X-Ray Spex
Encyclopedia
X-Ray Spex were an English
punk
band from London
that formed in 1976.
During their first incarnation (1976–79), X-Ray Spex were “deliberate underachievers” and only managed to release five singles and one album. Nevertheless, their first single, "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!", is now acknowledged as a classic punk rock single and the album, Germ Free Adolescents
, is widely acclaimed as a classic album of the punk rock genre.
(born Marianne Joan Elliott-Said) on vocals, Jak Airport
(Jack Stafford) on guitar
s, Paul Dean on bass
, Paul 'B. P.' Hurding on drums
, and Lora Logic
(born Susan Whitby) on saxophone
. This latter instrument was an atypical addition to the standard punk instrumental line-up, and became one of the group's most distinctive features.
X-Ray Spex's other distinctive musical element was Poly Styrene's voice, which has been variously described as "effervescently discordant" and "powerful enough to drill holes through sheet metal". As Mari Elliot, Poly had released a reggae
single for GTO Records in 1976, "Silly Billy", which had not charted. Born in 1957 in Bromley, Kent, of Somali
-British parentage, Poly Styrene became the group's public face, and remains one of the most memorable front-women to emerge from the punk movement. Unorthodox in appearance, she wore thick braces on her teeth and once stated that "I said that I wasn't a sex symbol
and that if anybody tried to make me one I'd shave my head tomorrow". She later actually did at Johnny Rotten's flat prior to a concert at Victoria Park
. Mark Paytress recounts in the liner notes
for the 2002 compilation, The Anthology, that Jah Wobble
, Rotten's longtime friend and bassist for his post-punk
venture PiL
, once described Styrene as a "strange girl who often talked of hallucinating. She freaked John out." Rotten, known more for his outspoken dislikes and disdain than for praise and admiration, recently said of X-Ray Spex in a retrospective punk documentary, "Them, they came out with a sound and attitude and a whole energy—it was just not relating to anything around it—superb."
Styrene was inspired to form a band by seeing the Sex Pistols in Hastings
and, through their live performances, she and X-Ray Spex became one of the most talked about acts on the infant punk scene. The band played twice at the punk club The Roxy
during its first 100 days. In March, the band played with The Drones
and Chelsea
. In April, they shared the bill with the Buzzcocks
, Wire
, and Johnny Moped
. Their first Roxy gig was only their second live appearance. It was recorded and their anthem "Oh Bondage Up Yours!
" was included on the influential Live at the Roxy WC2
album. The publicity from this gig led to a “near residency”, particularly on Sunday nights, at ‘The Man on the Moon’ pub, Kings Road
, Chelsea
, and record label interest.
In late September 1977, a studio recording of "Oh Bondage Up Yours!" was released as a single. Today, the 45
is regarded as their most enduring artifact, both as a piece of music and as a sort of proto-grrrl catchphrase. Opening with the spoken/screamed line, "Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard - well I think, oh bondage, up yours!", the song could be interpreted as a premonition of the riot grrrl
movement a good 15 years later, although Styrene herself insists it was more intended as an anti-consumerist/anti-capitalist jingle, and was not exclusively feminist
in nature.
In late 1977, Lora Logic was replaced on saxophone, first temporarily by Glyn John, and then permanently by Rudi Thompson (also known as Steve Rudi).
In November 1978, the band released their debut album. With the exception of "Identity", which was partially based on Styrene seeing a girl slash her wrists in a club toilet, the rest of Germ Free Adolescents dealt with the anti consumerist theme. Indeed, The Guardian newspaper described the album as containing "unrivalled anti-consumerism anthems".
X-Ray Spex played at ‘Front Row Festival’, a three-week event at the Hope and Anchor, Islington
in late November and early December 1977. This resulted in the band's inclusion, alongside the likes of Wilko Johnson
, 999
, The Only Ones
, the Saints
, The Stranglers
, and XTC
, on a double album
of recordings from the festival. Then, in February 1978, before the release of their second single, X-Ray Spex recorded the first of two sessions for John Peel
at BBC Radio 1
. Their profile was further enhanced by playing a fortnight's residency at New York
's CBGB
's, even though the album Germ Free Adolescents was not released in America until 1992.
