Buster - Singles 1976

Buster was first heard of in late 1974 ad consisted of Pete Leay (lead guitar), Rob Fennah (rhythm guitar, later Alternative Radio), Kevin Roberts (bass, later Alternative Radio) and Les Brians (a.k.a. Les Smith, drums). Buster originated from The New Attraction, a trio formed in 1973 consisting of Leay, Roberts ad Smith, which performed regularly in the cabaret circuit through the North West. In 1974 Fennah was added to the line-up on guitar and the four-piece (with average age of 17) renamed Buster. In 1975, they were spotted by established songwriters Ronnie Scott & Steve Wolfe who penned their first single Sunday. According to some sources the band recorded and released two singles in 1974 (Superstar b/w Ring Around and Motor Machine b/w Rainbows and Colours) - but this might be another band altogether since the songs are credited to Baker/Morgan. The first ‘official’ single was released in May 1976:

Sunday (1976)
- Sunday
- Salt Lake City (Silver Gun)

The record was an instant success but it was not meant to stay given the sudden rise of the punk movement. The Buster turned to the Japanese market. The same year they released other two singles:

Beautiful Child (1976)
- Beautiful Child (b/w Daybreak)

Love Rules (1976)
- Love Rules
- Who Told You

buster - singles (1976)

The Front Room - Joe Public (1981)

Obscure band which collaborated (consisted of?) such figures as Mike Percy (later Moderates, Dead or Alive), Dave Griffiths, Kevin Marr, Bolly, Mooey, Joe Riley, David Alton, Al Moneypenney, David Mathiesan. The band apparently recorded one only single in August 1981:



Joe Public (1981)
- Joe Public (b/w Camera)


Merseysound reviewed the single as follows:
‘If title like ‘Joe Public’ suggests a down-right-sounding People’s Protest then the first single by The Front Room will come as a surprise. A continuous mesh of voices over a synthesized riff suggests nothing so much as The Games’ ‘Planet War’ from the recent Street to Street album. My complaint is that ‘Joe Public’ (‘written for the benefit of the kids in Liverpool’) seems to have something to say and this sophisticated treatment obscures most of it. The recent ‘We Want to Work’ single proves that you can be clear without being disastrously clumsy, and The Front Room should bear this in mind. The sound isn’t unattractive although it works less well on ‘Camera’, the B-side, where the synthesizer gets in the way of some Bowie-ish vocals and deadens the whole song. Well-meaning though.’ (Merseysound 18, September 1981)

In 1982 The Front Room changed their name to A Second Language.


front room


(thanks to our friend Multihit)

Steve Torch

Steve Torch, after working as an engineer for Open Eye records, became actively involved with the music scene in 1979 when he released his first single:



Live in Fear (1979)
- Live in Fear
- Fear
- Smoke Your Own

Sounds reviewed the issue as follows:
‘Steve Torch is a 22-year old Liverpudlian singer-songwriter who does a good line in singer-songwriter-style riffs but then proceeds to stamp his own personality over the top with his hoarse, straining voice. Even with the demo-quality on this small label the song has class and more than a hint of commercial potential so what he’d do with a major company behind him is anyone’s guess.’ (May 5, 1979)

In the same year, Torch joined Victims of Romance, with Hambi (former Tontrix), and on that occasion he met Roy White (former Berlin, Fun) with whom he also collaborated to other musical projects, like Jayne Casey’s (former Big in Japan) Pink Military (White and Torch are among the personnel playing on the Pink Military’s Blood and Lipstick Ep, Sept. 1979, see relevant post), and later (1980) formed the duo White and Torch (see relevant post).

steve torch

(thanks to our friend Bas for the audio files)
(see also http://www.stevetorch.co.uk/ )

The Stopouts (1977-79)

The Stopouts formed in late 1977 in Birkenhead and consisted of Steve Grace (ex Nasty Pop, later Return of The Toreador, on vocals and guitar), Sue James (later Upsets and Dead Or Alive, on bass and backing vocals) and John Jones (later Upsets, on drums). They were the first act to record for Skeleton Recs, for which they released their first and only single in 1978:

Strange Thoughts (1978)
- Strange Thoughts
- Just For You And Me in December

The b-side also appeared on the compilation A Trip tom the Dentist (1980). In 1979 the band split and James and Jones joined the Upsets.

strange thoughts

Flynn (1989-90)

In 1989, Barry Flynn (fomer Bonk, Bonk Combo, Big Supreme) went back to being a solo artist and recorded a final single as Flynn, released the following year.


