556 Hello Wet Wet Wet - Wishing I Was Lucky

Chart  entered : 11  April  1987

Chart  peak : 6

Number  of  hits : 29

This  lot  got  a  lot  of  stick - some  of  it  deserved -  but  were  one  of  the  few  acts  to  emerge in  this  period  who  had  real  staying  power.

The  band  were  formed  at  Clydebank  High  School  by  bassist  Graeme  Clark  and  drummer  Tommy  Cunningham  in  1982. A  mutual  friend  Neil  Mitchell   was  invited  to  join  on  keyboards  then  Graeme   approached  a  decorator's  apprentice  Mark  McLachlan   who  was  known  to  be  a  good  singer.  The  following  year  they  invited  in  an  older   guitarist  Graeme  Duffin.  Graeme  D  had  been  playing  with  a  Glasgow  folk  band  New  Celeste  who  had  become  popular  in  Europe  and  released  a  couple  of  albums  there  but  he  had  left  by  1981. At  first  the  group  did  punk  covers  under  the  name  Musical  Vortex  but  soon  started  work  on  their  own  material. In  1984  they  acquired  a  manager  Elliott  Davis  and  changed  their  name  to  Wet  Wet  Wet   from  a  line  in  a  Scritti  Politti  song.   Mark  adopted  the  stage  name  of  "Marti  Pellow".

In  1985  they  signed  to  Phonogram   with  their  own off-shoot, the  Precious  Organisation  inspired  by  Dexy's  Midnight  Runners. It  was  around  this  time  that  a  decision  was  taken  that , as  far  as  the  public  were  concerned , Graeme  D  was  not  an official  member  of  the  group  and  wouldn't  appear  in  group  photographs  or  do  interviews. It's been  widely  assumed  that  Graeme   suffered  the  same  fate  as  Rolling  Stones  keyboard  player Ian  Stewart ;  at  thirty, and  a  ginger  to  boot,  he  wouldn't  be  an  asset  in   the  pages  of  Smash  Hits. However  Graeme  also  had  a  bad  stammer  and  the  decision  has  been  presented  as  a  compassionate  move  to  spare  him  the  trauma  of  being  interviewed.

Wet  Wet  Wet  were  leaning  in  the  direction  of  soul  so  the  record  label  arranged  for  them  to  go  to  Memphis  and  record  with  Al  Green  producer  Willie  Mitchell. They  recorded  eight  songs  with  him  but  Phonogram  didn't  think  the  results  were  commercial  enough  and  shelved  plans  for  their  release. They  were  eventually  released  as  "The  Memphis  Sessions"  in  1988  after  their  success  with  "Popped  In  Souled  Out"  (which  contained  re-workings  of  some  of  the  same  songs ). It  got  to  number  3  in  the  UK  but  no  singles  were  issued  from  it.

"Wishing  I  Was  Lucky"  was  not  one  of  the  songs  recorded  in  Memphis  and  is  atypical  in  having  a  vaguely  political  content. The  lyric  is  not  particularly  coherent  but  seems  to  be  about  a  man  seeking  work  and  getting  a  tip  off  but  there  seems  to  be  some  sort  of  catch, the  employer  being  an  unsavoury  character  in  a  way  that's  never  clearly  defined. That doesn't  matter  so  much  because  the  band  invest  enough  energy  and  passion  to  compensate  for  any  lyrical  vagueness. The  dullness  of  much  of  their  subsequent  output   has  clouded  memories  of  how  good  this  debut  single  is. The  first  half  is  built  around  Graeme  C's  springy  bass  line  with  splashes  of  synth  and  striking  piano  chords  from  Neil. Marti  demonstrates  his  range  with  a  powerful  white  soul  vocal; why  he  chose  to  present  himself  with  that  stupid  rictus  grin  when  they  did  Top  of  the  Pops  will  always  be  a  mystery. As  the  record  progresses,  the  harmonies  become  increasingly  complex  and   Graeme  D's  guitar  gets  more  and  more  prominent  until  he   really  lets  rip  on  the  howling  coda. I  must  admit  I  can't  recall  all  their  hits  but  I'd  be  very  surprised  if  this  wasn't  their  best  by  a  long  way.  

555 Hello Brother Beyond - How Many Times

Chart  entered :  4  April  1987

Chart  peak : 62

Number  of  hits : 10

You  don't  hear  this  lot  on  the  radio  much  but  they  were  briefly  contenders  and  at  least  one  of  their  number  is  still  around  and  doing  alright  for  himself.

