On This Day 25/10/1977 Fabulous Poodles

On This Day, 25 October 1977, pre-new wave rock band Fabulous Poodles played Cardiff’s Top Rank. The band had recently released their John Entwisle produced debut album Fabulous Poodles.

The Fabulous Poodles were a British pre-new wave band formed in 1975. Known for quirky stage antics, such as exploding ukuleles, as well as songs with funny lyrics, The Fabulous Poodles toured with Meat Loaf, Sha Na Na, Tom Petty, Bill Bruford and Chuck Berry (as backing band).

They appeared on the Old Grey Whistle Test and for a long time were music critic John Peel's favourite group. The band released three albums between 1977 and 1979 on Pye Records.One of more memorable acts to rise from the British new wave scene of the late '70s, the Fabulous Poodles combined a lean, rootsy sound (complete with fiddle) and bar band stomp with an insouciant energy and a very British sense of humor that won them a cult following in the U.K. and the U.S.

Originally a pub rock act known as the Poodles, they released their first album in 1977. While the debut and 1978's Unsuitable were only modestly successful at home, their American debut, Mirror Stars (featuring tracks from the first two albums) sold well thanks to heavy touring and radio play of the title track. While 1979's Think Pink was musically strong, it didn't match the success of Mirror Stars, and in 1980 the band folded, though occasional reissues of its catalog kept the group's legacy alive

The Fabulous Poodles began life simply as the Poodles, a band active on the U.K. pub rock circuit. Formed in London in 1974, the Poodles featured Tony de Meur on lead vocals and guitar; Jon Bentley on bass and vocals; Bob Suffolk on piano; Bobby Valentino on violin, mandolin, and vocals; and Gordon Coxon on drums. (John Parsons, while never a proper member of the Poodles, would contribute songwriting to the group throughout its career.)

The Poodles earned a reputation for their eccentric live shows, featuring a strong dose of comedy and the use of props on-stage, and they landed a one-off record deal with Private Stock Records, which issued "Chicago Boxcar (Boston Back)" b/w "Love and Sorrow" in early 1975. The single flopped, and Bentley, Suffolk, and Coxon left the group (Suffolk went on to a successful career designing recording studios).

Bringing aboard a new rhythm section -- bassist Richie Robertson and drummer Bryn Burrows -- the group soldiered on as the Fabulous Poodles, and as punk and new wave became the latest news in British rock, their offbeat style and quirky humor found a context where they fit in.

In 1977, they signed with Pye Records, and their debut album, simply titled The Fabulous Poodles and produced by John Entwistle of the Who, appeared later that year. While the album received a positive review from rock critic and DJ John Peel and earned the band a spot on the BBC music series The Old Grey Whistle Test (where the group's antics managed to outrage host Bob Harris), the album didn't fare well commercially, despite extensive touring in the U.K. and Europe.

On This Day 24/10/1978 Squeeze

On this day, 24 October 1978, rock band Squeeze played Cardiff’s Top Rank supporting Dr Feelgood.

The band's founding members in March 1974 were Chris Difford (guitar, vocals, lyrics), and Glenn Tilbrook (vocals, guitar, music). Difford claims that in 1973, he stole 50p from his mother's purse to put a card in a local sweetshop window to advertise for a guitarist to join his band, although he was not actually in a band at the time. Tilbrook was the only person who responded to the advertisement.

Difford and Tilbrook began writing songs together, and soon added Jools Holland (keyboards) and Paul Gunn (drums) to form an actual band. The group performed under several names, most frequently "Captain Trundlow's Sky Company" or "Skyco", before selecting the band name "Squeeze" as a facetious tribute to the Velvet Underground's oft-derided 1973 album Squeeze.

Gilson Lavis replaced Gunn on drums, and Harri Kakoulli joined on bass in 1975.

Squeeze's early career was spent around Deptford in south-east London, where they were part of a lively local music scene which included Alternative TV and Dire Straits. Though the group was initially signed to Miles Copeland III's BTM Records, the label went under in late 1976, and so their early singles and debut EP, 1977's Packet of Three, were released on the Deptford Fun City label.