The Only One (1990)
- The Only One (Dirt Mix)
- The Only One (Lonesome Mix)
- The Nobody Inn


flynn

(see also: http://ibizavilla.blogspot.com/search?q=barry+flynn )

The Big Supreme (1986-87)

After Bonk, Barry Flynn formed Big Supreme. Although on the cover of the vinyl releases Big Supreme are featured as a trio (Flynn plus a couple of unnamed girls) the band was mainly Flynn’s solo project. Despite the change of name and look, the music was not that dissimilar from Bonks (so much so that on a limited edition 10” maxi single, among BS’s original track appeared also a live version of Bonk’s The Smile & the Kiss). The first single by Big Supreme was out in 1986:

Don’t Walk (1986)
- Don’t Walk (Extended Version)
- Don’t Walk
- My Addiction

It entered the charts, where it remained for three weeks, reaching position 58.
The second single was released later the same year:

Let’s Turn Our Love around (1986)
- Let’s Turn Our Love around
- He’ll Deceive



In 1987 Big Supreme released their third single:

Please Yourself (1987)
- Please Yourself
- Keep on Pushing



This single also made the charts, reaching position 64.
In the second half of the year there were two other releases to come out: first a promo 10” single containing a handful of current and past hits penned by Flynn, and the firth and final single, Remind Me.

Limited Edition 10” Single (1987)
- Please Yourself (Extended Version)
- Don’t Walk (Extended Version)
- The Smile and the Kiss (Live)
- Keep on Pushing


Remind Me (1987)
- Remind Me
- What Love Means



There is a Big Supreme compilation (Pot Shots) going around on the net, containing their singles plus various extended versions, but it is not an original release.


big supreme

(thanks to zooty23 for the info about Pot Shots)
(see also: http://maxdome.1und1.de/musik/video/31078/ )

Bonk + The Chant of Barry Flynn (1982-1983)

Bonk (aka Bonk Combo, later The Chant of Barry Flynn, Big Supreme, Flynn) Pseudonym of Barry Flynn, musician from St. Helens. After studying zoology at Manchester University he plunged full-time into music, signed with Ensign Records and started releasing singles. The first was out in 1982:


Bonk - I’m not Unusual (1982)
- I’m not Unusual
- I’m not Completely Unusual


The second single was released in February 1983, both in 7” and 12” format, under the name of Bonk Combo:

Bonk Combo - Cupid in Cars (1983)
- Cupid in Cars
- Car Jam (electrojazz Mix)


In September 1983 Bonk’s third and final single was released.

Bonk - The Smile and the Kisses (1983)
- The Smile and the Kiss
- Big Love


Toni Halliday (later of Curve) sings (uncredited) backing vocals on this track and is also featured on the single cover, sporting blond hair.

The same year Flynn reissued ‘The Smile and the Kiss’ under the pseudonym of The Chant of Barry Flynn. This was the identical release as Bonk’s, with the same credits. The 7” version featured:

The Chant of Barry Flynn - The Smile And The Kiss (7”, 1983)
- The Smile & The Kiss
- Big Love



The 12” version featured the following tracks:

The Chant of Barry Flynn - The Smile And The Kiss (12”, 1983)
- The Smile & The Kiss (Extended Version)
- Big Love Theme


bonk 82-83

(see also: http://curve-online.co.uk/discography/misc/kiss.php )