Brother  Beyond  were  formed, appropriately  enough . by  two  brothers,  Francis  ( born 1966 )  and  David  White  in  1985.  Francis  played  bass  and  did  the  drum  programming  while  David  played  guitar. Francis  had  been  the  bass  player  in  Yip  Yip  Coyote  and  acquired  the  nickname  Eg, a  terrible  pun  but  it  stuck.  Yip  Yip  Coyote  were  part  of  the  cowpunk  scene  around  1983-4 . They  went  the  full  mile  and  performed  in  stetsons, bootlace  ties, cowboy  boots  the  lot  and  attracted  a  decent  live  following, the  odd  Peel  session  and  finally  a  contract  with  IRS.  They  released  a  couple  of  singles  in  the  UK, "Dream  of  the  West"  and  "Pioneer  Girl"  but  their  LP "Fifi" was  only  released  in  France  and  Japan. They  employed  some  talent  on  the  latter  with  Tony Mansfield  and  Anne  Dudley  producing  individual  tracks  but  in  truth  they  were  polishing  a  turd.  Vocalist  Fifi  Coyote  couldn't  sing,  songwriter  Carl  Evans  couldn't  pen  a  decent  tune  and  their  Theatre  of  Hate  meets  Bow  Wow  Wow  sound   was  already  a  couple  of  years  out  of  date. The  line  up  was  completed  by  keyboard  player  Carl  Fysh  and  singer  Nathan  Moore  who  had  no  previous  recording  experience.

They  got  a  deal  with  EMI  and  released  their  first  single , "I  Should  Have  Lied" , in  August  1986. Produced  by  Don  Was,  it's  a   surprisingly  sophisticated   piece  of   mature   pop  somewhere  between  Chris  Rea  and  China  Crisis  with  a  smoothly  assured  vocal  from  Nathan  and  some  great  synth  work. It's  just  not  immediate  enough  to  work  as  a  single  without  a  generous  amount  of  airplay.

"How  Many  Times"  was  the   somewhat  delayed   follow-up  and  although  written  by  the  same  pairing  of  Francis  and  Carl  it's  dire, the  band  having  veered  off  towards  the  bland  funk-pop  of  Kajagoogoo  or  later  Spandau  Ballet.  The  lyric  reveals  some  interest  in  the  language  of  love  songs  a  la  Martin  Fry  or  Paul  Heaton  but  in  such  a  lightweight  musical  setting  they  were  not  going  to  attract  a  cerebral  audience . The  fact  that  they  were  rewarded  for  going  down  the  lowest  common  denominator  route  was  just  one  more  depressing  aspect  of  the  late  eighties.

554 Goodbye Kool and the Gang - Stone Love

Chart  entered  : 21   March  1987

Chart  peak  :  45

Since  their  1979  breakthrough  Kool  and  the  Gang  had  been  one  of  the  most  consistent  R  &  B  acts  in  chart  terms. Slipping  into  the  yawning  gap  left  by  Chic's  retreat  from  making  their  own  records,  the  boys  churned  out  a  string  of  lightweight  funk  tunes  usually  marked  by  exactly  the  sort  of  lyrical  inanity  the  likes  of  Spandau  Ballet  and  Linx  made  it  their  mission  to  avoid. While  many  of  their  contemporaries  met  the  challenge  of  electro-funk  by  investing  in  new  synths  and  drum  machines,  Kool  and  the  Gang  went  in  the  opposite  direction  and  started  doing  ballads, one  of  which  "Joanna"  became  their  biggest  hit  in  1984. Although  commercially  successful,  it  did  encumber  them  with  a  rather  staid  image.  Kool  had  also  done  well  in  keeping  his  Gang  together. Keyboard  player  Earl  Toon  had  been  replaced  by  Curtis  Williams  in  1982   and  Michael  Ray  ( trumpet )  and  Cliff  Adams  ( trombone )  had  been  added  to  the  brass  section  but  otherwise  the  "Ladies  Night"  line  up  was  intact. .

"Stone  Love"  was  the  second  single  from  their  1986   album  "Forever"  , the  previous  one  "Emergency",  having  reached  number  30.  The  album  didn't  chart  in  the  UK  so  they  would  have  had  an  inkling  that  their  popularity  was  on  the  wane. The  song  was  mainly  written  by  singer  James  Taylor  and  guitarist  Claydes  Smith   although  the  latter's  instrument  isn't  very  prominent  in  the  mix  and  the  brass  section  are  discarded  in  favour  of  the  Fairlight. It's  a  pleasant  enough , synth-led,  pop  funk  number  with  James  as  smooth  as  ever , not  strong  enough  to  turn   their  fortunes  around   but  not  evidence  for  their  decline  either.

