The Boys (UK Band)
Encyclopedia
The Boys are an English
punk rock
band formed in London
in 1976.
Members of the band had previously played in other groups, such as London SS
and Hollywood Brats. After recording four studio
album
s and eight singles
, as well as recording Christmas themed music under the name The Yobs, they disbanded in the summer of 1982. Starting again in 1999, most of the original band members have played concerts together.
worker, Honest John Plain, and fellow employees, Duncan "Kid" Reid (vocals and bass, now a board member of UK media finance and advisory firm, Ingenious Media
) and Jack Black (drums) formed a band. They were joined by Casino Steel (keyboards and vocals) and Matt Dangerfield (guitar and vocals). Dangerfield & Steel had previously met at art college in Leeds, Yorkshire. Steel (ex-Hollywood Brats) and Dangerfield played in the London SS
together, a group which at some point included future members of The Clash
, The Damned, Chelsea
and Generation X
. Dangerfield had converted his rented basement apartment
in Maida Vale into a home recording studio where they recorded early on. The band played their first concert at the Hope and Anchor pub in Islington, London in September 1976. Notable attendees in the crowd included; Mick Jones
, Billy Idol
, Tony James
and Gene October
. After a handful of concerts, The Boys signed to NEMS in January 1977, and were at that time the only British punk band to have a record deal (The Sex Pistols
having just been dismissed by EMI
).
Their first release was the single "I Don't Care", and in support of that release, they toured with John Cale
of Velvet Underground. The band were set to be the first British punk band to release an album, and their 16-track debut, The Boys, was recorded in early May 1977. However, the album's commercial release was delayed until 9 September 1977; which the band has blamed on the record company's "incompetence". The album eventually reached #50 in the UK Album Charts. A second single, "First Time" — with a theme of losing virginity
— was released on 27 July 1977. As a result, John Peel
invited The Boys to recorded a live session for his show, which became 'Single Of The Week' in Sounds
magazine
. The single was steadily climbing the chart, until 16 August 1977 when Elvis Presley
died. The Boys' records were distributed by RCA Records
, who switched all their resources into satisfying the huge posthumous demand for Elvis Presley records.
The Boys released a second album on NEMS, titled Alternative Chartbusters, and toured in support of it with the Ramones
. The Boys then moved to Safari
in 1979, and two albums and five singles followed before they broke up in the summer of 1981. Every Christmas, they rearranged the "B" and the "Y" in their name and became The Yobs, releasing four singles one album; 1980s Christmas Album. In this incarnation, the band members used the pseudonyms Noddy Oldfield, Ebenezer Polak, Kid Vicious and H. J. Bedwetter.
On 31 July and 1 August 1999, four out of five original members, along with Steve "Vom" Ritchie (replacing Jack Black on drums, who was busy with his own band) played concerts in Japan
. In September 2000, this new lineup played at the 'Holidays in the Sun Festival' in Bilbao
, Spain
. Original drummer Jack Black made a guest appearance and filmed the concert. It was the first time in 18 years that the five original band members had been reunited on stage. In 2006, the band again performed concerts, including their first shows in London in 25 years. Following their successful reunion tour in London, one of the Boys' early songs, "Jimmy Brown", was released as a single on 15 December 2008.
In 2010 the Boys have started a side project without the involvement of Matt Dangerfield, called "the Mattless Boys". They will be releasing their first single "Talk to me" with Still Unbeatable Records and have a world premiere and single launch party at the Still Unbeatable Festival at the Victora pub in London, on 19 June 2010.
punk band Die Toten Hosen
championed their music for more than a decade, covering several songs and introducing new fans to the Boys. They also recorded cover version
s of some songs, namely "First Time" and "New Guitar in Town" for their album Auf dem Kreuzzug ins Glück - 125 Jahre die Toten Hosen and "Brickfield Nights" for the cover album
Learning English, Lesson One
. On the rear of the cover of The Jam
's 1978 album All Mod Cons
, the photograph of Paul Weller
's Rickenbacker 330
guitar carries a The Boys sticker. In the late 1990s, Japanese band Thee Michelle Gun Elephant
had a hit with a Boys cover. This prompted the re-release of several Boys albums with encouraging international sales (more than 30,000 albums being sold in Japan alone). A Boys tribute album was also released featuring 13 bands from around the world. The Boys also influenced the cult power pop
band The Exploding Hearts
, who performed and recorded in the early 2000s.
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...
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 formed in 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...
in 1976.
Members of the band had previously played in other groups, such as London SS
London SS
London SS were an early British punk rock group founded in March 1975 by guitarist Mick Jones and bassist Tony James.The band spent most of their short history auditioning potential members. Besides Jones and James, however, guitarist Brian James was the only other semi-permanent member...
and Hollywood Brats. After recording four studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
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 eight singles
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...
, as well as recording Christmas themed music under the name The Yobs, they disbanded in the summer of 1982. Starting again in 1999, most of the original band members have played concerts together.
