Swindon Music

I have that album "Bellybutton" from 1990

Very Brian Wilson-esque

One of my top five bands of all-time. One of the most criminally underrated bands of all-time, too.

TKIHU was on their first album, 'Bellybutton'. It's great, I have the original promo video (on VHS tape, naturally) here - cracking video. Chrysalis never knew how to market them - the music was adult but the record company insisted on pushing the Hana Barbera-style Haight Ashbury hippy image and had them on kids' Saturday morning TV shows and suchlike. Although, they did open the bill of INXS' biggest ever UK dates at Wembley Stadium in 1991.

IMO, every single track they ever recorded was utter genius. They have never recorded a track that could only be described as 'good'. If you like them, Roger Joseph Manning Jr. is still putting out albums that aren't a million miles from the sheer brilliance of Jellyfish.

And if you have kids, just watch their TV channels - Andy Sturmer makes a living writing cartoon theme tunes now - Ben 10 is the latest, I believe.

BTW, I'd like thank Darryl for indirectly leading me to listen to about an hour's worth of old Ratt songs on You Tube this afternoon. I always loved them but had thought their stuff might have suffered over time. It hasn't, 'You're In Love', 'Body Talk' and stuff like 'I Wanna Woman' (naff song titles notwithstanding) hold up perfectly well. I need to dig out the vinyl albums.

I seriously cannot believe some of those songs are almost 25 years old.

Look people it is possible to have a positive thread about music. BTW 20 eyes...do we know each other, I'm sure someone has told me in the past but if you are a mate of Darryls and Fowler then I'm sure we must have met in real life. Am I being really thick here?

Mr 20 Eyes is responsible for me getting into Jellyfish all those years ago. With Red Kross I always thought it was the drummer doing the Paul Stanley impression - either way, their film with it in is an absolute classic!!!

But I dont know whether it warrants an hour or more of Ratt!!!!

meh

Meh all you like Matt, but if it wasnt for the Dolls and the other upstarts from Maxs in the early 70s and the Brats forming the Boys (the first ever British punk album, sadly their distribution fucked up and it never got released in Britain in time before the Damned) then punk itself wouldnt have happened in the form it did. Yes, it would have happened in one form, but not the one it formed in.

I like what you've done there.

Can I claim it was intentional even if it wasnt???

Mark..... I think you are becoming my idol

with his musical work rate...more like idle!

Its never a good idea to have an out of shape, grumpy, moody, bitter pissed off old man as an idol!!!

I was hoping you would.

I'm pretty sure we must have met, but I'm not sure you'd really know me, as such.

I was in a band at the time of the Swindon Rock Front and played a few shows in Swindon, then went on to manage Godhead and Pollen, then to put on the live bands at The Bell. I've also done nights at Level 3 and still do nights (Serotonin) now and again in Swindon.

Darryl and I were in the same year through comprehensive school - much of what he talks about in his blog (see seeing Skid Row/Vain etc.) is the stuff I remember well from school - which is also how I know Mark, who also married my ex's old best friend.

Reading Darryl's blog reminds me of how we had different tastes in, essentially, the same types of music. Darryl and Mark liked the older, punkier US bands and the (then) current UK glam/sleaze bands whilst myself and Nick Smith (later to drum for King Prawn) were more into Kiss, Motley Crue and the whole 70s/80s US glam/sleaze thing. Although we did love Tigertailz - mind you, they were 25% American and acted more American than most American bands.

This thread's even made me flick through a load of my old vinyl albums, Jesus, I forgot just how many of these bands there were around at that time - nearly all of which, as they say with the original punk bands, have at least one classic song.

Even though we don't know each other we do seem to share a common past musically. I also went to WB comp, though am a bit older, I go to know Darryl from hanging around in the Angel and playing gigs at the Monkey Club. I'm sure if ever we meet with a drink in front of us there will be much to chat about.

Like the fact that I watched Godhead play a BotB's in Pewsey. Also I remeber seeing King Prawn a couple of times, what a great band.

who?