24th June 1983, price 49p
|
Chart Beat No. 5 24th June 1983, price 49p |
|
|
| Front cover · Pages 2 & 3 · Pages 4 & 5 · Pages 6 & 7 · Pages 8 & 9 · Pages 10 & 11 · Pages 12 & 13 · Pages 14 & 15 · Pages 20 & 21 · Pages 28 & 29 · Pages 30 & 31 · Rear cover |
 Back to top |
Front Cover Features: Style Council (main photo) David Bowie Big Country New Edition Aztec Camera / Duran Duran Altered Images / Tony Prince Show / Pin Ups Badge offer Duran Duran & Yazoo (inset photos) |
 Back to top |
Page 2 Band Photo - Ultravox Warren Cann, Midge Ure, Billy Currie & Chris Cross Page 3 - Contents Ultravox - full colour pin-up - 2 News Beat - all the latest in pop news - 4, 5 Style Council - A talk with Mick Talbot - 6, 7 Big Country - ringing out the changes with the check-shirt brigade - 8, 9 Radio One. Roundtable - Richard Skinner and guest review the lastest singles - 10, 11 Chartbeat Chartline - our own single and album charts, 01-741-5666/7 - 12 Breakers - One The Juggler - 15 On The Town - Big Country Tour Dates - 20 Star Style Special - We've taken a look at some changes in style of your favourite popstars - 28 ,29 Mailbag - Your chance to air your views - 30 David Bowie - colour pin-up - 32 |
 Back to top |
Pages 4 & 5 News Strike Shock There were rather a few shocks in the charts a few weeks ago. After thundering in like a bullet, suddenly Altered Images and the Style Council dropped with no apparent explanation! However, all was revealed a little later when CBS admitted that there had been a dispute at their distributing depot, which had resulted in a labour stoppage. Poor Clare Grogan, just when everything sememed to be going right for once! |
 Back to top |
Pages 6 & 7 The Style Council When the Style Council was formed earlier this year much of the press attention was subjected to and centred on its leading light, Paul Weller. For Paul's new partner, former Merton Parkas and Bureau keyboards supremo, Mick Talbot the public remained very much in the dark. The Style Council are currently recording a number of tracks for an new E.P. in the very stylish surroundings of a Paris Studio. However, before they left for 'la belle France', Mick stopped by for a brief chat and an opportunity to get his point across, but first I had to ask, why Paris? "It just fits in with the songs we're doing. We just fancied doing some recording there and we're gonna do a bit of shopping too! A bit of work and play. But seriously, we don't know, we're just going to try a few things out. We might even try using some French musicians." Tell me more about the E.P., is it meant as a sort of compromise for an album, or are you trying to give value for money? "Well, both really, we've wanted to do an E.P. rather than another single and we do like to give value for money. The 12-inch of the current single, you know, I think that's good value for money that's if some of these record shops don't knock it up more than they should do, because it's got three tracks. As for an L.P., there's no definite date set for that, but I think it'll probably be quite late on in the year. We want to put together a quality album, without any "fillers" on it. We want to put out something that's worthwhile and we're gonna take our time over it. For the moment we're quite happy doing singles and things." Fair enough, but when can we expect to see The Style Council on tour in Britain? "We're not gonna play any live dates for quite a while. I don't think we've got a full set. We've done a few things just in support of the CND festival. We were supposed to play five songs at the rally, but there was just a lot of idiots there. A lot of people thought we walked off, after two numbers, because people were chucking things, but they were doing that to all the bands. We were by no means a special case. I think Hazel O'Connor, one of her band had to go to hospital 'cos he got a bottle in the head. John Peel got hit and he was the DJ! But we didn't walk off early, they asked us to cut our set to two numbers anyway, so we never really got a chance to play and that was the first time we'd got a proper line-up together. We really want to do some live dates, but it'll probably be nearer the end of the year, because we want to make sure that it's presented in a good way and we've got to build up a bit of a set." What kind of "set" are you looking for and will the line-up of The Style Council increase with time? "Well it all depends. I don't think that the fact that at the moment it's just the nucleus of me and Paul, The Style Council coud be different every time we go out. Recently we did a live session for Radio l, we just did four numbers in a four piece "combo" of piano, bass, guitar and drums, and that just suited the songs we were doing for that session. On other live shows we'd probably like to use brass