Gorillas publicity shot

Spanish picture sleeves

Radio Stars ad

Bishops ad

Skrewdriver ad

Count Bishops CDs

I dunno, maybe the world is finally catchin' up with me. But besides the Jesse Hector CD mentioned below, there's also a new CD-single out by the mighty Count Bishops with two previously unreleased tunes. No word yet on the promised Euro tour, but rest assured you'll be the first to know as soon as any news reaches HQ.

Update: Oh well: "The COUNT BISHOPS tour in Europe for May and June 2006 is cancelled"...

Gorilla Garage

Gorilla Garage is the title of a new Jesse Hector CD anthology on the RPM label. Haven't seen a copy yet, but the tracklistin' and RPM's general high standards in packagin' makes this one a must have anyways... If you're unfamiliar with this stuff, be prepared to be blown away into some previously unimagined distance...

Singles discography

ACE-BIG BEAT-CHISWICK-GLOBESTYLE-OFF BEAT

CH SW 1 Count Bishops - Speedball EP
CH S 2 Vince Taylor - Brand New Cadillac/Pledging My Love
CH S 3 101'ers - Keys To Your Heart/Five Star Rock'n'Roll Petrol
CH S 4 Gorillas - She's My Gal/Why Wait ‘till Tomorrow
CH S 5 Count Bishops – Train Train/Takin’ It Easy
CH SW 6 Rocky Sharpe & the Razors - EP
CH SW 7 Little Bop Story - EP
CH S 8 Gorillas – Gatecrasher/Gorilla Got Me
CH S 9 Radio Stars – Dirty Pictures/Sail Away
CH S 10 Radiators From Space – Television Screen/Love Detective
CH S 11 Skrewdriver – You’re So Dumb/Better Off Crazy
CH S 12 Count Bishops – Baby You’re Wrong/Stay Free
CH S 13 Motorhead – Motorhead/City Kids
CH S 13 Motorhead – Motorhead/City Kids (12”)
CH S 14 Rings – I Wanna Be Free/Automobile
CH S 15 Johnny Moped – No One/Incendiary Device
CH NS 16 Jeff Hill – I Want You To Dance With Me/Feel Like Lovin’ You
CH SW 17 Radio Stars – Stop It EP
CH NS 18 Skrewdriver – Anti Social/19th Nervous Breakdown
CH NS 19 Radiators From Space – Enemies/Psychotic Reaction
CH NS 20 Amazorblades – Common Truth/Messaround
CH NS 21 Stukas – Klean Living Kids/Oh Little Girl
CH NS 22 Johnny & the Selfabusers – Saints And Sinners/DeadVandals
CH NS 23 Radio Stars – Nervous Wreck/Horrible Breath
CH NST 23 Radio Stars – Nervous Wreck/Horrible Breath (12”)
CH NS 24 -unissued- Radiators From Space – Prison Bars/Teenager In Love
CH NS 25 Whirlwind – Hang Loose/Together Forever
CH SWT 26 Twink – Do It ‘77/Psychedelic Punkeroo, Enter The Diamonds (12”)
CH NS 27 Johnny Moped – Darling Let’s Have Another Baby/Something Else, It Really Digs
CH NS 28 -unissued- Skrewdriver - Streetfight/Unbeliever
CH NS 29 Radiators – Million Dollar Hero/Prison Bars
CH SW 30 Jook - EP
CH NS 31 Table – Sex Cells/The Road Of Lyfe
CH NS 32 -unissued- Link Wray – Batman Theme/Hidden Charms
CH NS 33 Bishops – I Take What I Want/No Lies
CH SW 34 Riff Raff - EP
CH NS 35 -unissued- Bishops – Mr Jones – Human Bean, Route 66
CH NS 36 Radio Stars – From A Rabbit/The Beast No 2 (mix 2,matrix 5288?2t/lyntone)
CH NS 36 Radio Stars – From A Rabbit/The Beast No 2 (6”)
CH NS 37 Bishops – I Want Candy/See That Woman
CH NS 376 Bishops – I Want Candy/See That Woman (6”)
CH NS 3710 Bishops – I Want Candy/See That Woman (10”)
CH NS 38 Frankie Ford – Sea Cruise/Alimony
CH SW 39 Drug Addix – Make A Record EP
CH NS 40 -unissued- Sniff ‘n’ the Tears – Driver’s Seat/Slide Away
CH NS 41 Johnny Moped – Little Queenie/Hard Lovin’ Man
CH NS 42 -unissued- Whirlwind – I Only Wish (That I’ve Bee Told)/Ducktails
CH NS 43 -unissued- Huey ‘Piano’ Smith – Rockin’ Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flue/t.b.a.
CH NS 44 -unissued- Disguise – Hey Baby/Juvenile Delinquent
CH NS 45 -unissued- Radiators – Walkin’ Home Alone Again/The Hucklebuck
CH NS 46 -unissued- Rocky Shape & the Replays – Rama Lama Ding Dong/When The Chips Are Down
47
48
AC NS 49 Thumper Jones – Rock It/How Come It
AC NS 50 Phaetons – I Love My Baby/As You Know
51
AC NS 52 Link Davis – Slipping And Sliding Sometimes/Allons A Lafayette
AC NS 53 Hoyt Scoggins – Tennessee Rock/Why Did We Fall In Love
AC NS 54 Sonny Fisher – Pink And Black/Sneaky Pete
BB NS 55 Johnny & the Jammers – School Day Blues/You Know I Love You
BB NSD 56 Bob Doldrum – I Am The Way/Rumba Brothers – Dummy Shop
BB SW 57 Radiators – Four On The Floor EP
BB NS 58 Physicals – Be Like Me/Pain In Love
59
60
BB NS 61 Motorhead - Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers EP
BB SWT 61 Motorhead - Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers EP (12”)
BB NS 62 Joe ‘King’ Carrasco – Jalapeno Con Big Red/Just A Mile Away
BB NS 63 101’ers – Sweet Revenge/Rabies (From The Dogs Of War)
BB NS 64 T.V. Smith’s Explorers – Tomahawk Cruise/See Europe
AC SW 65 Meteors - Meteor Madness EP
