Description
Still sealed double cd
We all know that England was the birthplace of heavy metal with acts like Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Motörhead but what really is the essence of heavy metal music in its purest form for me is the music that came out of The new wave of British heavy metal (commonly abbreviated as NWOBHM) movement that started in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. Journalist Geoff Barton coined the term in a May 1979 issue of the British music newspaper Sounds to describe the emergence of new heavy metal bands in the mid to late 1970s, during the period of punk rock’s decline and the dominance of new wave music. The music that came out during this era was taking the best of 1970s and infusing it with the intensity of punk rock to produce faster and aggressive songs. The DIY attitude of the new metal bands led to the spread of raw-sounding, self-produced recordings and a proliferation of independent record labels. This underground phenomenon was largely ignored by the media but nothing could stop these bands. The Motown label of the movement would be a tiny label called Neat Records based at the Wallsend, Tyne And Wear and their Impulse Studio. This movement were so much more than acts such as Samson, Angel Witch, Saxon, Def Leppard, Angel Witch, Trespass, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Praying Mantis, Diamond Head, Sweet Savage, Raven, More, Girlschool, Vardis and Black Axe. This second volume of Rare Singles Collection collects several acts here that more or less became unnoticed in the history of heavy metal but at least made an impact at their local music pubs and struggled to get a notice from a record label. Before you manage to get money and a chance to find the original pressed singles then you can enjoy them here collected on this double album. British soil in the late 70s and early 80s is where my heart is music wise. This is where music was born.
Amazon
This act showed the softer part of the Nwobhm moment. They were active in the early 80s and only released one single on the tiny Megamusic records in 1981.
Angel Street
Another small act that released two rare singles in 1979. The second single has been added to this release. Angel Street was the first band Dave Bucket Colwell released anything with. Colwell would later play with Samson, Adrian Smiths Project, Bad Company to name a few. He also wrote the Iron Maiden B-side single track Reach Out.
Blazer Blazer
The beginning of this band actually starts in Ottawa, Canada back in 1975 when Pat Travers, Derek O’Neil and Jeb Million couldnt find enough musicians interested in starting a rock band. They packed their bags and headed for the UK. Derek and Jeb ran into Steve and Pete Barnacle and formed Fury in London back in 1976. They released a single on Arista Records in 1977 before changing name to Blazer Blazer in 1979. They released their one and only single Cecil B Divine. The track is a biographical tale of a gay prostitute parading his waves in Piccadilly Circus and the single came in a suitable full pink colored sleeve with pictures of male prostitutes on the cover. The sleeve might have put a lot of hardrockers off. The bands music however impressed people and the band toured as opening act for both Ac/dc and Nazareth. Andy Barnett (from Urchin) and Adrian Smith and Nicko McBrain (both from Iron Maiden) were all part of the bands line-up after the single had been released.
Crys
Crys was as unusual as a Welsh hardrock band that performed in their native language. They were formed in 1976 under the name Salic Law before changing name to Crys (which is Welsh for Shirt). They released their debut single on Click Records in 1980. The single also featured keyboard played by Verden Allen from Mott The Hoople. The band would go on and release a couple of albums in the early 80s and would also appear on the Tommy Vances Friday Rock Show Session in 1983. The single can be found on this album
Electric Voyage
Electric Voyage was a London based hardrock/heavy metal band that were formed in 1977. They released their one and only single in 1980 and disappeared shortly afterwards.
E.S.P.
A rather unknown act that released one single in 1980. Line up featured Collins and Montgomery
Expozer
A Stoke-On-Trent based heavy metal band that released one single. The track Rock Japan appeared on the classic Nwobhm compilation Heavy Metal Heroes. The band featured Tim Blackwood that later would go on to Le Griffe. Expozer managed to perform as opening act for both Def Leppard and Magnum
Firebird
this band were active between 1978 and 1981. The band entered the classic Kingsway Studios in Holborn London and got Ian Gillan to produce their one and only single, Change, in 1979
Fury
Fury from Southampton featured Mark and Steve Owers that later went on to Lionsheart. They released one single in 1983. The single featured a cover of the Ike and Tina Turner classic River Deep Mountain High. A track that has been covered several times during the history of music.