and maybe even strings, you know, we haven't got any set rules." Do you find this freedom, this flexibility between the size and content of your line-up refreshing when it comes to songwriting and are you contemplating writing some of your own material for The Style Council? "I think we've got a good approach, because I've been in band's before where you've got a brass section or something and you've got seven or eight members in a band and every time you get a new song you tend to approach it in the same way, trying to find something for everyone to do. Maybe a lot of songs don't suit the line-up you've got, so we're putting the song before any band ego. It's quite possible that songs could come out by The Style Council with a guest vocalist singing lead vocals. It's not necessary for Paul or me to play on them. As for songwriting myself, well at the moment we've only done the two singles and the only thing I've written is an instrumental. Paul said he was quite keen on recording some instrumentals, so we tried out the thing in the studio and it's now on the B-side of the 12-inch of "Money Go Round". I'm quite involved with the arrangements, but I wouldn't like to just rush into the songwriting just for the sake of it, because Paul's a really good writer and whatever we put out we want to be good. How do you compose the songs in The Style Council. Does Paul record the initial melodies on his own or there a set format where you come together and write? "We haven't really got a set format, because what we've done so far has come out of all sorts of things. I mean basically Paul will play me a song and we'll roughly knock it out, just the two of us, playing all sorts of things, putting down our ideas on demo tape. But then again, we could do it totally different. 'Money Go Round" for instance, I don't think he's ever done anything like that before and neither have I, that was just a jam. When we were doing "Speak Like A Child", Paul, Zeek and I were just messing about with a riff in between tracks for about 16 minutes and we played it back, chopped it up, edited it and Paul said he'd add some words to it and that was that!" When the line up of The Style Council was first announced it was reported that you were an old friend of Paul's and had played in sessions with him quite often. Has that friendship been strained by you working together or is every thing going exactly to plan? "I did some work with The Jam a while back. I played on "Setting Sons" and I did some live work with them in 1980, but I wouldn't say I was a good friend of Paul's, I just knew him. I met him about four or five years ago and I'd occasionally see him at a gig or when I worked with him, but he wasn't like a mate you'd see all the time." Over the last month or so a great deal of press attention has come Paul's way concerning his record label, Respond. Do you think the success of Tracie and The Questions has detracted support for The Style Council? "I don't think so, there is a link up between us, I played on the Posse-tour. People have said Respond has got all its press because of Paul, but obviously he's got to try and lift it off the ground and I really don't think its needs Paul now. You know, Tracie's had a hit and The Questions have done quite well and should do even better next time out and even Vaughn's thing, 'The Main T Posse' could do quite well if it got the airplay." And finally, what do you see as your ambition. What do you want to achieve within the realms of The Style Council? "I'd just like to keep making records that I'm happy with. Ambitions are a bit of an abstract thing to talk about, but I'm really happy with what I'm doing at the moment. It's a good situation and I'd like to continue making good records and hopefully play loads of live concerts. It's all been very busy, but I'm enjoying it. I think I'm learning quite a bit." |
 Back to top |
Pages 8 & 9 Big Country You may have noticed that in the past few weeks there have been two singles in the top 40 which actually included a combination of real guitars, real drums, real bass, and a very real singer! Both these seem remarkably innovative pieces of music in todays facade of synth-pop and faked-up funk. The songs in question are "Fields Of Fire" and "In A Big Country", both the babes of former Skid, Stuart Adamson. Now with his new band Big Country, it looks as if he is about to mark the second coming of the electric guitar as the sound to ring the real changes in contemporary music. It's a very healthy sign. We have been witnessing the return of passion and power to the music scene recently with Wham, U2, Wah, Echo, Dexy's and The Style Council, all of whom Big Country have great admiration for. "Fields Of Fire" burst upon the unexpecting public grabbed them by the throats, warmed the cockels of their