History
In June 1976, a factoryFactory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
worker, Honest John Plain, and fellow employees, Duncan "Kid" Reid (vocals and bass, now a board member of UK media finance and advisory firm, Ingenious Media
Ingenious Media
Ingenious Media is a UK media investment and advisory group founded in 1998 by Patrick McKenna who is its Chief Executive Officer....
) and Jack Black (drums) formed a band. They were joined by Casino Steel (keyboards and vocals) and Matt Dangerfield (guitar and vocals). Dangerfield & Steel had previously met at art college in Leeds, Yorkshire. Steel (ex-Hollywood Brats) and Dangerfield played in the London SS
London SS
London SS were an early British punk rock group founded in March 1975 by guitarist Mick Jones and bassist Tony James.The band spent most of their short history auditioning potential members. Besides Jones and James, however, guitarist Brian James was the only other semi-permanent member...
together, a group which at some point included future members of The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, The Damned, Chelsea
Chelsea (band)
Chelsea are an English punk rock band, formed in London in 1976.Three of the four original band members went on to help found Generation X. More than two decades after its release, "Right to Work", Chelsea's debut single, was included in Mojo magazine's list of the best punk rock singles of all...
and Generation X
Generation X (band)
Generation X was a British punk rock band, formed on 21 November 1976 by Billy Idol, Tony James and John Towe.-History:...
. Dangerfield had converted his rented basement apartment
Basement apartment
A basement apartment is an apartment located below street level, underneath another structure—usually an apartment building, but possibly a house or a business. Rent in basement apartments is usually much lower than it is in above-ground units, due to a number of deficiencies common to basement...
in Maida Vale into a home recording studio where they recorded early on. The band played their first concert at the Hope and Anchor pub in Islington, London in September 1976. Notable attendees in the crowd included; Mick Jones
Mick Jones (The Clash)
Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones is the former lead guitarist, secondary vocalist and co-founder for the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and...
, Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
, Tony James
Tony James
Tony James is a British musician, best known as a bassist of Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik.- Career :He was originally a member of the punk band London SS, along with Brian James, , and Mick Jones plus Terry Chimes .Later, James joined the early punk band Chelsea...
and Gene October
Gene October
Gene October is an English musician, best known as the singer for the punk rock band, Chelsea.October was instrumental in the creation of the punk venue The Roxy, persuading the manager of gay London nightclub, 'Shageramas', to convert the club to cater for a punk clientele...
. After a handful of concerts, The Boys signed to NEMS in January 1977, and were at that time the only British punk band to have a record deal (The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
having just been dismissed by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
).
Their first release was the single "I Don't Care", and in support of that release, they toured with John Cale
John Cale
John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
of Velvet Underground. The band were set to be the first British punk band to release an album, and their 16-track debut, The Boys, was recorded in early May 1977. However, the album's commercial release was delayed until 9 September 1977; which the band has blamed on the record company's "incompetence". The album eventually reached #50 in the UK Album Charts. A second single, "First Time" — with a theme of losing virginity
Virginity
Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
— was released on 27 July 1977. As a result, 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...
invited The Boys to recorded a live session for his show, which became 'Single Of The Week' in Sounds
Sounds (magazine)
Sounds was a long-term British music paper, published weekly from 10 October 1970 – 6 April 1991. It was produced by Spotlight Publications , which was set up by Jack Hutton and Peter Wilkinson, who left "Melody Maker" to start their own company...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
. The single was steadily climbing the chart, until 16 August 1977 when Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis 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"....
died. The Boys' records were distributed by RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
, who switched all their resources into satisfying the huge posthumous demand for Elvis Presley records.
The Boys released a second album on NEMS, titled Alternative Chartbusters, and toured in support of it with the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
. The Boys then moved to Safari
Safari
A safari is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa. Traditionally, the term is used for a big-game hunt, but today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purposes of hunting, but to observe and photograph animals and other wildlife.-Etymology:Entering the English...
in 1979, and two albums and five singles followed before they broke up in the summer of 1981. Every Christmas, they rearranged the "B" and the "Y" in their name and became The Yobs, releasing four singles one album; 1980s Christmas Album. In this incarnation, the band members used the pseudonyms Noddy Oldfield, Ebenezer Polak, Kid Vicious and H. J. Bedwetter.
On 31 July and 1 August 1999, four out of five original members, along with Steve "Vom" Ritchie (replacing Jack Black on drums, who was busy with his own band) played concerts in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. In September 2000, this new lineup played at the 'Holidays in the Sun Festival' in Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Original drummer Jack Black made a guest appearance and filmed the concert. It was the first time in 18 years that the five original band members had been reunited on stage. In 2006, the band again performed concerts, including their first shows in London in 25 years. Following their successful reunion tour in London, one of the Boys' early songs, "Jimmy Brown", was released as a single on 15 December 2008.
In 2010 the Boys have started a side project without the involvement of Matt Dangerfield, called "the Mattless Boys". They will be releasing their first single "Talk to me" with Still Unbeatable Records and have a world premiere and single launch party at the Still Unbeatable Festival at the Victora pub in London, on 19 June 2010.