Both  singles  did  significantly  better  in  the  U.S.  reaching  number  10  in  both  cases.  In  the  US the  album  yielded  two  more  hits  that  don't  seem  to  have  been  released  in  the  UK. "Holiday"  is  a  harder-edged  funk  track  with  some  outre  sax  work  while  "Special  Way"  is  the  now-obligatory  ballad , an  ultra-wet  wallow  in  Lionel  Ritchie  territory.  A  fifth  single  "Peacemaker" , an  over-produced,  synth-led,  AOR  number  with  woolly  liberal  lyrics , was  released  in  Europe  and  made  number  20  in  the  Netherlands. At  the  end  of  the  year  the  band  were  told   at  a  business  meeting  that  they  were  effectively  bankrupt  and  their  homes  were  at  risk.

James  then  decided  to  leave  the  group to  pursue  a  solo  career, declaring  himself  bankrupt  at  the  same  time. Trumpeter  Robert  Mickens  who  was  in  poor  health  also  departed  around  this  time . Just  as  James's  arrival  had  sparked  a  huge  upswing  in  their  popularity, so  his  departure  saw  their  fortunes  nosedive. In  1988  they  recorded  some  new  tracks  for  a  compilation  LP   with  vocalist  Skip  Martin  who'd  previously  worked  with  The  Dazz  Band. The  lead  single  "Rags  To  Riches "  ( again  I'm  not  sure  it  was  released  here )  is  a competent  urban  soul  number  but  with  Martin's  Larry  Blackman  snarl  and  a  couple  of  screaming  rock  guitar  solos  it  doesn't  really  sound  like  them  at  all. The  second  single  "  Strong"  featured  a  different  singer, the  sweet voiced  Gary  Brown, is  a  straight  AOR  ballad  and  not  bad  if  you  like  that  sort  of  thing. Both  songs  were  hits  in  Germany  but  nowhere  else. Here, where  the  album  didn't  chart  , we  preferred  a  re-mix  of  "Celebration"  which  got  to  number  56.

Another  blow  followed  in  1989  when  saxophonist  Ronald  Bell  decided  to  sit  out  their  next LP, "Sweat"  in  1989.  Apart  from  a  couple  of  syrupy  ballads  like  second  single  "Never  Give  Up" , it  sees  the  band  dive  head  first  into  the  prevalent  New  Jack  Swing  style  but  without  any  strong  songs  it  could  be  anybody. The   lead  singles  "Raindrops"  doesn't  stand  out  from  the  pack. Only  Germany   was  still  interested  , the  album  making  number  28  there . "Raindrops"  made  number  42  their  last  new  song  to  chart  anywhere.

In  1991  a  remix  of  "Get  Down  On  It"  was  a  minor  hit  in  the  UK.

The  following  year  they  released  another  album  "Unite"  with  Ronald  back  on  board. They  also  had  another  new  singer  in  Odeen  Mays. The  album  was  a  sprawling  affair  clocking  in  at  over  an  hour  and  seems  less  concerned  with  being  right  up  to  the  minute  than  its  predecessor. There  are  diversions  into  old  school  rap  on  "Brown", politics  with  the  inserts  of  sampled  speech  and  reggae  on  the  title  track  while  some  of  their  old  melodic  assurance  is  evident  on  the  single  "Rhythm  and  Ride"  but  there  was  little  interest  in  the  band  now . Even  in  Germany  it  only  scraped   a  number  94  placing.

In  the  mid-nineties  the  band  persuaded  James  to  put  his  misfiring  solo  career  on  hold  and  make  another  album  with  them , 1996's  "State  of  Affairs". They  were  much  the  stronger  for  his  return  and  the  album  is  far  better  than  the  two  made  without  him. They  stick  with  the  modern  production  techniques  and  some  politics  in  "Color  Line"  and  "Life  In  The  90s"    but  James's   way  with  a  tune   harks  back  to  previous  triumphs. The  closing  track  , the  cloying  "Reunited"  is  best  avoided  though. Alas  the  album  was  completely  ignored  and  the  band  turned  away  from  recording   new  material.    

In  2001 , by  which  time  James  had  left  once  more, they  released  "Gangland" an  album featuring  unknown  rappers  on   remakes  of  their  old  songs. It  didn't  find  a  market. In  2003 they  guested  on  Atomic  Kitten's  cover  of   "Ladies  Night"  which  reached  number  8  in  the UK. The  following  year  they  had  a   number  29  hit  in  Germany  assisting  Blue  and  Lil  Kim on  a  cover  of  "Get  Down  On  It". A  third  such  collaboration, with  Jamiroquai  re-making "Hollywood  Swinging"  made  no  impact  anywhere.

