Radio Stars
Encyclopedia
Radio Stars are an English
new wave
group formed in early 1977. They released three album
s and had one UK Top 40
single
.
vocalist Andy Ellison
, Sparks
exile Martin Gordon
(bass
, songwriter
), and Ian MacLeod (guitar
) in 1977, following the end of their underachieving glam
supergroup
, Jet
, the previous year.
The group
signed to Chiswick Records
and released their debut single in April 1977. "Dirty Pictures" was featured on the Chiswick various artists sampler Submarine Tracks & Fool's Gold
(Chiswick Chartbusters Volume One). Later that year, the same track came number 26 in the NME
's end-of-year critics' chart
. In May 1977, the band both performed live for the first time and recorded
the first of three sessions for John Peel
at BBC Radio 1
. Later adding Steve Parry on drum
s, the band's second release came in August. Playing "No Russians in Russia", the Radio Stars made their TV
debut on Marc
, Marc Bolan
's show. The track later appeared on the 1978 Chiswick sampler Long Shots, Dead Certs And Odds On Favourites (Chiswick Chartbusters Volume Two).
In October 1977, the band briefly entered the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart
. "Nervous Wreck" b/w "Horrible Breath" peaked at #39. The b-side
, "Horrible Breath", was a song written by Marc Bolan from his time with John's Children
.
The debut album, Songs for Swinging Lovers, named in reference to the Frank Sinatra album
, finally appeared in December 1977. The band toured with Eddie and the Hot Rods and Squeeze, and played the Reading Festival
in 1978. Adding Trevor White (who was also in both Sparks and Jet) the Radio Stars put out their second album, Holiday Album. Gordon left soon after - the record flopped, effectively ending the band, although Ellison attempted to revive the band's name to little success in the 1980s and 1990s.
The group's recordings have been anthologised twice; firstly on 1982's Two Minutes Mr. Smith by the Moonlight record label
, then on 1992's (band-approved) Somewhere There's a Place for Us on Ace Records.
A one-off London
concert
performance took place in March 2008 in support of their live album
(recorded in 1977/78) Something for the Weekend, released by Radiant Future Records
that same month. The band played the Rebellion all-dayer at the Kentish Town Forum on Saturday 13 December 2008 alongside the likes of The Damned, Johnny Moped
and Penetration
. They reprised their earlier tours with Eddie & the Hotrods as special guests of that band on January 22, 2010 at the 100 Club in London.
An official spokesperson points out that "Radio Stars should not be confused with radio star
s, namely stars that produce by means of chemical and electrical discharges, emissions of various radio frequencies, whether constant or pulsed. Radio Stars, no matter whether constant or pulsed, will under no circumstances produce discharges or emissions. Well, under no circumstances to which we can refer in polite company, at any rate".
s mentioned in the text of the main article:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
group formed in early 1977. They released three album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s and had one UK Top 40
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
.
Biography
Radio Stars were formed by ex-John's ChildrenJohn's Children
John's Children were a 1960s pop art/mod rock band from Leatherhead, England that briefly featured future T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan. John's Children were known for their outrageous live performances and were booted off a tour with The Who in Germany in 1967 when they upstaged the headliners...
vocalist Andy Ellison
Andy Ellison
Andrew "Andy" Ellison is a musician and vocalist best known as the frontman in John's Children, Jet and Radio Stars....
, Sparks
Sparks (band)
Sparks is an American rock and pop band formed in Los Angeles in 1968 by brothers Ron and Russell Mael , initially under the name Halfnelson...
exile Martin Gordon
Martin Gordon
Martin Gordon is an English musician, who plays bass guitar and piano.-Biography:Martin Gordon was born in Ipswich, and grew up Hitchin, Hertfordshire...
(bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
), and Ian MacLeod (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
) in 1977, following the end of their underachieving glam
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
, Jet
Jet (UK band)
Jet were a glam rock band from London formed in 1974. They released one album in 1975 before splitting up, with the bulk of the band going on to become the punk/new wave band Radio Stars.-History:...
