Long Tall Shorty
Encyclopedia
Long Tall Shorty were a mod revival
band that formed in 1978 in London. They recorded several singles before splitting up in 1982, when lead singer Tony Perfect left to join Angelic Upstarts
. Reforming in 2000, they have recorded and released several albums.
bands, formed in August 1978 from the ashes of the punk rock
band Ben E Dorm & The Tourists. Initially called The Indicators, the line-up was: Jimmy Grant (bass), Mark Reynolds (drums) and Tony Perfect (guitar/vocals). After Keith Mono joined in October 1978, The Indicators were offered a support slot to Sham 69
at the Electric Ballroom in Camden.
After Sham 69's singer Jimmy Pursey
saw Long Tall Shorty for the first time, he invited them to the Polydor Records
Studio to record some demos. The tracks "1970's Boy", "Shake" and "New Generation" were recorded live at this first session in February 1979. "1970's Boy" was chosen as the first single. Pursey decided they should change the band's name to Long Tall Shorty, after a song by The Kinks
, itself being a pun on the title of the Little Richard
tune "Long Tall Sally
." Over the next few months, Long Tall Shorty performed at The Wellington, and played slots with Angelic Upstarts
, until June 1979 when they played on the pavement in Carnaby Street. This led to a review in the mod fanzine Maximum Speed, and offers of support slots from Back To Zero and The Teenbeats. They added a second guitarist, Stewart England.
"By Your love" was recorded in August 1979 and eventually chosen as the A side of the single. "Falling For you", "Please Can You Tell Me" and "Can't Stop moving" were recorded at Shepperton Studios, Surrey in September 1979. The idea was to have a second single ready for release, but Warner Bros. Records
withdrew "By Your love" a few days after its release. In February 1980, following their first headline slot at The Marquee, the original band split up. They had been offered the support slot on The Chords
' UK tour, but after the first night in Middleborough, they pulled out. Mark Reynolds and Jimmy Grant left and the new line-up was Keith Mono (vocals), Stewart England (guitar), Tony Perfect (bass) and Mike Morrison (drums).
During three days of summer 1980, "That's What I Want", "If I Was You", "I Do" and "All By Myself" were recorded as demos for CBS Records
. Another mod fanzine, D.R.C., issued two songs on a flexi disc after the CBS negotiations broke down. The other songs surfaced on the LP The Beat Generation And The Angry Young Men. In December 1980, Mike left the band, followed by Keith the following day. Derwent joined on drums later that month. They had a monthly residency at The Marquee Club. John Kiely joined on bass and Tony Perfect switched back to guitar and vocals. "Win Or Lose"/"Ain't Done wrong" were recorded in Luton and released on Ramkup.
In August 1981, they played at the Reading Festival, accompanied by Eddie Piller
, who later wrote a review in his fanzine Extraordinary Sensations of the riot that took place during the brief time they were on stage. There was another riot in Chatham and Long Tall Shorty got banned from The Marquee Club, John left the band mid-gig and Stewart left to join the Foreign Legion. Mark, the roadie, joined on bass in November 1981 but two months later, Tony Perfect left, changed his name to Tony Feedback and joined Angelic Upstarts
. The final Long Tall Shorty gig was at the 100 Club on 2 February 1982.
After the 1997 release of the 1970's Boy compilation on Captain Mod Records, Long Tall Shorty reformed in 2000, releasing the album A Bird in the Hand on Acid Jazz/Countdown Records in 2002. Completely Perfect, an almost complete overview of the band's early career containing all of the tracks from the previous 1970's Boy compilation along with 11 additional tracks, was released by Detour Records that same year. The band then recorded a pure rhythm and blues
album, No Good Women, in 2005 for Biff Bang Pow records.
Several line-up changes later, Long Tall Shorty now includes: Tony Perfect (guitar/vocals), John Woodward (bass/backing vocals) and Jim Piddington (drums). They have not reverted back to the mod/pop/punk of their early days, and have a new style that they call Giffer Punk. During 2009–2010, the band have toured extensively in Europe and are contracted to record for Time For Action Records in Germany. In September 2009, they release their first new LP in 4 years, "The Sound Of Giffer City" which was followed by "Kick Out The Shams", both on Time For Action, in June 2010. They have also released a "download" single, Police Oppression in May 2010.