hearts and made them sit up and listen. It was a rousing anthem from a band who seem to have an almost warrior soul. Although quite different in style from Stuart's former group The Skids there is still one connecting theme, that of passionate awesome guitar work, which led the Skids into a wild and reckless career which lasted for four very productive years. You must remember their three very enlightening hit singles "Into The Valley", "Masquerade" and "Working For The Yankee Dollar". There were also three great albums. Stuart however departed their ranks in Spring 1981, disillusioned and deeply disappointed that the vigour and fervour which had initially inspired them had faded into a half hearted show of "Futurism!" It signalled the end for Scotlands most promising punk outfit. Stuart returned home to Scotland to his young wife and family. Here the seed of Big Country, then only a dream, began to evolve. Although with an accent as thick as porridge, whining guitars with a distinct bagpipe sound, none of them are actually Scottish. They try very much to play down the Scottish angle. It's hardly surprising really, seeing as two of the members are from as far south of Hadrians Wall as you could possibly get! The other remotely Scottish contingency comes in the form of Bruce Watson. Stuart claims that he spent quite a long time following the split of the Skids trying to find people who felt the same way about music as he did. He finally located Bruce who, although didn' t share exactly the same musical tastes, believed like Stuart that music should be to raise the spirits, inspire us whether on record or live. Bruce was, at the time, cleaning out nuclear submarines docked in the Firth of Forth and needed no encouragement to leave the job! He still jokes although with unease, about the time his boots glowed radioactive green in a local disco!! The pair locked their heads together in a tiny Portastudio and the dream of Big Country was now becoming a reality. "Even before the Skids when I was playing dance halls in Scotland in 1976, I said I wanted to do things with guitars nobody has ever done before. I wanted to use them as integral, even orchestrated, elements within a song. Not just rhythm and lead guitars. I almost got it right with The Skids, only the enjoyment went out of it after our second album 'Days In Europe'. After we split I felt the pressure on me to get a singles deal immediately and trade on whatever reputation I had. But I felt that would only cheapen what Bruce and I had, something which could be accepted on its own terms," says Stuart. What makes Big Country so acceptable and is undoubtedly behind their success is the uplifting nature. Stuart, having already been through the industry rat race manages to survive with his personal and musical integrity remarkably intact. He is not willing to take part in the popstar scene, and is not carried away by the media-created image of himself. Instead he prides himself on honesty and a sense of responsibility. With such idealism Big Country's career inevitably suffered a number of setbacks, the most notable one being a disastrous tour supporting Alice Cooper in the Spring of 1982. Later that year Stuart and Bruce finally teamed up with two of Londons most talented and respected musicians Tony Butler and Mark Brzezicki. They had recently finished studio stints with Pete Townshend and the Pretenders, they shared Big Country's pioneering spirit and brought with them real skill and expertise. They transformed Big Country into an all-action extravaganza. After dates supporting the Jam and U2, they had enough to make a go of it on their own. Their first single release "Harvest Home" sadly made little impression. Released in October 1982 it only struggled into the Top 100. With wonderboy Steve Lillywhite (he of U2 and Joan Armatrading fame) at the controls their next single "Fields Of Fire" crashed into the charts at No. 69 peaking at No 10 five weeks later. Big Country were now a household name and the ghost of the Skids was laid forever. With the follow-up "In a Big Country" an even bigger hit, it looks like Big Country are shaping up into the sort of band to make history. But Stuart Adamson is still a little anxious that Big Country maybe labelled as the new sound of Scotland. "You can't describe music without putting up barriers and drawing boundaries. Once you do that you find yourself closely identified to one particular scene and suddenly you're compartmentalised. There's too much of that going on at the moment, I don't want it happening to us. Big Country are no more Punk or New Wave than we are Heavy Metal, Progressive or Pop. If you really want me to tell you what we're about then I'd say Big Country play stirring stuff. Music to move mountains by!" |
 Back to top |
