The Smarties - Let's Go Out Tonight (1980)

b/w I'm In Love (With A Yoo-Hoo-Hoo!)

Sole self-released [Lo-Fi/Powerpop] single from this very short lived Oxton Birkenhead band

Moon Records  [NORB 1] 
A Billy Norbert Production    

Lacquer Cut At – Utopia Studios
Manufactured By – Aerco Processing

Matrix (stamped + WAYO etched)
NORB 001 A ψ
NORB-1B    Æ 11139  WAYO! ψ  

Let's Go Out Tonight

Keith Hartley (Voc, Drums)
Alan Gill (Guitar)

Jamie (Bass)
Kenny (The Loop) Peers (Drums)

I'm In Love (With A Yoo-Hoo-Hoo!)
Keith Hartley (Voc, Percussion)
Alan Gill (Guitar, Percussion, Drums)
Jamie (Bass, Percussion, Keys)
Estelle (Backing Voc)

Kenny Peers In Groups:  Dalek I, The Smarties,
Alan David Gill In Groups: Radio Blank..., Dalek I, The Smarties, The Teardrop Explodes
Keith Hartley In Groups:  Radio Blank..., Dalek I, The Smarties, Godot 

Useless Info -  Alan Gill co-wrote The Teardrop Explodes 45 "Reward" 

Sounds & Scans

Luxury Glass Town - Through The Looking Glass EP (1981)

A1 Someone Like Sara
A2 Name And Number
B1 Confusions, Illusion Of Happiness
B2 Women And Boys

3 Good New Wave Tracks & 1 Very Nice Powerpopper on this (short lived) Guildford Band’s only release.

David Rose (Guitar/Voc/Mandolin) 

John Hudson (Bass/Voc/Stylophone) ex Strange Cult/The Golden Age of Metro
Jamie “Breezeblock” Legg (Drums) ex Strange Cult/The Golden Age of Metro/Matrix
Neil “Fingers” Henderson (Keys) 

with help from Sandra Benningsen (Backing Voc)

Through The Looking Glass Records  [SR 001] 500 copies

Recorded - Jacob’s Studios, Runwick nr Farnham [20 November ’80 and 27 February ’81] 
Engineered - Ken Thomas

Matrix / Dead wax (etched)
S/81+CUS+1054   SR001+A   OR
S/81+CUS+1054   SR001+B   OR

There are a few mispresses with the labels on the wrong sides & some copies come with an insert & stamped sleeve (this isn't one of them)

Useless info - The photo is the band outside Bellows Antique Shop on Woodbridge Road, Guildford

More info on this and other Guilford bands here  

Sounds & Scans

Thanks To Gary for sourcing this for me

DIG:DIG:DIG - Our Money (1981)

A1 Our Money
A2 625 Lines
B  Five Four 

Great slab of DIY/post-punk from this Didcot, Oxfordshire area band 

Started as a 3 piece 
Julian Gammon (Voc Guitar)
Dave Parsons (Bass) later in The Partisans, Transvision Vamp & Bush 
Dave Biggs (Drums)

& by 1982 had become a 5 piece with the addition of
Aaron McRobbie (Voc)
Andy Sutton (Keys)

No Cure Records  (DIG001/DIG002) Chilton, Didcot, Oxon
Recorded at Bulldog Studios May 1981
Copyright 1981 Stolen Records (500 copies - some with Insert)

Matrix (Etched)
Side A DIG-001-1  P2036
Side B DIG-002-1  P2036  IS THERE A GARAGE IN HAYES?
 