66
AC NS 67 Roscoe Gordon – Booted/Little Willie Littlefield – Ain’t A Better Story Told
68
69
AC SW 70 Screamin Lord Sutch - EP
BB NSP 71 Deke Rivers – Elvis Presley Medley/Elvis Presley – press conference (picture disc)
72
AC NS 73 Johnny Mars – Born Under A Bad Sign/Horses And Places, Mighty Mars
AC NS 74 Meteors – Radioactive Kid/Graveyard Stomp
BB NS 75 Damned – Love Song/Noise Noise Noise, Suicide (Dave sleeve)
BB NS 76 Damned – Smash It Up/Burglar
77
78
BB NS 79 Tall Boys – Island Of Lost Souls/Another Half Hour To Sunrise
BB NS 80 Damned – Lively Arts/Teenage Dream
BB NST 80 Damned – Lively Arts/Teenage Dream, I’m So Bored
AC SW 81 Poorboys – Move Baby Move EP
BB SW 82 Stingrays – On Selfdestruct EP (white label gig freebie)
BB SW 82 Stingrays – On Selfdestruct EP
AC NS 83 Diz & The Doormen - Blue Coat Man/Caldonia
84
BB NS 85 Damned – White Rabbit/Rabid (Over You), Seagulls
BB NST 85 Damned – White Rabbit/Curtain Call
BB NS 86 Escalators – Something’s Missing/The Edge
BB NS 87 Escalators – Muners Theme/Monday
BB NS 88 Bananamen – The Crusher/Love Me, Surfin’ Bird
BB SW 89 Guana Batz - EP
BB NS 90 Prisoners – Hurricane/Tomorrow (She Said)
BB NS 91 Janie Jones & the Lash – House Of The Ju Ju Queen/Sex Machine
BB NS 92 Damned – There Ain’t No Sanity Clause/Looking At You
BB NS 93 Naz Nomad & the Nightmares – I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)/Cold Turkey
BB NS 94 Milkshakes – Brand New Cadillac EP
BB NS 95 Stingrays – Escalator/Loose Lip Sync Ship, Escalator (inst.)
BB NS 96 Guana Batz – The Cave/Werewolf Blues
BB SWT 97 Sickidz – I Could Go To Hell For You EP (12”)
BB SW 98 Prisoners – Electric Fit EP
BB SW 99 Vibes – Can You Feel The Vibes? EP
BB SW 100 Various – Four On 4 EP
BB SW 101 Delmonas – Volume 1 EP
BB SW 102 Delmonas – Volume 2 EP
103
BB NS 104 Restless – Mr Blues/Fool’s Gol
BB SW 105 Milkshakes – Ambassadors Of Love EP
BB NS 106 Pride Of The Cross – Tommy’s Blue Valentine/Black Coffee
BB NS 107 Tall Boys – Final Kick/Interceptor
BB NS 108 Lash Lariat & the Long Riders – Dole Qeue Blues/Goodbye And Good Luck
BB NS 109 Stingrays – Don’t Break Down/Cover Version
BB NST 109 Stingrays – Don’t Break Down, Cover Version/Image Pretence
BB NS 110 Cramps – Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?/Blue Moon Baby (orange vinyl)
BB NST 110 Cramps – Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?/Blue Moon Baby, Georgia Lee Brown
GS NS 111 3 Mustaphas 3 - Si Vous Passez Par La/Starehe Mustapha I !!I
OB NS 112 Rapiers – Closing Theme/Still I Cry
OB NS 113 Johnny & the Roccos - I Hate The Disco/Drip Dry, Rough Cut
114
BB NS 115 Cramps – What’s Inside A Girl/Give Me A Woman (purple vinyl)
BB NST 115 Cramps – What’s Inside A Girl/Get Off The Road, Give Me A Woman (12”)
AC SW 116 Pharoas - EP
117
BB SW 118 Surfin’ Lungs - EP
AC NS 119 Little Richard – Tutti Frutti/I’ll Never Let You Go, I Got It
120
121
122
123
FA NS 124 Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bad Moon Rising/Have You Ever Seen The Rain?
FA NST 125 Joe Louis Walker – Alone/Cold Is The Night, Shade Tree Mechanic
126
127
CH NS 128 Radiators – Under Clery’s Clock/Take My Heart And Run
CH NST 128 Radiators – Under Clery’s Clock/Strangers In Fiction, Take My Heart And Run
CH NS 129 Alias Ron Kavana – This Is The Night (Fair Dues To “The Man”)/Gold Ochra At Killarney Point To
Points
CH NST 129 Alias Ron Kavana – This Is The Night (Fair Dues To “The Man”)/Gold Ochra At Killarney Point To
Points, Fight It
NST 130 Rocky Sharpe & the Replays – Rama Lama Ding Dong, Imagination/Shout Shout (Knock Yourself
Out), Heart
CH NS 131 Alias Ron Kavana – Soweto Trembles (The Jo’burg Jig)/Rap ‘n’ Reel (Dream Demons Invoked By
Christy’s D.T’s)
CH NST 131 Alias Ron Kavana – Soweto Trembles (The Jo’burg Jig), Rain/Miner’s Medley: It’s Miner This
Miner That-Working In The Coalmine, No Surrender (The Consett Song)
132
NST 133 3 Mustaphas 3 – Bluke E Kripe Ne Vatar Tone/Soba Song, Anapse To Tsigaro
BB NS 134 Fleshtones – Armed And Dangerous/Let It Rip
BB NST 134 Fleshtones – Armed And Dangerous/Let It Rip, Electric Mouse (12”)
BB NS 135 Cramps – Eyeball In My Martini/Wilder Wilder Faster Faster
BB NST 135 Cramps – Eyeball In My Martini/I Wanna Get In Your Pants, Wilder Wilder Faster Faster (12”)
BB CDNST 136 Cramps - Blues Fix EP (CD only)
BB NS 137 Solarflares - You Want Blood/Captain Blue
AC SW 138 Jesse James - Red Hot Rockin' Blues/The South's Gonna Rise Again
AC SW 139 Junior Thompson - Mama's Little Baby/Raw Deal
AC SW 140 Jess Hooper - Sleepy Time Blues/All Messed Up
AC SW 141 Charlie Feathers - Get With It/Tongue Tied Jill
AC SW 142 Pat Cupp - Long Gone Daddy/I Guess It's Meant That Way

