Cherry Red are continuing their review of the late 70s music scene, with the latest 3 CD set Revolt Into Style released on 21 January 2022 and concentrating on 1979, which just happens to be my favourite year in music.
The four hours of music contained in the 3 CD’s includes more obscure offerings sitting alongside some of the major new wave artists who were spewing out three minute classic singles that are on offer here, along with choice album cuts from The Stranglers, Madness, Tubeway Army, Ian Dury, Squeeze, XTC and more.
Disc One opens with the track that gives it’s name to the compilation. Former Be-Bop Deluxe front-man Bill Nelson, with the second single from his band Red Noise’s only studio album Sound-on-Sound. The single version of Magazine’s Rhythm Of Cruelty is included and is a perfect example of how there was a real pop sensibility seeping into the new wave and alternative music of 1979.
The Dr. Feelgood R&B / new wave of The Cannibals You Can’t is one of the less well-known songs on this compilation. The Only Ones are represented by the fine 7″ version of You Got To Pay, and another highlight on the first disc is a rarely heard gem by Scotland’s Fingerprintz, with the unbelievably catchy Night Nurse.
The Staircase (Mystery) is one of the finest early Siouxsie And The Banshees singles, and as a non-album track, is a welcome addition here. Replicas Me, I Disconnect From You by Tubeway Army signals the beginning of Gary Numan’s firm hold on the UK charts that would last for several years into the mid-80s, with Numan continuing to delight his audience right up to the present day.
The final X-Ray Spex single Highly Inflammable is a more synth infused pop song than their earlier four iconic single releases, and the first incarnation of the band split soon after this release in mid 1979. Victims Of The Riddle (Part 1) was the first single from Toyah and features on the wonderful Sheep Farming In Barnet deluxe edition that was released by Cherry Red in 2000.
Despite the mighty Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3 being released in 1979, Cherry Red have included an album track for this compilation, choosing Sink My Boats from Do It Yourself. The inclusion of this fine track will hopefully turn more people on to this excellent album.
Disc Two opens with Up The Junction, one of Squeeze’s finest singles (and one of the bands greatest lyrics). The quality continues with one of The Clash’s lesser known tracks, Groovy Times from The Cost Of Living EP.
The Skids Masquerade was produced by Bill Nelson, and remains one of the band’s strongest singles, of which there were many!
Former Deaf School guitarist and 80s production heavyweight Clive Langer with his band The Boxes contribute The Whole World, that also features future Siouxsie And The Banshees / The Creatures drummer Budgie on bass (and of course, drums). An early Zoo Records recording of Read It In Books from Echo And The Bunnymen is another highlight of the second disc, as is the Gang Of Four’s At Home He’s A Tourist.
The Jags Back Of My Hand was a top 20 hit and was all over the airwaves in 1979. Bouncing Babies (Zoo version) from The Teardrop Explodes still sounds great (as does the whole of the band’s catalogue). Adam and the Ants Whip In My Valise was the b side to the Zerox single, and was recorded by the pre-Kings of the Wild Frontier line-up of the band. The next version of Adam and the Ants from 1980 onwards were one of the 80s biggest and most influential bands.
Birmingham band Fashion offer a John Foxx / Ultravox sounding single Citinite. A later line-up of the band released one of my favourite 80s albums in 1982, with Fabrique. The Undertones were another great late 70s singles band and Here Comes The Summer was one of their most memorable early hits.
The Pretenders second single Kid is a piece of pure-pop perfection from the original, classic line-up of the band led by one of the best new wave vocalists and songwriters, Chrissie Hynde. When You’re Young by The Jam was a non-album single, but was included on a later re-issue of Setting Sons and on compilations such as About The Young Idea: The Very Best Of The Jam.
The Ruts Something That I Said was a top 20 hit for the band, and was re-recorded for their album The Crack. A rare mis-step on the compilation is the inclusion of The Stranglers Don’t Bring Harry, not one of the bands finest moments, and the fact that any track on their 1979 album The Raven (Duchess, the title track or Baroque Bordello) would have represented the bands output from this year so much better.
The final disc in the compilation opens with one of XTC’s greatest singles, and their first big hit, Making Plans For Nigel, with a drum sound that would be so prevalent over the early years of the next decade.
Manchester band Passage contribute the wonderful stop / start Taking My Time single and one of Kirk Brandon’s early bands The Pack are represented with the Rough Trade single Number 12.
The Human League’s Empire State Human has always been one of my favourite tracks from the band, along with their near perfect take on You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ from the same album as Empire State Human, Reproduction.