, the previous year.
The group
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
signed to Chiswick Records
Chiswick Records
Chiswick Records was a British record company. Chiswick was the "first true 'indie' label" to be established in Britain for nearly a decade". The label has been described as "significant" in the "punk era"...
and released their debut single in April 1977. "Dirty Pictures" was featured on the Chiswick various artists sampler Submarine Tracks & Fool's Gold
Submarine Tracks & Fool's Gold
Submarine Tracks & Fool's Gold is a various artists Compilation album made up of acts on Chiswick Records. Chiswick was the "first true 'indie' label" to be established in Britain for nearly a decade". The label has been described as "significant" in the "punk era". The 101ers are notable for...
(Chiswick Chartbusters Volume One). Later that year, the same track came number 26 in the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
's end-of-year critics' chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. In May 1977, the band both performed live for the first time and recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
the first of three sessions for John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
at BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. Later adding Steve Parry on drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, the band's second release came in August. Playing "No Russians in Russia", the Radio Stars made their TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
debut on Marc
Marc (TV series)
Marc is a British television series presented by T. Rex lead singer Marc Bolan. It was produced in Manchester by Granada Television for the ITV network....
, Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...
's show. The track later appeared on the 1978 Chiswick sampler Long Shots, Dead Certs And Odds On Favourites (Chiswick Chartbusters Volume Two).
In October 1977, the band briefly entered the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. "Nervous Wreck" b/w "Horrible Breath" peaked at #39. The b-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, "Horrible Breath", was a song written by Marc Bolan from his time with John's Children
John's Children
John's Children were a 1960s pop art/mod rock band from Leatherhead, England that briefly featured future T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan. John's Children were known for their outrageous live performances and were booted off a tour with The Who in Germany in 1967 when they upstaged the headliners...
.
The debut album, Songs for Swinging Lovers, named in reference to the Frank Sinatra album
Songs for Swingin' Lovers
Songs for Swingin' Lovers! is the eighth studio album recorded by the American singer Frank Sinatra for Capitol Records, it was arranged by Nelson Riddle and released in March 1956....
, finally appeared in December 1977. The band toured with Eddie and the Hot Rods and Squeeze, and played the Reading Festival
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
in 1978. Adding Trevor White (who was also in both Sparks and Jet) the Radio Stars put out their second album, Holiday Album. Gordon left soon after - the record flopped, effectively ending the band, although Ellison attempted to revive the band's name to little success in the 1980s and 1990s.
The group's recordings have been anthologised twice; firstly on 1982's Two Minutes Mr. Smith by the Moonlight record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, then on 1992's (band-approved) Somewhere There's a Place for Us on Ace Records.
A one-off London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
performance took place in March 2008 in support of their live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
(recorded in 1977/78) Something for the Weekend, released by Radiant Future Records
Radiant Future Records
Radiant Future Records is a British independent record label distributed by Voiceprint, and home to one-time Sparks bassist Martin Gordon, Jet, Radio Stars, John's Children, the Blue Meanies and related artists...
that same month. The band played the Rebellion all-dayer at the Kentish Town Forum on Saturday 13 December 2008 alongside the likes of The Damned, Johnny Moped
Johnny Moped
Johnny Moped were a mid 1970s English punk rock group from south London, who once had Chrissie Hynde and Captain Sensible within their ranks.-Biography:...
and Penetration
Penetration (band)
Penetration is a punk rock band from County Durham, England formed in 1976. They re-formed in 2001 with several new members.Their debut single, "Don’t Dictate", is now acknowledged as a classic punk rock single and their debut album, Moving Targets , is still widely admired-Biography:The lead...
. They reprised their earlier tours with Eddie & the Hotrods as special guests of that band on January 22, 2010 at the 100 Club in London.