Squeeze's first EP and most of their self-titled debut album (1978) were produced by John Cale for A&M Records. Cale had been a member of Velvet Underground from whose album Squeeze took their name. However, the debut album's two hit singles ("Take Me I'm Yours" and "Bang Bang") were produced by the band themselves, as the label found Cale's recordings uncommercial

On This Day 18/10/1977 Siouxsie and the Banshees

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On this day, 18 October 1977, punk rockers Siouxsie and the Banshees played Cardiff’s Top Rank supporting The Heartbreakers with the Models also on the bill.

Formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts.

Their first live appearance on television took place in November 1977 on Granada Television (based in Manchester), on Tony Wilson's TV show So It Goes. In that month they also recorded their first John Peel session for BBC radio, in which they premiered a new song, "Metal Postcard"; this introduced a "motorik austerity" in the drum patterns, along with "space in the sound" and "serrated guitars". The band described their music as "cold, machine-like and passionate at the same time". When they appeared on the cover of Sounds magazine, Vivien Goldman wrote: "they sound like a 21st century industrial plant".

Q magazine included John McKay's guitar playing on "Hong Kong Garden" in their list of "100 Greatest Guitar Tracks Ever", while Mojo rated guitarist John McGeoch in their list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" for his work on "Spellbound".

The Times cited the group as "one of the most audacious and uncompromising musical adventurers of the post-punk era".

Initially associated with the punk scene, the band rapidly evolved to create "a form of post-punk discord full of daring rhythmic and sonic experimentation".

Their debut album The Scream was released in 1978 to widespread critical acclaim.

SETLIST

Make Up to Break Up

Scrapheap

20th Century Boy

(T. Rex cover)

Carcass

Psychic

Bad Shape

Love in a Void

The Lord's Prayer

Encore:

Captain Scarlet

On This Day 16/10/1974 Badfinger

On this day 16 October 1974, Welsh band Badfinger played Cardiff’s Top Rank supporting another Welsh band Man.

formed in Swansea in 1961. Their best-known lineup consisted of Pete Ham (guitar), Mike Gibbins (drums), Tom Evans (bass), and Joey Molland (guitar). Initially known as the Iveys, the band renamed themselves Badfinger, after the working title for the Beatles' 1967 song "With a Little Help from My Friends" ("Bad Finger Boogie"). From 1968 to 1973, Badfinger recorded five albums for Apple Records and toured extensively, before they became embroiled in the chaos of Apple's dissolution.

Crises in band management, money, and band leadership were creating growing frictions within Badfinger. Guitarist Joey Molland's wife, Kathie, had been taking a more assertive role in the band's politics, which did not endear her to the rest of the band, particularly Ham.

Just before the start of rehearsals for an October 1974 UK tour, Ham suddenly quit Badfinger during a management meeting, standing up and shouting "I don't want Kathie managing the band! I'm leaving". He found a cottage in Wales, where he hoped to build a studio. He was quickly replaced by guitarist/keyboardist Bob Jackson, who was then idle after previous involvement with the Fortunes.

During Ham's three-week hiatus from the band, Polley tried to interest record companies in Ham as a solo act, but under pressure from Warner Brothers, Ham rejoined the band in time for the tour, as the company made it clear that it would have little to no interest in promoting Badfinger if Ham was not a part of it. Jackson remained as full-time keyboardist, making the band a quintet. After the UK tour, Molland quit of his own accord to pursue a solo career in December 1974.

On This Day 14/10/1977 The Saints

On this day, 14 October 1977, Australian rock band The Saints played Cardiff’s Top Rank. Support was provided by Mirrors.

Formed in Brisbane, Queensland in 1973 and founded by singer-songwriter Chris Bailey, drummer Ivor Hay, and guitarist-songwriter Ed Kuepper, they originally employed fast tempos, raucous vocals and a "buzzsaw" guitar sound that helped initiate punk rock in Australia and identified them with the greater international movement.

Unable to get gigs, they converted their share house into a venue where they could play. With their debut single "(I'm) Stranded", released in September 1976, they became the first punk band outside the US to release a record, ahead of the first UK punk releases from the Damned, the Sex Pistols and the Clash.

They experienced UK chart success in 1977 with the song "This Perfect Day", which peaked at #34. Bassist Kym Bradshaw left in 1977 to join first-wave British punk rock band, The Lurkers, and was replaced by Algy Ward.

On This Day11/10/1977 Dr Feelgood

On this day, 11 October 1977, English pub rock band Dr Feelgood played Cardiff’s Top Rank. Support was provided by American rock band Mink DeVille.