Pages 10 & 11 Radio 1 Round Table Hosted by Richard Skinner On this weeks edition of Roundtable in the Studio with me, Richard Skinner, were fellow Radio One D.J. Andy Peebles, Stella Barker of the Belle Stars and Big Country's Stuart Adamson. Unfortunately, it was probably one of the worst weeks ever for single releases! Here is a selection of the better offerings, reviewed by tonight's guests. Roman Holiday—"Don't Try To Stop It". Jivesters Roman Holiday are back with a second attempt to make their own, very distinct mark on the national charts, after the flop of their excellent little ditty "Stand By". Stella: I thought it was pretty good. This band supported us on our tour just before Christmas and they are excellent live. A lot of energy. I'd like to hear it a few more times but is sounds as if it could do well. Stuart: I quite like them myself, they sound very summery. I could imagine it being a summer hit, something like "Riding Along On My Pushbike Baby." It's alright and the group sound as if they are enjoying themselves. It was OK. Yeah. I really like it. Andy: I worked with the band a couple of months ago at the Lyceum I must admit I was quite impressed and I like the combination of swing and a bit of doo-wop and good harmony. It's a very good radio record. Whether it's a hit thats up to you out there, but I'd play it, In fact I'm going to play it later on. Jimmy The Hoover—"Sing Sing" Another African influenced group who seem to be jumping on the King Sunny Adaye Bandwagon. One of the members actually comes from Zambia where he is a sculptor! Stuart: "I think that's great. Actually one of my mates pointed out that it was good to me a couple of weeks ago. That seems to me like the sort of stuff Malcolm McClaren is trying to do but isn't quite managing. Stella: If Roy Plum were to invite me on A Desert Island Discs as his guest I'd choose this song. It could be around for the summer, if there is going to be one. Andy: Not mad keen. No I'm afraid not. I think I'd keep the hoover unplugged and get down on my hands and knees with a dust pan. Gardening By Moonlight—"Diction & Fiction" A band who come from Nottinghamshire and Essex. You may remember their first single "Strange News" which did receive some deserved play here on Radio One. Stuart: It was alright. It just seemed like another group trying to do a club hit. It's O.K. if you were in a disco, but not sitting here at the table. Stella: Percy Thrower eat your heart out. Yes, good club track but not really a hit. Andy: Yes Gardening By Moonlight it's a lot less bother than Jimmy The Hoover. I thought I was gonna like it when it started but I got quite bored with it I'm afraid. Central Line—"Surprise Surprise" The London group who had a hit with George Benson's "Nature Boy' have changed direction slightly with this one, producing more of a standard dance track. Andy: Well, you see records like that nowadays, because of the techniques in clubs and mixing, I wouldn't know when that had started or finished, or whether there were other tracks mixed in with it. I won't be a hypocrite, I'd get up and dance to it occasionally but I don't know one record from another when they are produced like that. It leaves me absolutely stone cold. Stuart: It's just another dance record as far as I'm concerned. It's alright. Stella: I wasn't very excited about that but I think their last one did quite well didn't it, so maybe it could do well on the strength of that. The last song was better though. Bonk—"Cupid In Cars" Bonk, alias Barry Flip, and his company have high hopes that this year will be the year of Bonk Mania. Stuart: I think this is one of those records that makes all the right moves. It has a nice yawning vocal on it. Seems to me that with young groups now, record companies are too scared to sign up anything that is outside the "norm" these days which means that people don't get the chance to express themselves properly through music. This is the type of stuff they are obviously looking for, I think it's a pile of tut. Stella: I wasn't exactly bonkers about this one. Andy: He comes from St. Helens and his record company said that if this one is a hit he'll be buying the rugby club there, well he won't be buying it this time! Donna Summer—"She Works Hard For The Living" (sic - should be "Money") Donna is back with a new song which she wrote with Michael O'Marshall, one of the frontmen of the born-again christian crusade, the present "drug" of America. Andy: First thing is that I find it very strange that she has changed record companies but perhaps its the lure of the lire. Stella: Stuart and I were discussing the intrinsic qualities of American music. It sounds like Fame, you know the sort of heavy metal riffs with disco thrash in it. I mean it's O.K. but its not really new and riveting. Stuart: What we