An official spokesperson points out that "Radio Stars should not be confused with radio star
Radio star
Stellar radio sources, radio source stars or radio stars are stellar objects that produce copious emissions of various radio frequencies, whether constant or pulsed. Radio emissions from stars can be produced in many varied ways....
s, namely stars that produce by means of chemical and electrical discharges, emissions of various radio frequencies, whether constant or pulsed. Radio Stars, no matter whether constant or pulsed, will under no circumstances produce discharges or emissions. Well, under no circumstances to which we can refer in polite company, at any rate".
Reviews
- “On the fringes of both the punkPunk rockPunk 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 new waveNew Wave musicNew Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
scene, the Radio Stars were at heart a quirky rock bandRock BandRock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
built around Gordon's songSongIn music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s and Ellison's enthusiastic vocalsHuman voiceThe human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
”. - “A series of tongue-in-cheek singles, including "Dirty Picture" and "Nervous Wreck", captured the quartet’s brand of quirky pop / punk, but although the latter reached the fringes of the Top 40, the band were unable to achieve consistent success”.
- “Radio Stars cut their debut album, provisionally titled 'Bowels Stuffed With Spleen'. Squeamishly, Chiswick pleaded for something a little less unappetizing – the group replaced it with Songs For Swinging Lovers, but otherwise their monumental and, admittedly, tongue-in-cheek lack of taste was given full reign, via an ode to a recent serial rapist, "The Beast of Barnsley", a tribute to the just-deceased Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, "Arthur is Dead Boring (Let’s Rot)" and "Nervous Wreck", positively the finest pop song ever to feature a girlie chorus trilling "electro-encephalograph". - The debut LP is “supreme power-pop punk with fiendishly witty lyrics, subject matter ranging from Greek restaurant menus ("Macaroni and Mice") to serial killers ("Beast of Barnsley"), and unrequited love ("Nervous Wreck"), nailed to some genuinely, memorably rocketing riffs. Rating: nine out of ten”.
- “The Radio Stars presented a more refined blend of power popPower popPower pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
/ new wave bandwagoneering”. - “Radio Stars were a significant, but not essential, new wave band. They had a few good songs, but all their albums lacked sufficient consistency to become real classics”.
Line-up changes
- Original line-up: Andy EllisonAndy EllisonAndrew "Andy" Ellison is a musician and vocalist best known as the frontman in John's Children, Jet and Radio Stars....
– vocals; Ian MacLeod - guitar and backing vocals; Martin GordonMartin GordonMartin Gordon is an English musician, who plays bass guitar and piano.-Biography:Martin Gordon was born in Ipswich, and grew up Hitchin, Hertfordshire...
– bass, keyboards, songs, everything else. - Early demos: Added Paul SimonPaul Simon (UK musician)Paul Simon is a British drummer born in Halifax, Calderdale, West Yorkshire, who played with different punk and New Wave artists, like Ian North, Radio Stars, John Foxx and Glen Matlock...
– drums. - Debut single: Chris TownsonChris TownsonChris Townson was a musician, illustrator and social worker. He was a founding member of the 1960s rock group John's Children, and a member of several other bands, including Jook, Jet and Radio Stars...
replaced Simon on drums. - Second single: Steve Parry replaced Townson on drums.
- Fifth single: Jamie CromptonJamie CromptonJamie Crompton is a British musician, who has played as a guitarist with Suzi Quatro and Wishbone Ash, amongst others.Crompton began his musical career in the late 1970s, playing drums with various New Wave bands, before moving onto the guitar. In 1983 he played in a band called the Blue Meanies,...
replaced Parry on drums - Second album: Paul JonesPaul Jones (singer)Paul Jones is an English singer, actor, harmonica player, and radio personality and television presenter.-Career:As P. P...
played harmonica for this album only; Also, Graham ChapmanGraham ChapmanGraham Arthur Chapman was a British comedian, physician, writer, actor, and one of the six members of the Monty Python comedy troupe.-Early life and education:...
did a voiceover. - Sixth single: Added Trevor White on guitar.
