Clap Your Hands

 

This musical journey through songs that feature handclapping takes us back to the 1970's. Do Anything You Wanna Do shot up the charts in 1977. Eddie and the Hod Rods were classified as a punk band because of their fast-paced guitar playing and their ‘do whatever you want’ attitude. In fact, they were one of the last successful pub rock bands, and their only connection to punk rock was that the Sex Pistols were their support act and smashed up their kit.

There’s no need to talk about Slade and their significance to glam rock.

There’s no doubt that Gary Glitter should be featured in this series as a representative of rock and roll. But I thought long and hard about whether I should give a convicted paedophile a platform. Ultimately, the song is not to blame for its criminal performer.

What Happened To Pub Rock # 10

How was said quite several times for me pub rock were the basis and above all the catalyst for punk rock. The music of the bands that belong to this genre reduced their music to the basics. Based on the old R&B they played simple hand-made music again. Most of them learned how to play in front of the audience. Some bands were able to join the new music that would be played in the mid 70s. The best example were The 101ers with Joe Strummer. At the end of this little series I would like to feature Eddie and the Hot Rods. A band that started with playing cover versions of classical 60s cuts is for me the link from pub rock to punk rock. Their single Do anything you wanna do is for many of my mates a classic punk rock song. I think this song has both: the new power of punk and the classic influence of R&B. According to my opinion their first publications are very good examples how pub rock sounded like over 40 years ago.

Eddie and the Hot Rods - Get Across To You
Eddie and the Hot Rods - Teenage Depression
Eddie and the Hot Rods - Horseplay (Wearier of the Schmaltz)
Eddie and the Hot Rods - Been So Long
Eddie and the Hot Rods - Cruisin' (In the Lincoln)

What Happened To Pub Rock # 5

Another remarkable band from the pub rock era were the Kursaal Flyers formed in the early 1970s in Southend-On-Sea. They had some really good material and excellent cover versions but their records sold poorly by missing airplay. They had one hit-single with Little does she know and their member were found after their demise in bands like Eddie and the Hod Rods and The Records. It's a forgotten band but their legacy were a few good songs, always worth to hear again.

Kursaal Flyers - Speedway (live)
Kursaal Flyers - Television Generation
Kursaal Flyers - Little Does She know