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A podcast that takes a look at the development of alternative music in the 80's with a focus on post-punk, electronic, dark wave, goth, synth, industrial, and indie genres. The podcast episodes feature stories, background, and discussions of artists, contributors, music, themes, and events of the early alternative era.
The title of our podcast is based on the alternative song from 1988 by The Church, "Under the Milky Way".
Jeff (00:04)
Music. I'm Jeff and I'm your host for show. Thanks for joining and thanks for listening. The Damned are an English band formed in London in 1976 and are noted for many things over the years. For starters, the first UK punk rock single and the first commercial UK punk rock album.
One of the key pioneering bands in the development of punk rock, and a band that has some very iconic band members. They're also known for the early Gothic rock style and the band.
They are also known as an early Gothic rock band, as by the early 1980s, the band veered into Gothic rock, driven by the distinct baritone vocal delivery and the theatrical, vampire-inspired aesthetic of frontman Dave Vanian. And this all came along with darker, melodic, and atmospheric music landscapes. I know there's a lot of debate about whether it was goth or not.
And I know there are many the damned fans that disagree with the Gothic rock band reference, but the time period for the band clearly contained Gothic rock music and gothic themes during this early 80s time period.
I know there's a lot of debate about whether it was Goth or not, and I know there are many fans of the band that disagree with the Gothic rock reference, but the time period for this band clearly contained Gothic rock music and gothic themes during this early 80s time period. This episode will tell a story of the damned through the Goth years from 1980 to the peak of that period for the band of 1985.
And we'll go over the early years of The Damned in the late 70s when the band started during the UK punk era. At the time in 1980, the band began with a new makeup.
At the time, nineteen eighty
The year nineteen eighty began with the
The year 1980 began with the band makeup of lead vocalist Dave Vanian, guitarist Captain Sensible, drummer Rat Scabies, and bassist Algie, and bassist Algie Ward. However, earlier that year
However, early in that year, Al G. Ward left the band after being fired by Rat Scabies due to a personality clash and his growing interest in a heavier British heavy metal sound, which led him to form the band Tank later that year. And in came Paul Gray, formerly of
When 1980 began, the band makeup was lead vocalist Dave Vania, guitarist Captain Sensible, drummer Rat Scabies, and bassist Algie Ward. However, early that year Algie Ward left after being fired by Rat Scabies due to a personality class cla.
Due to a personality clash and his growing interest in a heavier British heavy metal sound, which led him to form the heavy metal band Tank later that year, and in came Paul Gray, formerly of Eddie and the Hot Rods, to take over on bass. 1980 would see the release of the Black album, a post-punk and proto-goth work that blended punk aggression with haunting neo psychedelion keyboards.
And this would shape the next few years from the band. But before we get into that black album, let's go back a bit to nineteen seventy-six. So lead singer Dave Vanian, ⁓ originally named David Lett, bassist Captain Sensible, which is Raymond Burns,
and Rat Scabies, which is Chris Meller, had been members of the band Masters of the Backside, which also included future Pretenders front woman Chrissy Hine.
Guitarist Brian James, who was Brian Robertson, had been a member of London SS. Scabies knew James through a failed audition as a drummer for London SS, and the two decided to start their own band with James on guitar, Scabies on Drums. They invited Sid Vicious, later of course of the Sex Pistols, and Dave Vanian to audition to be the singer for this band. Only Vanian showed up for this audition, so he ended up getting the part. Sensible.
became the band's bassist after this, and the four called themselves the damned. But think about how music might have changed had Sid Vishus shown up for this. But think about how music might have changed had Sid Vishus so shown up for this audition. And who knows what would have happened as becoming the lead singer The Damned
or what would have happened with Sid Vicious and the Sex Pistols, which may not have happened if that was the case. However, this new band, The Damned, this set things in motion for them becoming one of the classic and iconic bands from this era.
New Rose would be the first single from the band, and the first single from a UK punk band, issued in October nineteen seventy-six, written by Brian James. This high energy and fast-paced song.
