The Chords

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This article is about the 1970's UK band. For the 1950's US doo-wop group, see The Chords (U.S.).

The Chords were a 1970s British group commonly associated with the mod revival, who had several hits in their homeland before the decline of the trend brought about their break-up. They were one of the most successful groups to emerge during the revival, which inundated the UK in 1979 thanks in large part to The Jam's massive popularity (and their obvious affection for mod music and styles) and the theatrical release of The Who's Quadrophenia, a rock opera centred around the mod subculture of the 1960's. Consisting of lead singer & rhythm guitarist Billy Hassett, lead guitarist & songwriter Chris Pope, bassist and Hassett's cousin Martin Mason, and drummer Brett "Buddy" Ascott, the group boasted four talented musicians, particularly Ascott, who was a crucial component of the group's sound; his manic, Keith Moon-inspired drumming is considered among the best of the new wave era.

Unlike many of the mod revival groups, which sought to distance themselves from the declining punk rock movement, The Chords boasted overt punk influences in their sound, most obviously inspired by Buzzcocks and The Undertones beyond the distinct Jam pedigree common to the mod revival. Indeed, one of the group's earliest supporters was Sham 69's Jimmy Pursey, and the group were poised to sign to his own imprint, a Polydor Records subsidiary, before that relationship dissolved bitterly after Pursey heckled the band's friends The Undertones at a gig. The group instead opted to sign to Polydor directly. Their mod-punk sound drew frequent comparisons to Polydor labelmates The Jam, comparisons which would dog the group throughout their career and hasten their demise. Unlike The Jam and their other "mod" followers (such as Secret Affair), however, The Chords eschewed sharp '60s suits for more casual clothing, such as jeans and pop-art T-shirts bedecked with targets and arrows.

Musically and lyrically, the band stood further apart from its mod contemporaries. Chris Pope forsook the lightweight lyrical fare common of other groups for bleaker, more weighty topics such as the rise of fascism in Europe ("Maybe Tomorrow") and bitter memories of love torn apart ("Now It's Gone"). Appropriately, the music was punkier, tougher, more serious, and less fey than that of their contemporaries. Unfortunately for the band, their serious musical and lyrical output only intensified comparisons to The Jam, who shared similar perspectives.

The Chords had several British chart hits, beginning with September 1979's "Now It's Gone", which peaked at #63. Their biggest hit was January 1980's "Maybe Tomorrow", which peaked at #40 on the UK singles charts. The Jam's Paul Weller praised the single as being by far the best to come out of the so-called mod revival. Their follow-up single, "Something's Missing", was released that April, and it peaked at #55. The Chords' debut album, So Far Away, arrived May 1980. Aside from containing "Maybe Tomorrow" and "Something's Missing", the album featured 10 all-new tracks, including two covers: Sam & Dave's "Hold On, I'm Coming" and The Beatles' "She Said, She Said". So Far Away peaked at #30 on the UK album charts. Two more non-LP singles followed later that year, "The British Way of Life" (#54), and "In My Street" (#50).

The constant Jam comparisons, the decline in the mod audience, and their failure to reach the commercial heights they felt they deserved fostered tension in the ranks, and Billy Hassett was fired that November for reasons that remain vague. He was replaced by Kip Herring, who was previously best known as replacing lead vocalist Knox in The Vibrators, but this line-up only lasted through two unsuccessful 1981 singles, "One More Minute", which peaked at #87, and their swansong "Turn Away Again", which didn't even crack the top 100. Their final single prophetically opened with the line "Guess you never thought it would end like this", although lyrically this was a reference to a relationship break-up rather than a the demise of the band. The group swiftly broke up after the single's release.

Despite the premature end to their career and their unfulfilled potential, The Chords did leave behind an impressive legacy. They were cited as an early influence by The Stone Roses and remain an enthusiastically critically acclaimed group wherever they are known, much more so than any mod group of the day save The Jam and Secret Affair. The All Music Guide gave So Far Away 4.5 stars, the second-highest rating possible.