Showaddywaddy are a pop/rock group from Leicester, England. They specialise in revivals of hit songs from the 1950s and early 1960s, while also issuing original material. Showaddywaddy spent a total of 209 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, and had 10 Top Ten singles, with one reaching number one.
Vice Squad are an English punk rock band formed in 1979 in Bristol. The band was formed from two other local punk bands, The Contingent and TV Brakes. The songwriter and vocalist Beki Bondage was a founding member of the band. Although there was a period of time when the band had a different vocalist she reformed the band in 1997. Since 2008, the band have been releasing records on their own label Last Rockers.
The Blue Aeroplanes are an English rock band from Bristol, the mainstays of which have been Gerard Langley, brother John Langley, and dancer Wojtek Dmochowski. All three had previously been members of the new wave "art band" Art Objects from 1978 to 1981.
"I Saw Her Standing There" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles credited to Paul McCartney and John Lennon, but written primarily by McCartney. It is the opening track on the band's 1963 debut UK album Please Please Me and their debut US album Introducing... The Beatles.
Blitzkrieg Bop were an English punk rock band formed in Teesside, England in February 1977. They were named after a song by the Ramones with the same name. They released three singles. These were "Let's Go"/ "Bugger Off" / "9 Till 5" ; "Let's Go" (re-recorded) / "Life Is Just A So-So" / "Mental Case" ; and "(You're Like A) UFO" / "Viva Bobby Joe". A collection of all these tracks, plus other unreleased material, was released in 1998 entitled Top of the Bops (Overground), but it is currently out of print.
Chris Bostock is an English musician, songwriter and music producer, known for his work with JoBoxers, Subway Sect, Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys, The Style Council, Spear of Destiny, The X-Certs and The Stingrays.
Glaxo Babies are a Bristol-based post-punk band, formed in late 1977. There were three distinct phases in the band's life and after initially breaking up in 1980, they reformed in 1985, only to finally break up again in 1990. The band reformed once again in 2015 for the Un-Peeled 2015 event with Steve Street on bass and Tony Wrafter's son Oscar on vocals.
Europeans were a new wave band formed in Bristol, England in 1977. The line-up was Jonathan Cole, Jon Klein, Steve Street and James Cole. According to Klein, ‘we were going to be called 'The Noses.'
Avon Calling is an album of tracks featuring bands from Bristol, UK, on local record label Heartbeat Records, and was originally released in 1979. All but 2 of the tracks were recorded at Crescent Studios in Bath by David Lord and Glenn Tommey, when the bands were "neatly fitting in on "off days" from on-going sessions by the likes of Peter Gabriel, The Korgis & Kate Bush."
The X-Certs were an English band formed in 1978, which originally started as a punk band. They released the track "Blue Movies" on the Heartbeat Records 1979 EP 4 Alternatives, and subsequently had "Anthem" included on the label's seminal compilation album Avon Calling. They contributed two tracks to Bristol Recorder 2, and were including reggae by the time of their 1981 Recreational Records single "Together/Untogether". This was to be their last recording as they split up in early 1981 when Chris Bostock was recruited by Bernie Rhodes to play with Johnny Britton.
Heartbeat Productions is the parent company of a number of record labels originating from Bristol, England. Heartbeat Records was formed in 1978, and other labels have been added over the years to cater for specific niche markets or bands: Riot City Records in 1980, Disorder Records in 1981, FSA Records in 1992 and Trash City Records in 1994.
The Escape were an English new wave band from Bristol, formed in 1981 by Alan Griffiths (vocals/guitar) and Emil (drums) from Apartment with bassist Stuart Morgan.
Fried Egg Records was a record label set up in 1979 by Andy Leighton, administrator of the Bristol-based Crystal Theatre. Its first release was by the Theatres anarchic "house band" Shoes For Industry. In its short two-year existence the label did manage to produce records from some of Bristols' more notable bands, plus a compilation LP, E(gg)clectic 1.
Stereo Models were an English new wave group, formed in 1979 in Bristol, England. They are best known for the track "Move Fast-Stay Ahead", on the Bristol compilation album, Avon Calling, released by Heartbeat Records in 1979. Rick Joseph of NME writing at the time of the original release said, 'The joys of profligate living are eulogised in "Move Fast, Stay Ahead", a reckless, infectious punkabilly chorus from Stereo Models'. The track was written by Russ Thomas, who provided vocals and played guitar, and was recorded at Horizon Studios, Coventry. The drummer was Mark Hatwood, formally of Coventry band Squad, which included Terry Hall in their line-up. Later Paul Tyler was added on bass and Steve Libby on keyboards.
Art Objects were a Bristol-based post-punk band who later evolved into the Blue Aeroplanes. Between 1978 and 1981 they released two singles and one album.
Essential Bop were an English, Bristol-based post-punk/art band, formed in early 1978 by Dave Robinson, with an initial line-up of Steve Bush, Mike Fewings, Simon Tyler, Nick Tufnell (drums) and Seng-gye Tombs Curtis (‘visualist’). According to Steve Bush, they were originally going to be called Essence of Bop, but instead opted for Essential Bop.
Rob Chapman is an English music journalist and rock musician, best known as the vocalist for the defunct post-punk band the Glaxo Babies.
Kevin Figes is a British saxophonist, flutist, bandleader and composer, based in Bristol.