were actually talking about was how so many songs coming out of America sound like heavy metal records set to disco sounds. I don't really like to knock anybody down though, when they're not here to defend themselves. ELO—"Rock & Roll Is King" This single is a trailer for a new E.L.O. album which is to come in the near future. Stuart: It reminds me of The Move, and I was just wondering if Dave Edmunds produced it I mean I've already heard "Johnny B Goode" a hundred times and I think that's once to often for me. Stella: I was just wondering why on earth they put this out, I mean what's the point, but I guess there will be E.L.O. fans throughout the world who will buy it, so it may be a hit. Andy: Very strange indeed and we all agreed while we were listening to it that there is definite Dave Edmunds in there. It's so far removed from some of the big production jobs maybe that's a pleasant change. I think you are right, we shall hear a lot of it on the radio, but I gather the album has taken an eternity to produce and its going to be a single instead of a double even though they've got lots of tracks. The I Royals—"Coronation St" This is a reggae version of the "streets" signature tune, by a group no-one seems to know very much about. Andy: I never watch the programme! Stuart: Is Vera Duckworth in the video? This is the burning question. I think maybe Granada should use this instead of the old arrangement. Stella: Will Bet Lynch give me her red chiffon house coat. Frida-"Strangers" Frida, the other female member of Abba going solo (Agnetha is presently in the charts with "The Heat Is On") has written this with Phil Collins, who also produced it. Andy: Come on, own up, they don't need the money, what is all this about? It's pretty I suppose but it just passed over me and disappeared into oblivion. Stella: I want to know why Peter Powell is looking so devishly handsome in that suit, (he has just walked in the studio). Stuart: "Er, she's not very good at tennis (Frida that is). Peter Gabriel-"I Go Swimming" This is a track from Peter's forthcoming L.P. "Peter Gabriel Plays Live!" It's the only new song featured on the album. Andy: Interesting, but I would like to hear the whole album. I've been a fan of Peters for a long time, I think he's a very, very talented guy. It's quite catchy. Stella: I've got a lot of respect for this fella. Julie our drummer, thinks Peter is excellent and a very profound lyricist "I Go Swimming, Swimming Is Cool", I'm not really sure, It's quite good. Stuart: Yes I thought it was quite good I like a lot of the things he did in the past especially that "Womad" thing he helped to set up, that was excellent, I'm not too sure about that track but the rest of the stuff on there stands up for itself. Jonah Lewie—"Love Detinator" The last hit Jonah had was "Stop The Cavalry". This one is a very strange offering. Stella: Well Jonah and I are stable mates, as they say so I can't be too critical. I like the humour, I think the sense of humour comes through. I think it will be big in Belgium. Stuart: I don't know. It's one of those sort of records you think is quite amusing first couple of times you hear it and then after it starts to grate a bit. Over gimmicky, too much I think. Too many smart lines in there, I think. Andy: I don't know, I think I'd have to hear that at least another six times before I could really make my mind up. Talking Heads—"Girlfriend Is Better" Talking Heads who haven't had much British success before now, apart form the cult song "Once In A Lifetime" have a new album out entitled Speaking In Tongues. This track is taken from it. Stella: I think it would sound great down the Palace (Camden that is) just wack it up real loud, it's definitely a club track. Andy: I'm very fond of T.H. musically. Although I have to say that David Byrne gives me the impression that any moment he is going to give up and top himself there on stage. He's got one of those manic depressive voices a bit like Neil Young, but it's only a personal observation. I really do enjoy their music it's good to dance to but you always think he is so upset, he's so intense, unhappy. Maybe he's not, perhaps he is hiding behind it. Stuart: "So much of what T.H. do is based around David Byrne's lyrics and his vocal style. The group actually say that when they are playing together it takes a few listens before the song finally hits home. I thought it was quite good myself, but I'd like to hear the rest of the LP as well. Chris Sievey—"Camouflage" Remember the Freshers and that record "I'm In Love With A Girl In A Certain Manchester Megastore Check-out Desk". Well Chris Sievey was the brain behind it and now has a solo record out which is rather different. The B-side contains computer programmes. Andy: This is quite beyond me. It's a bit weird. I don't