The Killjoys (UK band)
Encyclopedia
The Killjoys were a punk rock
/new wave
band from Birmingham
, England
, formed in 1976, with members including Kevin Rowland
and Kevin "Al" Archer, who would later form Dexys Midnight Runners
, and Ghislaine 'Gil' Weston who would later join Girlschool
. Although their releases while still together were limited to one single, subsequent interest has seen an album of their recordings released.
-inspired band Lucy & the Lovers. With the advent of punk rock
, Rowland wrote new songs and started The Killjoys, adding Heather Tonge (backing vocals) and Joe 45 (Lee Burton, drums). The band relocated to London
and took up lodgings in a disused Barclays Bank. The band came to the attention of Raw Records boss Lee Wood, who signed the band for the single "Johnny Won't Get to Heaven"/"Naïve", which went on to sell 18,000 copies. The band recorded two sessions for John Peel
's BBC Radio 1
show, the first in October 1977, the second in February 1978, by which time Keith Rimell (guitar) and Bob Peach (drums) had been recruited, replacing Philips and Burton, with Tonge also leaving. Rowland used his hairdressing talents to give the new members short haircuts. The tension between Rowland and the rest of the band was clear, Rimell describing the atmosphere as "us against him", and Gareth Holder of The Shapes
noted "the level of hatred that the rest of the Killjoys appear to have for him". This line-up lasted for eighteen months, during which several recording sessions took place for a debut album. Rimell left the band after an argument with Rowland, to be replaced by Kevin Archer, who Rowland insisted should be renamed Al Archer as he would not have two Kevin's in the band. The band disintegrated when Rowland's enforced eight-hour practice sessions began to take their toll, and Rowland rejected a £20,000 contract with Bronze Records
because it was only a singles deal, to the disdain of other band members. Peach, Philips and Weston left to form Out of Nowhere (later called Alternating, and then Luxound Deluxe), with Weston later joining Girlschool
on the recommendation of Lemmy. Rowland, disillusioned with punk rock, immersed himself in vintage soul music
, particularly the records of Geno Washington
, and (with Archer) formed a new band, Dexys Midnight Runners
.
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...
/new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band from Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, formed in 1976, with members including Kevin Rowland
Kevin Rowland
Kevin Rowland is an English singer-songwriter and former frontman for the pop band Dexys Midnight Runners, which had several hits in the early 1980s, the most notable being "Geno" and "Come On Eileen".-Career:...
and Kevin "Al" Archer, who would later form Dexys Midnight Runners
Dexys Midnight Runners
Dexys Midnight Runners are a British pop group with soul influences, who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s. They are best known for their songs "Come On Eileen" and "Geno", both of which went No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart....
, and Ghislaine 'Gil' Weston who would later join Girlschool
Girlschool
Girlschool are a British heavy metal band originating out of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene in 1978 and frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead. They are the longest running all-female rock band, still active after more than 30 years...
. Although their releases while still together were limited to one single, subsequent interest has seen an album of their recordings released.
History
Kevin Rowland (vocals, a trained hairdresser), Gil Weston (a.k.a. 'Gem', bass guitar), and Mark Philips (guitar) had been members of the mid-1970s Roxy MusicRoxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
-inspired band Lucy & the Lovers. With the advent of punk rock
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...
, Rowland wrote new songs and started The Killjoys, adding Heather Tonge (backing vocals) and Joe 45 (Lee Burton, drums). The band relocated to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and took up lodgings in a disused Barclays Bank. The band came to the attention of Raw Records boss Lee Wood, who signed the band for the single "Johnny Won't Get to Heaven"/"Naïve", which went on to sell 18,000 copies. The band recorded two sessions for 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 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...
show, the first in October 1977, the second in February 1978, by which time Keith Rimell (guitar) and Bob Peach (drums) had been recruited, replacing Philips and Burton, with Tonge also leaving. Rowland used his hairdressing talents to give the new members short haircuts. The tension between Rowland and the rest of the band was clear, Rimell describing the atmosphere as "us against him", and Gareth Holder of The Shapes
The Shapes (UK band)
The Shapes were an English punk rock group that formed in the town of Leamington Spa in 1976. Different in many ways from their peers in the nascent punk subculture, they were known for eschewing the more political stances that were fashionable at the time, instead producing works of a cartoonish...
noted "the level of hatred that the rest of the Killjoys appear to have for him". This line-up lasted for eighteen months, during which several recording sessions took place for a debut album. Rimell left the band after an argument with Rowland, to be replaced by Kevin Archer, who Rowland insisted should be renamed Al Archer as he would not have two Kevin's in the band. The band disintegrated when Rowland's enforced eight-hour practice sessions began to take their toll, and Rowland rejected a £20,000 contract with Bronze Records
Bronze Records
Bronze Records is an independent English record label set up in 1971 by record producer Gerry Bron, and based in Chalk Farm, London.Bron had been producing Uriah Heep for Vertigo Records, and he set up this new label for future Uriah Heep releases, along with Juicy Lucy, Richard Barnes and Colosseum...
because it was only a singles deal, to the disdain of other band members. Peach, Philips and Weston left to form Out of Nowhere (later called Alternating, and then Luxound Deluxe), with Weston later joining Girlschool
Girlschool
Girlschool are a British heavy metal band originating out of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene in 1978 and frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead. They are the longest running all-female rock band, still active after more than 30 years...
on the recommendation of Lemmy. Rowland, disillusioned with punk rock, immersed himself in vintage soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, particularly the records of Geno Washington
Geno Washington
Geno Washington is an American R&B singer who released five albums with The Ram Jam Band between 1966 and 1969, and eight solo albums beginning in 1976.-Early to late 1960s:...
, and (with Archer) formed a new band, Dexys Midnight Runners
Dexys Midnight Runners
Dexys Midnight Runners are a British pop group with soul influences, who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s. They are best known for their songs "Come On Eileen" and "Geno", both of which went No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart....
.
Singles
- "Johnny Won't Get to Heaven"/"Naïve" (1977) Raw (reissued 1978, and again later by Damaged Goods)
- Studio Demos 18 October 1977 7-inch EP (19??) Last Year's Youth
External links
- The Killjoys at Punk77
- Kevin Rowland's account of his time in The Killjoys
- The Killjoys at the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Keeping it Peel site