BRENDA PRESCOTT - 'I Want To Be You'

Active ACT-8, 1980.

01 - I Want To Be You
02 - Orient Express

Brenda Prescott was one of two female vocalists in Welsh new wave band Hot Water who released two singles on the Duff label in 1978/79. While others from Hot Water went on to form the band Fay Ray, Brenda signed a solo deal with the RCA distributed Active label.

Brenda released two singles for Active, the first 'I'm Bored' was credited to Brenda & The Rattlesnakes. This one released in October 1980 features a solid powerpopper on the A-side and a decent new wave track on the flip.

JET STAXX - 'French Girls'

Topkapi 2103-136, 1978. (Belgian pressing)

01 - French Girls
02 - Promotion

Mike Butcher - vocals/guitar/bass, Pascal Van Het Groenewoud - drums.

You can find Mike Butcher's name as engineer/producer on lots of things recorded at Morgan Studios in both London and Brussels. Everything from Black Sabbath to the Gibson Brothers, even adding a little guitar to the latter.

What interests us most is the various records he made with fellow studio worker Alan Ward as Feather, Rollerball, Elton Motello and of course Jet Staxx. Ward's contribution to the two Jet Staxx records were songwriting credits on both A-sides and helping out on production side of things.

The excellent 'French Girls' is very much in the Buzzcocks vein with Mike Butcher even doing his best Pete Shelley pose on the picture sleeve. The accordian solo by a local session musician adds a touch of originality to the track.

The full-on punk cut on the flip see's Butcher offer some interesting promotional ideas in the lyrics. It's a pity the people at Topkapi or their German counterparts Bellaphon weren't listening.

THE LITTLE ROOSTERS - 'I Need A Witness'

AMI AIS-107, 1980.

01 - I Need A Witness
02 - The Age Of Reason

Garrie Lammin - vocals/guitar, Barrie Mizen - lead guitar, Steve Burgess - bass, Gary Eve - keyboards, Steve Bruce - drums.

The Little Roosters were one of the new breed of R&B/pub bands who found an audience within the mod revival of 1979. They were formed by Garrie Lammin after the break up of Cock Sparrer in 1978. By 1980 two more former Sparrer members Steve Burgess and Steve Bruce had also joined the band.

'I Need A Witness' was a re-working of a song originally recorded by Cock Sparrer in 1977 and was the Roosters 3rd single released in October 1980 on Cliff Cooper's AMI label. Both sides were produced by Joe Strummer, who also produced most of The Little Roosters self titled LP which was only released in France.

SOUNDER - 'Get Down On Your Knees'

Sonet/Warped SON-2127, 1977.

01 - Get Down On Your Knees
02 - Bus Stop Romance

Ozzie Orzell - lead vocals/congas, Terry Hamid - lead guitar, Donnie Burke - guitar/vocals, Dell Vickers - bass/vocals, John Hawley - drums.

Sounder had very little in common with the punk sound of 1977, but a budget production job coupled with Ozzie Orzell's gravel throat voice made for some interesting results. The poppier approach of 'Bus Stop Romance' is the definite winner on this single released in an inner bag style thin paper picture sleeve.

In 1979 the same people would release the great powerpop 45 'Private Mail' under their new name Sneeky Feelin's. Donnie Burke and Dell Vickers would later turn up in The Gas who were signed to Polydor Records in 1980.

THE ADDIX - 'Too Blind To See'

Zig Zag ZZ22-002, 1979.

01 - Too Blind To See
02 - (No Such Thing As A) Bad Boy

Rick Smith - vocals, George Lloyd - guitar, Alan Offer - bass, Ronnie Griffen - drums.

Follow up to their 'Make A Record' EP which was released under the name The Drug Addix on Chiswick in 1978. Not only had they shortened the band name but also lost backing vocalist Mandy Doubt (the late Kirsty MacColl).

Two decent pub/punk tracks on this single released on a short-lived label set up by the people at Zig Zag magazine with 'Too Blind To See' being the pick. The flip features Chris Reeves (Dyaks, Disturbance etc) who sings the 'good to my mum' bit.

DIRTY DOG - 'Let Go Of My Hand'

Lightning GIL-511, 1978.

01 - Let Go Of My Hand
02 - Shouldn't Do It
03 - Guitar In My Hand
04 - Gonna Quit

Cliff Cresswell - vocals, Henry Hartman - guitar, Rick Cresswell - bass, Nick 'Taff' Williams - drums.

In 1977, a then 17 year old Cliff Cresswell was photographed by Billy Russell of Bluebird Music in some rather provocative poses for the picture sleeve of Dirty Dog's only single. Those photographs were rejected by Lightning Records who went with the above face shot instead.

'Let Go Of My Hand' was inspired by a true story involving guitarist Henry Hartman, a park bench and a couple of policemen. Henry had fallen asleep and woke to be accused of all sorts, when his only crimes were being a punk and the colour of his skin (Henry was one of London's few black punk rockers).

Later sessions for an album which was never released saw drummer Taff play the guitar parts since Henry had disappeared off the scene. A change of name to Try with a more new wave sound followed but the band soon split when new guitarist Mosha Daboul was called up for national service by the Israeli army.

Later came drug abuse, time in prison, spells in rehab, Eurovision and yet more rehab (well who wouldn't need some therapy after Eurovision!) ...and that's just Cliff's story.