Purchased (Not Only) By The Cover

In the early 80's guitarist Bill Carter formed a classic three piece band Motor Boys Motor and released only a self titled album after they split. The cover showed a snake man and I have to admit that it was pretty disgusting in days before they sent C-socialites into the jungle to eat worms. The band plays a Captain Beefheart inspired heavy blues. Carter plays a rhythmical, hard and feedback-drenched blues with a grabbing electric slide guitar combined with the staccato-like barked speech of Tony Moon. After the split of Motor Boys Motor Carter formed Screaming Blue Messiahs and got more critical acclaim than his former band.

Motor Boys Motor - Drive Friendly

Motor Boys Motor - Clean Shirt And A Shave

The bands name was borrowed by Joe Strummer's 101ers and worth to feature this song.

The 101ers - Motor Boys Motor

Us And Them

A few weeks ago Brian made a great post about one of the best bands from the early 60's. The Kinks and especially Ray Davis were one of my first love in music and guided me to a lot of other bands from this era. All this bands swashed over the Atlantic ocean in the mid 60's as the so called British invasion to show the natives how to play their very own sound. A lot of songs are borrowed by American blues legends or singer/songwriter but played with full enthusiasm. We don't have to discuss about their influence to the successive generations of musicians and bands because their legacy is well known and undisputed. I ask myself why Them was never featured at this place because I was always addicted to their very unique music. Originally another garage band from Belfast but blessed with one of the most soulful voices ever. Van Morrison made the difference to all the other bands and it was unavoidable that he quit the band to start a career of his own. Their legacy was only a few records under the name of Them and young people may not know that they was a band and Van Morrison was 'only' the voice.

Many artists covered their songs and this shows how great these songs are. Them made a great version out of a song originally written by Bob Dylan and the Bunnymen did it even better at the hight of their creative power.

Them - It's all over now Baby Blue
Echo and the Bunnymen - It's all over now Baby Blue

A simple three-chord song made it great. G-L-O-R-I-A seems like to be the blueprint of many songs from the post-punk era.

Them - Gloria
The 101er's - Gloria
Patti Smith - Gloria

Them - Here comes the night
David Bowie - Here comes the night

The Rivals, a British punk band from Kent, covered this song as well thinking that it was originally written by David Bowie

The Rivals - Here comes the night

Memories From My Vacation To The USA

I have to go back to the days when I stayed in Florida a few weeks ago. When we drove from one place to another we used to listen to the radio. What was new to me there are a lot of stations playing their music on satellite radio. Most of them played music that was classified in various genres. Old school rock, high school guitar sound or hit stations were often found. We found a radio station that played new wave music from the early 80's all day long. There were so many bands I forgot about them during the last years and was so surprised to listen to their songs on the air. One of those bands are The Passions, a British post-punk band formed in the late 70's. They disbanded in 1983 after the release of a few LP's. When I came home I grabbed out their first record Michael & Miranda from 1980 and listen to their old fashioned songs. But they are still worth to listen again with their bass dominated and retard guitar sound with the voice of Barbara Gogan. Guitar player Clive Timberley played former together with Joe Strummer by The 101ers. Not too bad requirements for a bigger career. Sadly they are just another forgotten  band in the history.

The Passions - Haunted
The Passions - Needles and Pills
The Passions - Body And Soul
The Passions - Oh No, It's You

What Happened To Pub Rock # 14

Today I would like to lose some words about a band which has become a firm institution in the pub rock scene. Nevertheless, looking back for many people only the fact that Joe Strummer has left the group to join The Clash will remain. I won't tell you some new facts that The Sex Pistols supported the 101ers. Therefore some statements by Joe Strummer himself:

"5 seconds into their (the Pistols') first song, I knew we were like yesterday's paper, we were over."

" know the 101ers were good. In fact, as far as sound and excitement went we were much better than Eddie and the Hot Rods. The other guys in the group were twenty-five and twenty-six and they played good because they'd spent a few years getting that far. But they were just too old. What I really wanted was to get in with some young yobbo's who I was more in tune with."

Anyway, this band should be named in this series.

Enjoy

The 101ers - Sweet Revenge
The 101ers - Gloria
The 101ers - Motors Boy Motor
The 101ers - Keys To Your Heart

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)