At  the  beginning  of  2006  Claydes  quit  touring  due  to  health  and  six  months  later  he  was dead.  Later  that  year  they  released  a  new  single  "Steppin'  Into  Love "  a  snoozy  mellow groove  which  they  promoted  with  an  appearance  on  the  Home  Shopping  Network. It  appeared on  their  next  LP  "Still  Kool"  . You  can  perhaps  forgive  them  for  sounding  subdued  by Claydes's  death  but  the  whole  album  is  terribly  lacklustre  culminating  in  a  Kenny  G-style cover  of  Christopher  Cross's  already  ultra-bland  "Sailing".

Still  they  toiled  on . In  2010  they  backed  a  new  singer  Towanna  on  "Miss  Lead" , a  cover  of their  1985  hit  "Misled". That  was  hardly  their  finest  hour  anyway  but  re-worked  as   clumpy   electronica  with  a  singer  of  uncertain  talent  it  sounds  much  worse. In  2013  they  released  a Christmas  album  "Kool  for  the  Holidays"

In  2015  they  lost  another  member  when  Clifford  died.

Still  the  band  refuse  to  die  and  just  two  months  ago  released  a  new  single  "Sexy",  an attempt  to  recapture  some  of  their  old  funky  vibe  but  it   never  really  catches  fire  and  given the  ages  of  the  original  band  members  comes  across  as  a  bit  Benny  Hill. The  band  went  out on  tour  with  other  funk  veterans  like  Bootsy  Collins  and  Morris  Day  last  month  and  promise that  a  new  LP  is  in  the  offing.

Earl  founded  Y.M.O.  Enterprises  LLC. He  was  active  as  a  writer  and  producer  in  the  eighties working  with  forgotten  funk  acts  like  Candela  and  Motivation  and  Miami  Vice  actor  Philip Michael  Thomas.  He  later  concentrated  on  working  to  promote  charitable  organisations particularly  those  concerned  with  children. Last  year  he  released  a  version  of  the  hymn  "The Old  Rugged  Cross".

Robert  continued  to  be  dogged  by  ill  health  and  died  in  a  nursing  home  in  2010.

That  leaves   James.  As  the  voice  on  all  those  hits  James  had  no  problems  getting  a  solo  deal  with  MCA ( once  he'd  fought  off  Polygram  who'd  opposed  his  bankruptcy )  and  he  cut  his  teeth  with  a  couple  of  tracks  for  soundtrack  albums. "The  Promised  Land"  for  Ghostbusters  2   is  a  decent  moody   pop  funk  number  although  it's  hard  to  see  how  its  sentiments  of  political  disillusion  tie  in  with  the  film. The  other , "All  I  Want  Is  Forever"  was  from  dancing  movie  Tap  and  is  a  stupendously  dull  duet  with  Regina  Belle  written  by  queen  of  the  glutinous  power  ballad  Dine  Warren. It  was  released  as  a  single  but  with  the  film  a  turkey  it  wasn't  a  hit.

Both  songs  appeared  on  James'  first  album  "Master  of  the  Game" in  1989  , most  of  the  other  tracks  being  written  by  James  himself.  Perhaps  unsurprisingly  it  displays  a  surer  commercial  grasp  than  his  ex-bandmates'  effort  that  year  but  only  half  of  it's  any  good  with  the  rest  being  vacuous  songs  drowning  in  80s  production  cliches.  The  first  single  "Sister  Rosa"  ( nothing  to  do  with  Ms  Parks )  is  a  creditable  attempt  at  steamy  Michael  Jackson  pop  funk  and  follow-up   " 8  Days  A  Week "  adopts  the  New  Jack  Swing  style  more  adeptly  than  his  old  band  but  neither  made  any  impression. James's  biggest  problem  was  that  people  knew  the  voice  but  not  the  name.  During  the  band's  heyday,  many   listeners  had  assumed  he  was  "Kool"  but  of  course  it  wasn't  his  to  take  with  him.  Without  hit  singles  the  album  didn't  get out  of  the  R &  B  chart  and  even   there  it  didn't  perform  particularly  well.

His  second  album  "Feel  The  Need"  , released  under  the  name  JT  Taylor  in  1991  couldn't  manage  even  that  but  it  did  manage  to  spawn  three  minor  hits  in  the  UK, "Long  Hot  Summer  Night"  with  its  embarrassingly  obvious  erotic  lyrics, "Feel  The  Need"  and  "Follow  Me". All  see  James   moving  to  a  smooth  soul  sound; my  wife  thought  it  was  Simply  Red .

His  third  album  "Baby  I'm  Back "  in  1993  featured  a  couple  of  writing  collaborations  with  Ronald  but  made  no  impact  whatsoever  and  MCA  ran  out  of  patience , hence  his  willingness  to  re-join  the  Gang.