On 30 April, the band appeared at the Rock Against Racism
gig at Victoria Park, Bow
, Tower Hamlets
. Also on the bill were Steel Pulse
, The Clash
, The Ruts
, Sham 69
, Generation X
and Tom Robinson Band
. Later in the year, to promote the album, X-Ray Spex embarked on their first, and only, full UK tour. Exhausted by touring, Poly Styrene left the band in mid 1979, though she is seen performing with the band in the 1980 film, D.O.A.
. She released a solo album, Translucence, before joining the Hare Krishna
movement (as did Logic, who left the band aged 16 in 1977 to form a new group called Essential Logic
).
Without Styrene, the group lost its momentum and split up. Hurding and Airport went on to form Classix Nouveaux
, while Paul Dean and Rudi Thompson went on to form Agent Orange with Anthony "Tex" Doughty
, who later become a founding member of Transvision Vamp
.
The first incarnation of X-Ray Spex existed from mid-1976 to 1979, during which time they released five singles—"Oh Bondage, Up Yours", "Identity", "The Day the World Turned Day-Glo", "Germ Free Adolescents", and "Highly Inflammable"—and one album, Germ Free Adolescents
. One retrospective review described the singles as “not only riveting examples of high-energy punk, but contained provocative, thoughtful lyrics berating the urban synthetic fashions of the 70s and urging individual expression”.
The same reviewer in The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music sums up the band’s 1970s contribution as “one of the most inventive, original and genuinely exciting groups to emerge during the punk era”.
in central London
, suffering a fractured pelvis. The group disbanded, but subsequent releases include a compilation of the group's early records, a live album, and an anthology of all the aforementioned.
Jak Airport later worked for the BBC
's Corporate and Public Relations department under his real name, Jack Stafford; he died on 13 August 2004 of cancer
.
The band played what was described as a raucous comeback gig in front of an audience of 3,000 at The Roundhouse
in London
on 6 September 2008. They performed Germ Free Adolescents in its entirety, with the exception of "Plastic Bag". A DVD and CD of the Roundhouse performance was released in November 2009 on the Year Zero Label by Future Noise Music.
Poly Styrene died of spinal
and breast cancer
on 25 April 2011.
s mentioned in the text of the main article:
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...
punk
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...
band from 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...
that formed in 1976.
During their first incarnation (1976–79), X-Ray Spex were “deliberate underachievers” and only managed to release five singles and one album. Nevertheless, their first single, "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!", is now acknowledged as a classic punk rock single and the album, Germ Free Adolescents
Germ Free Adolescents
Germ Free Adolescents is the debut album of English punk rock band X-Ray Spex. It contained the UK hit singles: "The Day The World Turned Day-Glo" , "Identity" and "Germ Free Adolescents" which reached No. 18 in November 1978.The album received wide acclaim upon its release...
, is widely acclaimed as a classic album of the punk rock genre.
Career
Initially, the band featured singer Poly StyrenePoly Styrene
Poly Styrene was the stage name of Marianne Joan Elliott-Said , a British musician, songwriter and singer, most notably in the pioneering punk rock band X-Ray Spex.-Early life:...
(born Marianne Joan Elliott-Said) on vocals, Jak Airport
Jak Airport
Jak Airport was the guitarist of 1970s punk band X-Ray Spex and New Wave band Classix Nouveaux, before retiring from music and working for the BBC....
(Jack Stafford) on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, Paul Dean on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Paul 'B. P.' Hurding on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, and Lora Logic
Lora Logic
Lora Logic is a British saxophonist and singer. She was briefly a member of the band X Ray Spex, although she had been sacked from that group by the time they recorded their first album, which nevertheless used her saxophone arrangements. A year later she formed Essential Logic...
(born Susan Whitby) on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. This latter instrument was an atypical addition to the standard punk instrumental line-up, and became one of the group's most distinctive features.
