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 Blog For Free! Archives Home 2005 June My Links The Knack and The Records Paul Collins Beat and The Knack on tour 1979 The Knack and John Wicks and The Records 2005 tBlog My Profile Send tMail My tFriends My Images Sponsored Blog The Knack John Wicks and The Records official site The Records homepage 1979-2005 official fan site The Records Starring John Wicks Jude Cole Phil Brown Will Birch Huw Gower Dave Whelan Chris Gent and Ian Gibbons from The Kinks The Records Teenarama The Records Starry Eyes The Records Hearts In Her Eyes The Records Crashes The Records Music On Both Sides The Records Shades In Bed John Wicks and The Records Rock 'Ola John Wicks and The Records Yellow Pills The Records power pop UK supergroup have reformed. John Wicks and The Records are recording a new album called "Rotate" will be in stores shortly. "Rotate" will be The Records compact disc for 2005. The Records Official Merchandise The Records official tour dates The Records world tour 2005 The Records rare interviews The Records archives The Records poster John Wicks and The Records live dvd John Wicks and The Records Live In Spain DVD John Wicks and The Records are interviewed on new fleetwood Mac dvd John Wicks and The Records appear on Tsunami Disaster Relief Fund Cd entitled Of Hands and Hearts Music for the tsunami disaster relief fund cd John Wicks and The Records Crashes Cd now available John Wicks and The Records Shades In Bed cd now available John Wicks and The Records toured with The Jam 1979 The Records popmeister Television Generation The Records popsicle records Live at The Rodeo John Wicks and The Records with Al Stewart year of the cat The Records with Ian Gibbons The Kinks JOHN WICKS AND THE RECORDS PLAY GIBSON GUITARS, FENDER BASS GUITARS, DEAN MARKLEY STRINGS, LUDWIG DRUMS AND REMO HEADS, FENDER AMPLIFIERSThe Records 1978-1979John Wicks (guitar/vocals) Huw Gower (guitar/vocals) Phil Brown (bass/vocals) Will Birch (drums) The Records John Wicks and The Records The Records Starry Eyes The Records Teenarama The Records Hearts in Her eyes The Records Crashes The Records Shades In Bed The Records Music On Both Sides The Records Huw Gower The Records John Wicks The Records Jude Cole The Records Will Birch The Records paying for the summer of love The Records A sunny afternoon in waterloo The Records live at the rodeo The Records Television Generation The Records Kursaal Flyers Fans of Kursaal Flyers, The Records and John Wicks and The Records have spoken: John Wicks and The Records recently finished a tour with Paul Collins' Beat. Here is what the fans had to say about this exciting string of worldwide tour dates: Amigos-The Records are still around but now called John Wicks and The Records. They still play the hits like Starry Eyes, Teenarama and Girl, but they have some new songs that rock too. Mix of 70s rock, roots rock, power pop and Paul McCartney. Jude Cole was also in this band on the album Crashes, where he sang and played guitar for them. He was the only American in the band of course since The Records were English/British. Shades In bed (Virgin Records) came out in what 2002 or 2003 on cd? The 2nd album Crashes (Virgin Records) has just been remastered and released on cd with bonus tracks and is sold everywhere in the world. It sounds better than the crusty old vinyl I've got but I've got all their material already anyways. Music On Both Sides was the 3rd album by The Records released in 1982(Virgin Records) Calvin Previous reviewer: The Records are one of the all-time greatest bands. They toured with the likes of The Cars, The Jam with Paul Weller, The Police, Robert Palmer and Joe Jackson. The Kursaals formed in 1977 and reformed later, with John Wicks and Will Birch from The Records. As the Kursaals, they later disbanded. The final result was an all-star UK band known as The Records, containing John Wicks as lead singer/writer and rythm guitarist. Will Birch played the drums and co-wrote some of the songs with John Wicks. In 1979, The Records played numerous stadiums and club venues in support for Shades In bed, which was entitled The Records in the United States and contained alternate artwork. In 1980, The Records continued to please fans with their extraordinary rock and roll, while maintaining their trendy sensibility. Though he is now a full-scale producer and singer/songwriter, Jude Cole was vocalist and guitarist in The Records until 1980, when they quickly returned to the UK. Jude Cole moved to Los Angeles, where he expanded his career, playing bass for a rock legend and the man who brought us "Runaway," Del Shannon. In the coming years, Jude Cole would begin his solo career, recording numerous hit albums, with radio singles and videos on mtv. Hearts in her eyes was recorded by the Searchers and more recently by Mary Chapin Carpenter, an acclaimed singer/songwriter. The Records had singles that charted above Cheap Trick and Neil Young. The Records contained members of The Kursaal Flyers and formed in 1978 and disbanded in 1982. Today, The Records are known as John Wicks and the Records and they sound just as they did 25 years ago. The Records have an official site www.therecords.org and I went to www.johnwicksandtherecords.com and listened to some of the new recordings from John Wicks and The Records, which sound great! The site has an excellent 3-part biographical section, along with a complete discography, tour dates, a discussion forum and an archive. While The first album, Shades In Bed features John Wicks, Huw Gower, Will Birch and Phil Brown, the second album, Crashes features John Wicks, Jude Cole, Will Birch and Phil Brown. Shades In Bed features the hits Starry Eyes, Teenarama, Rock and roll Love Letter and See My friends a popular cover of the classic song "See My friends," by The Kinks. The Records Shades in bed album was produced by John Mutt Lange who went on to produce AC/DC Highway to Hell, Def Leppard and currently producing his wife the country rock and pop crossover Shania Twain. Crashes is the current cd re-issue, which included the hit "Hearts in Her eyes." The disc features Jude Cole on vocals and guitar. Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses is a greatest hits compilation, which serves as a great introductory for newer fans. Paying for the summer of love contains rare songs and tracks that have never been released on cd until now. John Wicks and The Records have recorded several albums, including Rock Ola and their newest album, entitled Rotate. Rock Ola is a stripped-down rock and roll album with songs of the same quality as the classic Records material. Rotate explores the different aspects of songwriting, while maintaining the quality and craftsmanship of the past recordings. Some say The Records were and still are punk, power pop, new wave, other say rock and roll. The truth is that The Records fall under no true classification. Long live The Records, as they continue to rock the world! You can buy their stuff in most stores and on mp3.com and listen to samples on their websites. Hello Everyone, I just saw that you mentioned The Records. I saw The Records twice many years ago. One of the times, they were on tour with Joe Jackson. A while back, I discovered that The Records are still performing, writing and recording. They are now called John Wicks and The Records to showcase the songwriting talents of John Wicks and to gratify his ego. John Wicks and The Records had three hits that I remember, one was "Starry Eyes," one was "Teenarama" and the other was "Hearts In Her Eyes." In fact, Jude Cole sang and played guitar on the song "Hearts In Her Eyes," a song that was later recorded by songwriter, Mary Chapin Carpenter. Too Much Joy also recorded one of The Records' songs, which I believe was also "Hearts In Her Eyes." Apparently, John Wicks and The Records re-formed in the 1990s for a cd tribute to Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys. Their version of "Darlin'" was well-received and John Wicks and The Records soon began touring and recorded a new album called "Rock 'Ola" on Rock Indiana Records. I don't know what the future of John Wicks and The Records will be, but on their official website http://www.johnwicksandtherecords.com they are selling their new album, entitled "Rotate." If you want, you should still be able to hear the clips of those new songs at: http://www.johnwicksandtherecords.com/mp3s.htm Also, their site says that John Wicks and The Records have contributed a song to the Of Hands and Hearts Music For Tsunami Disaster Relief Fund cd compilation, which I recently ordered. I'm glad to hear that some bands such as John Wicks and The Records are taking a stand and helping those in need. Not only do John Wicks and The Records make incredibly great music, they are also considerate and aware of the world on a global level. It makes more sense to help people, instead of preaching politics to them. TRACK LISTING Teenarama - Up All Night - Wives And Mothers Of Tomorrow - Girls That Don't Exist - Held Up High - Coin Machine - Starry Eyes - All Messed Up And Ready To Go - Insomnia - Affection Rejected - The Phone - Hearts In Her Eyes - Coca Cola Jingle - If I Write Your Number In My Book In July 1977 John Wicks joined the Kursaals (formerly known as the Kursaal Flyers) but three months later the band were no more. John subsequently joined fellow Kursaal, lyricist and drummer Will Birch, and formed The Records together with Phil Brown and Huw Gower. The tracks released on 'Paying For The Summer Of Love' are the original recordings of the songs which eventually gained the band a record deal with Virgin. They display, however, a raw energy and ragged charm missing from later re-workings for that label. Perhaps best described a post-punk power pop, The Records achieved a US breakthrough hit with 'Starry Eyes'. 