This high energy and fast paced song opens with a deadpan spoken word from Dave Vanian saying, Is she really going out with him?
Which they took from the Shangri-La's 1964 song Leader of the Pack. Late in 1976, and by the end of the following January, following a tour with the Sex Pistols, The Heartbreakers, and The Clash, The Damned had gone into the studio to record. The result would be the debut album in February of 77 called Damned.
Damned Damn, produced by Nick Lowe and released on Stiff Records. This is considered the first UK punk album release. The album, which was only about a little over 30 minutes in length, the album was only a little over 30 minutes in length.
It was an amazing debut work, and a large part of that was the songwriting from James, who wrote ten of the songs on this album. The album rose to number 36 on the UK charts. The initial single New Rose was included in on the album. And the second single from the band would be Neat, Neat, Neat, and this was able to chart something New Rose did not do. In 2005, in a Stylus magazine ranking, they took
And ranked this song's bass line from Neat Neat Neat at number 33 on their list of top 50 bass lines of all time. The first pressing of the album used a back cover picture showing Eddie and the Hot Rods instead of The Damned. It was supposed to be a picture of The Damned playing in a club. It was known that this was a marketing stunt from Stiff Records, and it is a rare find if you can come across some of these original albums that had.
Eddie and the Hot Rods on the back. The band toured to promote the album in March and they were opening for T-Rex on what would be the final T-Rex tour before the death of T-Rex singer, guitarist, and writer Mark Bolin. Later that spring, the Dan became the first British punk band to tour the United tour the United States, and they helped inspire what would be known as the first wave West Coast hardcore punk.
due to the very fast tempos the band played.
Later that spring, the Dan became the first British punk band to tour the United States, and they helped inspire what would be known as the first wave West Coast hardcore punk due to the very fast tempos that the band played. Music for Pleasure would be the second album from the alb from
Music for Pleasure was the second album from The Damned, released in November of 77. This one was produced by Nick Mason of Pink Floyd. Originally, the band was looking for Sid Barrett of Pink Floyd to do the album, but they were unable to get that worked out. With Mason, there was a conflict of styles, as reported in the documentary The Damned, Don't You Wish That We Were Dead?
2015, where Mason said that the band was expecting a fast production schedule, knocking out multiple songs on day one, but Mason was nowhere near that pace when recording. The album featured an additional member, Lou Edmonds. He was on rhythm guitar alongside original guitarist Brian James. On the album, the band moved into more complex song structures.
While still maintaining the punk sound of the debut. This would be the last studio album for James, at least for now, as he would leave after this and later form the band The Lords of the New Church. James would come back to The Damned in the late 80s and early 90s. But this was also for The Damned, this was also the final release on Stiff Records.
At the time of its release, Music for Pleasure was not well received by critics. And after this time period for this release, after the album was released, the band briefly separated. The four members went on to do some side projects, perform under some different formations, and do some solo work briefly. Captain Swap
Captain Sensible switched from bass to g to guitar and keyboard. Captain Sensible switched from bass to guitar and keyboards during this time period. And this was partially result of some brief appearances from some other members with Lemmy and the and Motorhead playing bass.
This was partially the result of some brief appearances from some members of
This was partially re the result of some brief appearances and some performances with some other members of and other bands.
This was partially
This was partially the result of some brief appearances from some other people participating with the band, including Lemmy from Motorhead, who played bass on some studio demos, and at a handful of live appearances. By the time the band was back in the studio for album number three, and James was not coming back at this point.
The band added Al G. Ward, formerly of the Saints, who would take the position of bass. Once they reformed, they also began recording the third album in March of 79, Machine Gun Etiquette. The band played their first gig after getting back together in April, and they signed a recording contract with Chiz Chis.
And they signed a recording contract with Chiswick Records. The album was produced by the band, Roger Armstrong and Ed Hollis. The album's music was more than just punk rock and punk rooted music. The album's music was more than just punk rock rooted music at this point. And there was somewhat experimental for the band, influenced by sixties, garage rock.
