Sex Pistols Joe Strummer broke up his band the 101'ers to form The Clash, Howard Devoto and Pete Shelley formed Buzzcocks, and tons of other bands ignited upon the punk rock fuse that was lit by Sex Pistols.

Sex Pistols were just a band in the right place at the right time. Formed in 1975, they were brought together by radical clothes designer Malcolm McLaren, to promote clothes and fashions from his shop. The band consisted of Steve Jones (Guitar), Paul Cook (Drums),Glen Matlock (Bass), and Johnny Rotten on vocals. The band played loud fast rock & roll songs, and that is all the group was a loud rock band with extreme attitude, courtesy of Mr. Johnny Rotten. Johnny Rotten brought emotion to the band, the band talked of the times in England and the Government. They brought up real and political themes in a format that was known as punk rock.

The media and many people were terrified of the band and Johnny Rotten, they were thought of as some to be evil. Their first single "Anarchy in The UK" caused the band to be dropped from their record label, EMI. A song about being dropped from their label was written and is featured on their only album Nevermind The Bollocks...Here's The Sex Pistols, it is called "EMI". Original bassist Glen Matlock, was fired just after this and just before their next single "God Save The Queen". The song would be banned by The BBC because of all the trouble it caused, it actually reached number one on the billboard charts, but the name of the song and the band appeared as a blank space atop of the charts. After the sacking of bassist Glen Matlock, Johnny Rotten's friend Sid Vicious was brought into the band. Sid could not play an instrument, and he was not featured on their record (the bass parts were played by guitarist Steve Jones). The band would self destruct during their first US tour, in January 1978. Johnny Rotten (real name John Lydon) would go on to form the post punk group Public Image Limited, Steve Jones would form the Professionals, and the other members were involved in other projects as well.

The song I played by the band tonight "Bodies" is a song which brings up issues of abortion. Johnny Rotten does not say whether he is for or against the subject, but it is based on a real life experience of someone he knew. For more information about Sex Pistols, you can read John Lydon's Autobiography, or get the classic albums DVD on Nevermind the Bollocks. In the early 90's a similar musical impact would occur with another band that was influenced by Sex Pistols, that would be Nirvana, but that is another story.

The Play List:

1. The Count Five - double-decker bus
2. MC5 - teenage lust
3. Generation X - Cathy come home
4. Teenage Head - curtain jumper
5. Modernettes - confidential
6. Ramones - questioningly
7. Ramones - she's the one
8. Sex Pistols - bodies
9. Buzzcocks - are everything
10. Buzzcocks - why she's a girl from the chainstore
11. The Diodes - madhouse
12. The Clash - junkie slip
13. The Clash - Kingston advice
14. The Saints - all times through paradise
15. The Police - synchronicity I
16. Talking Heads - I get wild/wild gravity
17. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - senior service
18. Wire - a question of degree
19. Iggy Pop - sixteen
20. Sloan - she says what she means
21. Sloan - iggy & angus
22. The D4 - Rebekah
23. The D4 - running on empty
24. Albert Hammond Jr. - back to the 101
25. The Rapture - pieces of the people that we love

Show #116

Here's what was played this week:

1. MC5 – sister anne
2. Modernettes – celebrity crack up
3. Devo – gut feeling/slap your mammy
4. Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - techno d-day
5. Sex Pistols – no feelings
6. Wire – too late
7. Teenage Head – lucy potato
8. Generation X – modern boys
9. The Police – when the world is running down you make the best of what's still around
10. Elvis Costello & The Attractions – talking in the dark
11. Talking Heads – girlfriend is better
12. Ramones – I wanna be sedated
13. Ramones – go mental!
14. Diodes – photograph from mars
15. The Clash – broadway
16. The Clash – Charlie don’t surf
17. Sloan – losing California
18. Buzzcocks – I don’t know
19. Buzzcocks – I look alone
20. Iggy Pop – lust for life
21. Radio 4 – enemies like this
22. The Saints – swing for the crime