'Paying For The Summer Of Love' is pure pop nirvana drawing together a solid treasure trove of album tracks that should have been hits. The 20 page informative full colour booklet includes rare band photos and liner notes from John Wicks and details about all the tracks. track listing track# song name track time 1 All Messed Up and Ready to Go 2 Teenarama 3 Girls That Don't Exist 4 Starry Eyes 5 Up All Night 6 Girl 7 Insomnia 8 Affection Rejected 9 Phone 10 Another Star album reviews The band's first U.K. LP is a pure pop masterpiece featuring the near-perfect singles "Starry Eyes" and "Teenarama." The album was retitled The Records and released in a modified form in America. The first pressings came with a bonus 12" entitled High Heels, which featured a collection of four covers. ~ Chris Woodstra, All Music Guide album credits Richard Manwaring Engineer Bill Price Engineer John Wicks Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals Phil Brown Vocals, Bass, Guitar John Wicks Guitar Dave Bellotti Engineer Will Birch Drums, Vocals, Producer Tim Friese-Greene Producer Ian Gibbons Keyboards Huw Gower Vocals, Guitar Robert John "Mutt" Lange Producer The Records Main Performer track listing track# song name track time 1 Rumor Sets the Woods Alight 2 Hearts in Her Eyes 3 I Don't Remember Your Name 4 Man With a Girl Proof Heart 5 Same Mistakes 6 Girl in Golden Disc 7 Spent a Week With You Last Night 8 Hearts Will Be Broken 9 Worriers 10 Guitars in the Sky album reviews The Records' second American album is just as tuneful and nearly as catchy as its predecessor, though none of the songs have the punch of "Starry Eyes." "Girl in the Golden Disc" and "Hearts Will Be Broken" are the highlights. Unfortunately, the band's take on the brilliant "Hearts in Her Eyes" (a song written by Will Birch and John Wicks and covered more successfully by the reunited Searchers the previous year) is slightly lackluster and somewhat of a letdown. ~ Chris Woodstra, All Music Guide album credits Barry Martin Guitar Chris Stein ? John Wicks Vocals, Guitar Phil Brown Vocals, Bass Will Birch Drums Dave "Clem" Clempson Guitar Chris Gent Saxophone, Vocals Ian Gibbons Keyboards Jude Cole Bass, Guitar The Records Main Performer The band was formed around 1977, when pub rockers Kursaal Flyers broke up. The drummer from the band, Will Birch, and vocalist/guitarist John Wicks, who had joined the Kursaals in the last stages, began writing together, inspired by the pure-pop tradition of the Raspberries, Badfinger and Big Star. By 1978, they had completed the group by adding bassist Phil Brown and guitarist Huw Gower. After a series of live gigs, they released their debut, "Starry Eyes," on the independent Record Company label in November the same year. They received some valuable early exposure on the Stiff label's "Be Stiff" tour which, lead to their signing with Virgin Records. Wicks and Birch continued to churn out should-have-been-hit pop classics over the next three years and three albums - 1979's Shades in Bed (released in a slightly modified form as The Records in the U.S.), 1980's Crashes (which found Jude Cole replacing Gower) and 1982's Music on Both Sides (which replaced Cole with Dave Whelan and added another vocalist, Chris Gent). The Records [+] are probably best remembered for their cult classic and minor hit, "Starry Eyes" -- a near-perfect song that defined British power pop in the '70s. And while they never quite matched the success of that record, their high-quality output from 1979 to 1982 has not only held up better than most of the era with its timeless appeal, but has also served as a blueprint for the various waves of British and American power-pop since then. Some have gone as far as to call them the "British Big Star," which is probably a fair comparison -- within their genre, they're seen as giants, yet the general public has missed them for the most part. The band was formed around 1977, when pub rockers Kursaal Flyers [+] broke up. The drummer from the band, Will Birch [+], and vocalist/guitarist John Wicks [+], who had joined the Kursaals in the last stages, began writing together, inspired by the pure-pop tradition of the Raspberries [+], Badfinger [+] and Big Star [+]. By 1978, they had completed the group by adding bassist Phil Brown [+] and guitarist Huw Gower [+]. After a series of live gigs, they released their debut, "Starry Eyes," on the independent Record Company label in November the same year. They received some valuable early exposure on the Stiff label's "Be Stiff" tour which led to their signing with Virgin Records. Wicks and Birch continued to churn out should-have-been-hit pop classics over the next three years and three albums -- 1979's Shades in Bed [+] (released in a slightly modified form as The Records in the U.S.), 1980's Crashes [+] (which found Jude Cole [+] replacing Gower) and 1982's Music on Both Sides [+] (which replaced Cole with Dave Whelan [+] and added another vocalist, Chris Gent [+]). Aside from a minor hit with "Starry Eyes" in the U.S., their efforts were criminally unrewarded. The band broke up in 1982, though they reformed temporarily in 1990 to contribute a track to a Brian Wilson [+] tribute album. Birch went on to become a notable music critic and historian; he also compiled several compact disc reissues, including Naughty Rhythms: The Best of Pub Rock [+]. Wicks began a solo career in the mid-'90s, appearing on the Yellow Pills, Vol. 3 collection with a song co-written with Birch, "Her Stars Are My Stars" -- a pop gem that picks up right where they left off. "Starry Eyes" continues to be a cult pop classic -- still heavily requested on alternative radio retro shows. The Records have since reformed and continue to please fans young and old with their energetic live shows. JOHN WICKS (THE RECORDS): La melodía llevada hacia el cielo. Recuperamos una de las viejas entrevistas que teníamos en el baúl de los recuerdos (sin publicar por diversos motivos) con John Wicks, cantante, guitarra y compositor de The Records, legendaria formación que nacida en 1978, que a finales de los 70´s y primeros 80´s consiguió facturar algunos de los mejores temas de la nueva ola británica. MORE... Hace tres años Rock Indiana tuvo el privilegio de editar “Rock´Ola” un gran disco de diez fantásticos cortes en los que The Records demostraron seguir en la brecha con mucha clase y honestidad. The Profe y John Wicks se ponen cara a cara para hablar de lo que mejor saben hacer: música. (Pepe I Wanna). ¿Qué fue de John Wicks desde que The Records sacaron su último álbum en 1982 hasta la fecha de hoy?. Teníamos apalabrado el editar un disco más con Virgin pero tuvimos problemas legales, discusiones entre nosotros... lo que solía pasar en muchos grupos de aquella época. Las bandas por aquel entonces teníamos unos managers que eran unos buitres y con la mayoría de las discográficas pasaba lo mismo, entonces nos cansamos un poco del tema, de grabar discos... Siempre que recordamos a un grupo nos acordamos de una canción ¿Decir The Records es decir “Starry eyes”?. Es la canción que identifica un poco el sonido de la banda, además es nuestra canción más conocida, tiene un cierto regusto a los Byrds porque yo aprendí a tocar la guitarra escuchando esas canciones, que mejor homenaje que tocar ese tipo de canciones. Si, se podría identificar a The Records con el tema “Starry Eyes”. ¿Cómo fue que haciendo la música que hacíais no fichasteis por Steef Records y si por Virgin?. Estábamos en la famosa gira de Steef Records con Elvis Costello, compartíamos manager con más bandas pero no queríamos reducirnos a simplemente tocar 20 minutos, podíamos dar mucho más. Nos hizo una oferta Virgin y creímos que sería mucho mejor para nosotros ya que tendríamos mucha más promoción al ser un sello discográfico mucho más potente, nosotros no nos considerábamos un grupo segundón (como luego la historia ha demostrado). ¿The Records sigue siendo la melodía con potencia?. Con nuestras canciones puedes silbar. Una canción que no tenga melodía no me interesa, me gusta que las guitarras te golpeen el pecho cuando están sonando pero también me gusta que puedas silbar la melodía, que cuando este sonando se te quede en el cerebro. Eso es el Pop. ¿Qué te pareció ese tributo a The Records que edito en España Sonic Recordings?. Estuve viviendo algún tiempo en Mallorca cuando fui más joven y me sorprendió bastante y fue todo un honor. En nuestra época nadie nos hacía caso y es muy agradable el que años más tarde se haga un tributo en España por bandas españolas que todas son fans de The Records, me supone un orgullo inmenso. Me gusta mucho España, es muy familiar para mí. ¿Te das cuenta de todo lo que significaron The Records en las nuevas bandas que salieron por USA y Europa?. ¿Es tarde el reconocimiento a The Records?. ¿Contabas con este reconocimiento por parte de las bandas de Power- Pop?. Es una sensación muy extraña, yo siempre supe que tenía talento para hacer buenas canciones pero te sientes muy mal cuando las estas haciendo y que nadie te hace caso, por eso es muy extraño que unos años más tarde todo eso resulte una gran influencia para un buen montón de bandas, es algo muy extraño y placentero a la vez. ¿Qué es de Will Birch? (batería y letrista original de The Records). Creo que lo vimos en un tema de uno de los recopilatorios del Yellow Pills. ¿Sigue en la actividad musical o está ya retirado?. Está un poco retirado del negocio musical aunque sigue escribiendo letras de vez en cuando para algunas bandas y escribe en alguna que otra revista inglesa. Está casado, tiene hijos... ya no está tan metido como yo. Seguimos en contacto y somos grandes amigos. Muchísimas gracias John. Muchas gracias a ti. John Wicks ( of The Records ): We both had an affinity for stuff by Badfinger and The Raspberries. Rotate (2CD) John Wicks and The Records New Kool Kat release! Due late April/early May! Accepting orders now! John's long overdue new release promises to be a killer! Comes autographed by John and with a bonus disc featuring 5 exclusive, previously live/studio tracks! AUTOGRAPHED + BONUS DISC ONLY AVAILABLE FROM KOOL KAT! Rotate John Wicks and The Records New Kool Kat release! Due late April/early May! Accepting orders now! John's long overdue new release promises to be a killer! This is the single disc version. The Records are now John Wicks and The Records Shades in Bed (Virgin) 1979 The Records (Virgin) 1979 Crashes (Virgin) 1980 Music on Both Sides (Virgin Int'l) 1982 A Sunny Afternoon in Waterloo (Waterfront) 1988 Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses (Virgin) 1988 Paying for the Summer of Love (Skyclad) 1990 HUW GOWER Guitarophilia EP (X-Disque) 1984 JUDE COLE Jude Cole (Warner Bros.) 1987 A View from 3rd Street (Reprise) 1990 Like the Motors, the Records were reborn pub-rockers, who made a giant leap into the present by leaving their history behind and starting afresh