And other styles, including metal to psychedelic rock to rhythm and blues. The more fast paced punk tracks have been cited as leading to the rise of hardcore punk in the nineteen eighties. Vanian's vocals had now expanded to include a more smooth style of crooning. They released the singles, which charted Love Song and Smash It Up ahead of the album.
The album would get a November 1979 issue, along with the third and final single off the album, I Just Can't Be Happy Today. Love Song was the first top 40 hit from the band released in April of 1979, hitting number 20, and it resulted in the first appearance for The Damned on Top of the Pops.
Smash It Up, ⁓ possible consideration as the band's anthem. This was released in October of 79. The song featured two parts: a melodic instrumental introduction, which was written in respect to Mark Bolan after his death. And then the song goes into a more energetic pop punk type of song. The song's lyrics criticize those who indulge in hippie culture.
Smash It Up was boycotted by BBC Radio One because of its perceived anarchist lyrics, but it still reads number thirty-five on the UK singles chart.
Final single from this, I Just Can't Be Happy Today, was released in November and it peaked at number 46 on the UK singles chart. The single version of this was edited for radio, removing the spoken word monologue that appears on the album version. The B side of this single included a cover of Sweet's Ballroom Blitz, and that was recorded with Lemmy on bass. The Damned would play this song alongside Smash It Up on BBC Two television show.
The Old Gray Whistle Test in 1979, where they infamously trashed the stage towards the end of the song.
The song features two parts, a melodic instrumental introduction, written in homage to Mark Bolan after his death, before going into a more energetic pop punk type of song.
The album was partially recorded at the same time as London's at Lum was partially recorded at the same time at London's Wessex Studios as the Clash were there to record London Calling. Joe Strummer and Mick Jones made an uncredited vocal appearance on the title track Machine Gun Etiquette.
The album features multiple guests besides the clash members and besides Lemmy. The album also features sometime Pink Floyd lyricist Anthony Moore and Synthesizer. And the voice at the album's start is at Jacter Acker.
And the voice at the album start is actor Jack Ho Jack Ho.
And the voice at the album's start is actor Jack Howarth, taken from the nineteen seventy-one album Owdo. Taken from the nineteen seventy-one album from him called How Do.
The album received largely positive reviews. Allmusic's retrospective review said Machine Gun Etiquette was deservedly hailed as another classic from the band. Scott Rowley of Classic Rock, in his review of the twenty fifth edition, anniversary edition of the album,
Defined it as a riotous, ballsy rush of an album, the sound of a band coming into its own. The fast-driven punk rock has been cited for influencing shaping the emergence of hardcore punk in the 70s and early 80s in the UK and in the United States. The album would reach number 31 on the UK album chart and four on the UK Indie chart.
Now this gets us up to 1980. Al G. Ward left the band in 80 to be replaced by Paul Gray, as we mentioned. And this new makeup of the band now was David Vanian.
And under this new makeup of the band, they would start by recording in April a cover version of Grace Slick's 1966 pinned White Rabbit. They did this in April of 1980 at Wessex Studios in London. And this was out in June as a single in Germany and France. And later we get a UK release in 1983. With this new makeup of the band heading into the 1980s.
Now, with Paul Gray in the fold, the band would go into the studio for their first album with him, and this would be in May of 1980. They would go to Rockford Studios in Wales. The black album would be recorded and released in November 1980. It was produced by the band under the name of King of Reverb, except for one track that was produced by Hans Zimmer. The album was a double album with three sides of double album.
This was a double album with three sides of the double album consisting of studio tracks, including a theatrical 17-minute song, Curtain Call, which took all of side three. And then side four featured a selection of live tracks recorded at Sheppard and Studios from a special concert for the damned fan club members, and this is what made up side four. A full version of this performance, this live performance.
Performance would later be released as Live Shepherd in nineteen eighty, and this black album.
This would be the last album for Chiswick. The album peaked at number 29 on the UK album chart and 13 on the UK Indie charts, which for the black album that made it the highest charting album from the band at that time. The black album represented a change in the career of the group with an expansion.