Count Bishops - Train, Train

Count Bishops - Train, Train/Taking It Easy
Catalogue number: Chiswick S 5
Release date: 27 Aug 1976
Personnel: Zenon De Fleur: vocals, guitar
Johnn Guitar: guitar, vocals
Steve Lewins: bass
Paul Balbi: drums
Produced by The Count Bishops
First issued on Dynamo DYR 45001 (Netherlands)

*****

(From the liner notes on The Chiswick Story (Chiswick CDWIK2 100-1))

By this time the American 'punk' bands were touring regularly in the UK with shows featuring the Flamin' Groovies, the Ramones and Blondie appearing at venues like the Roundhouse and Dingwalls. Also by this time Dave Robinson, ex-manager and studio owner had teamed up with one-time Dr Feelgood roadie and future Elvis Costello manager, Jake Riviera, and formed Stiff Records with a borrowed fiver and a lot of nerve. 'Heart Of The City' by ex-Brinsley Schwartz bassist Nick Lowe came out in August of '76, The Sex Pistols were creating nervous breakdowns among the staff of Melody Maker and The Clash made their debut. Punk was in the process of arriving and was generally very chic. In the middle of this Chiswick released their second 45 by The Bishops, now devoid of the 'Count' and lead vocalist Mike Spencer, whose propensity for throwing dustbins through windows had become too much for the rest of the band.
[Mike Spencer was once considered by Malcom McLaren for the role later occupied in The Sex Pistols by Johnny Rotten. Fortunately for Malcom he got the quieter of the two.]
'Train, Train'(S 5) was originally recorded for the Dutch-based Dynamo Records, for whom the band also recorded an extremely rare album. If ever a record should be accorded the much over-used (and especially in this history) epithet 'classic' then 'Train, Train' certainly deserves it. Rhythm guitarist Zenon De Fleur took over vocal chores and delivered in a moody Elvis, early 60s style over a shimmering guitar backing.

