Cherry Red have released Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club – The Definitive Anthology 1977-1981, a 3-CD selection. The set stretches to 69 tracks from the period 1977 to 1981 and includes 41 previously unreleased tracks taken from the bands unreleased second album plus two live concerts, along with an expanded version of the English Garden album including the original versions of the Ivor Novello Award-nominated Video Killed The Radio Star and Clean Clean, both of which Bruce Woolley co-wrote with Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes and went on to become hit singles for The Buggles.
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The collection is packaged in a deluxe clamshell box with a fully illustrated 28-page booklet containing rare and previously unseen images and a brand new annotation featuring quotes from band members Bruce Woolley, Dave Birch and Thomas Dolby. The sleeve-notes are amongst the best I have seen on recent anthology releases – honest, informative and self-deprecating.
Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club were founded in 1979 with Bruce Woolley on vocals, Dave Birch on guitar, Thomas Dolby on keyboards, Matthew Seligman on bass and Rod Johnson on drums. They released their debut album English Garden in 1979 and supported its release by touring in England, USA and Canada. Unfortunately, they disbanded after two years largely spent on the road following on from CBS Records’ refusal to release their second album.
I have the original English Garden album on vinyl, but this 3 CD set offers a fuller glimpse into the bands intriguing story. Bruce Woolley will always have a special place in music history due to his contribution to Video Killed The Radio Star, but there is so much more to his story. Along with the obvious Buggles (Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes) links there is plenty for the Thomas Dolby fan to savour as well – with Thomas appearing as band member on many of the tracks, as well as contributing to some of the song writing plus the appearance of Matthew Seligman, who went on to become a key part of Dolby’s band for many years, and who backed (with Thomas) David Bowie at his legendary Live Aid performance at Wembley Stadium in 1985. Matthew also contributed bass on the late period Bowie classic Absolute Beginners. Sadly Matthew died in 2020.
The first disc – English Garden expanded
Disc one is an expanded version of the English Garden album. The album is a perfect example of late 70s new wave / pop. Drawing on influences from the highly lyrical pop of Deaf School, the angular new wave artiness of Bill Nelson’s Red Noise and the occasional tip of the musical hat to David Bowie, there is a real pop sensibility to the album. The title track is a pacey, energetic opener before the first appearance on this collection of Video Killed The Radio Star. I’m obviously (who isn’t?) very familiar with the timeless Buggles version, but Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club’s take has all of the signature lines in-situ and a beefier, less synth led arrangement. It works very well and should have got more attention at the time.
Johnny is a Trevor Horn co-written song, with the “Johnny” refrain seemingly sneaking into The Buggles Johnny on the Monorail later that year. You Got Class powers along at pace, with some fine Seligman bass runs.
WW9 is a short (under one minute) Bruce Woolley/Thomas Dolby written instrumental, that hints at the future sound Mr Dolby would produce for The Flat Earth. Clean Clean will be known to many because of the Buggles version from The Age of Plastic. This edgier new wave version works particularly well, especially with the addition of Bowie V-2 Schneider referencing drums in the outro.
Get Away William was written by Bruce Woolley, guitarist Dave Birch and Thomas Dolby, and is one of my favourite tracks on the album. It has that amazing 1979 sound, where new wave aesthetics are mixing with pure pop.
Goodbye To Yesterday adds Magazine to the influence list, with its opening rhythm heavily indebted to The Light Pours Out Of Me, as the song mutates into a jazzier, Rhodes driven pop piece. Goodbye To Yesterday (reprise) is a twisted take on the preceding song.
The album proper ends with You’re The Circus (I’m The Clown), and it’s killer of a chorus.
13 extra tracks complete disc one. Highlights include US versions of Clean Clean, Video Killed the Radio Star and Goodbye To Yesterday (shorn of its Magazine influence and sounding quite Buggles like).
You’re The Circus (I’m The Clown) (B-Side) features Geoff Downes on keys and Trevor Horn on bass.
Needletime was written by Bruce Woolley, Trevor Horn and Rod Thompson, and has hints of XTC meets 10cc and a bit of City Boy slipped in for good measure. Basically lots of band’s with C in their names.
The final track is Sugar Daddy (8 Track Demo), a song Bruce Woolley recorded a few times, but subsequent recordings apparently never bettered this 8 track demo. This feels like a good ending to the revisited album, as the new wave style is washed away.
Disc two – the unreleased second album and later material
Disc two is Polaroid – Snapshots Of Sound, material that would have made the second album alongside other unreleased material. I Set Fire To You was rescued from the original 24-track, 2” analogue tapes, so unlike a lot of extra material that finds its way onto expanded album releases, these studio tracks are high quality recordings.
Ghost Train was co-written with Thomas Dolby, and is my favourite track on disc two. Featuring the return of Matthew Seligman on bass and produced by the mighty Mike Howlett, for Dolby fans, this song will be like finding gold in them there hills. Its a delightful song.