Black album represented a change in the career of the group and an expansion of their sound with psychedelic elements. All music critic Ned Raggett noted some of the numbers.
Some of the numbers show the band following their original punk vein, but by this point the four were leaving straight three chord thrash. But by this point, the four were leaving straight three chord thrash.
To the cul-de-sac revivalists. And he also said this was a chance for the band to try everything from straightforward rock to gentler atmospherics. Captain Sensible later said that the Dave Vanian vocals here were moving in a darker direction, and he stated, It is got. We didn't set out to do it, but that is just the way it is. We have a hear.
Captain Sensible later said that Dave Vanian's vocals on this were moving to a darker direction, and Andy said.
And Captain Sensible said, It is Goth. We didn't set out to do that, but that is just the way it is. And speaking about Dave Vanian, he said he did have a hearse, he was a gravedigger. And Vanian, Vanian had changed his name from Let to Vanian as his last name. In an early life after a stint.
So yeah, Vanian did change his name from Let to Vanian. and this was after an early life stint.
So yeah, Vanian, his original name was Let, and after some early life experiences as a stint as a gravedigger, changed his last name to Vanian, with Vanian being a play on Transylvanian. Raggett described the song off this album, Wait for the Blackout, as a dramatic psychpunk surge with overtly serious goth affection.
The lyrics for the song Wait for the Blackout describe staying indoors with curtains drawn and waiting for nightfall or a blackout to escape the harshness and fear of the daylight. The track reflects the band's musical shift toward darker, moodier gothic rock and post-punk tones. And this was all driven by Dave Vinian's deep vocals and macabre energy.
And this was all driven by Dave Vanian's deep vocals, the macabre inner imagery.
And this was all driven by Dave Vaney and deep vocals, the macabre imagery, and the painting of a gothic atmosphere. Wait for the Blackout would be released in May of 1982 and hit number three on the UK indie chart. Some other songs from this album that kind of fit the gothic theme. The song The 13th Floor Vendetta paid tribute to the film The Abominable.
The Abominable Doctor Phoebes from 1971, opening with the lyrics The organ plays to midnight on Maldine Square tonight.
The song 13th Floor of Vendetta pays tribute to the film The Abominable Dr. Phoebes from 1971. This song with lyrics of vengeance is a tribute to horror cinema. The atmospheric organ melodies and moody structure helped push the damned away from the straight punk rock into this foundational era of goth subculture. Another song from this album, Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was released in the U.S. only, and this came out in February of 81. The lyrics in this lean into Gothic imagery, embracing sin, nightlife, and a split personality. As one of the first Gothic rock bands, Dave Vanian's bare-toned singing, dark lyrics, and vampire-themed aesthetic.
For the Damned as one of the first Gothic rock bands in this time period. Dave Vane
For the damned as one of the first Gothic rock bands, Dave Vanian's bare tone singing, dark lyrics, and vampire-themed appearance and clothing were a major influence on Goth subculture. Vanian has a love for Gothic fiction and German expressionism, and is known to be one of the first Goth and Gothic influencers himself.
As an influencer to this subculture, Vanian has a love for Gothic fiction and German expressionism. By the way, one time here at the British Music comment in one of the British music magazines, an NME, it stated one time that Vanian resembles a runaway from the Adams family. Hans Zimmer, which we mentioned, the award winning Grammys, Academy Awards, German film score.
composer and music producer contributed to this album. Zimmer co-produced the single, History of the World Part One, when it was released in
Zimmer co-produced a single, History of the World Part One. And when that was released, the liner notes in that carried the infamous line on his efforts as overproduced by Han Zimmer. The track used more synth than you would normally hear from any of the dam's music. The record was released in both 7-inch and 12-inch formats, reaching number 51 on the UK singles chart and 36 on the indie chart. Writing in Ohio
For this song, writing in Smash It's magazine, reviewer David Hepworth wrote, the dam seem to be making overtures to the mainstream, knocking t timidly on the door of daytime radio and asking to be let in. With keyboards to the fore instead of the usual guitars, this is not unlike a kind of half-baked effort you'd expect from Supertramp if they were trying to grab a new bit.