*****
(From Sniffin' Glue issue #3, Sept 1976)


COUNT BISHOPS-TRAIN,TRAIN/TAKING IT EASY (Chiswick-single)
A double A-side from the four piece Bishops.Best side for me is'Taking It Easy',written by bassist Steve Lewins,it's a powerful rocker with some really neat guitar work.'Train,Train'is more laid-back but it''s got some great powerful drumming and more good guitar work.Altough they play well on both cuts,I reckon the materials letting 'em down.The songs are OK but they're not memorable...they ought to really think about their next release otherwise they're gonna put out another single that's onl'good'and not great.Check out their first release Chiswick-'Speedball(EP SW1)',on which they do some oldies.



*****
NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS - September 1976

TEN O'CLOCK and the Speak's nearly empty - bliss for me, doubtless the pits for the band, although they may look forward to the probable 12.30 log jam of foreign bodies.
"Welcome to our rehearsal" Johnny Guitar cracked to the minitude. A bit weird, this. After all, The Count Bishops are certified punks and that's all le rage, innit? They even played the recent frog punk fest, but they didn't get much publicity 'cause they ain't ugly enough.
Killingly loud, their repertoire of R&B classics is a treat, delivered with galvanic spunk and a satisfying element of fanaticism. From Slim Harpo's "Don't Start Crying Now", Johnny's tortuous vocals and Zen's slapping rhythm guitar over the hammer headed boogie base of drummer Paul Balbi and bassist Steve Lewins were like a ritual invocation of the spirits of Sun and Chess Records.
The guitar work, however, Johnny racy on lead and Zen very fluent on rhythm and slide, is really nice. At times, particularly in "Wang Dang Doodle", they sounded a helluva lot like the Yardbirds, which is as terrific as anybody needs to be if they want to please me.
Elmore James's "Shake Your Money Maker" and Mose Allison's "I'm Not Talking" were the other real goodies, but the whole set was cocky, energetic and fun. If you have a hankering for hot R&B they're well worth seeing for a good old shake. Angie ERRIGO

The ROCK ON Commercial Pitch

(From Sniffin' Glue issue #2, August 1976)

The ROCK ON Commercial Pitch
No use telling ya 'bout the Groovies records, the Ramones records etc. etc.ya know we got them,so with the subtlety of Alan Freeman's nylons I'll just zap you with little gems like.......
The Jagged Edge- You Can't Keep A Good Man Down (£1)
On Gallant Records, these guys come on like a psyched out Standells with an Augie Meyer sound alike on Squeaky Vox, and a star maracas player who periodically wipes out the entire band with great walls of shuffling beans.Defiant vocalist refuses to miss out on his nookie just because his chick has left him in the lurch- you just can't keep a good man down.

The STACCATOS- Gypsy Girl/Girl-£1.
Two great stances in one- They got a great line in frustration these boys; on one side their Gypsy Girl with crystal ball has just phased out, backed by more Standells rhythm guitar and cymbals changing key into a "hey,hey,hey" chorus. More muted, imploring flip


Southwest F.O.B.- Smell Of incense (.75)
A real H.I.P. record this one Consciousness expanding lyrics about everpresent fullnesses and such like- Farfisa organ with choral hook- you can almost smell the joss sticks- pop psychedelia made by people who regularly score sand and incense in ounces.
-Acid Kitsch.

Shadows Of Knight- Lightbulb Blues (.75)
Flip of "oh Yeah"with Killa riff and crazed vocals from Jim Sohns.

Spades -- You're Gonna Miss Me £2. Repress
Roky pre ELEVATORS-version of their big single. Such an authentic garage sound you can smell the carbon monoxide. Minus the ELEVATORS wobbly noise trademark, but Roky's vocals are asa nasal and sensational as ever; great harmonica, almost in the right key

That's some of the 45's you can get from us most any time.There's usually lotst of one offs by garage owners with funny names. Ask to hear them. See ya.

