The Stranglers were so F'n PUNK rock

they are miming, which was normal in those days, so they are mucking about

A lot of bands who could play their instruments would sometimes protest about being made to mime on TV shows.

@playitagainsue

25 күн бұрын

I love their attitude, Paul. Great performance 🤩

@DrStrangelove3891

23 күн бұрын

The first to protest this was Michelle Phillips from the Mamas and the Papas, eating a banana on stage.

@playitagainsue

23 күн бұрын

@@DrStrangelove3891 haha, awesome. Thanks for that, Joris 🤩

Those shows asked bands to mime to their own music which would be mixed into the TV broadcast from the original recordings. The studio audiences likewise, if they had them, would be asked to dance to no live music. The Stranglers were one of many bands who subverted the format by making the fact that they weren't playing live very obvious. At the time they also had a reputation for being "hard" compared to the average boy band or pop act, that they intimidated and according to schoolboy legend occasionally beat up behind the scenes. When you play this at home, you have to be sure to turn it up to 11 before you hit "play", to properly appreciate that bass intro that deserved to be much louder. In clubs they play it at normal volume, and a lot of people don't notice that killer intro.

On 23 oct 1977 the uUK chart included both No More Heroes (Stranglers) and Heroes (Bowie) in the top 40. Strange huh?

@playitagainsue

5 күн бұрын

@irreverendian5581 Hey Ian, that is very weird...both cool songs though 🤩

From when I was 16 The Stranglers were my Favourites by a Distance.

@playitagainsue

26 күн бұрын

@@simondalzell5635 😎💙

Dave Greenfield was the most accomplished musician in the band, but even though he's miming, he was playing the right notes on the keyboard basically to show he could do it.

@playitagainsue

9 күн бұрын

@@timholder6825 I thought it was cool that he was still playing. Thanks Tim 🤩

If you like it when bands muck about when miming, try 'Tom Hark' by The Piranhas, 'Don't Leave me this Way' by the Communards, and - most famously - 'Maggie May' by Rod Stewart and The Faces on (UK TV show) Top of the Pops. For one, they have legendary DJ John Peel 'playing' the mandolin. And then there's the fact they give up even pretending and start playing football...

@playitagainsue

14 күн бұрын

@@SpikeMatthews Really, that is funny, Spike. Thanks a bunch. I will give that performance a look 🤩

This was fantastic The Stranglers were possibly the most musical of the british punk bands They were slightly over than most of the bands and i always thought of them as a punk version of The Doors ( because keyboards being most prevalent) Their Debut album Rattus Norvegicus is a masterpiece and has Peaches Hanging Around Get a grip on Yourself Down in the Sewer 2nd only to Televisions ;Marquee Moon Another great Stranglers song is Duchess As for characters in No More Hero’s They mention Sancho Panza He was the squire to Don Quioxite Any of the songs i mention would be great Golden Brown you should listen with fresh ears if you didn’t know os it was about Heroin

@playitagainsue

27 күн бұрын

@jessem470 Hey Jesse, great comparison with the punk version of the Doors...yes it is the keyboards. Peaches is a great song and so is Golden Brown. I saw them back in the day in a small club. I still have my Rat cap that I still wear to play ball in. But even though, I saw them, I really need to dive deeper into them. I went because my bro was a big fan. Thanks a bunch for the info 🤩💛

@alex-E7WHU

24 күн бұрын

​@@playitagainsue also their version of walk on by is truly sublime.👍

'Lenny' was your very own Lenny Bruce.

I have tickets to see them in August. Still going strong!

@playitagainsue

25 күн бұрын

That is awesome. It will be a great show I bet 🤩

They certainly had fun! Not my usual choice of music but I enjoyed that😊

@playitagainsue

27 күн бұрын

@@andrewjenkinson7052 hi Andy, they were definitely having a good time. I really enjoyed that performance 🥰

Loving your reactions, Sue, if you like this era, don't forget I would love you to review Ian Dury and The Blockhead's 1979 song Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick!💙👍💙

@playitagainsue

27 күн бұрын

@Willster389 thanks Willster. I appreciate your kind words. HMWYRS is on the list 🥰

peaches.

Made to mime so they made a mockery of it. They're obviously not playing the instruments and JJ Burned, the bass player is singing over High Cornwall's (singer, guitarist) singing. They were one of the first punk bands to appear on Top of the Pops (popular UK TV music programme where they also made artists mime). They resented having to mime so made it obvious that's what they were doing, no strings on the guitar or bass and lots of antics. This is a classic, but in my opinion, 5 Minutes, (released early 79) is the best song from this period of their work. This is a band, like The Damned, whose music evolved into something deeper and more substantial than their punk roots. Unlike many of that era, they weren't just a one trick pony whose career faded when punk did.

@playitagainsue

9 күн бұрын

@@timholder6825 Hey Tim,I loved that they were miming. It was throwing it back in their faces for asking them to do it 😎

The fact JJ Burnel did NOT sing this one is being smeared in the audience's face. They hated doing this kind of promotional nonsense. Here they scarcely mask their contempt. Interestingly, Hugh Cornwell (guitarist) started out with Richard Thompson of Fairport Convention.