They were trying to grab a bit of new wave credibility. Zimmer also played on the album, Synthesizer on two songs, and included a trumpet on two songs. Another single from this album was Lively Arts, a song about. Another single from this song from this album
Another single was Lively Arts, a song about alienation, working class frustration, and rejecting societal expectations. This came out in October of 82 and made number five on the UK Indie Chart. In a retrospective review for All Music, Ed Ned Raggett called the album hit or miss, but added tracks of note are still thick on the ground, and that it's still a surprisingly good blast, a tour de force, a Vanium, particularly.
A tour de force for Vanian, particularly. Stuart Vog Vogtel
Stuart Voitlin of Stylus magazine praised the album, saying it was truly a tale of four sides. This mildly schizophrenic record oscillates between a single side of neon less than.
Between a single side of neon, less than zero pop, and three side slabs of punk songs.
This mildly schizophrenic record oscillates between a single sight of neoned, less than zero pop, and three slabs of punk songs. Ian Fortnum of Louder in a review said it still stands as the damn psychedelic goth punk Magnum opus. He said, sounding for all the world like the best album the late 60s, Who Never Made.
And said, sounding all the world like the best album the late sixties Who never made, with ex Hot Rods bassists channeling his inner ur instrument.
Wait for the blackout, thirteenth floor vendetta. Sounding all Andy said, sounding for all the world like the best album the late 60s Who never made. Wait for the Blackout, Thirteenth Floor Vendetta, and the sidelong curtain call are all well worth the hefty price of admission alone. The twenty-eight date
Black album UK Tour began in November of 1980 and reformed with 70s street punk band The Straps as support.
The 28-date black album UK Tour began in November of 1980 with reformed 70s street punk band The Straps as the support band.
There Ain't No Sanity Clause was a single from the Dam released November 24th, 1980, produced with Hugh Jones, who we've mentioned a lot lately in some of our podcasts. The song was a tongue-in-cheek rock song released with an eye on the lucrative UK Christmas singles market, but it actually failed the chart.
The single was the last new material to be released from the band on Chis Chiswick Records. The single was the last new material to be released from the band on Chiswick Records. However, Chiswick would continue to reissue singles from the dam called from their existing material.
However, Chiswick would continue to reissue singles from the damned over the next couple of years.
However, Chiswick would continue to reissue singles from the Damned for a while after this. The title and the chorus of that song
The title and the course of the song were derived from a scene in the Marx Brothers 1935 movie, A Night at the Opera, in which Groucho Marks attempts to explain the intricacies of a business contractor Chico Marks. When Groucho me mentions the sanity clause, Chico responds, You can't fool me. There ain't no sanity clause. That's where that comes from.
In October of 1981, the band released Friday the 13th EP, which was a four-track EP. It was a one-off deal with memes or any mass.
In October of nineteen eighty-one, the band released Friday the thirteenth, an EP. It was a four-track EP. It was a one-off deal with the NM NEMS record label. It was released in November.
November thirteenth, nineteen eighty-one, which fell on a Friday, the band released the EP Friday the thirteenth. It was a four-track EP, and it was a one-off deal with the record label NEMS. The EP was released in the UK and in Sweden on seven inch and also in Germany at twelve inch.
And at that time, EPs were still eligible for the singles chart, and it reached number 50 on the singles chart. The lead track on this was Disco Man, and it was featured on many compilations, becoming a live favorite from the band as well. Two of the other three songs on this, Billy Bad Breaks and Limit Club, were composed by the band. The final track was a cover version of the Rolling Stone song Citadel.
Limit Club was a tribute to the Malcolm Owen of the Ruts. Limit Club was a tribute song to the late Malcolm Owen of the Ruts. The lyrics on this reflect on friendship, life, mortality, and living passionately in the present.