Senseless Things - Too Much Kissing

  Going back in time today to an era when "punk was dead" in the UK. Or at least that's what the mainstream music press would have you believe. Instead we had the indie scene, much of which was made up of a load of kids influenced by punk playing 3 chord songs that weren't a million miles removed from their spiky haired forebears. "Punk's dead" they told us, but it wasn't, it had just gone in a number of different directions.

  So by the end of the 80's, there was a decent sized movement of guitar bands that were never going to trouble the top end of the proper charts in the way that Madonna or Michael Jackson were doing (unless they teamed up with Vic Reeves!) but who would sell a respectable amount of records, garner plenty of favourable column inches and attract large numbers of fans to their gigs. Many of us grew up with record collections graced by the likes of The Wedding Present, Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine, Neds Atomic Dustbin, The Primitives, The Wonder Stuff, The Smiths, Ride, Jesus And Mary Chain, Mega City Four, My Bloody Valentine, Elastica, Pop Will Eat Itself,  Sleeper etc etc etc. All bands that were fawned over by those who decided what was cool and what wasn't but all who would have either not existed or been very different without that punk influence.

  One of the best songs from this period was by The Senseless Things. From Twickenham, London, they formed in 1986, and over the course of the next 20 years or so released 4 studio albums and numerous singles. Their best known line up consisted of Mark Keds (guitar/vocals), Ben Harding (guitar/vocals), Morgan Nicholls (bass) and Cass Browne (drums).

  Most of you will remember this song, it was a single in 1989, on Way Cool Records and also featured on their debut album, Postcard C.V. Not punk, but as near as dammit, this is Too Much Kissing......

get the time now

Oh noe don

The Rude Boys - Rudeboy shuffle

 
  Hailing from Cardiff, The Oppressed are a Welsh anti fascist/anti racist skinhead/oi punk band that formed in 1981 and are still going strong today. Back in 1989, three members of The Oppressed, Roddy Moreno (guitar/vocals), Dominic Moreno (bass) and Adrian Moreno (drums), joined forces with Duncan Kieth (alto sax), Ahmed Taher (vocals) and Richard McCarthy (tenor sax) and under the name The Rude Boys, released The Rudeboy Shuffle ep. On Ska' Records (SKAT 002), it was a 12" and contained 4 great songs (Rockin' At Gingers, Ska Fever (part 2), Blue Beat Baby and Rude Boy Shuffle).

  In 2000, Step-1 Music released a compilation album of the band's music called Ska Fever : Original Skinhead Reggae. As well as the tracks from the ep it also included the original version of Ska Fever, an instrumental cover of George Gershwin's Summertime as well as Bartender, Rudegirl and Drugwar.

  From the ep (if you want to get hold of a copy it's been re released on the excellent Fight To Live label :  http://fighttolive.esy.es/vinilos/rude-boys-the-rudeboy-shuffle-ep-7-ep.html) this is the title track, Rudeboy Shuffle.....

Wat Tyler - Hops And Barley

 

A great old English singalong today with a song that'll end up rattling around in your head, preferably as you down a few pints of real ale.

  Evolving from the ashes of anarcho-punks 4 Minute Warning, Wat Tyler began playing live in 1986 and featured vocalist/drummer Sean Forbes (4 Minute Warning, Hard Skin), bassist Andi Tuck (4 Minute Warning, Thatcher On Acid),  guitarist Smithy (4 Minute Warning), and vocalist Julie.

  The band took their name from the leader of the 1381 Peasant's Revolt in England in which he marched a group of protesters from Canterbury to London to oppose the institution of a poll tax. Unsurprisingly, the band often commented on political issues but they also employed surreal humour and parody to get their message across.

  They released their debut 6 track ep, Contemporary Farming Issues, on their own Rugger Bugger Discs label in 1989. It contains the song I've posted below.
Over the course of the next 13 or so years they released an eclectic body of work, including numerous splits with the likes of Leatherface (who contributed a cover of today's song), J Church, Helen Love, Mambo Taxi etc..... There were also the albums Bavarian Drinking Songs, The Fat Of The Band and splits with Thatcher On Acid and XPensive Dogs. Possibly their most successful song, the Madonna parodying Sexless, was single of the week in both NME and Kerrang!

  This is Hops And Barley......

Hops and barley will be the death of me It comes from the wood and it does you no good So raise your glasses to the good men of Kent Who worship the hops and the barley The brew is on the go once again Joe licks his lips and smiles For every pint he downs he more proves that he's a man And he comes home full of vile Next morning he vows to abstain It'll be orange juice next time But the power of this vine still haunts him And he raises his glass to the sky In the garden of England Where real men could hold a pint The hops were picked and the barley ripe And beer was a way of life Now we're told that Foster's the thing Become a lager lout today So I go to the bar and order a jar of county 1045!

Sweet Baby Jesus - Two Tons Of Dynamite

 
  There's occasions when I'm looking for songs to add to this blog that I might think I've pretty much heard everything by now and there surely can't be too many more great oldies to unearth. And then something comes along to make me realise that that kind of thinking is stupid and that there's always stuff that I'm so far unaware of.