He  resumed  his  solo  career   on  Interscope  in  1999  with  a  single  "Sex  on  the  Beach"  a  passable  pop  R  &  B  number. The  following  year  he  released  the  album  "A  Brand  New  Me". James  partially  makes  good  on  the  promise  with  ventures  into  electronica  and  hip  hop    supervised  by  producer  Marcus  Quintanilla  who  co-wrote  most  of  the  tracks. None  of  it's  bad  - "New  Millennium"  is  trying  a  bit  too  hard  to  be  a  party  anthem  for  the  moment  but  it's  still  listenable - but  he  just  couldn't  persuade  enough  people  to  listen  to  him  anymore.

Since  then  James  has  been  touring  the  oldies  separately  from  the  band  in  the  U.S.. He's  never  performed  in  Europe  as  promoters  prefer  to  stick  with  the  group. A  couple  of  years  ago  he  was  trailing  a  new  politically motivated  album  but  it's  yet  to  see  the  light  of  day.


 

553 Hello Terence Trent D'Arby - If You Let Me Stay

Chart  entered : 14  March  1987

Chart  peak :  7

Number  of  hits : 11

This  guy  was  undoubtedly  one  of   the  stars  of  1987  but  he  also  provides  a  salutary  example  of  the  folly  of  declaring  someone's  genius  too  early.

Terence  Howard  was born  in  Manhattan  in  1962 , the  illegitimate  son  of  a  black  mother  and  white  father. He  took  his  stepfather's  surname  but  the  apostrophe  was  his  touch. He  started  training  as  a  boxer  and  won  a  regional  lightweight  championship  but  decided  to  go  to  college  instead. He  quit  that  after  a  year  and  enlisted  in  the  U. S. Army. While  posted  in  West  Germany  he  started  working  with  a  band  of  English  and  German  musicians  known  as  The  Touch  and  was  dishonourably  discharged  for  going  absent  without  leave. The  Touch  released  an  album  in  Germany   called  "Love  On  Time "   ( opportunistically  re-released in  1989  as  "Early  Works"  by  "The  Touch " ( in  small  letters)  with  Terence  Trent  D'Arby.  The  voice  is  very  recognisable  but  the  music  is  run  of  the  mill  pop  funk  in  the  Shalamar  vein  with  a  heavy  reliance  on  synths. Terence  moved  to  London  in  1986  and  spent  some  time  in  a  group  called  The  Bojangels  but  he  was  really  looking  for  a  solo  deal  and  found  one  with  CBS.

Terence  would  prove  himself  to  be  a  somewhat  eccentric  artist  but  for  this, his  debut  solo  single, he  was  playing  it  pretty  safe. "If  You  Let  Me  Stay "  is  a  well-judged  piece  of  retro-soul  with  only  the  crisp  drum  sound  and  ubiquitous  Fairlight  brass  stabs  identifying  it  as  an  Eighties  artefact. The  song  is  loose  enough  to  give  him  plenty  of  opportunities  to  stretch  his  voice  with  lots  of  whoops  and  ad  libs. He  works  hard  to  conjure  up  a  sweaty, exciting  R&  B  ambience  and  it paid  off. People  were  willing  to  accept  him  as  the  real  deal  but  it  still  feels  a  bit  plastic-y  to  me.

The  single  got  a  sharp  push   from  Terence's  appearance  on  The  Tube   making  him  the  last  artist  to  benefit  in  this  way  as  the  show  was  axed  at  the  end  of  the  month. The  very  last  show  previewed  a  superb  single, The  Happy  Man  by  Thomas  Lang, but  unfortunately  to  no  effect. It  was  a  decent  show  but  had  two  major  flaws. Firstly  it  allowed  Jools  Holland's  Luddism ( and  cronyism )  to   have  too  much  sway  over  its  music  policy  so  synth  acts  got  short  shrift  and  people  got  fed  up  of  seeing  Paul  Young  on  all  the  time. Holland  was actually  allowed  to  get  away  with  introducing  one  band  - I  can't  remember  if  it  was  Tears  For  Fears  or  China  Crisis - as  " a  couple  of  poseurs".  The  other  problem  was  that,   as  time  went  on,  the  musical  content  of  the  show  diminished  with  much  more  of  the  programme  given  over  to  alternative  comedians. I  remember  they  did  a  laboured  Celebrity  Squares  sketch   with  an  unidentified  compere  who  was  so  appallingly  wooden  that  I  felt  completely  certain  I'd  never  see  him  in  front  of  a  camera  again. But  no - he  teamed  up  with  a  guy  called  Bob  Mortimer  and  the  rest  is  history.

