'O' Level
Encyclopedia
'O' Level were a British
, late 1970s, post punk, indie
band, founded in 1976 by Ed Ball
with friends John and Gerard Bennett. The group's name refers to the 'O'-Level
of the British General Certificate of Education
.
, mostly because the personnel of both bands were almost identical.
Fuelled by Punk
and the early Beatles, 'O' Level was formed in 1976 by Ed Ball
with friends from the London Oratory School
, John and Gerard Bennett on drums and bass guitar respectively. Together they played the usual diet of school discos and youth centres, until fellow school chum and sixties enthusiast, Daniel Treacy invited Edward to join him in the studio to record a single. Just to be on the safe side, Edward brought John and Gerard as well, resulting in the TV Personalities single, "14th Floor".
The following week, Ball, the Bennetts and friend Richard Scully recorded "Pseudo Punk", "O Levels" and "East Sheen" as O' Level which came out November 1977. It took Treacy longer to raise the pre-requisite funds to press "14th floor" which finally came out in 1978. In March of that year, John and Gerard Bennett started their own band Reacta, leaving Ball with the name O' Level.
Exactly one year after their debut recording sessions, Daniel and Edward returned to the studio, this time to create the breakthrough Where's Bill Grundy Now EP
as the TV Personalities, featuring the song "Part Time Punks" (in which 'O' Level are mentioned). Again, the following week, Ball went back to record - this time by himself a second and final O' Level single, The Malcolm McLaren Lifestory EP, featuring "We Love Malcolm". Both EPs appeared in late 1978.
From here, it was just a name change to the Teenage Filmstars and invitations to Daniel Treacy and Joseph Foster.
7" Psycho Records (PSYCHO 1) 1978)
CD Rev-Ola (CREV 005CD) 1992
"(There's A) Cloud Over Liverpool" / "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape" / "The Odd Man Out" / "I Apologise" / "We're Not Sorry" / "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Follow Trends" / "Storybook Beginnings" / "The Sun Never Sets" / "Dressing Up For The Cameras" / "He's A Professional" / "The John Peel March" / "East Sheen Revisited" / "Pseudo Punk" / "O Levels" / "We Love Malcolm" / "Leave Me" / "Everybody's On Revolver Tonight" / "Stairway To Boredom" / "Many Unhappy Returns" / "I Love To Clean My Polaris Missile" / "Don't Play God With My Life" / "East Sheen"
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, late 1970s, post punk, indie
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band, founded in 1976 by Ed Ball
Ed Ball (musician)
Edward "Ed" Ball is a songwriter, singer, guitarist and keyboard player from London, who has recorded both solo and as a member of the Television Personalities, 'O' Level, Teenage Filmstars, The Times, and Conspiracy of Noise. He also served as an executive at Creation Records...
with friends John and Gerard Bennett. The group's name refers to the 'O'-Level
Ordinary Level
The O-level is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education . It was introduced as part of British educational reform in the 1950s alongside the more in-depth and academically rigorous Advanced Level in England, Wales and Northern Ireland A-level...
of the British General Certificate of Education
General Certificate of Education
The General Certificate of Education or GCE is an academic qualification that examination boards in the United Kingdom and a few of the Commonwealth countries, notably Sri Lanka, confer to students. The GCE traditionally comprised two levels: the Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level...
.
History
Along with the early Television Personalities, 'O' Level's singles are synonymous with a late 1970s DIY-indiesound that emanated from West LondonWest (London sub region)
The West is a sub-region of the London Plan corresponding to the London Boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow. The sub region was established in 2004 and was adjusted in 2008 to include Kensington and Chelsea. The west has a population of 1.6 million and...
, mostly because the personnel of both bands were almost identical.
Fuelled by Punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and the early Beatles, 'O' Level was formed in 1976 by Ed Ball
Ed Ball (musician)
Edward "Ed" Ball is a songwriter, singer, guitarist and keyboard player from London, who has recorded both solo and as a member of the Television Personalities, 'O' Level, Teenage Filmstars, The Times, and Conspiracy of Noise. He also served as an executive at Creation Records...
with friends from the London Oratory School
London Oratory School
The London Oratory School is a Catholic secondary comprehensive school in Fulham, London. The Headmaster is David McFadden. It has around 1,365 pupils. It is not to be confused with The Oratory School, a Catholic boarding school...
, John and Gerard Bennett on drums and bass guitar respectively. Together they played the usual diet of school discos and youth centres, until fellow school chum and sixties enthusiast, Daniel Treacy invited Edward to join him in the studio to record a single. Just to be on the safe side, Edward brought John and Gerard as well, resulting in the TV Personalities single, "14th Floor".
The following week, Ball, the Bennetts and friend Richard Scully recorded "Pseudo Punk", "O Levels" and "East Sheen" as O' Level which came out November 1977. It took Treacy longer to raise the pre-requisite funds to press "14th floor" which finally came out in 1978. In March of that year, John and Gerard Bennett started their own band Reacta, leaving Ball with the name O' Level.
Exactly one year after their debut recording sessions, Daniel and Edward returned to the studio, this time to create the breakthrough Where's Bill Grundy Now EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
as the TV Personalities, featuring the song "Part Time Punks" (in which 'O' Level are mentioned). Again, the following week, Ball went back to record - this time by himself a second and final O' Level single, The Malcolm McLaren Lifestory EP, featuring "We Love Malcolm". Both EPs appeared in late 1978.
From here, it was just a name change to the Teenage Filmstars and invitations to Daniel Treacy and Joseph Foster.
Singles and EPs
- East SheenEast SheenEast Sheen, also known as 'Sheen', is an affluent suburb of London, England in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It forms part of the London post town in the SW postcode area....
("East Sheen" / "Pseudo Punk"
7" Psycho Records (PSYCHO 1) 1978)
- The Malcolm McLaren Life Story EP
("We Love Malcolm" / "Leave Me" / "Everybody's On Revolver Tonight" / "Stairway To Boredom" - 7" Kings Road Records (KR 002) 1978)
Albums
- 1977 - 1980 A Day in the Life of Gilbert and George
CD Rev-Ola (CREV 005CD) 1992
"(There's A) Cloud Over Liverpool" / "I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape" / "The Odd Man Out" / "I Apologise" / "We're Not Sorry" / "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Follow Trends" / "Storybook Beginnings" / "The Sun Never Sets" / "Dressing Up For The Cameras" / "He's A Professional" / "The John Peel March" / "East Sheen Revisited" / "Pseudo Punk" / "O Levels" / "We Love Malcolm" / "Leave Me" / "Everybody's On Revolver Tonight" / "Stairway To Boredom" / "Many Unhappy Returns" / "I Love To Clean My Polaris Missile" / "Don't Play God With My Life" / "East Sheen"
See also
- The TimesThe Times (band)The Times are a British, 1980s-90s, independent band, the brainchild of Ed Ball, co-founder member of the Television Personalities, Teenage Filmstars and 'O' Level.-Whaam! Records 1981-1982:...
- Ed BallEd Ball (musician)Edward "Ed" Ball is a songwriter, singer, guitarist and keyboard player from London, who has recorded both solo and as a member of the Television Personalities, 'O' Level, Teenage Filmstars, The Times, and Conspiracy of Noise. He also served as an executive at Creation Records...
- Creation RecordsCreation RecordsCreation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
- Television PersonalitiesTelevision Personalities (band)The Television Personalities are an English group with a varying line-up. The only constant member is singer–songwriter Dan Treacy , who uses the band as a vehicle for his music...