X-Ray Spex's other distinctive musical element was Poly Styrene's voice, which has been variously described as "effervescently discordant" and "powerful enough to drill holes through sheet metal". As Mari Elliot, Poly had released a reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
single for GTO Records in 1976, "Silly Billy", which had not charted. Born in 1957 in Bromley, Kent, of Somali
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
-British parentage, Poly Styrene became the group's public face, and remains one of the most memorable front-women to emerge from the punk movement. Unorthodox in appearance, she wore thick braces on her teeth and once stated that "I said that I wasn't a sex symbol
Sex symbol
A sex symbol is a celebrity of either gender, typically an actor, musician, supermodel, teen idol, or sports star, noted for their sex appeal. The term was first used in the mid 1950s in relation to the popularity of certain Hollywood stars, especially Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte...
and that if anybody tried to make me one I'd shave my head tomorrow". She later actually did at Johnny Rotten's flat prior to a concert at Victoria Park
Victoria Park, East London
Victoria Park is 86.18 hectares of open space that stretches out across part of the East End of London, England bordering parts of Bethnal Green, Hackney, and Bow, such as along Old Ford Road, London E3 and Victoria Park Road E9. The park is entirely within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets...
. Mark Paytress recounts in the liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
for the 2002 compilation, The Anthology, that Jah Wobble
Jah Wobble
Jah Wobble is an English bass guitarist, singer, poet and composer. He became known to a wider audience as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but left the band after two albums...
, Rotten's longtime friend and bassist for his post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
venture PiL
PIL
PIL may refer to:* Private International Law* Carlos Miguel Jiménez Airport , in Pilar, Paraguay* Port Isabel-Cameron County Airport , in Port Isabel, Texas...
, once described Styrene as a "strange girl who often talked of hallucinating. She freaked John out." Rotten, known more for his outspoken dislikes and disdain than for praise and admiration, recently said of X-Ray Spex in a retrospective punk documentary, "Them, they came out with a sound and attitude and a whole energy—it was just not relating to anything around it—superb."
Styrene was inspired to form a band by seeing the Sex Pistols in Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
and, through their live performances, she and X-Ray Spex became one of the most talked about acts on the infant punk scene. The band played twice at the punk club The Roxy
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:...
during its first 100 days. In March, the band played with The Drones
The Drones (British band)
The Drones were a punk rock band from Manchester, England. For a period of time, the band were produced and managed by Paul Morley.One critic wrote: "Bonafide DIY three-chord wonders, the Drones were there at punk’s inception."-Career:...
and Chelsea
Chelsea (band)
Chelsea are an English punk rock band, formed in London in 1976.Three of the four original band members went on to help found Generation X. More than two decades after its release, "Right to Work", Chelsea's debut single, was included in Mojo magazine's list of the best punk rock singles of all...
. In April, they shared the bill with 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...
, 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...
, and Johnny Moped
Johnny Moped
Johnny Moped were a mid 1970s English punk rock group from south London, who once had Chrissie Hynde and Captain Sensible within their ranks.-Biography:...
. Their first Roxy gig was only their second live appearance. It was recorded and their anthem "Oh Bondage Up Yours!
Oh Bondage Up Yours!
"Oh Bondage Up Yours!" is the debut single by British punk rock band X-Ray Spex. Released in September 1977, it is regarded by critics as a prototypal example of British punk, though it was not a chart hit. A version taped on 2 April 1977 at one of the band's earliest public performances had...
" was included on the influential 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:...
album. The publicity from this gig led to a “near residency”, particularly on Sunday nights, at ‘The Man on the Moon’ pub, Kings Road
Kings Road
King's Road or Kings Road, known popularly as The King's Road or The KR, is a major, well-known street stretching through Chelsea and Fulham, both in west London, England...
, Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
, and record label interest.
