The Radiators From Space were one of the first bands of the class of ’77. This expanded edition of their debut LP sees them fully in the eye of the Punk Rock hurricane.
‘Television Screen’ by the Radiators From Space, released on 22 April 1977, was the 10th single on the Chiswick label and the first-ever Irish Punk Rock record. The Radiators were one of the first wave of bands who swept the UK and Europe with a revolutionary new sound. Their second 45, ‘Enemies’, was lifted from their forthcoming “TV Tube Heart” album, which came out six weeks later on 21 October. The LP leads with ‘Television Screen’, a version slower than the single with a distinct T.Rex feel about it. Sessions started on 22 June 1977 at Lombard Studio in Dublin. On day one I asked the band to run through their set list, which was recorded directly to 2-track quarter-inch tape. Recording continued through to August, and the LP was mastered at Trident Studios in London on 8 September.
This expanded version of the album is remastered from new transfers of the original tapes. Following the original 13 tracks are the “Live In The Studio” recordings, which feature some priceless commentary from the band as they ripped through their set. These include covers of ‘Teenage Head’ (the Flamin’ Groovies) and ‘Try And Stop Me’ (the Creation), neither of which were recorded at the main “TV Tube Heart” sessions (although a live version of the former made it onto “Alive Alive O!” and the latter was re-cut by Tony Visconti during the “Ghostown” album sessions). The other cover, ‘Psychotic Reaction’ (the Count Five), was cut during the LP sessions and issued on the flip of ‘Enemies’.
Next up are alternate versions of ‘Not Too Late’ and ‘Blitzin’ At The Ritz’, previously only available on an Irish cassette compilation, and the “Live At The Vortex” recordings. An American friend of mine, Steve Pross, recorded the band to cassette on 21 September 1977 on the band’s London debut. These tracks are rough, raw and very live, but a great document of the Irish outsiders’ take of the London scene. Pete Holidai is on splendid form calling out the cool poseurs – “you know we’re a great band”. This anniversary edition rounds off with three non-album 45 sides, including the coruscating single version of ‘Television Screen’ – and 40 years later we still “don’t like what’s going down”.
ROGER ARMSTRONG