with finely honed pop craftsmanship and the full-scale record company support they had never previously enjoyed. While the Motors went for grandiose production numbers, the Records — led by ex-Kursaal Flyer drummer/songwriter Will Birch — made sharp, tuneful confections that offered maximum hooks-per- groove in a classic Anglo-pop style not unlike the Hollies, with similarly brilliant harmonies and ringing guitars. Shades in Bed (resequenced, retitled The Records and dressed in a completely different cover for America) is a wonderful LP, featuring song after song of pure pop with clever lyrics and winning melodies. Almost every track could have been a single; "Starry Eyes" and "Teenarama" were actually released, which left "Girls That Don't Exist," "Affection Rejected" and "Girl" as untested chart material. The English album included a bonus 12-inch, High Heels (an untitled 7-inch in the US), of the Records doing four classic tracks, including the Kinks' "See My Friends" and Spirit's "1984." Crashes, produced mainly by Craig Leon, showcased a revised lineup. (Although American Jude Cole took over Huw Gower's guitar slot in time for the album cover and credits, the extent of his role on the LP is unclear. Barry Martin, who was in the Kursaal Flyers and later in the Hamsters, was subsequently acknowledged as having played guitar on it.) Nothing here can match the first LP's charm except for two tracks produced by Mick Glossop — "Man with a Girl Proof Heart," written while Birch was still in the Kursaals, and "Hearts in Her Eyes," done better by the Searchers later that year. At best a weak rehash of the first LP, Crashes is passable, but hardly a great follow-up. After a two-year recording gap, Music on Both Sides introduced a new five-piece lineup, with guitarist Dave Whelan and singer Chris Gent joining the surviving core of Birch, bassist Phil Brown and guitarist John Wicks. Birch produced this muddled but generally pleasant album, which sounds like Rubber Soul with a crappy rock singer. Not a great parting shot, although less annoyingly precious than their early work. Two years after leaving the Records, Gower resurfaced a continent away in David Johansen's band. His subsequent solo EP is pretty much in the Records' vein: well-crafted, unprepossessing rock-pop, but without their often-cloying preciousness. An earnest enough performer, the left-handed guitarist is a limited songwriter and not much of a singer; the EP's best track is a fascinating cover of Graeme Douglas' brilliant "Do Anything You Wanna Do," originally recorded by Eddie and the Hot Rods. (Illinois guitarist/singer Cole has also pursued a solo career; his albums of slickly commercial heartland rock display no vestiges of the Records' joyful power pop.) Unexpectedly, the late '80s saw a sudden resurgence of Records records. (The original group even got back together long enough to cut a version of Brian Wilson's "Darlin," for 1990's Smiles, Vibes, & Harmony tribute record.) A Sunny Afternoon in Waterloo — the fruits of a one-day '78 songwriting demo session — finds the Records playing simple, hard-driving Rockpilish rock'n'roll, reportedly in the hopes of selling some songs Birch had written with Dr. Feelgood, then enjoying large UK success, in mind. Although the effort was commercially unsuccessful, the loss was all Dr. F's, as the music is brilliant, a taut mixture of strong melodies and amusing lyrics about loving, drinking and driving. Another set of demos — recorded during '78 as preparation for the Records' first album — comprise the bulk of the white-vinyl Paying for the Summer of Love. All but two of Shades in Bed's songs appear in raw — but perfectly presentable, and not drastically different — form here, alongside self- produced renditions of other early tracks ("Hearts in Her Eyes," B-sides like "Wives and Mothers of Tomorrow" and "Held Up High," and "If I Write Your Number in My Book," written for — but unrecorded by — Rachel Sweet). A delightful companion piece. Although by no means definitive, Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses is a carefully annotated 20-song compilation containing about half each of the first two albums, a modest three-song reminder of the third, a couple of B-sides ("Held Up High" and "Paint Her Face") and previously unreleased outtakes of "I Don't Remember Your Name" and "The Same Mistakes" (two songs that appear on Crashes). In a case of rarer isn't necessarily better, the CD ends with a previously unreleased Mick Glossop-produced version of "Rock and Roll Love Letter" that isn't nearly as good as the band's 1979 single of the song. [Ira Robbins] That Was Then: This is now: Rolling Stone: "Beatles harmonies and Byrds-like guitar work dominate..." Trouser Press: "Finely honed pop craftsmanship... sharp tuneful confections that offer maximum hooks-per-groove... classic Anglo-pop with brilliant harmonies and ringing guitars...almost every track could have been a single..." All Music Guide: "Some have gone as far as to call them the British Big Star, which is probably a fair comparison... within their genre, they're seen as giants." The Rawk: "Why these songs didn't change the way of life is beyond understanding... Somebody ple CD reissue of 1979 Power Pop classic!Shades In Bed aka The Recordsplus 10 bonus tracksOn The Beach Recordings Catalogue no. FOAMCD5 1. Girl 4.10 2. Teenarama 4.01 3. Girls That Don’t Exist 3.40 4. Starry Eyes 4.35 5. Up All Night 4.38 6. All Messed Up And Ready To Go 3.46 7. Insomnia 3.02 8. Affection Rejected 3.51 9. The Phone 3.21 10. Another Star 4.36 11. Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her?) 2.44 12. See My Friends 3.46 13. 1984 3.32 14. Have You Seen Your Mother Baby 2.55 15. Starry Eyes (45 version) 4.23 16. Paint Her Face 3.08 17. Rock’n’Roll Love Letter 3.51 18. Wives And Mothers Of Tomorrow 4.15 19. Held Up High 3.33 20. Teenarama (Remix) 3.59 CD reissue of 1980 Power Pop classic!Release date: 8 November 2004 Crashesplus 6 bonus tracksOn The Beach Recordings Catalogue no. FOAMCD7 1. Hearts In Her Eyes 2. Girl In Golden Disc 3. Rumour Sets The Woods Alight 4. I Don't Remember Your Name 5. The Same Mistakes 6. Man With A Girlproof Heart 7. Hearts Will Be Broken 8. Spent A Week With You Last Night 9. The Worriers 10. Guitars In The Sky 11. Injury Time 12. Vamp* 13. So Sorry 14. Faces At The Window* 15. The Same Mistakes (1979)* 16. Man With A Girlproof Heart (1979)* *previously unreleased Shades In Bed aka The RecordsOn The Beach Recordings Catalogue no. FOAMCD5Barcode No. 506000632 019 4 CrashesOn The Beach Recordings Catalogue no. FOAMCD7Barcode No. 827565 008 22 3 Distribution: United Kingdom distribution/export/mail order enquiries to:Proper Music Distribution mail order tel 0870 444 0806 fax 0870 444 0801 e-mail: sales@proper.uk.com USA distribution/retail/mail order enquiries to:Mod Langtel (510) 486 1880 contact Paul/Naomi e-mail: info@modlang.com The Records 1978-1979John Wicks (guitar/vocals) Huw Gower (guitar/vocals) Phil Brown (bass/vocals) Will Birch (drums) Part One of a brief biography by Will Birch, March 2002 I first met John Wicks in 1977 when he auditioned as rhythm guitarist for the Kursaal Flyers. John was ideal musically, but his image was a no-no, so our singer, Paul Shuttleworth, conducted a makeover. Two days later John looked like a Sex Pistol. Together, John and Paul wrote a great song called Moral Fibre. Inspired by John’s grasp of pop melody, I sought to co-write with him following the Kursaals’ demise. John and I spent a number of afternoons together where I would have a snooze on the couch whilst he grafted wonderful tunes to some of my more juvenile lyrics. Early titles included Teenarama, Up All Night and one called The Weather In My Mind, thankfully, not a keeper. It was plain we had been listening to Revolver, plus lots of stuff by the Raspberries, Big Star and Badfinger. Gradually, the direction for our fantasy group evolved. We envisaged a classic four-piece of uniform height and head to body ratio. John would play rhythm guitar and sing; I was on the drums. To fill out the group we placed a carefully worded ad in the Melody Maker and found Phil Brown, whose sympathetic bass playing and infectious grin got us through the trauma of recruiting a lead guitarist. We auditioned over two-hundred. An early choice, Brian Alterman, made all the right noises but, after a few weeks, lost his nerve. Eventually, Huw Gower materialised. He played great left-handed Gibson 335 and had heard of Spirit. His party trick was simulated backwards guitar. We should have called ourselves The Void and waited fifteen years, but The Records we became. 1978 was a great year for the un(der)signed. Let me digress… As The Records were preparing themselves for world domination, Dave Edmunds had put a tune to my lyric A1 On The Jukebox and, more importantly, recorded and released it; John and I wrote Hearts In Her Eyes, which would soon be recorded by The Searchers, the group that had invented the sound we were mad for, and Rachel Sweet, a sort of new wave Brenda Lee, picked up another of our compositions, Pin A Medal On Mary. It was like falling off a log. We also had a strong new song called Starry Eyes, which was a shameless re-write of Eddie and the Hot Rods’ Do Anything You Wanna Do. When we were asked to join the Be Stiff Tour, as Rachel Sweet’s backing group, we confidently stated out terms, i.e. ‘give us our own spot in the show’. Stiff agreed and we were on the train. No wonder we were feeling pretty cocky when the record labels came knocking. For a brief moment we were red hot, or at least, fairly warm. The Be Stiff Tour was the perfect launch pad for The Records, especially when we all went to New York to play four nights at the Bottom Line and we had some freshly-pressed copies of Starry Eyes up our sleeves. Virgin Records signed us. In early 1979, with Starry Eyes getting US airplay as ‘an import’, we started recording our debut LP, Shades In Bed, with producer Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange and engineer Tim Friese-Green. Mutt and Tim worked endless hours honing the sound and although the Boston-style harmony guitar lines came as a bit of a shock, the whole thing sounded like a real record. A few words about the songs: In addition to Teenarama and Up All Night, which were originally demoed with the aforementioned Brian Alterman on guitar, John