June Miles-Kingston | |
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Genres | Punk rock, new wave, ska |
Occupation(s) | Vocalist, drummer |
Years active | 1979–present |
June Patricia Miles-Kingston [1] is a British singer and drummer, best known for her work with various successful bands and singers in the 1980s. She was a founding member of the post-punk group the Mo-dettes, which lasted from 1979 to 1982, and later became a session drummer and backing vocalist for a variety of British post-punk, new wave, and pop artists. She is the cousin of Paul Miles-Kingston, [2] who reached number 3 in the UK charts with Pie Jesu in 1985.
Miles-Kingston was an art student who studied at the National Film School. She helped Julien Temple make the Sex Pistols' film The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle . In 1979 she then moved in to squat with Kate Korris of the Slits and Joe Strummer of the Clash and bought a drum kit from Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols for £40.
Within a few months, Miles-Kingston and Korris had formed the Mo-dettes with two friends, Jane Crockford and Ramona Carlier. [3] The Mo-dettes toured for four years, supporting two-tone ska bands such as Madness and the Specials before breaking up in 1982.
Miles-Kingston went on to play drums with Everything but the Girl, the Fun Boy Three (her backing vocals being evident in "Our Lips Are Sealed") and the Communards. [4] She also played drums for Feargal Sharkey on his hits "A Good Heart" and "You Little Thief". In 1984, she released a solo single, "Say You", and sang the theme to the Channel 4 six-part comedy series They Came from Somewhere Else . In 1986, she contributed backing vocals to two tracks ("Eiledon" and "Remembrance Day") on the Big Country album The Seer . She also contributed backing vocals to songs on Microdisney's The Clock Comes Down the Stairs (1985), as well as on their 39 Minutes album (1987) and also prominently on the Lover Speaks' self-titled debut album, which included "No More I Love You's" (1986), later covered by Annie Lennox on her 1995 album Medusa . In 1989, Miles-Kingston covered "Comment te dire adieu?" with Jimmy Somerville and the song reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart.
Miles-Kingston went on to study fine art at St. Martin's and filmmaking at the University of Sussex. Her film Dear Miss Bassey was awarded a prize at the London 'Shorts' Film Festival.[ citation needed ] She continues to make music and films and is writing about her musical experiences.[ citation needed ]
The Modern Lovers were an American rock band led by Jonathan Richman in the 1970s and 1980s. The original band existed from 1970 to 1974 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks with drummer David Robinson and keyboardist Jerry Harrison. The sound of the band owed a great deal to the influence of the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, and is now sometimes classified as "proto-punk". It pointed the way towards much of the punk rock, new wave, alternative and indie rock music of later decades. Their only album, the eponymous The Modern Lovers, contained idiosyncratic songs about dating awkwardness, growing up in Massachusetts, love of life, and the USA.
The Clash were an English rock band that formed in London in 1976 and were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they used elements of reggae, dub, funk, ska, and rockabilly, and they contributed to the post-punk and new wave movements that followed punk. For most of their recording career, the Clash consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Joe Strummer, lead guitarist and vocalist Mick Jones, bassist Paul Simonon, and drummer Nicky "Topper" Headon.
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band that singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto formed in Manchester in 1976. During their career, the band combined elements of punk rock, power pop, and pop punk. They achieved commercial success with singles that fuse pop craftsmanship with rapid-fire punk energy; these singles were later collected on Singles Going Steady, an acclaimed compilation album music journalist and critic Ned Raggett described as a "punk masterpiece".
The Damned are an English rock band formed in London in 1976 by lead vocalist Dave Vanian, guitarist Brian James, bassist Captain Sensible and drummer Rat Scabies. They were the first punk band from the United Kingdom to release a single, "New Rose" (1976), release a studio album, Damned Damned Damned (1977) and tour the United States. Nine of the band's singles charted on the UK Singles Chart Top 40.
Public Image Ltd are an English post-punk band formed by lead vocalist John Lydon, guitarist Keith Levene, bassist Jah Wobble, and drummer Jim Walker in May 1978. The group's line-up has changed frequently over the years; Lydon has been the sole constant member.
"Anarchy in the U.K." is a song by English punk rock band the Sex Pistols. It was released as the band's debut single on 26 November 1976 and was later featured on their album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. "Anarchy in the U.K." was number 56 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.
Sham 69 are an English punk rock band that formed in Hersham in Surrey in 1975. They changed their musical direction after seeing the Sex Pistols play live in early 1976. They were one of the most successful punk bands in the United Kingdom, achieving five top 20 singles, including "If the Kids Are United" and "Hurry Up Harry". The group's popularity saw them perform on the BBC’s Top of the Pops, and they appeared in the rockumentary film, D.O.A.. The original unit broke up in 1979, with frontman Jimmy Pursey moving on to pursue a solo career.
Models are an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne, Victoria in August 1978. They went into hiatus in 1988, but re-formed in 2000, 2006 and 2008 to perform reunion concerts. The band began regularly performing again from 2010 onwards. "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", their only No. 1 hit, appeared on the Australian singles charts in July 1985. The related album, Out of Mind, Out of Sight, peaked at No. 3 on the Australian albums charts after its release in August. Out of Mind, Out of Sight appeared on the Billboard 200 albums chart, with the single, "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", peaking at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. An earlier song from the same album, "Barbados", had peaked at No. 2 on the Australian singles chart.