In late September 1977, a studio recording of "Oh Bondage Up Yours!" was released as a single. Today, the 45
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
is regarded as their most enduring artifact, both as a piece of music and as a sort of proto-grrrl catchphrase. Opening with the spoken/screamed line, "Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard - well I think, oh bondage, up yours!", the song could be interpreted as a premonition of the riot grrrl
Riot grrrl
Riot grrrl was an underground feminist punk movement based in Washington, DC, Olympia, Washington, Portland, Oregon, and the greater Pacific Northwest which existed in the early to mid-1990s, and it is often associated with third-wave feminism...
movement a good 15 years later, although Styrene herself insists it was more intended as an anti-consumerist/anti-capitalist jingle, and was not exclusively feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
in nature.
In late 1977, Lora Logic was replaced on saxophone, first temporarily by Glyn John, and then permanently by Rudi Thompson (also known as Steve Rudi).
In November 1978, the band released their debut album. With the exception of "Identity", which was partially based on Styrene seeing a girl slash her wrists in a club toilet, the rest of Germ Free Adolescents dealt with the anti consumerist theme. Indeed, The Guardian newspaper described the album as containing "unrivalled anti-consumerism anthems".
X-Ray Spex played at ‘Front Row Festival’, a three-week event at the Hope and Anchor, Islington
Hope and Anchor, Islington
The Hope and Anchor is a public house on Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. During the mid-1970s it was one of the first pubs to embrace the emergent, but brief, phenomenon of pub rock...
in late November and early December 1977. This resulted in the band's inclusion, alongside the likes of Wilko Johnson
Wilko Johnson
Wilko Johnson is an English guitarist and songwriter, particularly associated with the UK rhythm and blues band Dr. Feelgood in the 1970s.-Career:...
, 999
999 (band)
999 are an English rock band who formed in London in 1977. They are often cited as one of the first punk rock bands. Between 1978 and 1981, they had five Top 75 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and one Top 40 single. After extensive touring across the Atlantic Ocean, the band's third and fourth...
, The Only Ones
The Only Ones
The Only Ones are an English rock band. They were initially active in the late 1970s and were associated with punk rock, yet straddled the musical territory in between punk, power pop and hard rock, with noticeable influences from psychedelia...
, the Saints
The Saints (band)
The Saints are an Australian rock band, which formed in Brisbane in 1974 as punk rockers. Founders were Chris Bailey , Ivor Hay , and Ed Kuepper . Alongside mainstay Bailey, the group has had numerous line-ups...
, The Stranglers
The Stranglers
The Stranglers are an English punk/rock music group.Scoring some 23 UK top 40 singles and 17 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are the longest-surviving and most "continuously successful" band to have originated in the UK punk scene of the mid to late 1970s...
, and XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
, on a double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
of recordings from the festival. Then, in February 1978, before the release of their second single, X-Ray Spex recorded the first of 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...
at 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...
. Their profile was further enhanced by playing a fortnight's residency at New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
's, even though the album Germ Free Adolescents was not released in America until 1992.
On 30 April, the band appeared at the Rock Against Racism
Rock Against Racism
Rock Against Racism was a campaign set up in the United Kingdom in 1976 as a response to an increase in racial conflict and the growth of white nationalist groups such as the National Front. The campaign involved pop, rock and reggae musicians staging concerts with an anti-racist theme, in order...
gig at Victoria Park, Bow
Bow, London
Bow is an area of London, England, United Kingdom in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a built-up, mostly residential district located east of Charing Cross, and is a part of the East End.-Bridges at Bowe:...
, Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...
. Also on the bill were Steel Pulse
Steel Pulse
Steel Pulse is a roots reggae musical band. They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, in Birmingham, England, composed of David Hinds , Basil Gabbidon , and Ronald McQueen .-History:...
, The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, The Ruts
The Ruts
The Ruts were a reggae-influenced British punk rock band, notable for the 1979 Top 10 hit "Babylon's Burning", and an earlier single "In a Rut", which was not a hit but was much played and highly regarded by the UK BBC Radio 1 disc jockey, John Peel.-Career:...