really understand what he is up to. Perhaps he's trying to convert us all to something we are not really aware of. Stuart: I don't know about this but if he's a good Manchester lad I have no complaints whatsoever. Stella: I can't think of anything to say about this one. It doesn't mean I don't like it, I just can't think of a witty comment. James Brown—"Bring It On" James Brown the father of R & B last had a hit in this country way back in 1976 with "Get On Up Of That Thing". This is his latest offering. Stuart: I used to "Get On Up Like A Sex Machine" in Bognor Regis Butlins. This one doesn't sound particularly new, it just sounds like James Brown. Its great I just want to know where the J.B. disco pick is. Stella: I thought it was terrific. Like Stuart said it was nothing new and I saw him not so long ago at Hammersmith Odeon, where he wasn't really doing anything new. He did 17 encores with a satin cape and things, and his M.C.'s were taking care of him. I think it's great. This is Jenny's type of music as well. Jenny if you are listening, get down! Andy: Never knock James Brown. When I started D.J'ing in clubs back in the late sixties he was the man, you just had to have all of his records and at one stage when he was putting them all out on King records in the States, there was one every other week. It was just extraordinary. It's great to dance to I'm sure the club D.J.'s will love it. I doubt it will be a hit. Dislocation Dance-"Violettes" A band from Manchester who lost their trumpet player to neighbours in Liverpool, The Pale Fountains, its their third single, released on their own label, the Music Label. Stella: I don't like that vocal style at all I'm afraid, its a bit much. Andy: A bit of a mess really I'm afraid. That's about all I can say. I'm sorry. Stuart: The group sound as if they know what they are doing. I just thought, well, I've heard so many things like that before, you know. |
 Back to top |
Page 12 CHARTLINE 01-41-5666/7 The Chart Beat Chart Line is made for you by you. All you do to make a record a Chart Beat hit is vote for your favourite records. There are two ways to vote either by post by filling out the coupon or by phone on 01-741 5666-7, each person is allowed one vote per issue. We have made the chart a fortnightly chart to make it tie in more with the magazine and we hope to put in a new category breaker of the week in which you can vote for any record that is not in the Chart this issue. CHARTLINE TOP 40 SINGLES WEEK ENDING JUNE 24th 6 (12) Money Go Round, Style Council 12 (16) In A Big Country, Big Country 25 (-) We Come To Dance, Ultravox 33 (RE) I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues, Elton John (This week / last week) Big Country - In A Big Country (Official Video), uploaded by Big Country CHARTLINE ALBUM CHART FORTNIGHTLY ENDING JUNE 24th 4 (7) - Let's Dance - David Bowie 25 (16) - War - U2, Island (This week / last week) Page 13 ASK US ANOTHER D-TRAIN |
 Back to top |
Page 14 GRAND ALLIANCE Page 15 ONE THE JUGGLER Apparently the Juggler is the first card of the Tarot pack, a fact well-known to all Romanies we're told. An apt name too for a band of "travellers" who herald from the mysterious great plains of darkest Kent. But Tarot cards and gypsy eyewash aside, it doesn't alter the fact that One The Juggler are a very good band. Their last single, their debut entitled, "Passion Killer" deserved much more than its lowly chart position and ice-cool press reviews. It's off-balance melodies and Bowie-esque lyric not inspiring the record buying public nor the daytime radio producers. However, the boys are back in town, eager to avenge the downfall of "Passion Killer" with their new release "The Damage Is Done". I asked Rokko, lead vocalist of One The Juggler if the demise of "Passion Killer" had been a great disappointment to him and the band? "No not really, I would have been had I listened to the people who said "this is gonna be a BIG hit", you know all the usual stuff you get from people. But being a bit of a cynic I just waited patiently and it did O.K. Obviously it didn't get high enough, but as far as getting the name around it was quite successful." The new single "The Damage Is Done" was written by Rokko as is the case with all One The Juggler material. What did he think its chances were of chart success? "Well hopefully quite good. It was the first song we played when we got together as the band, and its always been in the running as a single. I'm really pleased it's being released because we can now get some sort of progression in our music. "We've done the album, it's recorded, that's what we've been doing these past few months. The new single "Damage" is on it and so is "Passion Killer" and it should be out in a few months but we haven't the faintest idea what we're gonna call it." The album was co-produced by the band and Steve Short. The backing tracks were recorded at a studio in Chipping Norton where some extremely strange musical augmenting went on. I asked Rokko to explain further? "On one of the tracks, "Junky For Love" we got a local school to help. Eighteen schoolgirls turned up with their recorders and we cut the track there and then. We even drafted in a local brass band to play on one of the tracks!" |