Gorillas - She's My Gal

Gorillas - She's My Gal/Why Wait 'til Tomorrow
Catalogue number: Chiswick S 4
Release date: 20 July 1976
Personnel: Jesse Hector: vocals, lead guitar
Alan Butler: bass
Gary Anderson: drums
Produced by Roger Armstrong
Recorded at Olympic Studios, London
Recording date: June 1976

*****

(From the liner-notes on The Hammersmith Gorillas - Gorilla Got Me (Chiswick CDWIKD 185))

Jesse Hector's confidence was quickly restored after he caught the attention of Ted Carroll, Dublin-born owner of the Rock On record shop in Golborne Road. Jesse had been a regular customer for a number of years, drawn in by his unlimited passion for vintage rock 'n' roll vinyl. He had befriended Ted, who was about to launch Chiswick Records as the first truly independent record label in Britain. A recording session was organised to take place in Dave Robinsonís makeshift studio, above the Hope & Anchor pub in Islington. Roger Armstrong, Ted's partner in crime at Chiswick, had volunteered as producer and a number of demos were cut, sometime in mid 1975. "Shame Shame Shame" and "Moonshine" are two killer tracks which would have made a brilliant first release but "She's My Gal," recorded later at Olympic Studios, was judged more appropriate and became the first single on Chiswick for the Gorillas, who had also decided to shorten their name in the process. Chris Townson of John's Children played drums on the session, adding a distinct British Beat feel to the overall sound, which is particularly noticeable on the wonderful "Why Wait 'Til Tomorrow," perhaps on the the greatest "unfinished" rock ballads ever recorded. Substantial press coverage followed and the band's live schedule became increasingly busy. The Gorillas had been unequivocally adopted by the punk audiences who loved their ferocious live performances at the Nashville or the Notre Dame Hall. In fact, the Gorillas seemed to act as a missing link between the more traditional, R&B orientated, so-called pub rock scene and the more violent and incisive approach the young punk bands were still trying to achieve. It was, therefore, no surprise to see the Gorillas boarding the tour bus leaving to the south of France in August 1976, along with the Damned, Eddie & The Hotrods and a few others for an appearance at the legendary Mont de Marsan Punk Festival.

*****
(From Sniffin' Glue issue #3, Sept 1976

GORILLAS-SHE'S MY GAL(Chiswick-single).
As I said in the last issue this single is really good.It seems that they have dropped the Hammersmith from their name it doesn't change the sound though.It's a great swinging rocker with the band really moving.The B-side is a slower sixties type tune,'Why wait'til Tomorrow',which is another good tune.The Gorillas capture the feel of the sixties without being a revival band.I hear they played a great set at the French punk festival,it'd be good to see'em live in LondonI hope all you punks have got their first single,their amazing version of the Kinks''You Really Got Me'on the Penny Farthing label...they're a great band.

Recommended listening: The Hammersmith Gorillas - Gorilla Got Me (Chiswick CDWIKD 185)

101'ers - Keys To Your Heart

101'ers - Keys To Your Heart/Five Star Rock 'n' Roll Petrol
Catalogue number: Chiswick S 3
Release date: 27 June 1976
Personnel: Joe Strummer: vocals, guitar
Clive Timperley: guitar, vocals
Dan Kelleher: bass, vocals
Richard Dudanski: drums
Produced by Roger Armstrong (A)
Produced by 101'ers and Simon Jeffes (B)
Recorded at Pathway Studios, London (A)
Recorded at Maida Vale Studios, london (B)
Recording date: 4 and 10 March 1976 (A)
Recording date: 28 March 1976 (B)
Mixed at Chalk Farm Studios, London (A)
Mixing date: 24 and 25 March 1976 (A)

*****
(From the liner notes on The Chiswick Story (Chiswick CDWIK2 100-1))

Hot on the heels of the 'almost hit' came the 101'ers debut waxing. 'Keys To Your Heart' and '5 Star Rock'n'Roll Petrol (S 3) were cut in the same Pathway studio cupboard that had spawned the Count Bishops EP. The 101'ers at the time consisted of 'Snakehips' Dudanski on drums (later to make a brief appearance in Public Image Ltd), Clive W M Timperley (who went on to the Passions) on guitar, Dan Kelleher on bass (he cut another single for Chiswick in 1978) and Joe Strummer on guitar and vocals. The band broke up just as the single was released and, as the original biography for the band says, Joe Strummer had by then joined a new band The Heartdrops, who debuted a few weeks later. Fortunatly for them they changed their name to The Clash. They later recorded a cover version of 'Brand New Cadillec'.