- February 1979: Steve Parry returned to replace Crompton and White.
- Band broke up in summer 1979 but reformed in 1982
- 1982: Added Hugh McDowellHugh McDowellHugh McDowell is an English cellist best known for his membership in Electric Light Orchestra and related acts.-Career:...
on celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
for Two Minutes Mr Smith; Also, Chris GentChris GentSir Christopher Charles Gent is a British businessman, He is the former chief executive officer of Vodafone, a British mobile phone company. He is currently the chairman of GlaxoSmithKline, the world's second largest pharmaceutical, biological, and healthcare company.-Early life:Born in 1948 in...
played saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and provided backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
.
Albums
- Songs for Swinging Lovers (December 1977: Chiswick RecordsChiswick RecordsChiswick Records was a British record company. Chiswick was the "first true 'indie' label" to be established in Britain for nearly a decade". The label has been described as "significant" in the "punk era"...
WIK 5) - The Radio Stars Holiday Album (September 1978: Chiswick CWK 3001)
- Something For the Weekend (March 2008: Radiant Future RecordsRadiant Future RecordsRadiant Future Records is a British independent record label distributed by Voiceprint, and home to one-time Sparks bassist Martin Gordon, Jet, Radio Stars, John's Children, the Blue Meanies and related artists...
RSVP010CD)
Compilations
- Two Minutes Mr. Smith (May 1982: Moonlight MNA 001)
- Somewhere There’s A Place For Us (October 1992: Ace REcords CDWIKD 107)
Appearances on various artist compilations (selective)
Listing of those various artist compilation albumCompilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s mentioned in the text of the main article:
- "Dirty Pictures" featured on the Submarine Tracks & Fool's GoldSubmarine Tracks & Fool's GoldSubmarine Tracks & Fool's Gold is a various artists Compilation album made up of acts on Chiswick Records. Chiswick was the "first true 'indie' label" to be established in Britain for nearly a decade". The label has been described as "significant" in the "punk era". The 101ers are notable for...
(Chiswick Chartbusters Volume One) sampler album (1977: Chiswick RecordsChiswick RecordsChiswick Records was a British record company. Chiswick was the "first true 'indie' label" to be established in Britain for nearly a decade". The label has been described as "significant" in the "punk era"...
) - "No Russians In Russia" featured on the Long Shots, Dead Certs And Odds On Favourites (Chiswick Chartbusters Volume Two) sampler album (1978: Chiswick Records)
Singles
- "Dirty Pictures" / "Sail Away" (April 1977: Chiswick S 9)
- "Stop It E.P.": "No Russians in Russia" / "Box 29" / "Johnny Mekon" / "Sorry I’m Tied Up" (August 1977: Chiswick SW 17)
- "Nervous Wreck" / "Horrible Breath" (October 1977: Chiswick NS 23) Also available as a 12 inch single (NST 23) # 39 UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
- "From A Rabbit" / "To A Beast" (April 1978: Chiswick NS 36)
- "Radio Stars" / "Accountancy Blues" (September 1978: Chiswick CHIS 102)
- "The Real Me" / "Good Personality" (January 1979: Chiswick CHIS 109)
- "Good Personality" / "Talking ‘Bout You" (May 1982: Snap ECG 1)
- "My Mother Said" / "Two Minutes Mr. Smith" (September 1982: Moonlight MNS 001)
See also
- Music of the United Kingdom (1970s)Music of the United Kingdom (1970s)Popular music of the United Kingdom in the 1970s built upon the new forms developed of music developed from blues rock towards the end of the 1960s, including folk rock and psychedelic rock...
- List of New Wave bands and artists
- List of Peel sessions
- List of musicians in the first wave of punk music
- One-hit wonders in the UKOne-hit wonders in the UKThis is a list of artists who have achieved one #1 hit on the UK Singles Chart and no other entry whatsoever on the chart. The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles uses this definition of "one-hit wonder", which is a controversial term with various other proposed definitions.-Methodology:A hit is...