Radio Stars

Radio Stars
from the 'Dirty Pictures' session

Genres New wave
Years active 1977–1979, 1982–present
Labels Chiswick, Snat Records, Moonlight Records, Ace, Radiant Future
Associated acts Jet, Sparks
Website radio-stars.com
martingordon.de
Members Andy Ellison
Martin Gordon
Ian MacLeod
Steve Parry
Past members Chris Townson
Jamie Crompton
Trevor White
Paul Simon

Radio Stars are an English new wave group formed in early 1977. They released three albums and had one UK Top 40 single.[1]

Career

Radio Stars were formed by Sparks exile Martin Gordon[2] (bass, songwriter), ex-John's Children vocalist Andy Ellison and Ian MacLeod (guitar) in 1977, following the end of their underachieving glam supergroup, Jet, the previous year.

The band signed to Chiswick Records and released their debut single, Dirty Pictures, in April 1977. This was included on the Chiswick various artists sampler Submarine Tracks & Fool's Gold (Chiswick Chartbusters Volume One). Later that year, it came number 26 in the NME's end-of-year critics' chart. In May 1977, the band both performed live for the first time[3] and recorded the first of three sessions for John Peel at the BBC's Maida Vale studios.[4] Later adding Steve Parry on drums, the band's second release came in August. Playing "No Russians in Russia", the Radio Stars made their TV debut on Marc, Marc Bolan's show.[5] The track later appeared on the 1978 Chiswick sampler Long Shots, Dead Certs And Odds On Favourites (Chiswick Chartbusters Volume Two). The performance was subsequently included in Columbia's DVD release Marc,[6] featuring all six episodes of the Marc show.

In October 1977, the band briefly entered the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. "Nervous Wreck" backed with "Horrible Breath" peaked at No. 39.[1] The b-side, "Horrible Breath", was a song written by Marc Bolan from his time with John's Children.

The debut album, Songs for Swinging Lovers, named in reference to the Frank Sinatra album, finally appeared in December 1977. The band toured with Eddie and the Hot Rods and Squeeze, and played the Reading Festival in 1978. The Radio Stars released their second album in 1978, entitled Holiday Album. The album included their live favourite Sex in Chains Blues, about the exploits of the so-called 'Mormon kidnapper' Joyce McKinney. The band undertook an extensive UK tour in 1978, which also featured Trevor White (a former member of Sparks) and Chris Gent (saxophone/backing vocals), but Gordon left soon after. The second album flopped, effectively ending the band, although Ellison attempted to revive the band's name to little success in the 1980s and 1990s.

The group's recordings have been anthologised three times; on 1982's Two Minutes Mr. Smith by the Moonlight record label - Electric Light Orchestra's Hugh McDowell guested on cello - on 1992's (band-approved) Somewhere There's a Place for Us on Ace Records. In 2017 a 4CD box set containing all the band's recordings, including a handful of singles, B-sides, radio sessions and broadcasts and a specially-recorded revision of one of the greatest tunes, was released by the Cherry Red label under the title of 'Thinking Inside the Box'.

A one-off London concert performance took place in March 2008 in support of their live album (recorded in 1977/78) Something for the Weekend, released by Radiant Future Records that same month. The band played the Rebellion all-dayer at the Kentish Town Forum on Saturday 13 December 2008 alongside the likes of The Damned, Johnny Moped and Penetration. They reprised their earlier tours with a final concert as special guests of Eddie & the Hotrods on 22 January 2010 at the 100 Club in London.

An official spokesperson indicates that "Radio Stars should not be confused with radio stars, namely stars that produce by means of chemical and electrical discharges, emissions of various radio frequencies, whether constant or pulsed. Radio Stars, no matter whether constant or pulsed, will under no circumstances produce discharges or emissions. Well, under no circumstances to which we can refer in polite company, at any rate".

Reviews

Line-up changes

Discography

Albums

Live albums

Compilations

Appearances on various artist compilations (selective)

Listing of those various artist compilation albums mentioned in the text of the main article:

Singles

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 447. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. ↑ "Martin Gordon - official site". Martingordon.de. 2014-07-20. Retrieved 2014-07-24.
  3. ↑ Joynson, Vernon (2001). Up Yours! A Guide to UK Punk, New Wave & Early Post Punk. Wolverhampton: Borderline Publications. p. 293. ISBN 1-899855-13-0.
  4. ↑ "Radio 1 - Keeping It Peel - Radio Stars". BBC. 1977-05-17. Retrieved 2014-07-24.
  5. 1 2 Thompson, Dave (2000). Punk. Ontario: Collector’s Guide Publication. p. 119. ISBN 1-896522-27-0.
  6. ↑ Columbia COBY-91416-7
  7. ↑ Tim Sendra on the Radio Stars, Allmusic;
  8. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2002). Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music. London: Virgin Books. p. 352. ISBN 1-85227-947-8.
  9. ↑ Thompson, Dave (2000). Alternative Rock. San Francisco: Miller Freeman Books. p. 749.
  10. ↑ Strong, M.C. (2003). The Great Indie Discography. Edinburgh: Canongate. p. 124. ISBN 1-84195-335-0.
  11. ↑ Joynson, Vernon (2001). Up Yours! A Guide to UK Punk, New Wave & Early Post Punk. Wolverhampton: Borderline Publications. p. 294. ISBN 1-899855-13-0.
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