Hailing from Canvey Island, Essex, they are best known for early singles such as "She Does It Right", "Roxette", "Back in the Night" and "Milk and Alcohol". Their original and distinctively British R&B sound was centred on Wilko Johnson's choppy guitar style. Along with Johnson, the initial band line-up included singer Lee Brilleaux and the rhythm section of John B. Sparks, known as "Sparko", on bass guitar and John Martin, known as "The Big Figure", on drums.

Their breakthrough 1976 live album, Stupidity, reached number one in the UK Albums Chart (their only chart-topper). The Ramones were the opening act for the group's May 1976 shows at the Bottom Line in New York.

After the 1977 follow-up Sneakin' Suspicion, Johnson left the group because of conflicts with Lee Brilleaux. He was replaced by Gypie Mayo. The band with Mayo were never as popular as when Johnson was in the line-up, yet they went on to enjoy their only top ten hit single in 1979 with "Milk and Alcohol".

On This Day 10/10/1966 Manfred Mann

On this day, 10 October 1966, rock band Manfred Mann played Cardiff’s Top Rank.

The band were about to release their third studio album As If, their first to feature new members Mike d'Abo and Klaus Voormann.

The twelve tracks on the record include the line-up's first single release, a cut-down version of Bob Dylan's "Just Like a Woman" that reached the UK top ten, and a short cool jazz version of "Autumn Leaves", reminiscent of the Modern Jazz Quartet with Mike Hugg's vibraphone and double bass from the group's former bassist Dave Richmond, sounding like an out-take from the group's instrumental releases: these two make weight for a fairly short collection of group compositions. As d'Abo's presence somehow sparked Mike Hugg into producing baroque pop miniatures, both contribute three songs: d'Abo's "Box Office Draw" and "Trouble and Tea" are well-crafted pop, while "As Long as I Have Lovin'" is a generic soul ballad.

Hugg's "Morning After the Party", also released as a "B" side and on the compilation album What a Mann, recalls the rowdy rhythm and blues of the group's past, while two of his three collaborations with Mann suggest something of the direction they would later take with Manfred Mann Chapter Three. Guitarist Tom McGuinness provides a range of textures, including his trademark National Steel Guitar and contributes sleeve notes and a gentle folk-ballad. The group continued to exploit studio multitracking: keyboardist Mann layering Mellotrons, bassist Voormann taking over from Mike Vickers on flutes.

On This Day 27/09/1977 The Motors

On this day, 27 September 1977, British rock band The Motors played Cardiff’s Top Rank.

Formed in London in 1977 by former Ducks Deluxe members Nick Garvey and Andy McMaster together with guitarist Rob Hendry (who was replaced in May 1977 by Bram Tchaikovsky) and drummer Ricky Slaughter.

Their biggest success was with the McMaster penned song "Airport", a number 4 UK hit single in 1978.

The Motors' debut live performance was at the Marquee Club in March 1977, and they recorded three songs for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show the same month (22 March 1977).

By May they had been signed to Virgin Records, and recorded material for another John Peel session on 12 September of that year.

The Motors' original recording line-up released two albums, both of which met with modest success; 1 released in October 1977 and Approved by the Motors the following year.

Their first single "Dancing the Night Away", which was released in September 1977 reached number 42 in the UK Singles Chart. Two other sizeable hits followed. In 1978, the band released "Airport" – which proved to be the band's biggest seller – and which peaked at number 4. The song was also a minor hit in the United States. The follow-up, "Forget About You", was released two months later.

The Garvey/McMaster/Tchaikovsky/Slaughter line-up split when Tchaikovsky left after they played at the Reading Rock Festival on 28 August 1978. It would become The Motors’ final UK concert.

They played as first support to Status Quo. Slaughter also left the group soon afterwards. Tchaikovsky would subsequently release three solo albums, the first of which took him into the American Top 40 with the power pop song "Girl of My Dreams".

Following the departure of Tchaikovsky and Slaughter, Welsh rhythm section bassist Martin Ace and drummer Terry Williams were recruited to fill in the Motors' studio line-up.

Martin and Terry had together made up the rhythm section for 1970s progressive rockers Man; Martin later relaunched Man whilst Terry joined Rockpile and later had a stint with Dire Straits.