Discography
[Invizibilitze / Dig Dig Dig] VA - Anything Could Happen in the Next Half Hour (X- Cassettes X002) 1981
[5.4] VA - Bits (X-Cassettes X005) Compiled between April and October 81. 
[Behind The Wall] VA - Beyond The River (A Reading Area Compilation) (Open Door OD 001) 1982

Useless info 1 - Invizibilitze was also on Norway VA Cassette Comp - Et Hode Kortere Og Andre Hårreisende (?) Melodier [Mortan Tapes – MAT 001] 1982

Useless info 2 - Our Money was comped on VA – Shake Some Action Vol. 8

Useless Info 3 - Dave Parsons is credited as playing bass on some of Jimmy Pursey's 1980 LP  – Imagination Camouflage  

Sounds & Scans

Subway - In my Town EP (1983)

A1 In My Town  
A2 Always 
B1 Mr. Nice Guy  
B2 Reality

Cool Mod / Powerpop from this Fleetwood (Blackpool) Band  (1981 - 84)

[L-R above]

Neil Cookson (Guitar Voc)
Tony Mitchell (Voc Guitar}
Paul Hughes (Bass)
Scott Elliot (Drums)
George Williams (Keys Voc)
Additional Keys on In My Town by J Diver

Park Lane Records – PL 0027
Producer Rob Bee
Recorded Park Lane Studios, Preesall.

Dead wax (etched)
In My Town/Always - PL0027 A2 AM240  gg
Mr Nice Guy/Reality - AM240 UTOPIA   JEFF   gg 
(u of utopia is the usual lyre symbol)

From Tony Mitchells Bio [More in d/l]
1981: At 15, formed a band called Subway with George Williams & Scott Elliott, writing original songs & playing punk covers like “the Clash, the Jam, Stiff Little Fingers, the Skids etc.
1983: Saved a years worth of school dinner money up each to record, press & release a vinyl single called “In My Town”, built a big fan base & gigged continuously from 1981 – 1984.

Scans & Sounds

Dream Cycle 7 - I'll Please Myself (1982)

b/w Who's To Blame

A psychedelic three piece from the London area (1981-83) With 2 tracks that would have fit nicely on the Splash of Colour LP if they had been recorded a year earlier

Steve McNerney (Voc Guitar) (Ex The Pleasers)    
Trace Graham (Bass Voc) (Ex The Jetz)  
Robert Mayer* (Drums Voc)

Produced DC7 & Crumus Timble
Recorded Mountain Studios

Dead Wax (etched)
A - SRTS 82 CUS 1401A JB     THANKS TOM
B - SRTS 82 CUS 1401B JB  

Useless Info - Who's to Blame was written during the recording sessions in Wales

*Robert (Bob) came from watching the behind the scenes footage of recording the video for I'll please myself. 

Steve McNerney's You tube channel has a few live performances from a 1982 gig at the Roxborough pub, Harrow (where they had a Friday night residency)

Sounds & Scans

Mojo Filter - All Of The Time (1983)

b/w - I Told You

Great Beatlesque tunes from this Liverpool 4 piece [1980-87]

Mojo Records [MOJO 1]
Ace Records

Recorded At Alvic Studios, West Kensington, London.
Engineered by Keith?

Rick, Phil, Andy, Paul

Philip Melia (Voc Lead Guitar Harmonica) Later in the Pete Best Band 

Rick Alan (Rhythm Guitar Voc) - later George Harrison in The Cavern Beatles* [1989- ]
Paul Cooper (Bass Voc) RIP   Paul McCartney in the The Bootleg Beatles [1987 - 2001]
Andy Hudson (Drums Voc)

Dead Wax (etched)
All Of The Time MPO MOJO 1 A1   
I Told You MPO MOJO 1 B1
MPO = Moulage Plastique de l'Ouest

Fanclub Address - Hilary Duncan Southgate London N14 

Useless Info - Phil Melia joined after the departure of actor Mark McGann (who would go on to star as John Lennon himself in the 1985 film "John & Yoko, a love story". 

*The Cavern Beatles also included another early "Mojo Filter" Derek Stratton [Paul McCartney]

Sounds & Scans

Spittin' Image - Baby Goodbye (1979)

b/w (Wish I Could See A) U.F.O.

Great Mod/Powerpop on the sole release from this 4 piece from the Portsmouth area

Graham Phillips (Voc, Keys) 
John Barker (Guitar, Voc)
Derek Joyce (Bass, Voc)
Dave Marsh (Drums, Voc)

Wessex Records [WEX 270]  

Wessex Records Record label founded by Mike Devereux in 1979.
Telecomms had a 16 track studio above the shop at 189 London Road North End that started in 1978*, Roger Kennedy was the studio engineer. 