Natural's Not in and Show #115

The Gang of Four were formed by a bunch of university kids in 1977 and came from Leeds. The group consisted of four members, Jon King on vocals, Andy Gill on guitar, Dave Allen on bass,and hugo burnham on drums. The groups sound was associated with punk and new wave. The band used odd musical stylings with rampid political messages. The group used heavy distortion on and basslines along with Kings jumpy vocal style to create something very different. Several Eps and albums were released by the group the most notably was their first two albums Entertainment! and Solid Gold. After those albums and a few Ep's the group started to change their sound and went in more of a funk, dance, and dub direction. They were definitely different, they were a post-punk band that would influence many more in the long run. In 2004, the Gang of Four reunited and in 2005 made an album of re-recorded songs titled Return The Gift.

Their sound influenced many bands such as Rage Against The Machine and Nirvana. Both these bands have stated that Gang of Four was an influence on them. If you listen to Entertainment! and then some Rage Against The Machine songs, you can hear the influence. With the rise of the group Franz Ferdinand in 2004, it was obvious that they were influenced by the group immensely. They sound very similar to Gang of Four, and definitely are the modern version of them. The Song played on tonight's show was "Natural's Not In" from the album Entertainment!, which is in my opinion their best effort. The album originally contained 12 songs, but was re-released in 2006 with bonus tracks and the Yellow EP all on the same disc. If you liked song played on this weeks show, you should definitely pick up this Rhino re-release of the album.

Here's what was played on this weeks show:

1. Gang of Four – natural’s not in
2. Generation X – girls
3. The Police – a sermon
4. MC5 – looking at you
5. Sex Pistols – no fun (stooges cover)
6. Teenage Head – picture my face
7. Young Canadians – data redux
8. Ramones – needles & pins
9. Ramones – I’m against it
10. Modernettes – celebrity crack up
11. Pointed Sticks – what do you want me to do?
12. The Saints – champagne misery
13. Buzzcocks – why can’t I touch it?
14. Buzzcocks – run away from home (a different kind of tension outtake)
15. The Diodes – teenage nation
16. Wire – too late
17. The Clash – the call up
18. The Clash – Washington bullets
19. The Stems – she’s a monster
20. Iggy Pop – nightclubbing
21. Devo – uncontrollable urge
22. Rage Against The Machine – bombtrack (swing version)
23. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - clean money
24. The Strokes (w/ed vedder/josh homme)– mercy mercy me (Marvin Gaye Cover)
25. The Strokes - ize of the world
26. The Hives - two-timing touch and broken bones

Know Your Product...

I recently found out about these videos that The Saints made. There are two promotional music videos I found, one for their first single, "(I'm) Stranded", and one for "Know Your Product" that I didn't even know existed. Also included here is their performance on Top of The Pops in 1977. The Stems have a video too, I played the song "Tears Me In Two" on my show last week here's the video.

(I'm) Stranded Video
know Your Product Video
This Perfect Day on Top of The Pops
The Stems Tears Me in Two

Show #114

Play List for October 4th:

1. Sex Pistols - new york
2. Young Canadians - just a loser
3. Teenage Head - bone rack
4. Generation X - dancing with myself (original version)
5. Pointed Sticks - waiting for the real thing
6. The Police - low life
7. MC5 - future/now
8. The Stooges - gimme some skin
9. Ramones - you don't come close
10. Ramones - I don't want you around
11. The Diodes - burn down your daddy's house
12. The Saints - orstralia (alternate version)
13. The Stems - tears me in two
14. Buzzcocks - everbody's happy nowadays
15. Buzzcocks - harmony in my head
16. The Clash - midnight log
17. The Clash - the equalizer
18. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - accidents will happen
19. Talking Heads - once in a lifetime
20. Magazine - a song from under the floorboards
21. Wire - from the nursery
22. Dirty Pretty Things - last of the small town playboys
23. Dead 60's - ghostfaced killer
24. Incubus - anna molly
25. Pearl Jam - big wave