A further boost to the band came along in 2010 when the giant Universal Music Group, released a compilation LP called Mod Mania which featured the bands 1984 single, On The Streets Again. This LP reached #5 in the national UK Compilation LP Chart and features artists like Paul Weller, The Who and The Small Faces among others.
Mod Revival
The mod revival was a music genre and subculture that started in England in 1978 and later spread to other countries . The mod revival's mainstream popularity was relatively short, although its influence has lasted for decades...
band that formed in 1978 in London. They recorded several singles before splitting up in 1982, when lead singer Tony Perfect left to join Angelic Upstarts
Angelic Upstarts
Angelic Upstarts are an English punk rock/Oi! band formed in South Shields in 1977. The band espoused an anti-fascist and socialist working class philosophy, and have been associated with the skinhead subculture...
. Reforming in 2000, they have recorded and released several albums.
Career
Long Tall Shorty were one of the earliest mod revivalMod Revival
The mod revival was a music genre and subculture that started in England in 1978 and later spread to other countries . The mod revival's mainstream popularity was relatively short, although its influence has lasted for decades...
bands, formed in August 1978 from the ashes of the punk rock
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...
band Ben E Dorm & The Tourists. Initially called The Indicators, the line-up was: Jimmy Grant (bass), Mark Reynolds (drums) and Tony Perfect (guitar/vocals). After Keith Mono joined in October 1978, The Indicators were offered a support slot to Sham 69
Sham 69
Sham 69 is an English punk band that formed in Hersham in 1976.Although not as commercially successful as many of their contemporaries, albeit with a greater number of chart entries, Sham 69 has been a huge musical and lyrical influence on the Oi! and streetpunk genres. The band allegedly derived...
at the Electric Ballroom in Camden.
After Sham 69's singer Jimmy Pursey
Jimmy Pursey
Jimmy Pursey is an English singer and record producer. He was the founder and frontman of the English punk rock band, Sham 69 from 1976 to 1980, and from 1986 to 2006.-Biography:...
saw Long Tall Shorty for the first time, he invited them to the Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
Studio to record some demos. The tracks "1970's Boy", "Shake" and "New Generation" were recorded live at this first session in February 1979. "1970's Boy" was chosen as the first single. Pursey decided they should change the band's name to Long Tall Shorty, after a song by The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, itself being a pun on the title of the Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
tune "Long Tall Sally
Long Tall Sally
"Long Tall Sally" is a rock and roll 12-bar blues song written by Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, Enotris Johnson and Richard Penniman , recorded by Little Richard and released March 1956 on the Specialty Records label....
." Over the next few months, Long Tall Shorty performed at The Wellington, and played slots with Angelic Upstarts
Angelic Upstarts
Angelic Upstarts are an English punk rock/Oi! band formed in South Shields in 1977. The band espoused an anti-fascist and socialist working class philosophy, and have been associated with the skinhead subculture...
, until June 1979 when they played on the pavement in Carnaby Street. This led to a review in the mod fanzine Maximum Speed, and offers of support slots from Back To Zero and The Teenbeats. They added a second guitarist, Stewart England.
"By Your love" was recorded in August 1979 and eventually chosen as the A side of the single. "Falling For you", "Please Can You Tell Me" and "Can't Stop moving" were recorded at Shepperton Studios, Surrey in September 1979. The idea was to have a second single ready for release, but Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
withdrew "By Your love" a few days after its release. In February 1980, following their first headline slot at The Marquee, the original band split up. They had been offered the support slot on The Chords
The Chords
The Chords are a 1970s British pop music group, commonly associated with the 1970s mod revival, who had several hits in their homeland, before the decline of the trend brought about their break-up...
' UK tour, but after the first night in Middleborough, they pulled out. Mark Reynolds and Jimmy Grant left and the new line-up was Keith Mono (vocals), Stewart England (guitar), Tony Perfect (bass) and Mike Morrison (drums).