Legacy
Although the Boys never achieved massive commercial success, their music legacy has been carried on by influence. GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
punk band Die Toten Hosen
Die Toten Hosen
Die Toten Hosen is a German punk band from Düsseldorf. They have enjoyed decades-long mass appeal in Germany.The band's name literally means "The Dead Pants" in English, although the phrase "tote Hose" is a German expression meaning "nothing going on" or "boring"...
championed their music for more than a decade, covering several songs and introducing new fans to the Boys. They also recorded cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of some songs, namely "First Time" and "New Guitar in Town" for their album Auf dem Kreuzzug ins Glück - 125 Jahre die Toten Hosen and "Brickfield Nights" for the cover album
Cover Album
-Tracklisting:#Misono to Utaou! Animedley I # #...
Learning English, Lesson One
Learning English, Lesson One
Learning English, Lesson One or Learning English, Lesson 1 is the second cover album by the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. The album includes covers of mostly British bands, which were big influences for DTH.This is also the first all-English album for DTH, although the first English language...
. On the rear of the cover of The Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
's 1978 album All Mod Cons
All Mod Cons
All Mod Cons is a 1978 album by the British band The Jam, their third full-length LP. The title, a British idiom one might find in housing advertisements, is short for "all modern conveniences" and is a pun on the band's association with the mod revival.The album was more commercially successful...
, the photograph of Paul Weller
Paul Weller
Paul Weller is an English singer-songwriter. Starting with the band The Jam , Weller then went on to branch out musically to a more soulful style with The Style Council...
's Rickenbacker 330
Rickenbacker 330
The Rickenbacker 330 is part of Rickenbacker's 300 series of guitars, the series for which Rickenbacker is perhaps best known. The 330 entered the Rickenbacker product line in 1958, though at the time the 300 series of guitars was known as the "Capri" series. It was designed by the German luthier...
guitar carries a The Boys sticker. In the late 1990s, Japanese band Thee Michelle Gun Elephant
Thee Michelle Gun Elephant
Thee Michelle Gun Elephant was a Japanese garage rock band formed in 1991.-History:The band was formed in 1991, while the members were students at Tokyo's Meiji Gakuin University. They later drew influence from The Roosters...
had a hit with a Boys cover. This prompted the re-release of several Boys albums with encouraging international sales (more than 30,000 albums being sold in Japan alone). A Boys tribute album was also released featuring 13 bands from around the world. The Boys also influenced the cult power pop
Power pop
Power 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...
band The Exploding Hearts
The Exploding Hearts
The Exploding Hearts were an American punk rock and power pop band formed in Portland, Oregon in 2001. The band was composed of vocalist/guitarist Adam Cox, bassist Matt Fitzgerald, guitarist Terry Six, and drummer Jeremy Gage....
, who performed and recorded in the early 2000s.
Present
- Matt Dangerfield - guitar, vocals
- Duncan 'Kid' Reid - bass, vocals
- Casino Steel (Stein Groven) - organ, piano, vocals
- Honest John Plain - guitar, vocals
- Vom Ritchie - drums (1999–present)
Former
- Jack Black - drums (1976–1981)
- Howard Wall - live bass
- Chris Brashford - live drums
Albums
- The Boys - (1977)
- Alternative Chartbusters - (1978)
- To Hell with the Boys - (1979) #4
- Boys Only - (1980)
Live albums
- Live at Roxy - (1990)
- Powercut - UnpluggedAcoustic musicAcoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
- (1996) - Live in Concert (1980 & 1977) (with The VibratorsThe Vibrators- Early career:The Vibrators were founded by Ian 'Knox' Carnochan, bassist Pat Collier, guitarist John Ellis, and drummer John 'Eddie' Edwards. They first came to public notice at the 100 Club when they backed Chris Spedding in 1976. On Spedding's recommendation, Mickie Most signed them to his...
) - (1993)
Singles
- "I Don't Care" / "Soda Pressing" - (1977)
- "First Time" / "Watcha Gonna Do" / "Turning Grey" - (1977)
- "Brickfield Nights" / "Teacher's Pet" - (1978)
- "Kamikaze" / "Bad Days" - (1979) #9
- "Terminal Love" / "I Love Me" - (1980) #32
- "You Better Move On" / "Schoolgirls" - (1980) #30
- "Weekend" / "Cool" - (1980)
- "Let It Rain" / "Lucy" - (1980)
- "Svengerland" / "Only A Game" - (2002)
- "Jimmy Brown" / "Walk My Dog" - (2008)
Compilations
- Odds and Sods - (1990)
- The Boys/Alternative Chartbusters - (1993)
- Best of the Boys - (1995)
- Complete Punk Singles Collection - (1996)
- No Thanks!: The 70s Punk RebellionNo Thanks!: The 70s Punk RebellionNo Thanks! - The 70s Punk Rebellion is a compilation collection of punk, new wave, power pop, post-punk and protopunk music from the 1970s by various artists. One noteworthy exclusion from the collection is The Sex Pistols, whose members declined to be included...
- (2003)
Singles
- "Run Rudolph Run" / "The Worm Song" - (1977)
- "Silent Night" / "Stille Nacht"- (1978)
- "Rub-A-Dum-Dum" / "Another Christmas" - (1981)