Post-Punk / New Wave
Typical punk rock instrumentation is stripped down to one or two guitars, bass, drums and vocals.
The first programmable drum machines and synthesizers helped for creating new rhythms, sounds and melodies and give rise to space music, post-punk, new wave and darkwave music.
Songwriter & singer Alan Vega founded the band Suicide with pianist Martin Reverby, whose song ” Ghost Rider ” would bring electronic punk rock to prominence in 1977.
In the mid-1970s, several American bands began expanding the vocabulary of punk music, infusing it with more art-based, literary, and avant-garde influences. Groups associated with New York’s CBGB scene—such as Television, Suicide, The B-52s, The Talking Heads, and the Patti Smith Group pushed punk music beyond its raw aggression into more experimental, rhythmically varied, and intellectually driven forms.
Iggy Pop and David Bowie met the rock band Devo, formed in Akron, Ohio.
They supported them in getting their debut album ” Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! ” produced by the english musician Brian Eno at Warner Bros Records.
1977
Blondie is a band formed in New York City in 1974 by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein.
In 1976 they released their first album ” Blondie “, pioneer in the American post-punk & new wave genre and scene of the mid-1970s.
” Hong Kong Garden ” is the debut single of the British band Siouxsie and the Banshees.
It was released as a single on 18 August 1978 by Polydor Records.
1978
Originally from Crawley in Sussex, the trio Obelisque (1971) then Easy Cure (1977) became The Cure in 1978 and signed with the label Fiction Records under this name. The band consisted of Robert Smith (vocals, guitar), Lol Tolhurst (drums, later on keyboards), and Michael Dempsey (bass).
In 1979, Michael Dempsey left the band and was replaced by Simon Gallup.
The Brit scene
Performed in 77-79 by British artists like:
Ultravox (London), with their live concert @ the Rainbow Theatre in 1977;
Magazine (Manchester) in 1978 with their album “Real Life”;
XTC (Swindon) with “Making Plans For Nigel”; “Real By Reel” “Ten Feet Tall” ;
Gang Of Four (Leeds) with “Damaged Goods” ;
Simple Minds (Glasgow): “Life In A Day” “Real To Real Cacophony” “Chelsea Girl”.
Lol Tolhurst, Robert Smith, Michael Dempsey
©PicturesOfYou
“Killing An Arab”: I first read Albert Camus’ The Stranger when I was a kid… and I reread it in 1978.
Everything was engraved in my mind: discovered at school, rediscovered for myself.
1979
Sandinista! is the fourth studio album by the Clash.
The title refers to the socialist party Sandinistas in Nicaragua
It was released on 12 December 1980 as a triple album containing 36 tracks.
Anticipating the “world music” trend of the 1980s, it features funk, reggae : ” One More Time “, jazz, gospel, rockabilly, folk, dub, rhythm and blues, calypso, disco, and rap.
The band’s songwriting credits of Strummer and Jones were replaced by a generic credit to the Clash.
The arrival of two new musicians, John McGeoch, guitarist ex Magazine and Budgie, drummer and former member of The Slits, brought a richer sound and a musical direction towards : pop with “Happy House” , “Christine” or electro synth-pop with “Red Light” reminiscent of Soft Cell.
“Israel” is a timeless classic Xmas song released as a stand-alone single in 1980 by Polydor Records.
“Israel : No it’s not about religion as such, it’s more general. A disillusioned person, or whole race who’ve ceased to understand or believe in what they held to be the truth. It tries to put across, you shouldn’t cover what you feel inside by teaching or attitudes imposed on you. It emphasises the strength of the individual.” (Sounds 28/02/81).
The Clash
« Ring! Ring! It’s 7 a.m. / Move yourself to go again / Cold water in the face / Brings you back to this awful place ».
(ode to The british workers aka The Magnificent Seven)
1980
1981
Bob became the official guitarist for the Banshees from 1982 to 1984.
They recorded a cover of the Beatles’ Dear Prudence, then the live album Nocturne in 1983.
Jim Kerr (vocals) and Charlie Burchill (guitar) formed the punk band Johnny & the Self Abusers in 1977.
Over the years, the original duo was joined by Brian McGee (drums), Mel Gaynor (drums), Derek Forbes (bass), Eddie Duffy (bass), John Giblin (bass), Michael MacNeil (keyboards).
Peter Gabriel chose them to accompany him on his European tour, and the song “Love Song” became an international hit in 1981.
In 1982, international success was assured with the synth-pop album New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84).
Budgie, Siouxsie, Steven, Robert (1982)
1982
1983 > 1984
1985 > 1989
Left to right :
Deborah Harry (Blondie), Devo.
Simple Minds © Laurie Evans, Ultravox, Psychedelic Furs, .
XTC, Magazine, The Lords Of The New Church.
The Cure : Lol, Michael, Bob (1976) – Lol, Matthieu, Bob & Simon (1979) – Bob, Simon, Lol (1981)