552 Hello Boy George solo - Everything I Own

Chart  entered : 7  March  1987

Chart  peak : 1

Number  of  hits  : 17  ( including  4  as  Jesus  Loves  You )

George's  solo  career  turned  out  to  be  underwhelming  - there  was  only  one  other  Top  20  hit  to  come * - but  it  couldn't  have  got  off  to  a  much  better  start.

This  came off  the back  of  an  horrendous  couple  of  years  for  George, one  of  the  most  spectacular  falls  from  grace  in  pop  history  played  out  in  the  full  glare  of  the  tabloids. After  bestriding  the  world  with  "Karma  Chameleon"  George  then  drove  a  stake  through  their  US  success  by  referring  to  himself  as  "a  good  drag  queen"  when  accepting  a  Grammy  for  it  in  1984. That  year's  LP  "Waking  Up  With  The  House  On  Fire"  went  platinum  on  advance  sales  but  both  critics  and  punters  were  disappointed  with  the  contents. Second  single  "The  Medal  Song" failed  to  breach  the  Top  30. Although  George  appeared  on  the  Band  Aid  single  Culture  Club  were  nowhere  to  be  seen  at  Live  Aid   and  recording  sessions  for  the  next  album  dragged  on  due  to  George's  frequent  incapacity  through  heroin  addiction. Although  it  got  finished  as  "From  Luxury  To  Heartache"  and  yielded  a  couple  of  hits  in  1986  it  failed  to  arrest  their  commercial  decline.  George   made  a  solo appearance  at  an  anti-apartheid  gig   in  the  summer  looking  like  death  warmed  up  and  his  substance  abuse  became  public  knowledge  just  days  later. A  musician  friend  OD'd   at  his  house  and  he  was  arrested  for  possession. His  relationship  with  drummer  Jon  Moss  cracked  under  the  strain  which  meant  the  band  breaking  up.  

The  Popular  thread  is  here

* excluding  the  Culture  Club  reunion

551 Hello Anthrax - I Am The Law

Chart  entered :  28  February  1987

Chart  peak : 32

Number  of  hits  : 10

This  record  coming  in  at   number  37  was  further  evidence  that  a  band  with  a  strong  fanbase  need  make  no  concession  to  commerciality  to  enter  the  Top  40.

Anthrax   were  formed  in  Queen's , New  York  City  in  the  summer  of  1981  by  guitarists  Scott Ian  and  Dan  Lilker. Scott  was  born  in  1963  and  was  inspired  by  Kiss, Black  Sabbath, Iron Maiden  and  Motorhead   although  he  also  listened  to  The  Ramones.  He  got  the  name  of  the band  from  a  biology  textbook  and  liked  its  evil  implications. There  already  was  an  anarcho-punk  band  of  that  name in  Britain, of  whom  he  was  probably  unaware.  The  early  line  up was fluid  as  they  built  up  a  live  reputation. They  are  considered  one  of  the  four  originators  of thrash  metal, a  combination  of  British  metal   values  and  US  hardcore  punk  influences especially  the  ultra-fast  drumming  with  two  bass  drums. The  lyrics  were  usually  serious  and pessimistic  although  Anthrax's  unique   contribution  to  the  genre  was  to  add  a  little  humour  to the  mix.

In   1983,  Charlie  Benante   joined  as  their  third  drummer  and  Dan  Spitz  ( born  1963 )  came in  as  a  guitarist  as  Lilker  switched  over  to  bass . Charlie  was  born  in 1962  and  hailed  from The  Bronx. In  addition  to  his  drumming  abilities  Charlie  was  a  graphic artist  and  designed   their  sleeves  and  T-shirts. The  band  became  friendly  with  record  store  boss  Jon   Zazula   whose  record  label  Megaforce  had  just  released  " Kill 'Em  All", Metallica's  debut  LP.  He signed  Anthrax  up  and  they  released  the  single  "Soldiers  of  Metal"  in  November  1983 followed  shortly  after  by  the album  "Fistful  of  Metal". To  me  it all  sounds  like  speeded  up Iron  Maiden  with   a  similar  disregard  for  a   decent  tune.  The  track  "Metal  Thrashing  Mad" gave  this  admittedly  ferocious  sound  a  name  but  the  only  track  that  stands  out  is  the  cover of  Alice  Copper's  "I'm  Eighteen"  where  they're  obliged  to  slow  down  a  bit. Tellingly  Scott   refused  to  play  on  the  track  which  was  included  at  Zazula's  insistence . Neither  record charted.