During three days of summer 1980, "That's What I Want", "If I Was You", "I Do" and "All By Myself" were recorded as demos for CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
. Another mod fanzine, D.R.C., issued two songs on a flexi disc after the CBS negotiations broke down. The other songs surfaced on the LP The Beat Generation And The Angry Young Men. In December 1980, Mike left the band, followed by Keith the following day. Derwent joined on drums later that month. They had a monthly residency at The Marquee Club. John Kiely joined on bass and Tony Perfect switched back to guitar and vocals. "Win Or Lose"/"Ain't Done wrong" were recorded in Luton and released on Ramkup.
In August 1981, they played at the Reading Festival, accompanied by Eddie Piller
Eddie Piller
Eddie Piller is an English DJ and record label entrepreneur.Starting his career in the 1980s as a part of the English mod revival, Piller launched the underground fanzine Extraordinary Sensations and operated as a DJ and concert promoter. In 1985, he started the Countdown Records label, through...
, who later wrote a review in his fanzine Extraordinary Sensations of the riot that took place during the brief time they were on stage. There was another riot in Chatham and Long Tall Shorty got banned from The Marquee Club, John left the band mid-gig and Stewart left to join the Foreign Legion. Mark, the roadie, joined on bass in November 1981 but two months later, Tony Perfect left, changed his name to Tony Feedback and joined Angelic Upstarts
Angelic Upstarts
Angelic Upstarts are an English punk rock/Oi! band formed in South Shields in 1977. The band espoused an anti-fascist and socialist working class philosophy, and have been associated with the skinhead subculture...
. The final Long Tall Shorty gig was at the 100 Club on 2 February 1982.
After the 1997 release of the 1970's Boy compilation on Captain Mod Records, Long Tall Shorty reformed in 2000, releasing the album A Bird in the Hand on Acid Jazz/Countdown Records in 2002. Completely Perfect, an almost complete overview of the band's early career containing all of the tracks from the previous 1970's Boy compilation along with 11 additional tracks, was released by Detour Records that same year. The band then recorded a pure rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
album, No Good Women, in 2005 for Biff Bang Pow records.
Several line-up changes later, Long Tall Shorty now includes: Tony Perfect (guitar/vocals), John Woodward (bass/backing vocals) and Jim Piddington (drums). They have not reverted back to the mod/pop/punk of their early days, and have a new style that they call Giffer Punk. During 2009–2010, the band have toured extensively in Europe and are contracted to record for Time For Action Records in Germany. In September 2009, they release their first new LP in 4 years, "The Sound Of Giffer City" which was followed by "Kick Out The Shams", both on Time For Action, in June 2010. They have also released a "download" single, Police Oppression in May 2010.
A further boost to the band came along in 2010 when the giant Universal Music Group, released a compilation LP called Mod Mania which featured the bands 1984 single, On The Streets Again. This LP reached #5 in the national UK Compilation LP Chart and features artists like Paul Weller, The Who and The Small Faces among others.
Discography
- "By Your Love" / "1970's Boy" (Single) WEA, 1979
- "Win Or Lose" (Single) Ramkup, 1981
- "On The Streets Again" (Single) Diamond Records 1984
- 1970's Boy (Album) Captain Mod 1997
- "Shine On Me" (Single) Acid Jazz 2001
- A Bird in the Hand (Album) Acid Jazz, 2002
- Completely Perfect (Album) Detour, 2002
- No Good Women (Album) Biff Bang Pow, 2005
- The Sounds Of Giffer City (Album) Time For Action Records 2009
- "Police Oppression" (Download Single) May 2010
- Kick Out The Shams (Album) – Time For Action Records, June 2010
Compilations
- Soul: The Mod Revival Generation – Time For Action – Music from the TV Series
- Shake – Biff Bang Pow
- 100% British Mod – Cleopatra – 28 April 1998
- On Target – Music Club – 6 Oct 1997
- Mod Mania LP – Universal Music 2010
External links
- http://punkmodpop.free.fr/longtallshorty_pic.htm
- http://www.boredteenagers.co.uk/long_tall_shorty.htm
- http://www.mistersuave.com/2009/04/mod-day-long-tall-shorty.html
- http://www.themarqueeclub.net/interview-tony-perfect-of-long-tall-shorty
- http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/music/longtallshorty.htm
- http://www.uppers.org/showArticle.asp?article=465