The Three Johns
Encyclopedia
The Three Johns were a Post Punk/Indie Rock
band formed in 1981 in Leeds
originally consisting of The Mekons co-founder, Jon Langford
(guitar) as well as John Hyatt (vocals) and Phillip "John" Brennan (bass), augmented by a drum machine
.
and apartheid, the band being labelled as left-wing rockers. The band explained
The mid-1980s saw the band regularly in the UK Indie Chart
with singles such as "A.W.O.L.", "Death of the European" (an NME
'Single of the Week'), and "Brainbox". During the band's career, the members maintained their day jobs - Langford as a graphic designer and Hyatt a teacher of Fine Art at Leeds Polytechnic. The band's left wing leanings were further evidenced by the Atom Drum Bop album, the sleeve carrying the words "Rock 'n' Roll Versus Thaatchiism", a reference to then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
.
The band split up in late 1988 after a disastrous US
tour, but reformed in 1990, releasing Eat Your Sons, a concept album about cannibalism, before splitting again. Langford continued with The Mekons, later releasing a solo album, while Hyatt concentrated on his academic career.
The band recorded six sessions for John Peel
's BBC Radio 1
show, and reached number 14 in the 1985 Festive Fifty
with "Death of the European".
b-side: "Secret Agent"
b-side: "Lucy In The Rain"
Track listing:
Track listing:
Track listing:
b-side:
b-side:
b-side:
b-side:
b-side:
b-side:
track listing
teenage nightingales to wax
do not cross the line
3 junk
firepits
dr. freedom
missing
sun of mud
the devil's music
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band formed in 1981 in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
originally consisting of The Mekons co-founder, Jon Langford
Jon Langford
Jon Langford born October 11, 1957, Newport, Monmouthshire is a Welsh-born musician and artist who is presently based in Chicago. He is the younger brother of science-fiction author and critic David Langford...
(guitar) as well as John Hyatt (vocals) and Phillip "John" Brennan (bass), augmented by a drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
.
History
The band initially formed just before the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer, and their first gig was to be part of 'Funk The Wedding' event, but they were refused permission to play because they were drunk. They signed to CNT Records in 1982, which Langford jointly founded, releasing two singles and an EP for the label, including a re-working of the Mekons' "English White Boy Engineer", which attacked hypocritical attitudes towards South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and apartheid, the band being labelled as left-wing rockers. The band explained
"We're not a socialist band. We're a group of socialists who are in a band. It's a fine distinction but an important one"
The mid-1980s saw the band regularly in the UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
with singles such as "A.W.O.L.", "Death of the European" (an 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...
'Single of the Week'), and "Brainbox". During the band's career, the members maintained their day jobs - Langford as a graphic designer and Hyatt a teacher of Fine Art at Leeds Polytechnic. The band's left wing leanings were further evidenced by the Atom Drum Bop album, the sleeve carrying the words "Rock 'n' Roll Versus Thaatchiism", a reference to then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
.
The band split up in late 1988 after a disastrous US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
tour, but reformed in 1990, releasing Eat Your Sons, a concept album about cannibalism, before splitting again. Langford continued with The Mekons, later releasing a solo album, while Hyatt concentrated on his academic career.
The band recorded six 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...
's 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...
show, and reached number 14 in the 1985 Festive Fifty
Festive Fifty
The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's fifty best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show...
with "Death of the European".
Singles
- "English White Boy Engineer" (1982) CNT
b-side: "Secret Agent"
- "Pink Headed Bug" (1983) CNT #44
b-side: "Lucy In The Rain"
- Men Like Monkeys EP (1983) CNT
Track listing:
- A.W.O.L. [EP] (1983) Abstract #14
Track listing:
- A.W.O.L
- Rooster Blue
- Image Or An Animal
- Kick The Dog Right Out
- Some History EP (1983) Abstract #17
Track listing:
- "Do The Square Thing" (1984) Abstract #6
b-side:
- "Death Of The European" (1985) Abstract #3
b-side:
- "Brainbox (He's A Brainbox)" (1985) Abstract #3
b-side:
- "Sold Down The River" (1986) Abstract #10
b-side:
- "Never And Always" (1987) Abstract
b-side:
- "Torches Of Liberty" (1988) Abstract
b-side:
Albums
- Atom Drum Bop (1984) Abstract #2
track listing
teenage nightingales to wax
do not cross the line
3 junk
firepits
dr. freedom
missing
sun of mud
the devil's music
- The World By Storm (1986) Abstract #4
- Live In Chicago (1987) Last Time Around
- Crime Pays - Rock 'n' Roll In The ... Demonocracy - The Singles 82-86 (1986) Abstract
- The Death Of Everything (1988) T.I.M #19
- Deathrocker Scrapbook (1992) R.O.I.R.
- Eat Your Sons (1990) Tupelo
- The Best Of... (1996) Dojo