| Buzzcocks |
Website Links For Buzzcocks |
Information AboutBuzzcocks |
Buzzcocks are an English Punk Rock Band formed in Manchester in 1975, led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Pete Shelley for nearly their entire existence. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas; Allmusic.com profile of Buzzcocks; URl accessed Jan 06, 2007 They are commonly regarded as an important influence on the " remains one of their best-known songs. The name "Buzzcocks" partially comes from the Manchester slang term ''cock'' meaning ''youngster'', and its use in the 1970s ITV drama serial '' Rock Follies '' which included the Catch Phrase s "that's the buzz, cocks" and "give me a buzz, cock!"Smith, Steve - ''Bits and Pieces: the Penguin Book of Rock and Pop Facts and Trivia''. (Penguin, 1988) ISBN 0-14-010743-6 CAREER Early years The band was formed in 1975 by guitarist/singer Pete Shelley (real name Peter McNeish) and singer Howard Devoto (real name Howard Trafford), both students at Bolton Institute of Technology (now the University Of Bolton ). They shared common interests in Electronic Music , the idiosyncratic work of British musician Brian Eno , and American Protopunk groups like The Stooges and The Velvet Underground . In late 1975, Shelley and Devoto recruited a drummer and formed an embryonic version of Buzzcocks that never performed and which dissolved after a number of rehearsals. After reading an ''. By the end of the year, Buzzcocks had recorded and released a four-track EP , '' Spiral Scratch '' on their own ''New Hormones'' label, making them perhaps the first punk group to establish an Independent Record Label . Produced by Martin Hannett , the music was roughly recorded, insistently repetitive, and energetic. "Boredom" announced punk's rebellion against the status quo while templating a strident musical minimalism (the Guitar Solo consisting of two repeated notes). The demos recorded while Devoto was in the band were later issued officially as ''Time's Up''. Long available as a bootleg, this album includes the alternative takes of all the tracks from the ''Spiral Scratch'' EP as well as early version of tracks that later appeared on the official debut ''Another Music in a Different Kitchen''. After a few months, Devoto left the group; he returned to school for a year, then formed Magazine . Pete Shelley continued as vocalist; his high-pitched, melodic singing stood in stark contrast to the gruff Pub Rock vocal stylings of many punk contemporaries. Diggle switched from bass to guitar, and Garth Smith joined on bass; due to Smith's Alcoholism , he was quickly replaced with Steve Garvey . This new line-up signed with United Artists Records . Signing to UAI Their first UAI Buzzcocks single, "Orgasm Addict", was a playful examination of compulsive sexuality that was (and remains) uncommonly bold. The BBC refused to play the song, but the single sold well. Later, more ambiguous songs staked out a territory defined by Shelley's Bisexuality and punk's aversion to serious examination of Human Sexuality . The next single, "What Do I Get?" reached the UK top 40 charts. "Lipstick", the B-side to "Promises," shared the same ascending progression of notes in its chorus as Magazine's first single, "Shot By Both Sides," also released in 1978. Their original career consisted of three LPs: '' ("A Different Kind of Tension"), declaiming their catechism in the anthem "I Believe", and tuning in to a fantasy radio station on which their songs could be heard ("Radio Nine"). In 1980, Liberty Records signed the band, and three singles were released. However, only one of these, the double 'A' side "Why She's A Girl From The Chainstore/Are Everything" made the Top 75. Breakup and reunions After recording demos for a fourth album the group disbanded in 1981, when Shelley took up a solo career. Diggle formed the short-lived Flag of Convenience, who released an EP in 1982. Shelley and Devoto teamed up in 2002 for the first time since 1976, producing the album Buzzkunst , a play on the German word for 'Art'. The album was a mix of electronic music and punk. John Maher now owns and runs John Maher Racing, a vintage 2005 ) Buzzcocks have reformed several times since 1989, featuring Shelley and Diggle with other musicians; initially with Maher and Garvey for a world tour, then briefly replacing Maher with Smiths drummer Mike Joyce . In 1993, Tony Barber joined on bass and Phil Barker on drums. This line-up toured on one of Nirvana's last-ever tours in 1994, and in 2003, toured with Pearl Jam . In April 2006, Barker left and was replaced by Danny Farrant . In March 2006, the band released their eighth studio album, '' Flat-Pack Philosophy '', on Cooking Vinyl Records , the supporting tour found them playing on a leg of the mid-2006 Vans Warped Tour . TV show title Buzzcocks' name was combined with the title of the Sex Pistols ' Album ''Never Mind The Bollocks'' to create the title of the a UK Comedy Panel Game show '' Never Mind The Buzzcocks ''. Diggle claimed in his autobiography that he and Shelley had only granted the BBC use of their name under the impression that it would be a one-off, probably unsuccessful Pilot , and that they are now mildly disgruntled that the name is more readily associated with the TV Series than with their band.Diggle, S and Rawlings, T, ''Harmony In My Head'' (Helter Skelter, 2003, ISBN 1-900924-37-4 ). Shelley himself appeared in the programme in the mid 1990s. DISCOGRAPHY Albums
Compilations
Singles
FOOTNOTES EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|