Johnny Moped
Encyclopedia
Johnny Moped were a mid 1970s English punk rock
group from south London, who once had Chrissie Hynde
(later of The Pretenders
) and Captain Sensible
(later of The Damned) within their ranks.
in May 1974, the band were a proto-punk band. Initially calling themselves Johnny Moped and the 5 Arrogant Superstars, by August they changed their moniker to Assault and Buggery, then the Commercial Band, before reverting to just Johnny Moped by January 1975.
Johnny Moped became one of the pioneering punk bands that played live in the first few months of London’s now-legendary Roxy Club
. They played two gigs in February 1977, one supporting Eater
and one backing The Damned. Again, in March, they played another two gigs, one supporting Slaughter & The Dogs
and the other backing The Damned. In April, they were on a bill that included Wire
, X-Ray Spex
and the Buzzcocks
.
Johnny Moped’s "Hard Lovin’ Man" appeared on the hit various artists album Live at the Roxy WC2
(Harvest Records
, 1977). "Incendiary Device" made number 15 in BBC Radio 1
DJ
John Peel
’s ‘Festive Fifty’, the so-called ‘lost list’ of 1977. They signed for Chiswick Records
and released three singles, including ‘Little Queenie’ (a cover of the Chuck Berry
classic), and one album before splitting up. "No-One" featured on the Chiswick various artists sampler album Long Shots, Dead Certs And Odds On Favourites (Chiswick Chartbusters Volume Two) in 1978.
Sixteen years after its release, the publishers of The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music, named Cycledelic as one of the best fifty punk albums of all-time.
The Cycledelic LP was cut in such a way as to have a "hidden track" within the opening track.
s mentioned in the text of the main article:
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
group from south London, who once had Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
(later of The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
) and Captain Sensible
Captain Sensible
Captain Sensible is a singer, songwriter, guitarist who grew up in Croydon, England, and co-founded the punk rock band The Damned in 1976. After leaving the band, he reinvented himself as an alternative pop singer with a rebellious, self-conscious image...
(later of The Damned) within their ranks.
Biography
Formed in CroydonCroydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
in May 1974, the band were a proto-punk band. Initially calling themselves Johnny Moped and the 5 Arrogant Superstars, by August they changed their moniker to Assault and Buggery, then the Commercial Band, before reverting to just Johnny Moped by January 1975.
Johnny Moped became one of the pioneering punk bands that played live in the first few months of London’s now-legendary Roxy Club
The Roxy
The Roxy was a fashionable nightclub on Neal Street in London's Covent Garden, known for hosting the flowering British punk music scene in its infancy.-Brief history:...
. They played two gigs in February 1977, one supporting Eater
Eater
Eater were an early British punk band from London who took their name from a Marc Bolan lyric. In 2001, the band’s second single, "Thinking of the USA" , was included in a leading British music magazine’s list of the best punk-rock singles of all-time...
and one backing The Damned. Again, in March, they played another two gigs, one supporting Slaughter & The Dogs
Slaughter & The Dogs
Slaughter & The Dogs is an English punk rock band that formed in the late 1970s in Manchester, England. They were one of the first UK punk bands to sign for a major label, Decca Records.-Career:...
and the other backing The Damned. In April, they were on a bill that included Wire
Wire (band)
Wire are an English rock band, formed in London in October 1976 by Colin Newman , Graham Lewis , Bruce Gilbert , and Robert Gotobed...
, X-Ray Spex
X-Ray Spex
X-Ray Spex were an English punk band from London that formed in 1976.During their first incarnation , X-Ray Spex were “deliberate underachievers” and only managed to release five singles and one album...
and the Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
.
Johnny Moped’s "Hard Lovin’ Man" appeared on the hit various artists album Live at the Roxy WC2
Live at the Roxy WC2
The Roxy London WC2 is a live album of recordings taken from various punk bands that played the Roxy club in Covent Garden, London between January and April 1977.-Overview:...