Toy Dolls are an English punk rock band formed in 1979. Departing from the angry lyrics and music often associated with punk rock, the Toy Dolls worked within the aesthetics of punk to express a sense of fun, with songs such as "Yul Brynner Was a Skinhead", "My Girlfriend's Dad's a Vicar" and "James Bond Lives Down Our Street". There is often alliteration in their song titles. They are probably best known however for their sole UK hit, a punk-rock cover of "Nellie the Elephant".
Rich Kids were a short-lived new wave band from London, founded in 1977 by Glen Matlock following his departure from the Sex Pistols. The band also included teenage guitarist Steve New, former Slik and future Ultravox member Midge Ure and Rusty Egan, who both later founded Visage together. They released one album and three singles during their existence, from March 1977 to December 1978.
Gerard Nolan was an American rock drummer, best known for his work with the New York Dolls and The Heartbreakers.
The Professionals were an English punk rock band active from 1979 to early 1982 and again from 2015 to 2024. They were formed by ex-Sex Pistols members Steve Jones and Paul Cook after that band's demise. The Professionals split in 1982, before reforming in 2015 under the leadership of Cook.
Vicious White Kids were an English punk rock band from London that formed for only one concert on 15 August 1978, staged at the Electric Ballroom in London. The former bassist of Sex Pistols, Sid Vicious, was the lead singer. It was his final concert in England, as he died of a heroin overdose the following February.
Tenpole Tudor are an English punk band fronted by Edward Tudor-Pole. The band first came to prominence when Tudor-Pole appeared in the Sex Pistols' film The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle and on three of the singles released from the soundtrack. The band then went on to have hits in their own right with songs like "Swords of a Thousand Men" and "Wünderbar". The band has been active intermittently since 1977. During 2017 whilst working and recording new versions of his old songs in Norway, Tenpole formed a Norwegian based incarnation known as the 'Tenpole Tudor Vikings' who performed two UK shows, at London's 100 club, and Milton Keynes Crawford Arms. Due to distance and travel logistics, The Vikings were short lived. Meanwhile back in England in 2020 the time felt right to put together a UK based band again to tour. The line-up consisted of Juliet Hodges(daughter of Chas Hodges of Chas and Dave fame) on keyboards, Nigel Marshall on bass and wife Jenny on backing vocal, and long time friend and collaborator Dave Twigg on drums. With a diary of dates quickly filling up, the band succumbed to the COVID outbreak. During the nation's lockdown, Ed began writing his biography due for publication in 2023. In 2022, Ed made a number of solo appearances throughout the UK at the 'Lets Rock' retro festivals.
The Nuns was an American rock band based in San Francisco and New York City. Best known as one of the founding acts of the early San Francisco punk scene, the band went through a number of hiatuses and periodic reunions, lineup changes, and changes in style. Overall, The Nuns performed and recorded on and off from the mid-1970s into the 2000s. While the band was centered on Jennifer Miro and Jeff Olener through its various incarnations, Alejandro Escovedo, who went on to later success as an Americana and alternative country musician, was also a key member during its years of fame in late 1970s San Francisco.
The Hard-Ons are an Australian punk rock band, which formed in 1982 in Punchbowl, New South Wales. Its founding members were Keish de Silva on lead vocals and drums, Peter "Blackie" Black on guitar and backing vocals, and Ray Ahn on bass guitar. The band issued five studio albums prior to their disbandment in 1994. The band reformed in 1997. In 2002, de Silva announced his departure from the band. He was replaced on drums by Front End Loader's Peter Kostic, while Black took over on lead vocals. Kostic was later replaced in turn by Conation drummer Murray Ruse in 2011. de Silva returned as a guest vocalist in 2014, and permanently rejoined the band in 2016. This version of the band would stay together for a further five years and one studio album, prior to de Silva's second departure in 2021. You Am I frontman Tim Rogers has since taken over as the band's lead vocalist.
John William Cann, later known by his stage name John Du Cann, was an English guitarist primarily known through his work in the 1970s band Atomic Rooster.
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle is the soundtrack album of the film of the same name by the Sex Pistols.
Mo-dettes were an English all-female post-punk band, formed in 1979 by guitarist Kate Korris, an original member of the Slits and brief member of the Raincoats, and bassist Jane Crockford, a former member of Bank of Dresden. Ramona Carlier (vocals) and June Miles-Kingston (drums) completed the line-up.
Women have made significant contributions to punk rock music and its subculture since its inception in the 1970s. In contrast to the rock music and heavy metal scenes of the 1970s, which were dominated by men, the anarchic, counter-cultural mindset of the punk scene in mid-and-late 1970s encouraged women to participate. This participation played a role in the historical development of punk music, especially in the US and UK at that time, and continues to influence and enable future generations. Women have participated in the punk scene as lead singers, instrumentalists, as all-female bands, zine contributors and fashion designers.