The Yachts - Part 1 (1977-1979)

The b-side of the firs Big in Japan single was credited to an obscure Liverpool group, the Chuddy Nuddies, and the song’s credits read: ‘Do the Chud’ written by Priestman / Watson / Dempsey / Bellis. As the names suggest, The Chuddy Nuddies were basically the Yachts (minus Campbell) and the song was recorded a few days the Yachts completed their first single ‘Suffice to Say’.
The group was formed in Liverpool in April 1977 by Henry Priestman (vocals, organ, later with It’s Immaterial, Wah! And the Christians), Martin Dempsey (bass, vocals, later Pink Military, Rebel Da Fe, It’s Immaterial, Mel-o-tones) Martin Watson (guitar, vocals), Bob Bellis (drums, vocals) and John (J.J.) Campbell (vocals, later It’s Immaterial) all of whom art students that already played in an earlier band, known as 'Albert Dock', ‘Albert Dock and the Codfish Warriors’ or 'Albert and the Cod Warriors', who had supported the Sex Pistols in a 1976 gig in Liverpool. They played their first show at Eric’s Club in Liverpool, supporting Elvis Costello. In 1977 the band released their first single, the witty and self-referential Suffice To Say (Priestman / Campbell) which was to become a mini-classic.


- Suffice To Say
- Freedom (Is A Heady Wine)



In 1978 the band released 2 singles


- Look Back In Love (Not In Anger)
- I Can't Stay Long


- Yachting Types
- Hypnotising Lies



Before the end of the year Campbell left the group. On the cover of their first 1979 single the band appear as a four-piece unit.


- Love You Love You
- Hazy People (Live)



In 1979, while touring the US The Yachts recorded their first self-titled LP whose release was paralleled by another single


- Box 202
- Permanent Damage



The Yachts – The Yachts (1979)
1. Box 202
2. In A Second
3. Love You Love You
4. Tantamount To Bribery
5. Easy To Please
6. Mantovani's Hits
7. Then And Now
8. Semaphore Love
9. I Can't Stay Long
10. Heads Will Turn
11. I'll Be Leaving You
12. Yachting Type

'Liverpool's Yachts were capable of alternating a scaled-down version of pomp-rock (faster, more cheaply tricked out, no instrumental exhibitionism) and '60s-influenced rock with leader Henry Priestman's cheesy organ sound. And that in the service of humorously melodramatic caricatures of the usual boy/girl lyric fodder: love by letter ("Box 202"), unfair romantic competition ("Yachting Type," "Semaphore Love," etc.). Despite sympathetic production by Richard Gottehrer, Yachts sounds a bit tinny, and the group was unable to equal their mini-classic Stiff debut single ("Suffice to Say"), though the potential to do so is evident.' (Gim Green)

1977-1979 singles
1979 LP

( see also http://trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=yachts )