(Harvest Records
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
, 1977). "Incendiary Device" made number 15 in BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
’s ‘Festive Fifty’, the so-called ‘lost list’ of 1977. They signed for Chiswick Records
Chiswick Records
Chiswick Records was a British record company. Chiswick was the "first true 'indie' label" to be established in Britain for nearly a decade". The label has been described as "significant" in the "punk era"...
and released three singles, including ‘Little Queenie’ (a cover of the Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
classic), and one album before splitting up. "No-One" featured on the Chiswick various artists sampler album Long Shots, Dead Certs And Odds On Favourites (Chiswick Chartbusters Volume Two) in 1978.
Sixteen years after its release, the publishers of The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music, named Cycledelic as one of the best fifty punk albums of all-time.
The Cycledelic LP was cut in such a way as to have a "hidden track" within the opening track.
Reviews
Johnny Moped’s style has been variously described as:- ‘Moronic punk ‘n’ roll fusing future Chiswick label-mates Motörhead with the manic humour of John OtwayJohn OtwayJohn Otway, is an English singer-songwriter, who has built a sizeable cult audience through extensive touring, a surreal sense of humour and a self-deprecating underdog persona.-Biography:...
’.
- ‘They were one of Chiswick’s top bands because they bridged the gap between mid-seventies pub rockPub rock (UK)Pub rock was a rock music genre that developed in the mid 1970s in the United Kingdom. A back-to-basics movement, pub rock was a reaction against progressive and glam rock. Although short-lived, pub rock was notable for rejecting stadium venues and for returning live rock to the small pubs and...
and the beery end of punk’.
- Cycledelic was “absolute madness. The greatest songs, the sloppiest playing, a voice to make Billy Bragg feel grateful and the sheer immortality of the since-oft-covered "Darling, Let’s Have Another Baby". Rating: nine out of ten”.
- ‘Johnny Moped had been about for a few years practising their sonic terrorism in & around Croydon by the time Punk Rock broke. That didn’t stop them signing to Chiswick Records & releasing the utterly superb 45 No One (NS 15) & the equally frenetic LP, Cycledelic (Wik 8). Perennially written off by the snobbier elements of the Punk elite, mates of Captain Sensible & part time roadies for The Damned - Johnny Moped had it all’.
- Legends… ‘In any discussion of punk’s greatest legends the name of Johnny Moped forever looms large – not necessarily for the vitality of their vinyl, although few would deny that the Moped had few peers in that arena. Nor through the brilliant chaos of their live shows, although a good Moped gig could keep you grinning for a week. No, Johnny Moped was a legend because with a reputation and a presentation like theirs, what else could they be?’
Studio Albums
- Cycledelic (April 1978: Chiswick Records, WIK 8)
- The Search For Xerxes (May 1991: Deltic)
Compilations
- Basically: The Best of (September 1995, Chiswick)
- The Bootleg Tapes: I & II (September 2007, Damaged Goods)
Appearances on various artist compilations (Selective)
Listing of those various artist compilation albumCompilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s mentioned in the text of the main article:
- "Hard Lovin’ Man" featured on the Live at the Roxy WC2Live at the Roxy WC2The Roxy London WC2 is a live album of recordings taken from various punk bands that played the Roxy club in Covent Garden, London between January and April 1977.-Overview:...
compilation album (24 June 1977: Harvest Records SHSP4069) #24 UK Albums ChartUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... - "No-One" featured on the Long Shots, Dead Certs And Odds On Favourites (Chiswick Chartbusters Volume Two) sampler album (1978: Chiswick Records CH 5)
- "Incendiary Device" featured on NME Pogo a Go Go! cassette album (date unknown: NMENMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
Magazine NME 021)
Singles
- No One / Incendiary Device (August 1977: Chiswick, 515)
- Darling, Let’s Have Another Baby / Something Else / It Really Digs (January 1978: Chiswick, NS 27)
- Little Queenie / Hard Lovin’ Man (June 1978: Chiswick, NS 42)
See also
- List of British punk bands
- List of musicians in the first wave of punk music
- Music of the United Kingdom (1970s)Music of the United Kingdom (1970s)Popular music of the United Kingdom in the 1970s built upon the new forms developed of music developed from blues rock towards the end of the 1960s, including folk rock and psychedelic rock...
External links
- Johnny Moped on www.punk77.co.uk