, Sham 69
Sham 69
Sham 69 is an English punk band that formed in Hersham in 1976.Although not as commercially successful as many of their contemporaries, albeit with a greater number of chart entries, Sham 69 has been a huge musical and lyrical influence on the Oi! and streetpunk genres. The band allegedly derived...
, Generation X
Generation X (band)
Generation X was a British punk rock band, formed on 21 November 1976 by Billy Idol, Tony James and John Towe.-History:...
and Tom Robinson Band
Tom Robinson Band
Tom Robinson Band were a British rock band, established in 1976 by singer, songwriter and bassist Tom Robinson...
. Later in the year, to promote the album, X-Ray Spex embarked on their first, and only, full UK tour. Exhausted by touring, Poly Styrene left the band in mid 1979, though she is seen performing with the band in the 1980 film, D.O.A.
D.O.A. (1980 film)
D.O.A.: A Rite of Passage is a 1980 rockumentary film directed by Lech Kowalski about the origin of punk rock. The rockumentary takes interview and concert footage of some of punk rock's earliest bands of the late seventies scene...
. She released a solo album, Translucence, before joining the Hare Krishna
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
movement (as did Logic, who left the band aged 16 in 1977 to form a new group called Essential Logic
Essential Logic
Essential Logic was a UK post-punk band formed by saxophonist Lora Logic after leaving X-Ray Spex.The band initially consisted of Lora Logic on saxophone and vocals, Phil Legg on guitar and vocals, William Bennett on guitar, Mark Turner on bass guitar, Rich Tea on drums, and Dave Wright on saxophone...
).
Without Styrene, the group lost its momentum and split up. Hurding and Airport went on to form Classix Nouveaux
Classix Nouveaux
Classix Nouveaux were an English 1980s new wave band. They had number one hits in Poland, Portugal, the former Yugoslavia, Israel, Iceland, and other countries...
, while Paul Dean and Rudi Thompson went on to form Agent Orange with Anthony "Tex" Doughty
Anthony Doughty
Anthony Doughty is an English rock musician. He was a member of a number of punk bands in the late 1970s, including Peroxide Romance, X-Ray Spex, The Outpatients and The Moors Murderers. In 1986, he and Dave Parsons joined fellow musicians Wendy James and Nick Sayer to form Transvision Vamp...
, who later become a founding member of Transvision Vamp
Transvision Vamp
Transvision Vamp were a British alternative rock group. Formed in 1986 by Nick Christian Sayer and Wendy James the band enjoyed chart success in the late 1980s...
.
The first incarnation of X-Ray Spex existed from mid-1976 to 1979, during which time they released five singles—"Oh Bondage, Up Yours", "Identity", "The Day the World Turned Day-Glo", "Germ Free Adolescents", and "Highly Inflammable"—and one album, Germ Free Adolescents
Germ Free Adolescents
Germ Free Adolescents is the debut album of English punk rock band X-Ray Spex. It contained the UK hit singles: "The Day The World Turned Day-Glo" , "Identity" and "Germ Free Adolescents" which reached No. 18 in November 1978.The album received wide acclaim upon its release...
. One retrospective review described the singles as “not only riveting examples of high-energy punk, but contained provocative, thoughtful lyrics berating the urban synthetic fashions of the 70s and urging individual expression”.
The same reviewer in The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music sums up the band’s 1970s contribution as “one of the most inventive, original and genuinely exciting groups to emerge during the punk era”.
Reformation
In 1991 X-Ray Spex reformed for a surprise sell-out gig at the Brixton Academy where Poly appeared in a blue foam dress with an army helmet (to her regret). The group reformed again in 1995 with a line-up of Styrene, Dean and Logic to release a new album Conscious Consumer. Although heralded as the first in a trilogy, the album was not a commercial success. Styrene later explained that touring and promotional work suffered an abrupt end when she was run over by a fire engineFire apparatus
A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment...
in central 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...
, suffering a fractured pelvis. The group disbanded, but subsequent releases include a compilation of the group's early records, a live album, and an anthology of all the aforementioned.