and I wrote Insomnia and All Messed Up And Ready To Go, the latter with Wreckless Eric in mind. Girls That Don’t Exist, an old Kursaals song co-written with Richie Bull, was substantially overhauled in the studio by Mutt Lange. The Phone was largely Huw’s creation; it features a Jane Aire cameo vocal and was recorded at the eleventh hour to replace Rock’n’Roll Love Letter, which had bombed as a single. Another Star was a re-write of another early song, Held Up High, whilst Starry Eyes was re-recorded for the LP. Huw and Phil contributed much to the arrangements throughout. Huw shared the songwriting credits on Affection Rejected, our attempt at a Badfinger-style rock-a-ballad, whilst Phil had a hand in Girl (our Cheap Trick moment). We also recorded a bonus EP (‘High Heels’), with four cover versions of favourite songs on which we each took a lead vocal. In the USA, our LP would be distributed by Atlantic, who represented the Virgin label there. The Americans re-titled the LP ‘The Records’, and re-vamped the sleeve. This involved Atlantic’s art director and a photographer coming to London, carrying an illuminated ‘The Records’ sign. The photo session took place in the wholly unique atmosphere of Dobell’s record shop in Shaftesbury Avenue. In May we went on a UK tour as support to The Jam. We were a few years older than Paul Weller and Co and his young audiences didn’t really take to us, but the experience was invaluable as preparation for our first full American tour. This was the realisation of a long-held dream - eight whole weeks in the land of neon. America was an eye-opener. Acts whose records we had previously collected, such as the Dbs and the Rubinoos, opened for us! Conversely, we supported others, including a number of dates with Joe Jackson and opening for The Cars in New York’s Central Park (a real buttock-clencher). The Virgin/ Atlantic publicity machine never slept as our debut LP scaled the charts. In every town we visited we did a dozen interviews, two radio stations, an in-store appearance and a more or less sold-out show. I’m sure it’s a familiar story for any group ‘breaking’ America. Your record company’s Vice-President of record promotion accompanies you to numerous radio stations. You discover that he is on first name terms with all the disc jockeys and you ask yourself, ‘how come this guy has so many friends?’ Writers whose songs you’ve covered turn up at your shows, sometimes bearing tapes. In our case Tim Moore (Rock’n’Roll Love Letter) and Blue Ash’s Frank Secich (Abracadabra - Have You Seen Her). You meet stars: in LA, the legendary Kim Fowley; on Long Island, Billy Joel, who comes backstage for a spot of tie-swapping (and you get lumbered with Billy’s kipper). Flo And Eddie show up everywhere, and in Cleveland your phone rings at eight in the morning and a female voice asks, ‘which one are you in the photograph?’ Following our 1979 US tour we commenced recording our next LP with producer Craig Leon. We also played some dates in Europe opening for Robert Palmer, after which Huw left the the group. End of Part One Never heard of John Wicks and The Records? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You should talk to: The Searchers Too Much Joy Mary Chapin Carpenter Peter Holsapple (dBs) The Gin Blossoms These acts have each covered songs written by John Wicks and The Records. Haven't heard enough? Consider this: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · The Records were one ot the most influential pop bands to come out of England during the New Wave era. They were the first pop act ever signed to Virgin Records, and a band music critics call "The British Big Star". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · The Records anthem "Starry Eyes" is still in active rotation on many modern rock stations, including heritage alternative WHFS-FM in Washington, DC - where it's one of the most requested songs of all time. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · "Starry Eyes" had a long ride in Billboard's Hot 100, stopping just short of the Top 40. Just look at the attached Billboard chart, where The Records' single logs in above singles from Cheap Trick, The Cars-even Neil Young. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · John Wicks was the singer and main songwriter for The Records, writing songs not only for his own band, but for other acts including Rachel Sweet and The Searchers. John Wicks and The Records official site The Records homepage 1979-2005 official fan site The Records Starring John Wicks Jude Cole Phil Brown Will Birch Huw Gower Dave Whelan Chris Gent and Ian Gibbons from The Kinks The Records Teenarama The Records Starry Eyes The Records Hearts In Her Eyes The Records Crashes The Records Music On Both Sides The Records Shades In Bed John Wicks and The Records Rock 'Ola John Wicks and The Records Yellow Pills The Records power pop UK supergroup have reformed. John Wicks and The Records are recording a new album called "Rotate" will be in stores shortly. "Rotate" will be The Records compact disc for 2005. The Records Official Merchandise The Records official tour dates The Records world tour 2005 The Records rare interviews The Records archives The Records poster John Wicks and The Records live dvd John Wicks and The Records Live In Spain DVD John Wicks and The Records are interviewed on new fleetwood Mac dvd John Wicks and The Records appear on Tsunami Disaster Relief Fund Cd entitled Of Hands and Hearts Music for the tsunami disaster relief fund cd John Wicks and The Records Crashes Cd now available John Wicks and The Records Shades In Bed cd now available John Wicks and The Records toured with The Jam 1979 The Records popmeister Television Generation The Records popsicle records Live at The Rodeo John Wicks and The Records with Al Stewart year of the cat The Records with Ian Gibbons The Kinks JOHN WICKS AND THE RECORDS PLAY GIBSON GUITARS, FENDER BASS GUITARS, DEAN MARKLEY STRINGS, LUDWIG DRUMS AND REMO HEADS, FENDER · Caroline Records and Virgin Records have each bowed to consumer pressure and have reissued the 1988 CD compilation from The Records, called "Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses." Polygram Music Publishing has just signed a contract with John Wicks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interested? Now get this: John Wicks is bringing back The Records, performing his hit songs-both old and new- for his huge cult following and today's younger pop fans. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Wicks and The Records. Now you've heard. Spread the word. The Records The Records are best remembered for their cult classic, Starry Eyes , a song that defined British power pop in the 70s. While they never matched the success of that record, their high-quality output from 1979 to 1982 held up better than most of the era and has also served as a blueprint for the various waves of UK and US power pop since. Within their genre, they're seen as giants, yet the general public has missed them for the most part. The band was formed around 1977, when pub rockers Kursaal Flyers broke up. The drummer from the band, Will Birch, and vocalist/guitarist John Wicks, began writing together, inspired by the pure-pop tradition of The Raspberries, Badfinger and Big Star. By 1978, they had completed the group by adding bassist Phil Brown and guitarist Huw Gower. After a series of live gigs, they released their debut, Starry Eyes. They received some valuable early exposure on the Stiff label's Be Stiff tour which, lead to their signing with Virgin Records. Wicks and Birch continued to churn out should-have-been-hit pop classics over the next three years and three albums ;1979's Shades in Bed (released in a slightly modified form as The Records in the US), 1980s Crashes and 1982s Music on Both Sides . The band broke up in 1982, though they reformed temporarily in 1990 to contribute a track to a Brian Wilson tribute album. Birch went on to become a notable music critic and historian. Since then, The Records have reformed as John Wicks and The Records and have continued to tour and record. October 2004/Passport Productions Celebrating the 25th anniversary release of their international smash hit, "My Sharona," "Getting The Knack" explores the group's dynamic and often controversial career via candid interviews with the original band and 3 special appearances from the legendary John Wicks of John Wicks and The Records. Other appearances are from Producers Mike Chapman and Jack Douglas, Sharona Alperin, (the inspiration behind the song), Steve Jones of The Sex Pistols, Rick Springfield, Elliot Easton of The Cars, Devo's Bob Mothersbaugh, comedian Weird Al Yankovic. There is also coverage of the band's early jam session with Bruce Springsteen. Presentation Narrated by Cherie Currie of The Runaways. The DVD will be available October 5th, and will be available in stores such as Tower Records. The DVD can also be ordered through Amazon and other online retailers. The Records,John Wicks and The Records,starry eyes,teenarama,hearts in her eyes,crashes, shades in bed,music on both sides,new wave,classic rock,power pop,punk rock,virgin,jude cole,huw gower,will birch,john wicks,phil brown,ian gibbons,the kinks,merchandise The Records are now called John Wicks and The Records. Please refer to the official John Wicks and The Records website www.johnwicksandtherecords.com John Wicks and The Records crashes cd is available on the official John Wicks and The Records website http://www.johnwicksandtherecords.com The album features Jude Cole on vocals and guitar, with John Wicks, Phil Brown, Huw Gower and Will Birch. The Records Crashes CD On Virgin Records 1980 CD reissue Photo is below. Album includes Jude Cole on Vocals/Guitar, John Wicks on Vocals/Guitar, Will Birch on Drums, Phil Brown on Bass and Huw Gower on Guitar. This album has been re-issued through Virgin Records for On The Beach Recordings. The songs on this cd have been digitally re-mastered. Includes bonus tracks and rarities. THE RECORDS PAYING FOR THE SUMMER OF LOVE CD Photo is below. Album includes John Wicks on Vocals/Guitar, Will Birch on Drums, Phil Brown on Bass and Huw Gower on Guitar. This album has been re-issued through Virgin Records for Angel Air Records. The songs on this cd have been digitally re-mastered. Includes bonus tracks and rarities. THE RECORDS SHADES IN BED CD 1979 VIRGIN RECORDS RE-ISSUE Photo is below. Album includes John Wicks on Vocals/Guitar, Will Birch on Drums, Phil Brown on Bass and Huw Gower on Guitar. This album has been re-issued through Virgin Records for On The Beach Recordings. The songs on this cd have been digitally re-mastered. Includes the "High Heels" bonus ep with bonus tracks and rarities. THE RECORDS COTTON T-SHIRTS THESE T-SHIRTS ARE LICENSED EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH http://www.johnwicksandtherecords.com and are 100% Pre-Shrunk Heavyweight Cotton THE RECORDS ROCK 'OLA Originally released on Rock Indiana. 