Killer On The Dancefloor (Olympic Studios) features Dave Birch on guitar, Nigel Ross-Scott on bass, Nigel Glockler on drums, and Simon House (who appeared on David Bowie’s Stage & Lodger albums) on keyboards. Simon also appears on the later track Morning Shadows, another highlight of the later period Camera Club.
Only Babies Can Fly has a gentle but highly addictive arrangement and is one of the last Camera club recordings, featuring a final appearance from Thomas Dolby on keyboards. Blue Blue (Victoria) is another Mike Howlett production. House Of Wax is a surprisingly never before released song. This track would have been perfect as a single in 1979 or 1980.
The final song is Radio Pictures (Bye Bye Love), of which I know nothing of its origins, as its not mentioned in the PDF of the sleeve-notes provided with the digital review copy, so maybe a last-minute addition? Radio Pictures (Bye Bye Love) is a bittersweet piece, reminding me a little of The Korgis, mixed with the poppier side of The Teardrop Explodes. Luscious guitar and warm harmonies hint at a further switch away from the earlier band sound. A fine farewell to the studio music of Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club.
Disc three – on the road forever!
Disc three is comprised of live recordings from 1979 and 1980. The 1979 set was provided by Steve Warren, who was XTC’s sound engineer at the time. Although recorded onto cassette, this straight from the mixing desk, very early band gig recording stands up pretty well. The live line-up includes Richard Wernham on drums (aka Ricky Slaughter from The Motors).
The 1980 set was broadcast on WLIR FM, from My Father’s Place in Roslyn, New York and is understandably a more polished recording, with a more seasoned performance from the band, who had been touring pretty much non-stop at this point. You’re The Circus (I’m The Clown) is an explosive opener, and Get Away William is another highlight. “Accept no substitute” welcomes in the final track on the disc, a live take on Video Killed The Radio Star.
Bruce Woolley & The Camera Club – The Definitive Anthology 1977-1981 is a rare beast – a collection full to the brim with alt-takes and unreleased music, but absolutely no fillers. Given the age of the material, it has remained in pretty good shape, with the risks of baking the master tapes aside!
If you are a fan of the English Garden album, you will love this collection, which also offers plenty to enjoy for fans of the era as well as Trevor Horn/ Buggles and Thomas Dolby fans.
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DISC ONE
English Garden – Expanded Version
English Garden
Video Killed The Radio Star
Dancing With The Sporting Boys
Johnny
No Surrender
Flying Man
You Got Class
WW9
Clean Clean
Get Away William
Goodbye To Yesterday
Goodbye To Yesterday (Reprise)
You’re The Circus (I’m The Clown)
News (Eden Studios)*
The Killers – No Surrender
The Killers – Killer On The Dancefloor
Clean Clean (US Version)
Video Killed the Radio Star (US Version)
Goodbye to Yesterday (US Version)
Bruce Woolley – Bobby Bad
Bruce Woolley – You’re The Circus (I’m The Clown) (B-side)
Bruce Woolley – You Got Class (Soundsuite Studios)*
Bruce Woolley – Going To The City*
Bruce Woolley – Needletime*
Bruce Woolley – Sugar Daddy (8 Track Demo)*
* Previous Unreleased
DISC TWO
Polaroid – Snapshots Of Sound
I Set Fire To You*
Bruce Woolley – Ghost Train
Killer On The Dancefloor (Olympic Studios)*
Trouble Is
Only Babies Can Fly
All Real Americans*
Morning Shadows*
Ghost Train (Olympic Studios)*
All At Once
Warning Shadows*
Bruce Woolley – Blue Blue Victoria
Bruce Woolley – 1000 MPH
Bruce Woolley – The Black Girls Understand*
Bruce Woolley – Ghost Train (Club Mix)
How Do You Say Goodbye?*
Too Late For Tears (Demo Version)*
Bruce Woolley – Blue Blue Victoria (Demo Version)*
Bruce Woolley – You Got Class (Revox Demo)*
News (Olympic Studios)*
House Of Wax
Radio Pictures (Bye Bye Love)*
* Previous Unreleased
DISC THREE
In Concert – all recordings previously unreleased
Live at High Wycombe Town Hall 6th May 1979
You’re The Circus (I’m The Clown)
You Got Class
Too Late For Tears
Clean Clean
The Problem
Goodbye To Yesterday
Johnny
Video Killed The Radio Star
No Surrender
Dancing With The Sporting Boys
News
Flying Man
Live at My Father’s Place, Long Island, USA 25th March 1980
You’re The Circus (I’m The Clown)
News
You Got Class
Trouble Is
Johnny
Get Away William
Dancing With The Sporting Boys
I Set Fire To You
No Surrender
English Garden
Video Killed The Radio Star
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