*****
(From The Last Gang In Town by Marcus Gray)

A surprise was in store in early March 1976. 'Ted Carroll and Roger Armstrong came up to us after a gig,' Joe (Strummer) told Paolo Hewitt in 1981, 'and said, "Do you want to make a record?" So we said, "Yeah!" A year earlier, he told the same interviewer that he'd been 'flabbergasted' when the offer came. In 1972, Carroll had helped feed the Rock'n'Roll Revival by selling imported rock'n'roll an R&B records from his stal Rock On in a communal retail outlet in Goldborne Road, at the north end of Portobelle Road. Shortly afterwards, he had diversified into Sixties punk and garage music, and in 1974, had opened a second stall at a tomporary market in Soho's Newport Court, managed by his friend Roger Armstrong. Their professional interest in related musical genres made the duo particularly receptive to both the harder-edged pub rock bands and the punk movement: they witnessed the Sex Pistols' fifth gig in December 1975. That same month, Ted and Roger formed an independent label named Chiswick. It's first release was Speedball, an EP by the Count Bishops featuring a version of 'Route 66', which immediately propted the 101ers to drop it from their own set. Since the Bishops were ploughing a not wholly dissimilar musical furrow, Ted and Roger were familiar faces on the scene and Joe a regular customer at the Rock On stalls, it's hard to see why he should have been that flabbergasted when the approach came to make a record.
The 101ers selected three songs which showcased their versatility, 'Sweet Revenge', 'Surf City' and 'Keys To Your Heart', and recorded some rough guide demos in the basement at Orsett Terrace. The recording session proper took place on 4 March 1976, at Pathway studio, 2A Grosvenor Avenue in Canonbury, with Roger Armstrong producing. Two versions of 'Keys To Your Heart' were recorded, and also two of 'Sweet Revenge', the first of which featured Clive on acoustic guitar. A take of '5 Star Rock'n'Roll Petrol' was knocked off for a change of pace. The most problematic of the three serious contenders for the record was 'Surf City'. After an instrumental run-through, a version was attempted with Joe singing, which offers some idea as to why he did not attempt it again: the oft-repeated refrain 'Stuck in Surf City' brought on an unfortunate attack of the Daffy Ducks. After two or three further aborted takes, a version was recorded with a seemingly overawed Dan supplying almost inaudiable lead vocals.
On 10 March, the 101ers returned to Pathway with Roger to re-record 'Surf City' and Keys To Your Heart'', now with a phased effect on the guitar, and make a first attempt at 'Rabies (From The Dogs Of Love)'. Richard deniesthat this second session was organised because the results of the first were considerdd largely unusable. 'I think when you record, you often think, "God, we could do this one better", especially when you're dong it quite quickly. I don't think we thought the first session was below par, but the second was different, the sound.' Roger took the best take of 'Keys To Your Heart' from both the first and second session into Chalk Farm studios at 1A Belmont Street, Camden, and mixed them on 24 and 25 March, respectively.
The fact that no B-side was finished at this time suggests that the second session had also been deemed wanting, particularly as, on 28 March, the 101ers went into the BBC studios in Maida Vale - this time with house producer Simon Jeffs and house engineer Mike Robinson - to record '5 Star Rock'n'Roll Petrol' and yet another version of 'Surf City'. Again, Richard argues with this interpretation of events. "I think we were thinking of an EP, actually. I thinkwe had the idea of bringing something out ourselves, and with the BBC masters, the copyright belonged to us and not to someone else. That was a good enough reason to do it.'
This would make sense had the 101ers restricted themselves to previously unrecorded songs, but they returned to the BBC studios on 10 April to record backing tracks for 'Rabies' and yet another 'Keys To Your Heart', the vocals for which were added on 13 April. Despite Richard's claims, it looks very much as though either Chiswick or the 101ers were unhappy with the bulk of the Pathway material. Alternatively - no contract having yet been signed - the band were not entirely convinced that Chiswick were going to put a record out. Whatever, when the single was finally released, the A-side, 'Keys To Your Heart', was taken from the first Pathway session and the B-side, '5 Star Rock'n'Roll Petrol', from the first BBC session. A convulted history for what was supposed to be a quickly recorded, low-budget, independent-label single.
*****

(From Sniffin' Glue issue #1)

THE 101'ERS-KEYS TO YOUR HEART(Chiswick-single).
This is a realy good song done realy well by a great band.Rock'n'Roll/boogie-woogie at it's sweaty best. They're not a heavy band,so they rely on sharp and crisp playing.The 101'ers are nice and snappy.Side two is another good song-'Five Star Rock'n'Roll Petrol'which boogies just as good as'Keys'.
The Count Bishops also record for this small,but already classic,label and I hope there's a lot more goodies to come from it.


Recommended CD: The 101ers - Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited (Astralwerks).

The first reissue: Vince Taylor

Vince Taylor and His Playboys - Brand New Cadillac/Pledging My Love
Catalogue number: Chiswick S 2
Release date: 3 Mar 1976
Personnel: Vince Taylor: Vocals
Joe Moretti: Guitar
Lou Brian: Piano
Brian Locking: Bass
Brian Bennett: Drums
First issued on Parlophone R4505. Apr 1959.

