More than 20 years ago BJ bought a cassette at a thrift store by a band called Stokes Aster...
Brothers JP and Jamie Toulon were 10 and 9 when Restless Records released their debut album. It didn't go well after that.
GREG STRYKER - EDGE OF NIGHT
PRESENT HISTORY - OPEN YOUR EYES
THE MACHINE - LOVE FANTASY
THE LEVEL - YOU'VE GOT RUNNING ON YOUR MIND
JOE BRUCE & 2ND AVENUE - WE CAN HAVE IT ALL
BRIDGE 2 FAR - WE GOT AWAY
STYLE - RUN FOR YOUR LIFE
MATTHEW TODD - HEARTBEAT
PARIS BLACK - BETTER GET READY
EASTERN BLOC - RESTLESS HEART
BLACK CHINA - IN YOUR EYES
PERFECT STRANGER - PRISONER OF YOUR SMILE
MINDSTORM - BACK TO REALITY
THE JACK - MYSTERY
THE VU - KEYS TO THE CITY
HYTS - LOOKING FROM THE OUTSIDE
BOXX - I NEED THE LOVE
KIRKA - I'LL BE YOURS
BAGHDAD - NOTHING LASTS FOREVER
LAOS - LONG SHOT
KINGDOM - WAITING FOR LOVE
VANADIUM - DANGEROUS GAME
HURRY SCUARY - TOP DOG/REACHING FOR THE SUN
STORMBRINGER - CAUGHT ME BY SURPRISE
YANKEE HEAVEN - EMPTY SHADOW
SHARP EDGES - CITY BOY
BE IN IT - BE IN IT
FAIR EXCHANGE - VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE
SLYCE - LEAVE IT ALONE
SYDNEY - ANOTHER FOOL
Chelsea was originally formed in August of 1976 by singer Gene October, guitarist William Broad (aka Billy Idol), bassist Tony James and drummer John Towe. After the other three left to form Generation X, October kept the band going, cycling through line-up after line-up, releasing som classic punk singles and albums along the way.
Jook were a great band, active for just a few years in the early seventies. They released six singles, including some absolutely classic heavy glam tunes, but no album. For this episode BJ is joined by Ian Kimmet, the band's singer and main songwriter, to discuss why such a killer band failed to thrive, even in the midst of the glam rock explosion.
To commemorate that milestone, BJ takes a look back at his copious list of episodes, of which many are currently unavailable, plays some favorite clips and songs and reminisces with old friends.
Barry and Dorothy were an HVAC installer and a waitress until they decided they were the reincarnations of Egyptian gods and embarked upon an ill-fated music career. Two albums later one of them was dead.
Pavlov's Dog was a seven piece quasi-prog band from St Louis, managed by a crook, who made a few interesting records before its members scattered. Singer David Surkamp resurfaced in Seattle where he formed an exciting but short-lived band called Hi-Fi with a founding member of Fairport Convention, Ian Matthews.
Doctors of Madness formed in London in late 1974 and flamed out by the end of 1978, releasing three diverse albums that bridged the gap between glam and punk, but very few people seemed to notice.
Stray formed in the late sixties when it's members were barely teenagers and they landed a record deal before they reached adulthood. Ahead of their time, they found little success, even with help from multiple mobsters, but the catalogue of albums they left behind speak for themselves. Even Iron Maiden cite them as an influence. This is their story.
The Heavy Metal Kids only existed for a brief few years (they released three albums), but they were almost perfectly placed to serve as a sort of bridge from glam to punk. This is the story of the band and the tragic fate of their flamboyant frontman, Gary Holton.
BJ only just recently discovered that there's a lot more to Brewer & Shipley than "One Toke Over The Line."