Dead Wax (etched)
Baby Goodbye - WEX 270 A1-1  E.G.. A Porky Prime Cut
(Wish I Could See A) U.F.O. - WEX 270 A2-1  E.G..

Useless info - Before Spittin' Image Dave Marsh was in a band [Labyrinth] with Steve Hampton  

For more info on Portsmouth bands go here 

*Although Mike recalls the build date as "1978", there are adverts in the music press for "Telecomms; An 8 Track Recording Studio (£40/day)" from early October 1977 & Pumphouse Gang recorded their first 45 at the studio before the end of '77. - Thanks to James for the amendment.

Sounds & Scans

Satyr - Problem In The City (1979)

b/w Love Slide Boogie

Great New Wave with hints of Glam on this London based trio's sole release (1977-80)

Martin Leyland (Voc)
Rob Smart (Bass)
Steve Cohen (Drums, Guitar, Voc)

Stardust Records (STAR 001)

Produced Martin Murray / Steve Cohen
Released - 15-02-1980

Matrix [etched]
Problem In The City STARDUST  STA+001+A  OR  DB
Love Slide Boogie STARDUST  STA+001+B  OR  DB
DB = Lacquer Cut By - Denis Blackham 
OR = Pressed By - Orlake Records 

Useless Info - Problem In The City appeared on Teenage Treats Vol. 5

Sounds & Scans

The Sods - Mopey Grope (1979)

b/w Negative Positive

Great Punky Powerpop from this Harlow 5 piece, who began life in early '77 as The Rage but due to another band using the name became The Sods.

Kevin Jones (Voc)
Shane Roe (Guitar)
Chris Wood (Bass)*
Mickey Howard AKA Little Mickey (Drums) 
Steve Horton AKA Bobby Crush (Keys)

In 1978, inspired by the DIY ethics of punk (& a £1000 bank overdraft) Kevin Jones and Shane Roe (along with Richard Holgarth and Billy Meadows from The Gangsters) started their own record label (Stortbeat Records). 

For a more in-depth band history go here 

Shane, Chris, Steve, Kevin

Discography
7'' 1979 No Pictures/Playthings (Stortbeat Records ST 005) 
7'' 1979 Mopey Grope/Negative Positive (Tap Records TAP 1)
CD 2006 Makes Me Sick [1977-1979] (Handsignal Recordings Handy 3)

*Due to Chris leaving before the 45's were releaesed
Declan Baron from The Rabbits plays on the No Pictures 45  
Scott Barker Ex The Fatal Microbes plays on the Mopey Grope 45 (He also wrote Negative Positive) 

Mickey Howard had also left the band before the recordings but retuned to record them. 

Deadwax (etched)
Too 1-A   LYN 7388 IU         Max    A Porky Prime Cut 
Too 1-B   LYN 7389 IU    Max    A Porky Prime Bim

Engineer     Roger Tebbutt 
Recorded    Pebble Beach Studios Worthing, Sussex

Useless info - After The Sods disbanded Kevin Jones (Voc), Scott Barker (Bass), Mickey Howard (Drums) & Martin Brown (Guitar) became the Ol' Rene's 

Sounds & Scans

Apple - Apple EP (1980)

A1 - Look what You've Done To My Heart
A2 - I Don't Know
B1 - Woke Up This Morning
B2 - Free Spirit

A nice EP of 60's sounding Mod/Pop tracks from this Huddersfield* area 4 piece.

Garry Burns (Voc Guitar)
John Richards (Guitar Voc)
Nigel Greenwood (Bass Voc)
Simon Taylor (Drums Voc)

Released On Real To Reel Records
Recorded at Leader Sound Recording Studio, Halifax, West Yorkshire.
Engineered by Bill Leader.

Dead wax Matrix (etched)
Side A RTRR EP1 A1   EG
Side B RTRR EP1 B1   EG
Another 45 Plated by Eddy Gorecki

* Their management Real To Reel Enterprises had a Huddersfield phone number.

If anyone can add any info please leave a comment

Sounds & Scans