Shortly  after  the  album's  release,  both  Lilker  and  singer  Neil  Turbin  were  fired. Charlie's  nephew  Frank  Bello    ( born  1965 )  who  had  been  roadying  for  the  band  stepped  in  on  bass.  The  band  briefly  converted  to  a  hardcore  punk  covers  band  called  The  Diseased  while  they  looked  for  a  new singer.  They  eventually  chose  Joey  Belladonna  ( born  1960 ).  His  first  recording  with  the  band  was  the  "Armed  and  Dangerous"  EP    in  February  1985 ( although  its  live  tracks  featured  Turbin ). The  title  track  hinted  at  versatility  with  a  semi-acoustic  intro  before  the  gallop  begins  and  the  EP   featured  a  version  of  the Pistols' "God  Save  The  Queen "  sung  rather  too  politely.

In  the  autumn  they  released  their  second  album  "Spread  The  Disease"  which  was  distributed  by  Island  in  the  UK.  With  Joey  doing  a  creditable  impersonation  of   Rob  Halford  they  now  sounded  more  like  speeded  up  Judas  Priest  than  Maiden  with  Joey's  phrasing  making  the  lyrics  more  intelligible.  Despite  that  it's  still  likely  to  send  any  casual  listener  looking  for  the  aspirin  bottle. They  picked  "Madhouse"  for  the  next  single ( it  could  have  been  any  track  really )  and  made  a  promo  for  it  but  it  got  banned  for  being  in  bad  taste. The  album  made  a  minor  mark  on  the  US  chart. With  some  spare  studio  time  available  Scott  and  Charlie  recorded  an  album  of  punkier  material  under  the  name  Stormtroopers  of  Death.

Anthrax  spent  most  of  1986  playing  live  and  were  on  the  European  tour  with  Metallica  which  ended  with  the  death  in  a  road  accident  of  the  latter's  Cliff  Burton.

"I  Am  The  Law"  was  the  lead  single  for  their  third  album  "Among  The  Living". Like  The  Human  League  song  of   the  same  name  it  was  inspired  by  2,000 A.D.s  zero  tolerance  cop  of  the  future. Its  chart  success  owed  everything  to  their  hard  work  in  building  an  audience  and  Island's  marketing  nous  ( there  was  a  picture  disc  version )   , nothing  to  any  attempt  to  sweeten  the  pill. "I  Am  The  Law"  has  a  shouty  chous  of  sorts  - including  the  line  "Don't  you  fuck  around  no  more "  so  I'm  guessing  there  was  a  radio  edit  available  -but  it's  an  uncompromising  pounding  noise-fest  with  their  usual  trick  of  accelerating  when  you  might  be  expecting  them  to  wind  it  down. Outside  of  The  Friday  Rock  Show,  I  would  hazard  a  guess   this  is  one  of  the  least-played  Top  40  hits  of  the  deade.

550 Hello Beastie Boys - ( You Gotta ) Fight For Your Right ( To Party )

Chart  entered : 28  February  1987

Chart  peak : 11

Number  of  hits  : 15

We've  crossed  a  personal  Rubicon  here  as  we're  now  discussing  records  released  after  I  started  work. As  I  was  working  in  an  office  environment , there  was  no  radio  which  means  I  can  no  longer  say  whether  records  got  airplay  or  not. Mind  you, post- Jack  Your  Body  getting  to  number  one,  that  wasn't  such  an  important  factor  any  more.

 Beastie  Boys  arose  from  a  hardcore  punk  band  called  Young  Aborigines  in  New  York  in  the  summer  of  1981 . Vocalist  Michael  Diamond  ( born  1965 ) , guitarist  John  Berry  and  drummer  Kate  Schellenbach  invited  Adam  Yauch   ( born  1964 ) to  replace  a  departing  bass  player  and  renamed  themselves  Beastie  Boys.  They  released  an  eight  track  EP  "Pollywog  Stew"  in  1982. The  lyrics  are  mostly  unintelligible  and  to  British  ears  most  of  it  sounds  as  tediously  retarded  as  the  likes  of   The  Exploited   although  there  are  passages  of  more  disciplined  guitar  from  Berry. He  left  shortly  after  its  release  and  was  replaced  by  Adam  Horovitz  (  born  1966  )  from  punk  peers  The  Young  And  The  Useless.  Beastie  Boys  played  on  the  New  York  circuit  with  the  likes  of  Bad  Brains, Dead  Kennedys  and  Reagan  Youth  but  were  also  keeping  an  eye  on  the City's  burgeoning  hip  hop  scene.  

