string(3) "dev" Tall Boys - Funtime - Ace Records

Funtime Tall Boys

£11.50

Genre:
Psych / Garage
Label:
Big Beat
Format:
CD
Catalogue Id:
CDWIKD 175

This product is also available in these versions:
Funtime (MP3), MP3 (£7.99)

...JUST LOOKING FOR A WAY TO SET THE WORLD ON FIRE.
by Nick Garrard
The Tall Boys were up there, one of three top mutha-rucking, bottom-kicking garage combos of the 1980s. The most powerful trio I've ever seen said the Melody Maker of an early performance.

Chief songwriter, Nigel Lewis, and drummer Mark Robertson, had played together previously in the original Meteors line-up and the Escalators - a powerhouse of a rhythm section. They were joined by Thunders-ish guitarist James Alan, formerly of Girls At Our Best. They were a must as a live act, with a regular crowd who followed them around - Dingwalls, Hope & Anchor, Clarendon, 100 Club, etc plus way yonder. They also guested for bands as diverse as the Pogues and Hanoi Rocks. Among the throng could be seen Shane MacGowan, Fish (!!?), Nick Cave (whom, directly or indirectly, would borrow the Ride This Torpedo riff for a later piece of work), Adamski, and Sounds journo Andy Hurt (ne Ross) who became top lemon-squeezer at Food Records (discovering Blur et al). Early Tall Boys songs had a bleak black and white B-movie feel - Beast On The Moor (hear the howls and sense the fog come fade out)-.-Wednesday Addam's Boyfriend and Dawn Of The Flies to name a few. Jamie Taylor, while still in the Prisoners, very pre-JTQ and Acid Jazz, can be heard pumping the Hammond to good effect as session musician while Pogue Philip Chevron twiddled the knobs. Then there's Ride This Torpedo as performed on Channel 4's The Tube, and Take A Walk from the soundtrack to the horror flick Return Of The Living Dead. Around this time in their recording career Nigel moved to rhythm guitar and in stepped Kevin Green on bass.

The masterpieces they recorded with the late dabster, producer Vic Maile (he of Motorhead's Ace Of Spades), came next. Final Kick (which still can fill the dance floor when spun at The Laurel or Monarch club nights in Camden)-.-Interceptor and Brand New Gun (loosely about vigilante Bernhard Goetz who was witnessed buying a copy of said 12 in a New York record store). Collectors note: Final Kick and Brand New Gun fetching £25 a piece last time I looked.

With tricks they'd learned from the master, they then made a series of inspiring recordings in Kevin's garage - these were used as B-sides or on compilation LPs but some could have been A-sides in their own right - check out Action Woman. Dragster deserves a mention too, not since the days of Link Wray's Rumble and Dick Dale's Misirlou has there been such a stonking instrumental. Also included on this CD are ten previously unissued demo recordings, made at a Pathway, pre-Vic Maile session, featuring early versions of tracks, later re-recorded, as well as some songs fans will be hearing for the first time. Of special interest are Two Hearts Beat As One which would have been re-worked for the next 45 had the band not split up, and a garage version of What I Feel Now which later cropped up on Nigel Lewis' weirdo solo album of the same name-.-though a very different arrangement. The set closes with a live Funtime which shows some of the power they could conjure up while treading the boards.

They split up in 1986, but ten years later they were tempted back to do a one off show in Berlin. The secret-ish warm-up show in Camden's Dublin Castle saw many turned away at the door, and those who got in still talk of the buzz they got that night. The following week, the German show had a capacity crowd way in excess of a thousand people including some who'd travelled from as far as France, Scandanivia, England and even Russia! This one was a blinder too. Leather almost-clad young ladies were witnessed by my good self openly weeping with joy at the side of the stage. One Deutscher girl told me I never though I'd see my favourite group play, and in Berlin makes it all the more special!

You too can dress up in stockings and scanty leather togs, lean against your CD player in the comfort of your own home and bawl your eyes out. This CD is essential, no more, no less.

Share

Track listing

Show

Side 1

Delivery & Returns

Show

We offer free P&P to UK addresses. For all other territories packaging is free and postage is charged on a weight basis.

We use Royal Mail First Class for UK deliveries and standard Air Mail for all other territories, very large orders will usually be sent via parcelforce. You may cancel your order at any time prior to your order being dispatched by emailing us at orders@acerecords.com ensuring that you quote your name, address and order reference number or by telephoning +44 (0) 208 453 1311 between 9am and 5pm GMT/BST, Monday to Friday. Please note: As music downloads are dispatched immediately after purchase, there is no possibility of cancelling these orders.

In the event that any products supplied to you by us are damaged or defective, we agree to replace or repair the damaged or defective products or refund the amount you paid for such goods (including postage & packaging) providing you notify us (either via post at or e-mail: orders@acerecords.com ) and return the goods within 28 days of purchase. Physical goods should be sent back to us in the same condition you received them to: “Returns” Bus Stop Mail Order Ltd, 42-50 Steele Road, London, NW10 7AS. Music downloads should be returned to us via the e-mail address above including a copy of your notification.

You have the right to cancel your order within seven days of purchase, or seven days of receipt of the goods (whichever is the longer). If you choose to cancel your order, full payment will be returned to you. Returned items should be sent to: “Returns” c/o Bus Stop Mail Order Ltd, 42-50 Steele Road, London, NW10 7AS. Music downloads should be returned to us via the email address: orders@acerecords.com including a copy of your notice of cancellation and order number.

Customer reviews

Show

Related products

Customers who bought this item also bought