  Case in point, Sweet Baby's It's A Girl album. It's recently been remastered and re released on Eccentric Pop Records much to the delight of those who remember it from back in the day. I'm not one of those. I'd been unaware of it until a few weeks ago but the re release has brought it to my attention and hopefully to the attention of plenty more of you.

  Originally called Sweet Baby Jesus and hailing from Berkeley, California, their sound is more influenced by the 60's scene (Beatles) than 70's punk (Ramones), many people seem to credit them as being one of the first pop punk acts (Buzzcocks and Undertones fans would probably disagree). They got together in 1986 and featured Dallas Denery (vocals), Matt Buenrostro (vocals/guitar), Crispy Jim (bass) and Mr. T Experience frontman Dr. Frank (drums). Crispy Jim and Dr. Frank were replaced by Richie Bucher and Sergie Loobkoff before the release of It's A Girl (in 1989). It was their only album, but it's still worshipped today by those lucky enough to have caught it first time around.

  They split up around the time of the album release, there was work done on a follow up, Submarine Races, but nothing was ever released. A one off reunion for 2008's Insubordination Fest has been (so far) their only re emergence.

  There's a few songs that could have featured below but the one I've plumped for is Two Tons Of Dynamite.....


She's got everything I need.
She's satisfaction guaranteed.
I want to be with her.

And when I'm feeling all alone,
feeling like I've got no home,
I turn my thoughts to her.

Like two tons of dynamite 
she blows my mind,
yeah she's out of sight.
Kisses just like cherry bombs, 
I want to keep her in my arms. Wow!

One and one and one is two, 
I guess my brain has come unglued.
I want to be with you.

And I would be so happy now 
if you would only make a vow and say,
say you love me too.

Like two tons of dynamite, 
you blow my mind, 
yeah you're out of sight.
Kisses just like cherry bombs, 
I want to keep you in my arms.

One and one and one is two, 
I guess my brain has come unglued.
I want to be with you. 

And I would be so happy now 
if you would only make a vow and say,
say you love me too, say you love me too,
say you love me too, say you love me too.
 

Sloppy Seconds - I Don't Wanna Be a Homosexual

  I'm not sure who made the video to this but it's a bloody good effort, it even gives you an idea of what to expect with an opening caption of "If you're easily offended now would be a really good time to fuck off." Really though, who but the most po faced could fail to chuckle along to the purposely school boy, tongue in cheek humour of Sloppy Seconds?
  Formed in 1985 and hailing from Indianapolis, they've been the self proclaimed Kings Of Junk Rock ever since, plumbing the depths of bad taste with their Ramones/Kiss influenced brand of pop punk. Song subjects include porn, alcohol, obesity, classic horror movies, comic books and old tv shows, all sprinkled with a sugaring of irreverent humour and couldn't give a fuck attitude.
  From their 1989 debut album, Destroyed, this is the lead track, I Don't Wanna Be A Homosexual.......

People are telling me that I'm missing out on the fun. 
'Cause I don't go anywhere, and I don't meet anyone. 
But I know how rumors fly. 
When you're a lonely guy. 
And I'm here to tell you it's a lie. 

There's strange things going on at night most everywhere. 
You know those places, well you'll never see me there. 
I walk by other men. 
And I don't notice them. 
But then those rumors start again. 

So I'm gonna tell the world. 
I Don't Wanna Be a Homosexual. 
I'm gonna find a girl. 
'Cause I Don't Wanna Be a Homosexual. 
I guess that it's okay. 
If other guys are gay. 
But my hormones are one-directional. 
And I Don't Wanna Be a Homosexual. 

Somebody tell me what I did to start this talk. 
Is it the way I look? Is it the way I walk? 
Is it the clothes I wear, 
that make the people stare? 
Is it the way I comb my hair? 

I'm only hoping maybe there will come a day 
When I can make them understand that I'm not gay. 
But 'till that day is near, 
I guess I'll live in fear. 
And I curse the day I pierce my ear. 

There's nothing wrong with me. 
I Don't Wanna Be a Homosexual. 
Know what I want to be. 
And I Don't Wanna Be a Homosexual. 
Soft boys and closet queens, 
think Judy Garland's keen. 
But I don't think she's nothing special. 
And I Don't Wanna Be a Homosexual. 

So now I'm wondering if maybe they're not right. 
'Cause I've gone all paranoid and I can't sleep at night. 
I went to see the shrink. 
What did the doctor think? 
I swear to god I saw him wink. 

I pray to God I'm wrong 
I Don't Wanna Be a Homosexual. 
Why did I write this song 
If I Don't Wanna Be a Homosexual? 
I hope it's not too late, 
for them to set me straight. 
I've got to see a real professional. 
'Cause I Don't Wanna Be a Homosexual, no! 
No no no no. No no no no no no no. 

I don't wanna be, I don't wanna be 
I Don't Wanna Be a Homosexual. 

I don't wanna go with guys named Shamus. 
I don't wanna be rich and famous. 
I don't wanna go to a French art festival 
and I Don't Wanna Be a Homosexual.