features in: Album Chart of 1977 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1970s |

Rock n roller lovers turned punks, London's Vibrators came into this one in good heart, having built great momentum in the new movement since way back in February '76. They had recorded a session for John Peel in October of that year, and were back at the BBC in June '77, just as “Pure Mania” hit the streets. On this, their debut album, they line-up: Ian Carnochan (guitar, keyboards, vocals), John Ellis (guitar, vocals), Pat Collier (bass, vocals) and John Edwards (drums). Two recent singles - “Bad Time” (re-recorded for the album) and “Baby Baby” had kept the scene momentum going, although a chart hit eluded them, a travesty in the case of the super-catchy latter tune. However, the deal with Epic saw them paired with producer Robin Mayhew, who had engineered David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust live show and, from this platform, their entry into the UK Top 50 maybe came as no great surprise. It was just reward for the preceding year-and-a-half live touring in Nowheresville all over Britain and Europe, not to mention all the studio work. There's some decent action on side two with “Whips & Furs”, a titular if not musical tip-of-the-hat to the VU, which writer Carnochan had carried with him from his previous band, Lipstick. The song had appeared as the b-side to their debut single “We Vibrate” back in November, '76. Peter Perrett was surely listening in and taking notes of this new wave sound. One guy who was certainly listening in to “Stiff Little Fingers”, the only tune on the album written by guitarist John Ellis, was Jake Burns over in Belfast. He decided that neither Highway Star or The Fast were punky enough names for his tough brand of punk and his band were duly renamed before the year was out. The rest, as they say, is history…
The Jukebox Rebel
12–Apr–2016
Tracklist |
A1 | [02:17] ![]() |
A2 | [01:17] ![]() |
A3 | [02:37] ![]() |
A4 | [02:55] ![]() |
A5 | [03:40] ![]() |
A6 | [01:50] ![]() |
A7 | [02:23] ![]() |
B1 | [02:06] ![]() |
B2 | [02:30] ![]() |
B3 | [03:30] ![]() |
B4 | [02:11] ![]() |
B5 | [02:16] ![]() |
B6 | [01:29] ![]() |
B7 | [01:42] ![]() |
B8 | [01:57] ![]() |