10 tracks of melodic distortion and high-energy rock 'n roll. Includes guest appearances by Angus Young (AC/DC), Ringo Starr (The Beatles), Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) and Rick Ocasek (The Cars). THE RECORDS MUSIC ON BOTH SIDES The Records' third album on Virgin Records. Originally released in 1982.THE RECORDS A SUNNY AFTERNOON IN WATERLOO Released on Line Germany. 8 tracks of pure rock 'n roll with r&b energy similar to The Small Faces and The Faces. Includes Huw Gower on guitar, John Wicks on guitar/vocals, Will Birch on drums and Phil Brown on bass. John Wicks and The Records/Paul Collins' Beat Tour Merchandise 2004 In association with Punkflix Merchandisers, official band merchandise may be purchased at all concerts. Vendors will be selling merchandise pertaining to John Wicks and The Records and Paul Collins' Beat, as part of the shared 2004 world tour.THE RECORDS POSTERS AND POSTCARDS Due to an excessive demand, we have sold out of all posters and postcards. Please be patient as these items are both on back-order. As you may know, The Records' merchandise is very much in demand and as a result, sells very quickly. SCROLL BELOW FOR NEW MERCHANDISE At this time, we are unable to sell merchandise through the fan club. John Wicks and The Records are selling this official merchandise through their website http://www.johnwicksandtherecords.com Amigos-Im a huge fan of The Revillos and I remember seeing them many years ago, before some of you were born. Now that I'm older and retired, I have time to pull out my old Revillos lps such as "Rev Up" and "Totally Alive In London." There was another band also from UK called The Records. I found out that The Records are now called John Wicks and The Records and they still tour playing those songs I loved, such as "Starry Eyes" "Teenarama" and "Hearts In Her Eyes." I went to their site http://www.johnwicksandtherecords.com or www.johnwicksandtherecords.com on some and I'm happy to see theyre still writing, recording and touring today. Their first album "Shades In Bed" had Starry Eyes and Teenarama and it has been reissued on digitally remastered cd through Virgin Records. The Records' second album "Crashes" has also just been released through Virgin Records on digitally remastered cd. I already had "Paying for the summer of love," so I didn't need to buy that one. So the songs by John Wicks and The Records from nowadays sound very good. They have "Her Stars are my stars" and the new album "Rotate." Those audio samples sounded good, but they leave you wanting more, like an incomplete Revillos bootleg. I'd like to see a tour where The Revillos tour as The Rezillos and they play with John Wicks and The Records. How could I get in contact with John Wicks and The Records to talk to them about this? Your friend, Calvin Pros: John Wicks and The Records made this great album in 1982. I found out it is only available on vinyl from www.johnwicksandtherecords.com but it is good still as lp Cons: John Wicks and The Records have not released this album in remastered cd form yet. But www.johnwicksandtherecords.com has pictures of this classic album for you to see. Also Jude Cole is not on here neither is Huw Gower or Ian Gibbons for example. Amigos- The Records are still around but now called John Wicks and The Records. They still play the hits like Starry Eyes Teenarama Girl and Hearts In Her Eyes but they have some new songs that rock too. This vinyl is a 1982 UK release on lp and it does not have Ian Gibbons or Jude Cole or Huw Gower playing on it for example. Also the tracks on here are not remastered the same way and don't sound as good as the new albums on cd like Crashes or Shades In Bed for example. Rock Ola is a great album although its not remastered like the new one on the box set. The songs stay true to the classic sound of The Records with the loud guitars and perfect vocals. Jude Cole was in the Records but hes not on this album. Neither is Huw Gower on this album. Jude Cole has had a great solo songwriter career and Huw Gower has been playing with Rick Springfield , Graham Parker , Carlene Carter and The Rooks. The Records first album called Shades In Bed was produced by Mutt Lange who produced Ac/Dc Highway to Hell a week later. Mutt Lange now writes and produces his wife Shania Twain a pop legend around the world as well. I saw The Records open for The Cars and Joe Jackson both were good live shows. The Records now call themselves John Wicks and The Records because John Wicks is writing songs for people like Mary Chapin Carpenter Joy Division and The Searchers. Shades In bed came out in what 2002 or 2003 on cd? The 2nd album Crashes has just been remastered and released on cd with bonus tracks and is sold everywhere in the world. It sounds better than the crusty old vinyl I've got but I've got all their material already anyways. I just ordered the 2 new tee shirts from the official John Wicks and the Records site: www.johnwicksandtherecords.com Your friend, Calvin STARRY EYED IN THE VALLEY ~Valley Boy~ ~ By ERIK HIMMELSBACH ~ ind the Englishman in the British Pub. It’s like playing Where’s Waldo, only with a pint in your hand. It sounds tricky, yet once inside, it’s not as tough as you might think. Studio City’s Fox and Hounds is rockin’ in that Friday night blow-off-steam sort of way, but something is definitely askew. The appearance checks out – the bar’s decked out with the requisite décor of Boddingtons Ale mirrors, Arsenal Football Club flags, plentiful on-tap options of fine English brew. But looks are deceiving. I didn’t see a crowd entranced by that crucial Division Three matchup between Hull and Cheltenham on any of the many televisions that hover overhead. Instead, it’s all SoCal: Lakers playoff game, Dodgers game, Angels game. And the crowd? Few British accents but plenty of inebriated frat boy types – obnoxious, loud, bellowing in a primitive shorthand of grunts that would require subtitles to understand. By process of elimination, then, it was fairly easy to find the person I was looking for. Stood out like a sore thumb, really. He was the one over in the corner with his mates. The guy with the tinted granny glasses, thinning blond mullet, Syd Barrett T-shirt, and jeans. Has aging rock bloke written all over him. Except that he was eating nachos instead of bangers. Ladies and gents, I bring you John Wicks. A man who rode the new wave in England 25 years ago as a principal member of the Records, a criminally unsung band who’ve been described (at least by the All Music Guide) as the British Big Star. But after a three-year run (roughly 1979-82), it was over. Really over. Which may explain why he lives in obscurity in Burbank. To hear him tell it, obscurity sure beats the hell out of rigor mortis. Though the 51-year-old is a card-carrying power-pop deity, Wicks may have more in common with musical elders Barrett, late of early Pink Floyd, and Fleetwood Mac founding guitarist Peter Green. Each was a talented fellow who happened to flip his lid. John Wicks’ musical career was a blip, a caress with success, largely due to the Records’ “Starry Eyes,” a lovely track that snapped, crackled, and popped with energetic verve and sharp Byrdsian riffs. It bubbled under in the U.S. and became the band’s calling card. After “Starry Eyes,” though, there would be no more hits, no more near misses. Nor would there be any second chances for Wicks in England. By the mid-’80s he had been cast aside for younger, newer blood. He was clinging to the Records’ name, drowning in a legal morass, and money was scarce. “If you’re from England and you’ve been around the block, the second time around nobody really cares,” he says matter-of-factly. With a self-esteem he admits was low to begin with, the failure proved all too much for the guitarist. And so he went mad. He leans in against the bar, shouting over the noise. “Mentally I never really came back from it.” Years were lost, relationships spontaneously combusted. When Wicks finally resurfaced in 1994, he found himself in the U.S., in Arlington, Virginia. “I thought I could put a band together,” he says, which he dubbed John Wicks and the Records, “to see if I was bankable enough to get an agency. Everybody wanted me to play but nobody wanted to pay me real money. “Many times I wanted to pack it in. In 1998, I came to L.A. and tried to record an album and I ran out of money,” he says. With life’s clock pounding away, pragmatism began to rear its ugly head: Wicks began selling real estate in Virginia. “I did it for a while. I wore the suit and I looked the part, but I just realized it wasn’t me. But I had to find out.” Now ensconced in middle age, Wicks at last gave in to the muse, this time without strings attached. By the end of the century, he returned to Los Angeles for good. “Whether I make it – whatever that means – isn’t really the point. I’ve got to do music whether I make money or not,” he says. “I still want to write songs, whether they make money or not. I feel like I have something to say.” These days, Wicks spends most of his time in the studio, working on new Records’ songs, as well as collaborating with Zack Nilsson (Harry’s boy) and Randy Hoffman in an outfit called WHeN. Without the burden of chasing the brass ring, Wicks is finally comfortable with his lot in life. “I think I’ve wasted too much time being so far down,” he says. “I’m making up for it now. What’s important is that I can write a good song. Never mind if David Geffen is interested. A good song is still a good song.” And on an unrelated note: In my last column I referred to Joseph Eichler as an architect. He was actually a developer. Sorry. My bad. The Records are best remembered for their cult classic, Starry Eyes , a song that defined British power pop in the 