Work All Week by The Mekons has an intro similar to The Vapors Turning Japanese, whilst Public Image Ltd offer the single version of Memories, which, of course, is followed by punk pastiche band The Monks (featuring former Strawbs members Richard Hudson and John Ford) with Johnny B Rotten.
Chris Sievey (later known for the comic persona Frank Sidebottom) and his band The Freshies are represented by Children Of The World from the EP The Men from Banana Island Whos Stupid Ideas Never Caught On in the Western World as We Know It. Prisoners is the debut single from The Vapors and starts the journey for a band that are still releasing quality music today – check out their 2020 album Together that features a career highlight with Girl From The Factory.
Another rarely heard track is 7 Teen by The Regents, a top 20 hit late in 1979. The Boys (who also released Christmas songs as The Yobs!) supply the Chris Spedding (Motor Bikin’) meets Roxy Music influenced Kamikaze.
The Carpettes Easy Way Out was a Beggars Banquet single from late 1979, and still sounds powerful today. A raw, early Scritti Politti track Messthetics from the Work In Progress EP is rhythmically and musically challenging but does hint at the wonderful music that was to come in the next few years from Green Gartside’s band.
Spizzenergi’s classic Where’s Captain Kirk? is another highlights from this year. I’ve still got the 7″ single somewhere.
1979: Revolt Into Style is a great collection, and also does a good job of highlighting some of the less well-known alternative / new wave songs from 1979, whilst documenting the rapid move into the post-punk and electronic era of UK music.
Disc One
Bill Nelson’s Red Noise – Revolt Into Style
Eddie And The Hot Rods – Media Messiahs
Andy Arthurs – I Feel Flat
Magazine – Rhythm Of Cruelty (single version)
The Cannibals – You Can’t
John Cooper Clarke – ¡Gimmix! Play Loud
Dead Fingers Talk – The Boyfriend
The Only Ones – You Got To Pay
Glaxo Babies – Who Killed Bruce Lee?
Sham 69 – Questions And Answers (single version)
Fingerprintz – Night Nurse
Siouxsie And The Banshees – The Staircase (Mystery)
The Squares – Stop Being A Boy
The Fall – Rebellious Jukebox
Alternative TV – Graves Of Deluxe Green
Patrik Fitzgerald – All Sewn Up
Tubeway Army – Me, I Disconnect From You
The Outsiders – White Debt
The Members – Soho-A-Go-Go
Three Party Split – Dubious Parentage
X-Ray Spex – Highly Inflammable
Jonnie And The Lubes – I Got Rabies
Toyah – Victims Of The Riddle (Part 1)
Ian Dury And The Blockheads – Sink My Boats
Disc Two
Squeeze – Up The Junction
The Clash – Groovy Times
The Records – Girls That Don’t Exist
The Skids – Masquerade
Clive Langer And The Boxes – The Whole World
Echo And The Bunnymen – Read It In Books
The Faders – Library Book
Gang Of Four – At Home He’s A Tourist
Joy Division – Disorder
The Numbers – Alternative Suicide 11 The
The Jags – Back Of My Hand
The Teardrop Explodes – Bouncing Babies (Zoo version)
The Cravats – Burning Bridges
Adam And The Ants – Whip In My Valise
Fashion – Citinite
The Undertones – Here Comes The Summer
Cult Figures – Zip Nolan (extended mix)
Pretenders – Kid
The Quads – There Must Be Thousands
The Jam – When You’re Young
The Cheetahs – Radio-Active
The Ruts – Something That I Said
The Teenbeats – I Can’t Control Myself
The Stranglers – Don’t Bring Harry
The Barracudas – I Want My Woody Back
Disc Three
XTC – Making Plans For Nigel
The Revillos – Where’s The Boy For Me?
The Monochrome Set – The Monochrome Set (single version)
Passage – Taking My Time
Swell Maps – Real Shocks
The Zipps – Friends
Disco Zombies – Disco Zombies
The Pack – Number 12
The Human League – Empire State Human
The Wall – Kiss The Mirror
The Mekons – Work All Week
999 – Found Out Too Late
The Outcasts – Self Conscious Over You
Public Image Ltd – Memories (single version)
The Monks – Johnny B Rotten
The Freshies – Children Of The World
The Vapors – Prisoners
Madness – Bed And Breakfast Man
Secret Affair – Glory Boys
Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Dance Stance (demo)
The Regents – 7 Teen
The Lurkers – New Guitar In Town
The Boys – Kamikaze
The Carpettes – Easy Way Out
Scritti Politti – Messthetics
Spizzenergi – Where’s Captain Kirk?
Notsensibles – I’m In Love With Margaret Thatcher
Mr Kinski's Music Shack 