Christmas has come a day early to Themes From Great Cities with a batch of re-upped classics.
Before tackling a really great album, I’d like to set out
some pre-history of this obscure Scottish new wave band. So let’s momentarily
plunge back into the old wave of the early-to-mid seventies: flares, 8-track
cartridges, prog rock and bubbleglam. Formed in Glasgow in 1974, after changing
their name from Salvation, Slik (Midge Ure guitar and vocals, Jim McGinlay
bass, Kenny Hyslop drums and Billy McIsaac keyboards) got a contract with
seventies glam rock label Bell records and became involved with expert
songwriters Bill Martin and Phil Coulter, at the time churning out big hits for
the Bay City Rollers. Somewhat embarrassedly decked out in 1950s-style baseball
outfits, Slik’s first single flopped miserably but the second, Forever And
Ever, shot to the top of the British charts in February 1976. Eagerly
anticipating a long and prolific career, the band hastily put out a follow-up,
Requiem, which although just as catchy and theatrical as its predecessor, only
made the top twenty.
In March 1977, Jim McGinlay left and was replaced by
Russell Webb. Bell records became Arista and the next single, The Kid's A Punk,
was not a hit. The song was doubtless intended as a response to the incendiary
impact of the new energy explosion, but the public were unimpressed. In the
midst of much spitting, ripped T-shirts and safety pins, well-groomed pop
combos like Slik appeared decidedly bland. So they changed their name to PVC2
and cut a single for the local Zoom label in Glasgow, but this subterfuge
failed and by late 1977 the group fell apart. Midge Ure later turned up in the
Rich Kids before establishing himself as front man for Ultravox. Meanwhile, his
erstwhile bandmates reinvented themselves as the Zones, adding Alex Harvey’s
cousin, Willie Gardner, (formerly of Hot Valves) on vocals and lead guitar.
Still on the independent Zoom label they issued a single, Stuck With You, which
John Peel played a lot, garnering the attention of – surprise surprise! – their
old major label chums, Arista Records. The band signed on the dotted line and
studio time was booked at the Manor, with producer Tim Friese-Greene in charge
of the sound. The first fruits of this was another 45, Sign Of The Times
(1978), an underrated pop song with raging guitars and passionate vocals which
failed to bother any charts. The Zones album, Under Influence, was finally
issued in the summer of 1979 after two John Peel sessions and some high profile
live appearances.
Edited from a
review by Stuart Jones
Taken most probably from a blog called Under Influence
and presented here in MP3 @ 320kbps
The Zones; Under Influence (Including Bonus Single)
A1. Do
It All Again
A2. Vision
On
A3. Deadly
Dolls
A4. The
End
A5. Mainman
B1. You’re
Not Fooling Me
B2. Anything
Goes
B3. Strength
To Strength
B4. Looking
To The Future
B5. Morning
Star
C1 Sign
Of The Times
D1 New
Life
many thanks
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