Jeddah
Jeddah from London found Australian vocalist Dean Salonga and released their one and only single in 1983. The title track is a cover of the classic The Beatles tune Eleanor Rigby
Jodey
Hard rock band from Fareham that was formed in 1976. They released one single in 1979. Guitarist Pat Shaylern and bass player John Barr later formed the more well known Chinatown
Ore
Ore was a hardrock band from London that regularly played pubs and clubs around London. They played with bands such as Girl, Tytan, Tank, Marillion and Angelwitch. They also performed at the 1982 Reading Festival. The band had a great vocalist and entertainer in Gordon McArthur unfortunately he was the only one that didn’t continue in the music business after Ore had split up. The other members went on to Ian Gillan, Samson and Moritz
Paradyne
Formed in Chichester in the late 70s. Their one and only single Down To Amsterdam was released in a limited run of 500 copies in 1982. A quite innovative live act that managed to build a drum stage out of old bedsteads. They also managed to reverse the engine of a vacuum cleaner and turned it into a smoke machine. They also got the change to headline their hometowns Chichester Rock festival when Spider had to cancel.
Red Alert
There were several Red Alerts in the Uk around the same time. This band was formed in Lincoln in 1978 under the name of The Pictures. They got a record deal with Arista Records and recorded a full length album in 1979. They album was never released. The year after they won a music competition in London. They won a recording deal with State Records and released their one and only single Break The Rules in 1980. At the same time they changed name to Red Alert and also got the chance to open the 1980 Reading Festival.
Roadster
This band was formed in 1980 with members from Pontrefat and Humber in England. They released one single in 1981
Touched
Touched from Lancashire, UK released two obscure albums on the cult label Ebony Records and then disappeared without ever getting the chance to release their third album that would be called Waste Yourself. They arrived in the Nwobhm boom and are called an NWOBHM act but they are also influenced of what the Americans were doing at the time. The vocalist sings and shouts aggressively at times, much like Paul Di’Anno (Iron Maiden) while he reminds you of Steve Grimmett (Grim Reaper) at others. For the first album Ebony released one single. This single has been added to this compilation. The A-side Dream Girl is a slow ballad. The production is flat and thin, something that many Ebony releases suffered from.
Trader
Another rather unknown Nwobhm act that released one single only. This one is from 1979
Trydan
Trydan was just like Crys a Welsh hardrock band that performed in their native language. The band released one three track EP in 1980 on the small Sain Records. The opening track is a faster and rockier track while the remaining two sounds more like pub rock. The band consists of 6 members with one male and two female vocalists which gives the whole band a pub rock feeling
Track list:
1. Amazon –Hypnotising You
2. Amazon –Fallen Angel
3. Angel Street –Midnight Man
4. Angel Street –Running Away
5. Blazer Blazer –Cecil B. Devine
6. Blazer Blazer –Warsaw
7. Blazer Blazer –Six Oclock In The Morning
8. Crys –Lan Yn Y Gogledd
9. Crys –Cadw Symud
10. Electric Voyage –Fooled Love
11. Electric Voyage –Anthem For War
12. E. S. P. –The Poem
13. E. S. P.–Another Way
14. Expozer –Rock Japan
15. Expozer –On My Knee
16. Firebird –Change
17. Firebird –Nightride
18. Fury – River Deep Mountain High-Ike And Tina Turner cover
19. Fury – Helpless
20. Jeddah –Eleanor Rigby-The Beatles cover
21. Jeddah –Ghosts
22. Jodey –The Rocker
23. Jodey –Front Man
24. Ore –Your Time Will Come
25. Ore –Yellow Fever
26. Paradyne –Down To Amsterdam
27. Paradyne –Take Your Time
28. Red Alert –Break The Rules
29. Red Alert –What Do You Do For Laughs
30. Roadster –Fantasy
31. Roadster –12.45.M.P.H.
32. Touched –Dream Girl
33. Touched –We’ll Fight Back
34. Trader –Back Street Trader
35. Trader –Love On The Run
36. Trydan –Mods A Rocers
37. Trydan –Di-waith, Di-fynedd
38. Trydan –Mr.Urdd