The Vice Creems ... Danger Love & Show # 406

Kris Needs is primarily known as a journalist and author, he has written about several happenings and bands starting in the 70s onwards. He has written biographies on Joe Strummer, Keith Richards, Primal Scream and others, but some people may not know that he has also produced music. In the middle of 1977 he formed a group with Colin Keinch called The Vice Creems. The groups sound reflected a Power Pop/Punk dynamic and would have their origins in Aylesbury. Needs would cover the vocal duties while Keinch supplied the guitar, but the band went through many line ups. During this time Needs also served as the editor for Zig Zag Magazine and balanced releases and gigs with The Vice Creems. Vice Creems were first included on a compilation album entitled called Aylesbury Goes Flaccid, with their song “No Passion”. In June of 1978 a seven inch single followed that was released on Tiger Records, the single was Won’t You Be My Girl?/01-01-212.

The bands second and final single proves to be one of interest not just musically, but also historically. Danger Love was recorded for the inclusion in Needs Zig Zag Magazine, but at the time Needs did not have a band, he only had Keinch on guitar. Prior to the recording sessions, the band minus Colin and Needs left, so Needs contacted Mick Jones of The Clash who offered not only to produce the single for him, but also to find a band for him to complete the recordings. The band that was used for these sessions which were recorded at Olympic studios were none other than Topper Headon of The Clash on drums and Tony James of Generation X on bass.

The band quickly worked up two songs and Mick recorded them. It was one of the first examples of Mick Jones producing capabilities, a skill he was still developing at the time and would later utilize with The Clash and his post Clash bands. The single also serves as historical significance to not only fans of The Clash and Generation X, but also for the UK Punk music scene at the time, the single is an often overlooked nugget in the late 70s UK music scene world. The song “Danger Love” reflects the Power Pop sound that band developed on their earlier single, but with Mick Jones in the producer seat and an all-star rhythm section, the song sounded like it took on elements of Glam Rock from bands like David Bowie and Mott The Hoople. The B-side was “Like A Tiger” a rocked up version of the early Rock and Roll classic of the same name.

Overall, the single reflects elements that Mick Jones was known for.  Just off of the release of Give’ Em Enough Rope, the songs reflect that sound, Vice Creems guitarist Colin Keinch even used Mick Jones Les Paul guitar on the recordings. Also it is rumoured that Billy Idol even sings some back up vocals along with all the others involved, the guitar work sounds undeniably like Mick Jones at times as well. To prevent legal hassles from their record companies Mick Jones changed his name to Michael Blair, Topper Headon to Nicholas Kahn, and Tony James is credited as Anthony Ross. Danger Love remained out of print for years until 2010, when it appeared on the Dirty Water 2: More Birth of Punk Attitude compilation album.

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This week marked the last time that I will be covering Some Folks Get The Blues (which I renamed Revolution Blues) for a while. Next week I will return to hosting just Revolution Rock from 10:30 - Noon on CJAM 99.1 FM. Download links and play lists below.

Part One - Revolution Blues

1. Tim Harden – Black Sheep Boy
2. Dan Vacon – My Scene’s Better Than Your Scene
3. Sumner Brothers – Big Rock Candy Mountain
4. Ray Condo & The Hard Rock Goners – Rock Island Line
5. Stingin’ Hornets – Hornet Hive Hop
6. Billy Childs - Call Me Shorty
7. Bobby Allen – Mean Woman Blues
8. Bloodshot Bill – Rattle My Brain
9. Henry Priestman - Did I Fight The Punk Wars For This?
10. Kris Kristofferson – Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)
11. Jack White – Blunderbuss
12. Buster Brown – Doctor Brown
13. Peppermint Harris – Wait Until It Happens To You
14. Wilbert Harrison – Kansas City
15. Chuck Berry – Things I Used To Do
16. The Ten Commandments – Not True
17. Reigning Sound – Watching My Baby
18. Ry Cooder – El Corrido De Jesse James
19. The Smiths – Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
20. Ed Kuepper – Car Headlights
21. Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros – The Long Shadow
22. Matthew Barber - Got That Lonesome Feeling On My Mind
23. Long Distance Runners - Election Day
24. Maps & Atlases - Remote & Dark Years
25. Alex Chilton – Alligator Man
26. The Clash – Lonesome Me

Download part one (Revolution Blues) here!

Part Two - Revolution Rock

27. Crash 80s – Waiting For The Heat
28. The Dream Dates – The Mess You’re In
29. B-Girls – “B” Side
30. Thee Oh Sees – Heavy Doctor
31. Long Weekends – Quarter Sticks
32. Lollipop Shoppe – You Must Be A Witch
33. Sam The Sham & The Pharrohs – Ain’t Gonna Move
34. Spacecraft 7 – Santa Domingo
35. New Kind of Mambo – New Kind of Mambo
36. Wavves – In The Sand (Live)
37. Thrush Hermit – Hated It
38. Hater – Down Undershoe
39. The Soles – Candles
40. The Visitors – Sad TV
41. Rich Kids – Ghosts of Princes In Towers
42. Nick Lowe – So It Goes
43. Bonus Boys – Wasting Our Time
44. The Testors – Time Is Mine
45. U2 – Streetmission
46. Vice Creems – Like A Tiger
47. Vice Creems – Danger Love
48. The Bell Peppers – Bell Pepper Hop
49. Link Wray – Dueces Wild

Download part two (Revolution Rock) here!

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