70s. While they never matched the success of that record, their high-quality output from 1979 to 1982 held up better than most of the era and has also served as a blueprint for the various waves of UK and US power pop since. Within their genre, they're seen as giants, yet the general public has missed them for the most part. The band was formed around 1977, when pub rockers Kursaal Flyers broke up. The drummer from the band, Will Birch, and vocalist/guitarist John Wicks, began writing together, inspired by the pure-pop tradition of The Raspberries, Badfinger and Big Star. By 1978, they had completed the group by adding bassist Phil Brown and guitarist Huw Gower. After a series of live gigs, they released their debut, Starry Eyes. They received some valuable early exposure on the Stiff label's Be Stiff tour which, lead to their signing with Virgin Records. Wicks and Birch continued to churn out should-have-been-hit pop classics over the next three years and three albums ;1979's Shades in Bed (released in a slightly modified form as The Records in the US), 1980s Crashes and 1982s Music on Both Sides . Shades in Bed (Virgin) 1979 The Records (Virgin) 1979 Crashes (Virgin) 1980 Music on Both Sides (Virgin Int'l) 1982 A Sunny Afternoon in Waterloo (Waterfront) 1988 Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses (Virgin) 1988 Paying for the Summer of Love (Skyclad) 1990 HUW GOWER Guitarophilia EP (X-Disque) 1984 JUDE COLE Jude Cole (Warner Bros.) 1987 A View from 3rd Street (Reprise) 1990 Like the Motors, the Records were reborn pub-rockers, who made a giant leap into the present by leaving their history behind and starting afresh with finely honed pop craftsmanship and the full-scale record company support they had never previously enjoyed. While the Motors went for grandiose production numbers, the Records — led by ex-Kursaal Flyer drummer/songwriter Will Birch — made sharp, tuneful confections that offered maximum hooks-per- groove in a classic Anglo-pop style not unlike the Hollies, with similarly brilliant harmonies and ringing guitars. Shades in Bed (resequenced, retitled The Records and dressed in a completely different cover for America) is a wonderful LP, featuring song after song of pure pop with clever lyrics and winning melodies. Almost every track could have been a single; "Starry Eyes" and "Teenarama" were actually released, which left "Girls That Don't Exist," "Affection Rejected" and "Girl" as untested chart material. The English album included a bonus 12-inch, High Heels (an untitled 7-inch in the US), of the Records doing four classic tracks, including the Kinks' "See My Friends" and Spirit's "1984." Crashes, produced mainly by Craig Leon, showcased a revised lineup. (Although American Jude Cole took over Huw Gower's guitar slot in time for the album cover and credits, the extent of his role on the LP is unclear. Barry Martin, who was in the Kursaal Flyers and later in the Hamsters, was subsequently acknowledged as having played guitar on it.) Nothing here can match the first LP's charm except for two tracks produced by Mick Glossop — "Man with a Girl Proof Heart," written while Birch was still in the Kursaals, and "Hearts in Her Eyes," done better by the Searchers later that year. At best a weak rehash of the first LP, Crashes is passable, but hardly a great follow-up. After a two-year recording gap, Music on Both Sides introduced a new five-piece lineup, with guitarist Dave Whelan and singer Chris Gent joining the surviving core of Birch, bassist Phil Brown and guitarist John Wicks. Birch produced this muddled but generally pleasant album, which sounds like Rubber Soul with a crappy rock singer. Not a great parting shot, although less annoyingly precious than their early work. Two years after leaving the Records, Gower resurfaced a continent away in David Johansen's band. His subsequent solo EP is pretty much in the Records' vein: well-crafted, unprepossessing rock-pop, but without their often-cloying preciousness. An earnest enough performer, the left-handed guitarist is a limited songwriter and not much of a singer; the EP's best track is a fascinating cover of Graeme Douglas' brilliant "Do Anything You Wanna Do," originally recorded by Eddie and the Hot Rods. (Illinois guitarist/singer Cole has also pursued a solo career; his albums of slickly commercial heartland rock display no vestiges of the Records' joyful power pop.) Unexpectedly, the late '80s saw a sudden resurgence of Records records. (The original group even got back together long enough to cut a version of Brian Wilson's "Darlin," for 1990's Smiles, Vibes, & Harmony tribute record.) A Sunny Afternoon in Waterloo — the fruits of a one-day '78 songwriting demo session — finds the Records playing simple, hard-driving Rockpilish rock'n'roll, reportedly in the hopes of selling some songs Birch had written with Dr. Feelgood, then enjoying large UK success, in mind. Although the effort was commercially unsuccessful, the loss was all Dr. F's, as the music is brilliant, a taut mixture of strong melodies and amusing lyrics about loving, drinking and driving. Another set of demos — recorded during '78 as preparation for the Records' first album — comprise the bulk of the white-vinyl Paying for the Summer of Love. All but two of Shades in Bed's songs appear in raw — but perfectly presentable, and not drastically different — form here, alongside self- produced renditions of other early tracks ("Hearts in Her Eyes," B-sides like "Wives and Mothers of Tomorrow" and "Held Up High," and "If I Write Your Number in My Book," written for — but unrecorded by — Rachel Sweet). A delightful companion piece. Although by no means definitive, Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses is a carefully annotated 20-song compilation containing about half each of the first two albums, a modest three-song reminder of the third, a couple of B-sides ("Held Up High" and "Paint Her Face") and previously unreleased outtakes of "I Don't Remember Your Name" and "The Same Mistakes" (two songs that appear on Crashes). In a case of rarer isn't necessarily better, the CD ends with a previously unreleased Mick Glossop-produced version of "Rock and Roll Love Letter" that isn't nearly as good as the band's 1979 single of the song. Through Josh Wink and King Britt, he met legendary producer John Wicks and quickly became his intern. "John Wicks is the sensei. He taught me how to make records," says Jones. "He's 50 years old and has a beautiful child, but still chills, makes records and owns a business. I hope to achieve the lifestyle that he has some day." Never heard of John Wicks and The Records? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You should talk to: The Searchers Too Much Joy Mary Chapin Carpenter Peter Holsapple (dBs) The Gin Blossoms These acts have each covered songs written by John Wicks and The Records. Haven't heard enough? Consider this: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · The Records were one ot the most influential pop bands to come out of England during the New Wave era. They were the first pop act ever signed to Virgin Records, and a band music critics call "The British Big Star". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · The Records anthem "Starry Eyes" is still in active rotation on many modern rock stations, including heritage alternative WHFS-FM in Washington, DC - where it's one of the most requested songs of all time. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · "Starry Eyes" had a long ride in Billboard's Hot 100, stopping just short of the Top 40. Just look at the attached Billboard chart, where The Records' single logs in above singles from Cheap Trick, The Cars-even Neil Young. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · John Wicks was the singer and main songwriter for The Records, writing songs not only for his own band, but for other acts including Rachel Sweet and The Searchers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · Caroline Records and Virgin Records have each bowed to consumer pressure and have reissued the 1988 CD compilation from The Records, called "Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses." Polygram Music Publishing has just signed a contract with John Wicks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interested? Now get this: John Wicks is bringing back The Records, performing his hit songs-both old and new- for his huge cult following and today's younger pop fans. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Wicks and The Records. Now you've heard. Spread the word. Amigos-The Records are still around but now called John Wicks and The Records. They still play the hits like Starry Eyes, Teenarama and Girl, but they have some new songs that rock too. Mix of 70s rock, roots rock, power pop and Paul McCartney. Jude Cole was also in this band on the album Crashes, where he sang and played guitar for them. He was the only American in the band of course since The Records were English/British. Shades In bed (Virgin Records) came out in what 2002 or 2003 on cd? The 2nd album Crashes (Virgin Records) has just been remastered and released on cd with bonus tracks and is sold everywhere in the world. It sounds better than the crusty old vinyl I've got but I've got all their material already anyways. Music On Both Sides was the 3rd album by The Records released in 1982(Virgin Records) Calvin Previous reviewer: The Records are one of the all-time greatest bands. They toured with the likes of The Cars, The Jam with Paul Weller, The Police, Robert Palmer and Joe Jackson. The Kursaals formed in 1977 and reformed later, with John Wicks and Will Birch from The Records. As the Kursaals, they later disbanded. The final result was an all-star UK band known as The Records, containing John Wicks as lead singer/writer and rythm guitarist. Will Birch played the drums and co-wrote some of the songs with John Wicks. In 1979, The Records played numerous stadiums and club venues in support for Shades In bed, which was entitled The Records in the United States and contained alternate artwork. In 1980, The Records continued to please fans with their extraordinary rock and roll, while maintaining their trendy sensibility. Though he is now a full-scale producer and singer/songwriter, Jude Cole was vocalist and guitarist in The Records until 1980, when they quickly returned to the UK. Jude