A little late for the "Pub Rock" scene, and a little old for the Punks, The Stranglers didn't quite fit in with anybody.
They liked it that way and took perverse delight in confusing everybody.
They were arrested at least twice for brawling or inciting a brawl during a show.
They kidnapped a writer.
Then having heard that the BBC was expecting them to trash their dressing room after a Top of the Pops appearence, they showed up with cleaning supplies and tidied up a bit.
The scored 20+ UK top forty singles, maybe 12 or 15 Uk top forty albums, but were never able to rise much above "cult status" in the US.
Having begun their career as an in your face Punk and Roll band, thirty years later The Stranglers have reinvented themselves at least two or three times and can boast a catalogue as rich, powerful and diverse as any of the great bands you might care to name.
This is Jet Black on drums, Dave Greenfield on keyboards, J. J. Burnel on bass and Hugh Cornwell on guitar and vocals.
The Stranglers,
(Get a) Grip (On Yourself)
There is nothing in this life like a great band in a small room, and damn few things as good.
I got to see The Stranglers twice.
My favorite was Toronto.
I went up there by myself because nobody I knew was the least bit interested.
I had found a girl that wanted to dance just before they broke into Down in the Sewer and took a look around the room from the little spot where we were dancing about the time Hugh Cornwell was finishing his vocals.
As an aside, I hesitate to call what it is that Hugh Cornwall does on this song, singing.
You'll see what I mean.
Anyway ..... half the place was "Rat Walking".
All you could see was backs rising and falling with the music.
The other half were just bopping in place, totally mesmerized.
Two, three, maybe four hundred people ....... one groove.
I've been looking around for a nice live vid of Nona Hendryx and Material performing "Bustin Out".
And while I found a pretty good one, I keep coming back to this.
This is Patti Labelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash fronting a band I can't see well enough to identify, performing live on Burt Sugarman's Midnight Special.
The Secretariat post provoked in a small way the too soon to be deemed eternal (even though it will be) argument concerning which "Big Red" was the best, Man O' War or Secretariat.
In 1999 the Associated Press assembled "a six member panel of experts" to vote on the matter.
That panel elected Man O' War "Horse of the Century" and in so doing, settled nothing.
So, I'm sitting here minding my own business yesterday when the phone rings, and Paul T. says, "So, Man O' War or Secretariat?"
"Mary Ann. I say, "Although occasionally, Ginger."
"C'mon." He grinds.
"Ok Ok, Man O' War on the strength of his stride." I offer ..... while ducking.
"No, No, No." he says and as expected, launches into the eight reasons why I'm wrong.
"Enough, I say, gimme the greatest horse race of all time.
Seabiscuit over War Admiral?
Or ..............
Affirmed over Alydar at the Belmont Stakes?
And while we're on the subject of impossible to resolve arguments.
Which was the greatest rivalry,
Affirmed/Alydar, Ali/Frazier, Magic/Bird, or Ginger/Mary Ann?
Nine days after amicably parting company with The Grease Band and only eight days after being informed by his manager that he had been booked for a seven week, 52 show tour, Joe Cocker opened "The Mad Dogs and Englishmen" Tour March 20, 1970 at the Eastown Theater in Detroit, Michigan.
A former friend of mine (Donny W) was there.
40 years later the little creep is still ticking me off about it.
"Remember when your mom wouldn't let you go see Joe Cocker?"
Shut Up Donny!!!
Most likely the single greatest rock and roll carnival ever assembled.
This is Joe Cocker (frightening small children and worrying neurologists everywhere) on vocals, Leon Russell on piano and band leader, Bobby Keyes on saxaphone, Chris Stainton on organ, along with twenty or so others live at the Fillmore East performing Leon Russel's heartfelt tribute to the lovely and talented Rita Coolidge.
This is our first ever endorsement of a commercial product.
We are not being compensated in any way.
This here ......... is the good stuff.
Seriously.
In order to gain some small appreciation for the very fine effect White Dog is likely to produce,
say BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB as loud and emphatically as you possibly can, while shaking your head back and forth as if you were frantically attempting to communicate no.
Smooth!!!!!!
For a slightly more sophisticated analysis, click on the bottle to go to Ben Shipley's fine blog, Everyday Drinking.