@JaEDLanc

24 күн бұрын

I read that wrong, at first I thought you said Hugh Cornwell was in fairport convention 😂

The first time he mimes no more heroes lip read what hes really saying 👍

@playitagainsue

25 күн бұрын

@@MrSirusDvirus Hey Brett, I will go back and check. Thanks for the heads up 🤩

@ChrisPBacon-iu8my

24 күн бұрын

​@playitagainsue There is a second video of this from the same show. Top Pop were not very happy and asked them to do another take, but that was even more hilarious than this one.

@playitagainsue

24 күн бұрын

@@ChrisPBacon-iu8my Really! Good on them. I will have to see if I can find that one and watch it. I can't even imagine what the other one was like. Thanks Chris 🤩

Good “punk’ era songs: something better change, peaches, nice’ n sleazy

The singer is actually the guy on the right, Hugh Cornwell, they're all miming, you had to back then in TV studios.

@playitagainsue

25 күн бұрын

I love it, Phil. This was a riot to watch 😂

@philjones45

25 күн бұрын

@@playitagainsue I've subscribed as you seem to have good taste.

@philjones45

25 күн бұрын

@@playitagainsue Golden Brown by The Stranglers went to number one here in the UK, see if you can guess what it's about! It's beautiful, very simple and think it only features two members of the band, quite unique. Of course they're all in the video. Take care Sue!

@playitagainsue

25 күн бұрын

@@philjones45 thanks Phil. I really appreciate it 🤩

@playitagainsue

25 күн бұрын

@@philjones45 🥰

I enjoyed this!

@playitagainsue

26 күн бұрын

@@kimr3729 wasn't it fun, Kim?! I really liked it too 🤩

most tv would not let you perform live now most don't want to now

@philjones45

25 күн бұрын

but they're not live

@punkpopnotdead

25 күн бұрын

@@philjones45 just said that

This was Top of the Pops, a TV show, nobody really sung or played their instruments, it's all playback. The Stranglers were live on TV, I think it was John Peel or the Old Grey Whistle Test.

@playitagainsue

25 күн бұрын

@davidmarkwort9711 thanks David 🤩

@ianz9916

25 күн бұрын

No, this wasn't at the BBC. This is a foreign show called Top Pop. I believe it is Dutch.

@davidmarkwort9711

24 күн бұрын

@@ianz9916 same format?

@ianz9916

24 күн бұрын

@@davidmarkwort9711 It was based on the BBC show but was a lot more casual and less slick.

One of favourite punk / new wave era bands ! .. These guys were just wonderful .. Started off with their rougher punk / post punk feel, and had many classics such as this, "Hanging Around", "Get A Grip On Yourself", "Peaches", "Who Wants The World" and "Something Better Change" .. Then they refined their sound and had hits with songs such as "Golden Brown" :"Strange Little Girl", "Skin Deep" and :"Always The Sun" .. I preferred their edgier early stuff, but it was all good .. Dave Greenfield ( RIP ) added a very distinctive sound to the band with his brilliant keyboards, which were a bit unusual for punk type bands .. More Stranglers please, Sue !

@playitagainsue

27 күн бұрын

@wayne_twentyfive Hi Wayne, I will be more than happy to do more of the Stranglers. I agree with with on the evolution of the band's sound. I really need to dug deeper into this band. I know some stuff but not tons. I appreciate your suggestions. It will point me in the right direction 🥰💜

@wayne_twentyfive

26 күн бұрын

@@playitagainsue Looking forward to it, Sue .. But I must qualify my love for The Stranglers .. I am a super huge fan of the classic line up of Hugh Cornwell, JJ Burnell, Dave Greenfield, and Jet Black", but once Hugh left in 1990, it just wasn't the same anymore .. For me, the 70s was there very best and captivating work, with a smattering of great songs ( particularly "Golden Brown" ) after that.

@playitagainsue

26 күн бұрын

@@wayne_twentyfive I gotcha, my friend 🥰

Hi Sue, The Stranglers were not your typical punk band. They were older than the normal puck rockers and were rather ostracised by the other groups at the time. They learned their trade as pub rockers, so could actually play their instruments. I saw them before they became famous. The keyboard player was magnificent.

@playitagainsue

26 күн бұрын

Hey Dave, why were they ostracised? Was it because they were older

@daveharris7224

25 күн бұрын

@@playitagainsue It was because they were around 30 at the time & that they were “professional” players, without the real punk attitudes. As you said, they moved on to produce more traditional rock/pop records. Their “punk” style records of the late 70s were fun, but more polished than the real thing. That is why they succeeded with older audiences.

"I like 70s punk, it's super cool" and yet you don't know No More Heroes 😂

@playitagainsue

17 күн бұрын

@@ollythorp5428 can't know everything

Great punk band but a lot of appearances on Top Pop were mimed and it looked like The Stranglers were making fun of that simple fact - they were really good live.

@playitagainsue

27 күн бұрын

I agree, Willster. They are definitely having some fun with the lip synching 🤩💛

3:40 they are mocking lipsync bands, guitar heroes etc

@playitagainsue

27 күн бұрын

@fredarsenault8987 hey Fred, I loved it...well done 🤩