Cole moved to Los Angeles, where he expanded his career, playing bass for a rock legend and the man who brought us "Runaway," Del Shannon. In the coming years, Jude Cole would begin his solo career, recording numerous hit albums, with radio singles and videos on mtv. Hearts in her eyes was recorded by the Searchers and more recently by Mary Chapin Carpenter, an acclaimed singer/songwriter. The Records had singles that charted above Cheap Trick and Neil Young. The Records contained members of The Kursaal Flyers and formed in 1978 and disbanded in 1982. Today, The Records are known as John Wicks and the Records and they sound just as they did 25 years ago. The Records have an official site www.therecords.org and I went to www.johnwicksandtherecords.com and listened to some of the new recordings from John Wicks and The Records, which sound great! The site has an excellent 3-part biographical section, along with a complete discography, tour dates, a discussion forum and an archive. While The first album, Shades In Bed features John Wicks, Huw Gower, Will Birch and Phil Brown, the second album, Crashes features John Wicks, Jude Cole, Will Birch and Phil Brown. Shades In Bed features the hits Starry Eyes, Teenarama, Rock and roll Love Letter and See My friends a popular cover of the classic song "See My friends," by The Kinks. The Records Shades in bed album was produced by John Mutt Lange who went on to produce AC/DC Highway to Hell, Def Leppard and currently producing his wife the country rock and pop crossover Shania Twain. Crashes is the current cd re-issue, which included the hit "Hearts in Her eyes." The disc features Jude Cole on vocals and guitar. Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses is a greatest hits compilation, which serves as a great introductory for newer fans. Paying for the summer of love contains rare songs and tracks that have never been released on cd until now. John Wicks and The Records have recorded several albums, including Rock Ola and their newest album, entitled Rotate. Rock Ola is a stripped-down rock and roll album with songs of the same quality as the classic Records material. Rotate explores the different aspects of songwriting, while maintaining the quality and craftsmanship of the past recordings. Some say The Records were and still are Getting The Knack Even with the hindsight and clarity of nearly two decades, it is difficult to describe the impact the Knack had on radio, fashion and rock and roll. The story of the Knack was all too familiar. An overnight success that was several years in the making. Songs that would ultimately find their way onto their multi-platinum debut had been 
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The Knack My Sharona John Wicks and The Records official site The Records homepage 1979-2005 official fan site The Records Starring John Wicks Jude Cole Phil Brown Will Birch Huw Gower Dave Whelan Chris Gent and Ian Gibbons from The Kinks The Records Teenarama The Records Starry Eyes The Records Hearts In Her Eyes The Records Crashes The Records Music On Both Sides The Records Shades In Bed John Wicks and The Records Rock 'Ola John Wicks and The Records Yellow Pills The Records power pop UK supergroup have reformed. John Wicks and The Records are recording a new album called "Rotate" will be in stores shortly. "Rotate" will be The Records compact disc for 2005. The Records Official Merchandise The Records official tour dates The Records world tour 2005 The Records rare interviews The Records archives The Records poster John Wicks and The Records live dvd John Wicks and The Records Live In Spain DVD John Wicks and The Records are interviewed on new fleetwood Mac dvd John Wicks and The Records appear on Tsunami Disaster Relief Fund Cd entitled Of Hands and Hearts Music for the tsunami disaster relief fund cd John Wicks and The Records Crashes Cd now available John Wicks and The Records Shades In Bed cd now available John Wicks and The Records toured with The Jam 1979 The Records popmeister Television Generation The Records popsicle records Live at The Rodeo John Wicks and The Records with Al Stewart year of the cat The Records with Ian Gibbons The Kinks JOHN WICKS AND THE RECORDS PLAY GIBSON GUITARS, FENDER BASS GUITARS, DEAN MARKLEY STRINGS, LUDWIG DRUMS AND REMO HEADS, FENDER AMPLIFIERSThe Records 1978-1979John Wicks (guitar/vocals) Huw Gower (guitar/vocals) Phil Brown (bass/vocals) Will Birch (drums) The Records John Wicks and The Records The Records Starry Eyes The Records Teenarama The Records Hearts in Her eyes The Records Crashes The Records Shades In Bed The Records Music On Both Sides The Records Huw Gower The Records John Wicks The Records Jude Cole The Records Will Birch The Records paying for the summer of love The Records A sunny afternoon in waterloo The Records live at the rodeo The Records Television Generation The Records Kursaal Flyers Fans of Kursaal Flyers, The Records and John Wicks and The Records have spoken: John Wicks and The Records recently finished a tour with Paul Collins' Beat. Here is what the fans had to say about this exciting string of worldwide tour dates: Amigos-The Records are still around but now called John Wicks and The Records. They still play the hits like Starry Eyes, Teenarama and Girl, but they have some new songs that rock too. Mix of 70s rock, roots rock, power pop and Paul McCartney. Jude Cole was also in this band on the album Crashes, where he sang and played guitar for them. He was the only American in the band of course since The Records were English/British. Shades In bed (Virgin Records) came out in what 2002 or 2003 on cd? The 2nd album Crashes (Virgin Records) has just been remastered and released on cd with bonus tracks and is sold everywhere in the world. It sounds better than the crusty old vinyl I've got but I've got all their material already anyways. Music On Both Sides was the 3rd album by The Records released in 1982(Virgin Records) Calvin Previous reviewer: The Records are one of the all-time greatest bands. They toured with the likes of The Cars, The Jam with Paul Weller, The Police, Robert Palmer and Joe Jackson. The Kursaals formed in 1977 and reformed later, with John Wicks and Will Birch from The Records. As the Kursaals, they later disbanded. The final result was an all-star UK band known as The Records, containing John Wicks as lead singer/writer and rythm guitarist. Will Birch played the drums and co-wrote some of the songs with John Wicks. In 1979, The Records played numerous stadiums and club venues in support for Shades In bed, which was entitled The Records in the United States and contained alternate artwork. In 1980, The Records continued to please fans with their extraordinary rock and roll, while maintaining their trendy sensibility. Though he is now a full-scale producer and singer/songwriter, Jude Cole was vocalist and guitarist in The Records until 1980, when they quickly returned to the UK. Jude Cole moved to Los Angeles, where he expanded his career, playing bass for a rock legend and the man who brought us "Runaway," Del Shannon. In the coming years, Jude Cole would begin his solo career, recording numerous hit albums, with radio singles and videos on mtv. Hearts in her eyes was recorded by the Searchers and more recently by Mary Chapin Carpenter, an acclaimed singer/songwriter. The Records had singles that charted above Cheap Trick and Neil Young. The Records contained members of The Kursaal Flyers and formed in 1978 and disbanded in 1982. Today, The Records are known as John Wicks and the Records and they sound just as they did 25 years ago. The Records have an official site www.therecords.org and I went to www.johnwicksandtherecords.com and listened to some of the new recordings from John Wicks and The Records, which sound great! The site has an excellent 3-part biographical section, along with a complete discography, tour dates, a discussion forum and an archive. While The first album, Shades In Bed features John Wicks, Huw Gower, Will Birch and Phil Brown, the second album, Crashes features John Wicks, Jude Cole, Will Birch and Phil Brown. Shades In Bed features the hits Starry Eyes, Teenarama, Rock and roll Love Letter and See My friends a popular cover of the classic song "See My friends," by The Kinks. The Records Shades in bed album was produced by John Mutt Lange who went on to produce AC/DC Highway to Hell, Def Leppard and currently producing his wife the country rock and pop crossover Shania Twain. Crashes is the current cd re-issue, which included the hit "Hearts in Her eyes." The disc features Jude Cole on vocals and guitar. Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses is a greatest hits compilation, which serves as a great introductory for newer fans. Paying for the summer of love contains rare songs and tracks that have never been released on cd until now. John Wicks and The Records have recorded several albums, including Rock Ola and their newest album, entitled Rotate. Rock Ola is a stripped-down rock and roll album with songs of the same quality as the classic Records material. Rotate explores the different aspects of songwriting, while maintaining the quality and craftsmanship of the past recordings. Some say The Records were and still are punk, power pop, new wave, other say rock and roll. The truth is that The Records fall under no true classification. Long live The Records, as they continue to rock the world! You can buy their stuff in most stores and on mp3.com and listen to samples on their websites. Hello Everyone, I just saw that you mentioned The Records. I saw The Records twice many years ago. One of the times, they were on tour with Joe Jackson. A while back, I discovered that The Records are still performing, writing and recording. They are now called John Wicks and The Records to showcase the songwriting talents of John Wicks and to gratify his ego. John Wicks and The Records had three hits that I remember, one was "Starry Eyes," one was "Teenarama" and the other was "Hearts In Her Eyes." In fact, Jude Cole sang and played guitar on the song "Hearts In Her Eyes," a song that was later recorded by songwriter, Mary Chapin Carpenter. Too Much Joy also recorded one of The Records' songs, which I believe was also "Hearts In Her Eyes." Apparently, John Wicks and The Records re-formed in the 1990s for a cd tribute to Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys. Their