*****
(From the liner notes on The Chiswick Story (Chiswick CDWIK2 100-1))

Trevor Churchill entered the fray about now. He had a grounding in 'real' record companies and his extensive knowledge of the music business and records was to prove invaluable. At the time he was working for Polydor Records in Germany, but it was his contacts at one of his previous employers, EMI, that led to the second Chiswick release. The intention of Chiswick Records had always been to indulge in low budget recordings and re-issues of forgotten and in-demand classics from the rock'n'roll era. 'Brand New Cadillac' by Vince Taylor (S 2) was just such a classic.
Originally issued on EMI's Parlophone label it was fetching 4 used fivers (£20) on the rare occasion that it could be found and it was a big 'hit' on the 'rockin'' club scene in London. Chiswick picked up the rights and issued it in March 1976 just as 'Jungle Rock' by Hank Mizell charted for Charley Records, a reissue company that had been going for a couple of years. The interest in rock'n'roll oldies that was generated by this assured 'Brand New Cadillac' some precious air play and a demand that was not readily satisfied out of the back of an old Peugeot. A distribution deal was struck with President Records (who also distributed the Mizell record), and Chiswick almost scored a hit with its second release.

Link: Vince Taylor

Press release 21st January 1976

Dear

Hi! We're a new record company and this is our first release, a for track EP in the grand tradition of the Pretty Things, Yardbirds, early Stones performed with much energy and ethousiasm by the unkown London based COUNT BISHOPS.

The enclosed record, biog., poster, press cuttings et. should tell you all you want to know about the band. The record itself is being well recieved in this city where to date we have picked up Radio plays from:- Roger Scott, John Peel, Nicky Horne, Roscoe and Charlie Gillett. Retail sales have justified the interest in the record and to date we have shifted over a thousand copies, (over 600 of them in the UK, from aproximately 30 shops, mostly in and around London.) and we are still picking up steam!

Anyway, this is were YOU come in. We are extanding our ampaign to the other major towns and cities outside London and we have circularized a couple of hundred of the major record retailers throughout the country, including several in your area, in order to pursuade them to stock the COUNT BISHOPS' EP and we have promised to try to obtain RADIO plays in their areas, hope you can help.

Just before we finish, we should introduce ourselves to you and tell you a little about the label. The label was started by Ted Carroll and Roger Armstrong, both previously in artist management, (Thin Lizzy, Chieftains and Horslips) now run an oldies record retailing business with 3 branches in London. Motivated by the fact that we could not supply many of the records our customers were asking for (because the records were deleted/not available/never released in this country) we resolved to start our own record label to specialize in releasing not only weird and wonderful long forgotten oldies, but also records by very new and upcoming groups who might escape the notice of the major record companies. As we had no previous experience of actually running a record label we decided to enlist the help of a friend Trevor Churchill, who has previously worked at Bell and EMI in order to take care of business.

THE FIRST RELEASE

Count Bishops - Speedball E.P.
Catalogue number: Chiswick SW 1
Release date: 28 Nov 1975
Tracks: Route 66, I Ain't Got You, Beautiful Delilah, Teenage Letter
Personnel: Mike Spencer: vocals, harp
Zenon De Fleur: guitar, vocals
Johnny Guitar: guitar, vocals
Steve Lewins: bass
Paul Balbi: drums
Produced by Roger Armstrong
Engineered and mixed by Barry Farmer
Executive producer: Ted Carroll
Recorded at Pathway Sudios, London
Recording date: 28 Aug 1975
Remix date: Sept 1975

*****

-THE COUNT BISHOPS-
(1975 biography)

The Count Bishops are one of the newest and most vital of the bands in London's Pub scene. They feature the classic rock an roll line-up, two guitars, bass, drums and vocalist. Their background is international, the story of their organization a case of the right individuals being in the right place at the right time. Mike Spencer the vocalist, and Johnny Guitar, guitarist, were in a New-York City based RnB band known as the Kingbees in 1974. Following the demise of that group, Mike headed out for London, intrigued by what he heard of the reception afforded RnB in the British pub circuit. After sitting in with a few groups he met, through an advertisement in the Melody Maker, Zenon De Fleur (guitar) who was with one of the established Pub groups. This group was Chrome, and Mike was added on vocals. Zenon and Mike soon started looking for new and more RnB based directions for Chrome, and the name was changed to Count Bishops.
Personnel problems followed this change in musical focus and Mike called Johnny Guitar in New-York, who had just left another group. Johnny came over in July 1975, and the band then immediately began to search for a permanent rhythm section. Once again ads were put in the M.M. and the first bassist and drummer they auditioned turned out to be the ones. Steve Lewins (bass) had been with an acoustic band in Hatfield called Spaniel Mountain, but was looking to get into some RnB and was immediately assimilated, providing a melodic and powerful flavor of his own. Paul Balbi (drums) was next to come and the powerful style he had been developing in bands in his native Australia counterpointed perfectly Lewins flowing bass line. The Count Bishops soon plunged into the London Pub and club circuit with a residence at the Kensington Pub and gigs at the Marquee, 100 Club, Nashville Rooms, Hop and Anchor etc.
Ted Carroll and Roger Armstrong from Rock-On, a specialty record shop with three London outlets, were looking for someone to kick off their newly formed Chiswick Records label and had seen the earlier incarnations of the Count Bishops. They came to see the new band and then approached them with the idea of an E.P. This was duly recorded, a four song effort featuring some of the Bishop's favorite RnB classics, and indeed became the label's first release. The Count Bishops mean while branched out into college concerts and some larger halls, playing support at places like The Kursall Rooms in Southend and The Greyhound, Croyden, while continuing in the pubs with more residencies at the Kensington, the Rocking Red Cow, and others.