Although  three,  wholly  or  partly  Jewish  white  boys  and  a  girl  were  unlikely  conduits  for  the  new  music  they  released  a  track  "Cooky Puss"  on  an  EP  in  1983 , based  on  a  prank  call   to  an  ice  cream  company , and  incorporating  scratching  and  samples. It's  incoherent  and  frankly  dire  but  its  acceptance  in  the  underground  dance  clubs  convinced  the  three  lads  that  this  was  the  way  forward. Schellenbach  wanted  to  stay  a  punk  and  quit  at  this  point  with  Mike  taking  over  behind  the  drum  kit  when  necessary.

As  the  group  incorporated  rap  into  their  set  they  decided  they  needed  a  DJ  and  selected  Rick  Rubin  another  ex-punk   and  white  enthusiast  for  hip  hop. Rubin  had  also  set  up  a  new  record  label  with  Russell  Simmons  called  Def  Jam  and  signed  Beastie  Boys  to  it. They  released  their  next  single  "Rock  Hard  in  1984. The  single  takes  the  riff  from  AC/DC's  Back  In  Black   synchronises  it  with  a  monster  breakbeat  ( for  which  Rubin  took  a  writer's  credit ) and  the  lads  shout  over  the  top  of  it. The  sample  was  uncleared  and  with  AC/DC  predictably  opposed  to  the  concept  it  had  to  be  withdrawn  promptly.

Their  next  single  "She's  On  It"  came  out  in  November  1985  after  the  song  was  featured  in  the  film  Krush  Groove, Simmon's  self-mythologizing  account  of  the  early  days  of  Def  Jam. Rubin  came  up  with  the  hard  rock  riff  while  Adam  H  supplied  the  tasteless  lascivious  lyrics  which  they  whine  in  turn. I  find  it  grindingly  boring  but  it  was  a  top  10  hit  on  reissue  in  1987.

In  April  1986  they  released  their  next  single  "Hold  It  Now  Hit  It"  which  turned  out  to  be  the  lead  single  for  their  album  "Licensed  To  Ill"  though  that  didn't  come  out  until  six  months  later. Like  early  Run DMC  the  guys  are  rapping  over  a  bare  percussion  track  with  just  the  occasional  sample  to  break  the  monotony.  It  still  confounds  me  that  anyone  could  enjoy  listening  to  these  obnoxious  frat  boys  shouting  (  or  whining  in  the  case  of  Adam  H -" "Ad Rock" - whose  gnat-like  voice  is  particularly  aggravating )  about   their  loutish  lifestyle  with  the  occasional  break  for  profundities  like  "I  come  from  Brooklyn  cause  that's  where  I'm  from"  with  no  tune  in  sight   for  three  minutes   but  I  guess  that's  just  a  rite  of  passage  for  everyone.

The  next  single  "The  New  Style" , released  just  ahead  of  the  album  is  just  as  impenetrable  - the  line  "We  got  the  kind  of  voices  that  are  in  your  face"  couldn't  be  more  true. This  one  came  with  added  objectionable  lyrics  about  shooting  people   and  "The  girlies  I  like  are  underage". Despite  the  fact  that  none  of  their  singles  had  made  the  Billboard  chart  the  album  "Licenced  to  Ill"  was  an  instant  success  and  became  the  first  rap  album  to  top  the  US  chart  ( here  it  got  to  number  7 ) .

"( You  Gotta )  Fight  For  Your  Right  ( To  Party ) "  was  the  third  single  from  the  album  in  the  UK  and  was  boosted  by  a  sudden  interest  in  the  band   from  the  tabloids  eager  for  some  Sex  Pistols-style  outrage   (  the nonsense  that  they'd  been  rude  to  some  disabled  kids  at  the  airport  was  almost  a  re-run  of  the  Pistols'  puking  story  and  just  as  fictitious ).  Adam  Y  and  his  friend  Tom  Cushman  wrote  the  song  as  a  parody  of  empty-headed  frat  boy  behaviour  but  of  course  that  wasn't  understood  by  most  of  its  audience.  Mike  D  later  commented  ruefully "There  were  tons  of  guys  singing  along  to  "Fight  For  Your  Right"  who  were  oblivious  to  the  fact  it  was  a  total  goof  on  them".

Musically  the  single  is  something  of  a  compromise. One  of  only  two  tracks  on  the  album  not  to  use  samples  it  also  eschews  any  urban  slang  in  its  attempt  to  get  across  to  a  white  rock  audience. The  guys  fall  into  a  disciplined   verse  chorus  structure  with  a  break  for  a  guitar  solo. Only  the  rhythmic  rigidity  and  non-melodic  vocals  stop  it  being  an  out-and-out  rock  track. Although  not  their  biggest  hit,  it's  probably  their  best-known  track  in  the  UK   and  I  suspect  many  people  still  remember  the  video  and  recall  them  as  the  bastard  offspring  of  John  Belushi.