Jak Airport later worked for the BBC
BBC
The 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 Corporate and Public Relations department under his real name, Jack Stafford; he died on 13 August 2004 of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
The band played what was described as a raucous comeback gig in front of an audience of 3,000 at The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England, which has been converted into a performing arts and concert venue. It was originally built in 1847 as a roundhouse , a circular building containing a railway turntable, but was only used for railway...
in 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...
on 6 September 2008. They performed Germ Free Adolescents in its entirety, with the exception of "Plastic Bag". A DVD and CD of the Roundhouse performance was released in November 2009 on the Year Zero Label by Future Noise Music.
Poly Styrene died of spinal
Vertebral column
In human anatomy, the vertebral column is a column usually consisting of 24 articulating vertebrae, and 9 fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx. It is situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by intervertebral discs...
and breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
on 25 April 2011.
Albums
- Germ Free AdolescentsGerm Free AdolescentsGerm Free Adolescents is the debut album of English punk rock band X-Ray Spex. It contained the UK hit singles: "The Day The World Turned Day-Glo" , "Identity" and "Germ Free Adolescents" which reached No. 18 in November 1978.The album received wide acclaim upon its release...
(November 1978: EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
International, INT 3023) - # 30 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... - Live At The Roxy (March 1991: Receiver, RRCD 140); live recordingsLive albumA live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
from 1977 - Conscious ConsumerConscious ConsumerConscious Consumer is the second studio album from English punk rock band, X-Ray Spex - the first new material recorded by the band in seventeen years.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Poly Styrene – vocals*Red Spectre – guitar*Lora Logic – saxophone...
(October 1995: Receiver) - Live @ the Roundhouse London 2008 (November 2009: Year Zero, YZCDDVD01); CD and DVD of live recordingsConcertA concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
from September 2008
Singles
- "Oh Bondage Up Yours!Oh Bondage Up Yours!"Oh Bondage Up Yours!" is the debut single by British punk rock band X-Ray Spex. Released in September 1977, it is regarded by critics as a prototypal example of British punk, though it was not a chart hit. A version taped on 2 April 1977 at one of the band's earliest public performances had...
" / "I Am A Cliché" (September 1977: Virgin RecordsVirgin RecordsVirgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
, VS 189); also released as a 12" singleGramophone recordA gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
(VS 189-12) - "The Day The World Turned Day-Glo" / "I Am A Poseur" (March 1978: EMI International, INT 553) - #23 UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
- "Identity" / "Let’s Submerge" (July 1978: EMI International, INT 563) - #24 UK
- "Germ Free Adolescents" / "Age" (October 1978: EMI International, INT 573) - #19 UK
- "Highly Inflammable" / "Warrior In Woolworths" (April 1979: EMI International, INT 583) - #45 UK
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:
- "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" featured on The Roxy London WC2 (24 June 1977: Harvest RecordsHarvest Records-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
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... - "Let's Submerge" featured on the Hope & Anchor Front Row FestivalHope & Anchor Front Row FestivalHope & Anchor Front Row Festival is a hit double-LP of live recordings taken from various bands – mainly Power pop, Pub rock, Punk, and New wave groups - that played the Front Row Festival at Hope and Anchor, Islington between Tuesday 22 November and Thursday 15 December 1977...
(March 1978: Warner BrosWarner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
K66077 - double albumDouble albumA double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
) UK #28
See also
- List of British punk bands
- List of musicians in the first wave of punk music
- List of Peel sessions
- 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...
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
External links
- Poly Styrene Official Site
- Poly Styrene Official Myspace Site
- X-Ray Spex Official Site
- X-Ray Spex on www.punk77.co.uk
- X-Ray Spex on Punkmodpop
- X-Ray Spex profile on PunkRockers.com
- Pictures of Poly Styrene at CBGB's, New York, 1978
- An overview of the band
- Poly Styrene in Britain's National Portrait Gallery
- Poly Styrene Announces New album and Free Download track 'Black Christmas'