*****
Two minute Bishops-
count them and see!
(Sounds, Jan 1976 by Phil Sutcliffe)

There was a time when the Swinging Blue Jeans moseyed into a studio, played the Hippy Hippy Shake for somewhat less than two minutes, decided that was alright and moseyed back out again - with a number one single.
That sort of carelessness (or should it be called spontanity) has been put to scorn by epic single makers from the Beach Boys to Queen but now a cosmopolitan bunch of roustabout pub rockers called the Count Bishops have loudly and proudly put the clock back.
Their current EP 'Speedball' (it ain't no soddin' maxi-single mates) is culled from 13 tracks of hot R&B laid down in five hours. I know this means they were tainted by modernism enough to take maybe half an hour on some tracks but you will agree that basically the statistics suggest all the doubts and hesitations of an express train.
The Count Bishops are Johnny Guitar (American on you-guessed), Zenon De Fleur (Polish/English on guitar, if you get the pun in his name, quite frequently the floor), Steve Lewins (proper English on bass) and Paul Balbi (Maltese/Australian on drums). The singer on 'Speedball' Mike Spencer, a New York buddy of Mr. Guitar, has already 'moved on'.
The band's French manager Larry Debray lamented: "Mike is a good mover, all the ingredients to be a good singer but his attitude was so unprofessional"
So Johnny and Zen are taking the vocals with a gentleman called Laurie, lately of the Michigan Flyers (who? ah well now...), temporarily on mouth-harp while they seek out a new front man.
Johnny, whose versatility extends to writing their intriguing Press handouts, said: "When we got together we rehearsed night and day for a couple of weeks" (a couple of weeks? te-he) "And then we went into Pathway Studios in Islington with the idea of getting down as many tracks as possible. It was 'We'll bring the amps, you guys bring the beer.'
"After eight or nine tracks we'd stopped and were listening to the playbacks and everyone was so enthusiastic we unpacked all the gear again and recorded four more including 'Route 66' and 'Teenage Letter' which we put on 'Speedball'."
Debray: "We captured the live sound which is very tight. The beginnings of a band. The accent was on energy level rather than refined recording."
There is certainly no danger of anyone describing the result as 'refined' but that raw, old sound (acknowledged Bishops' heroes are the early Stones and Yardbirds) is just what made them kick in the crypt. You have to laugh - and bop.
Debray is dubious about such praise though: "We think people aree too 'oooked on the nostalgia. This is R&B alive today! It's not just a matter of getting dusty records down off the shelf. The band is writing its own songs now it's got used to playing as a unit."
They have so far sold out the 2,500 initial pressing of 'Speedball' (Chiswick Records) and plan further recordings on the Franco-Dutch Skydog label for which Debray happens to be the UK agent. Another year and could R&B be back, could the Count Bishops be feeling good?

Recommended CD: Count Bishops - Speedball + 11
(Chiswick CDWIKM 161)

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION...

From the Ace Records site:

"Chiswick was started in 1975 out of a couple of market stalls selling second hand records in London, and inspired by the American independent labels of the 50s and 60s. Not having a host of great blues and soul artists to hand we recorded the British equivalent and not having the budgets available to the major record companies we recorded fast and cheap. Flushed by the relative success of our first record by the Count Bishops, we scoured the bars and clubs of London for more. Pretty soon we had stumbled over Joe Strummer and his 101ers, finally got a record out of Jesse Hector and his Hammersmith Gorillas, but then along came punk and its perfect cousin Power Pop.

As the majors scrambled to get a punk band on board and we narrowly missed signing the Jam, we still put together a descent roster of punk rock and power pop acts, including Radio Stars, the Radiators (From Space), Johnny Moped and a young Jim Kerr-led Johnny & The Self Abusers. Though we avoided the Damned first time out, we eventually signed them for their epic "Machine Gun Etiquette" and their debut hits. We also had a scattering of hits round the world with Rocky Sharpe and the Replays and Sniff 'n' The Tears, whose 'Driver's Seat' became a US Top 20 placing and our biggest record. It was an eclectic enough label, but by the early 80s the charts were dominated by too many men with strange haircuts playing what looked like ironing boards not exactly rock'n'roll. So we moved on from our pop aspirations and sailed quietly into off into the re-issue sunset. But it sure was fun while it lasted".