 Back to top |
Page 20 ON THE TOWN BIG COUNTRY JULY 1 - Sheffield University 2 - Sterling Albert Hall (actually played Sefton Park, Liverpool) 3 - Aberdeen Fusion Ballroom 4 - Glasgow Tiffany's 5 - Ayr Pavillion Page 21 The Alarm When anyone mention The Alarm, for a lot of people the memories of U2, The Jam and SLF concerts return to mind. But now with a rapidly increasing following and an album due for release in Autumn, The Alarm are now shedding the image of an unknown support band that has been hanging around their ankles for too long. The Alarm play a mixture of rock and punk music that is hard to categorise. The only possible influence that is obvious is Dylan with the harmonica rendering of "Knocking On Heaven's Door". But no-one stopped to think of musical trivia when The Alarm burst through the stage door. They were only half way through "Shout To The Devil" and already half of the front row had been enthusiastically "escorted" onto the stage by those behind. The members of The Alarm show commitment that is rarely found in groups these days and in disgust of the £3 ticket, Mike Peters declared that they were not responsible and therefore would play all night! It was a good offer, and I would not have complained, but it would have been impossible. Amazingly the band seemed to thrive whilst the audience sweat it out and the road-crew busied themselves by carrying limp and dangling bodies into the dressing room. They say that any change is a break, so The Alarm must be having a holiday. All of them take over vocals whilst Mike, Dave and Eddie swap instruments. One take-over that was unusual was Barny Rubble (an Alarm veteren) taking over on vocals with an Alarm Rapp, 'A-L-A-R-M!' which came from all directions whilst Mike welcomed a towel and a drink. There wasn't even one moment of silence. When the band weren't playing, chants of yay-yeah-yah-oh broke out. Sponteneity is the word to describe the rest of the night. Near the end, Eddie, Mike and Dave crowded the drums and the whispering that followed resulted in Eddie happily jumping up and down and eventually the last ever performance of a play-as-you-remember-it rendering of "Alarm Alarm", an early song and origin of the bands name. Their last encore finally and sadly arrived. Funnily enough though, the title of the song was appropriate for the occasion. Now that the English tour is over, The Alarm are off to America to support U2. Another sad but happy beginning as another group become too big for the nest of small venues but at least The Alarm did go out in a "Blaze of Glory". |
 Back to top |
Pages 28 & 29 STAR STYLE FILE Doesn't Midge Ure look cute in this one? Can you spot him? (second from the left.) This is a Rich Kid photograph from way back in 1978 (That's Dusty Egan next to him, the one with the matching scarf and jumper!). The music business must have put rather a strain on him. Here he is five years on but looking ten years older! Dexy's have certainly been through many changes in their history. Here is a picture of their first image, the one that went with "Gino". Do you recognise that face on the right of the back row? It's none other than Mick Talbot of the Style Council. Herer they are now in rural pose, complete with ripped dungarees and neckerchiefs. Have you ever seen anything quite like this picture of Abba back in the days of Waterloo in 1973? Agnetha is looing rather rotund isn't she? Here they are nine years later celebrating a decade together. What an improvement those ten years have made! |
 Back to top |
Page 30 MAILBAG I've got this canary see, and it loves to warble along with Edwyn Collins. Whenever an Orange Juice single happens to come on the radio it perks up and chirps merrily along but oh, the disappointment when it ends he starts to pull out his feathers, spill his Trill all over the cage and swing precariously from his perch. I have tried to remedy the situation by playing him some Echo and The Bunnymen and U2 and even fellow scots Big Country but try as I may nothing else will console him. So I reckon the only solution would be for you to feature this as the STAR LETTER and send me a record token so I can run down to the local "Our Price" and demand the Rip It Up album to calm the crooning canary. Nice try, eh?! Polly Parrot, Bogner Regis Page 31 H20 |
 Back to top |
Rear Cover Full page photo of David Bowie |