version of "Darlin'" was well-received and John Wicks and The Records soon began touring and recorded a new album called "Rock 'Ola" on Rock Indiana Records. I don't know what the future of John Wicks and The Records will be, but on their official website http://www.johnwicksandtherecords.com they are selling their new album, entitled "Rotate." If you want, you should still be able to hear the clips of those new songs at: http://www.johnwicksandtherecords.com/mp3s.htm Also, their site says that John Wicks and The Records have contributed a song to the Of Hands and Hearts Music For Tsunami Disaster Relief Fund cd compilation, which I recently ordered. I'm glad to hear that some bands such as John Wicks and The Records are taking a stand and helping those in need. Not only do John Wicks and The Records make incredibly great music, they are also considerate and aware of the world on a global level. It makes more sense to help people, instead of preaching politics to them. TRACK LISTING Teenarama - Up All Night - Wives And Mothers Of Tomorrow - Girls That Don't Exist - Held Up High - Coin Machine - Starry Eyes - All Messed Up And Ready To Go - Insomnia - Affection Rejected - The Phone - Hearts In Her Eyes - Coca Cola Jingle - If I Write Your Number In My Book In July 1977 John Wicks joined the Kursaals (formerly known as the Kursaal Flyers) but three months later the band were no more. John subsequently joined fellow Kursaal, lyricist and drummer Will Birch, and formed The Records together with Phil Brown and Huw Gower. The tracks released on 'Paying For The Summer Of Love' are the original recordings of the songs which eventually gained the band a record deal with Virgin. They display, however, a raw energy and ragged charm missing from later re-workings for that label. Perhaps best described a post-punk power pop, The Records achieved a US breakthrough hit with 'Starry Eyes'. 'Paying For The Summer Of Love' is pure pop nirvana drawing together a solid treasure trove of album tracks that should have been hits. The 20 page informative full colour booklet includes rare band photos and liner notes from John Wicks and details about all the tracks. track listing track# song name track time 1 All Messed Up and Ready to Go 2 Teenarama 3 Girls That Don't Exist 4 Starry Eyes 5 Up All Night 6 Girl 7 Insomnia 8 Affection Rejected 9 Phone 10 Another Star album reviews The band's first U.K. LP is a pure pop masterpiece featuring the near-perfect singles "Starry Eyes" and "Teenarama." The album was retitled The Records and released in a modified form in America. The first pressings came with a bonus 12" entitled High Heels, which featured a collection of four covers. ~ Chris Woodstra, All Music Guide album credits Richard Manwaring Engineer Bill Price Engineer John Wicks Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals Phil Brown Vocals, Bass, Guitar John Wicks Guitar Dave Bellotti Engineer Will Birch Drums, Vocals, Producer Tim Friese-Greene Producer Ian Gibbons Keyboards Huw Gower Vocals, Guitar Robert John "Mutt" Lange Producer The Records Main Performer track listing track# song name track time 1 Rumor Sets the Woods Alight 2 Hearts in Her Eyes 3 I Don't Remember Your Name 4 Man With a Girl Proof Heart 5 Same Mistakes 6 Girl in Golden Disc 7 Spent a Week With You Last Night 8 Hearts Will Be Broken 9 Worriers 10 Guitars in the Sky album reviews The Records' second American album is just as tuneful and nearly as catchy as its predecessor, though none of the songs have the punch of "Starry Eyes." "Girl in the Golden Disc" and "Hearts Will Be Broken" are the highlights. Unfortunately, the band's take on the brilliant "Hearts in Her Eyes" (a song written by Will Birch and John Wicks and covered more successfully by the reunited Searchers the previous year) is slightly lackluster and somewhat of a letdown. ~ Chris Woodstra, All Music Guide album credits Barry Martin Guitar Chris Stein ? John Wicks Vocals, Guitar Phil Brown Vocals, Bass Will Birch Drums Dave "Clem" Clempson Guitar Chris Gent Saxophone, Vocals Ian Gibbons Keyboards Jude Cole Bass, Guitar The Records Main Performer The band was formed around 1977, when pub rockers Kursaal Flyers broke up. The drummer from the band, Will Birch, and vocalist/guitarist John Wicks, who had joined the Kursaals in the last stages, began writing together, inspired by the pure-pop tradition of the Raspberries, Badfinger and Big Star. By 1978, they had completed the group by adding bassist Phil Brown and guitarist Huw Gower. After a series of live gigs, they released their debut, "Starry Eyes," on the independent Record Company label in November the same year. They received some valuable early exposure on the Stiff label's "Be Stiff" tour which, lead to their signing with Virgin Records. Wicks and Birch continued to churn out should-have-been-hit pop classics over the next three years and three albums - 1979's Shades in Bed (released in a slightly modified form as The Records in the U.S.), 1980's Crashes (which found Jude Cole replacing Gower) and 1982's Music on Both Sides (which replaced Cole with Dave Whelan and added another vocalist, Chris Gent). The Records [+] are probably best remembered for their cult classic and minor hit, "Starry Eyes" -- a near-perfect song that defined British power pop in the '70s. And while they never quite matched the success of that record, their high-quality output from 1979 to 1982 has not only held up better than most of the era with its timeless appeal, but has also served as a blueprint for the various waves of British and American power-pop since then. Some have gone as far as to call them the "British Big Star," which is probably a fair comparison -- within their genre, they're seen as giants, yet the general public has missed them for the most part. The band was formed around 1977, when pub rockers Kursaal Flyers [+] broke up. The drummer from the band, Will Birch [+], and vocalist/guitarist John Wicks [+], who had joined the Kursaals in the last stages, began writing together, inspired by the pure-pop tradition of the Raspberries [+], Badfinger [+] and Big Star [+]. By 1978, they had completed the group by adding bassist Phil Brown [+] and guitarist Huw Gower [+]. After a series of live gigs, they released their debut, "Starry Eyes," on the independent Record Company label in November the same year. They received some valuable early exposure on the Stiff label's "Be Stiff" tour which led to their signing with Virgin Records. Wicks and Birch continued to churn out should-have-been-hit pop classics over the next three years and three albums -- 1979's Shades in Bed [+] (released in a slightly modified form as The Records in the U.S.), 1980's Crashes [+] (which found Jude Cole [+] replacing Gower) and 1982's Music on Both Sides [+] (which replaced Cole with Dave Whelan [+] and added another vocalist, Chris Gent [+]). Aside from a minor hit with "Starry Eyes" in the U.S., their efforts were criminally unrewarded. The band broke up in 1982, though they reformed temporarily in 1990 to contribute a track to a Brian Wilson [+] tribute album. Birch went on to become a notable music critic and historian; he also compiled several compact disc reissues, including Naughty Rhythms: The Best of Pub Rock [+]. Wicks began a solo career in the mid-'90s, appearing on the Yellow Pills, Vol. 3 collection with a song co-written with Birch, "Her Stars Are My Stars" -- a pop gem that picks up right where they left off. "Starry Eyes" continues to be a cult pop classic -- still heavily requested on alternative radio retro shows. The Records have since reformed and continue to please fans young and old with their energetic live shows. JOHN WICKS (THE RECORDS): La melodía llevada hacia el cielo. Recuperamos una de las viejas entrevistas que teníamos en el baúl de los recuerdos (sin publicar por diversos motivos) con John Wicks, cantante, guitarra y compositor de The Records, legendaria formación que nacida en 1978, que a finales de los 70´s y primeros 80´s consiguió facturar algunos de los mejores temas de la nueva ola británica. MORE... Hace tres años Rock Indiana tuvo el privilegio de editar “Rock´Ola” un gran disco de diez fantásticos cortes en los que The Records demostraron seguir en la brecha con mucha clase y honestidad. The Profe y John Wicks se ponen cara a cara para hablar de lo que mejor saben hacer: música. (Pepe I Wanna). ¿Qué fue de John Wicks desde que The Records sacaron su último álbum en 1982 hasta la fecha de hoy?. Teníamos apalabrado el editar un disco más con Virgin pero tuvimos problemas legales, discusiones entre nosotros... lo que solía pasar en muchos grupos de aquella época. Las bandas por aquel entonces teníamos unos managers que eran unos buitres y con la mayoría de las discográficas pasaba lo mismo, entonces nos cansamos un poco del tema, de grabar discos... Siempre que recordamos a un grupo nos acordamos de una canción ¿Decir The Records es decir “Starry eyes”?. Es la canción que identifica un poco el sonido de la banda, además es nuestra canción más conocida, tiene un cierto regusto a los Byrds porque yo aprendí a tocar la guitarra escuchando esas canciones, que mejor homenaje que tocar ese tipo de canciones. Si, se podría identificar a The Records con el tema “Starry Eyes”. ¿Cómo fue que haciendo la música que hacíais no fichasteis por Steef Records y si por Virgin?. Estábamos en la famosa gira de Steef Records con Elvis Costello, compartíamos manager con más bandas pero no queríamos reducirnos a simplemente tocar 20 minutos, podíamos dar mucho más. Nos hizo una oferta Virgin y creímos que sería mucho mejor para nosotros ya que tendríamos mucha más promoción al ser un sello discográfico mucho más potente, nosotros no nos considerábamos un grupo segundón (como luego la historia ha demostrado). ¿The Records sigue siendo la melodía con potencia?. Con nuestras canciones puedes silbar. Una canción que no tenga melodía no me interesa, me gusta que las guitarras te golpeen el pecho cuando están sonando pero también me gusta que puedas silbar la melodía, que cuando este sonando se te quede en el cerebro. Eso es el Pop. ¿Qué te pareció ese tributo a The Records que edito en España Sonic Recordings?. Estuve viviendo algún tiempo en Mallorca cuando fui más joven y me sorprendió bastante y fue todo un honor. En nuestra época nadie nos hacía caso y es muy agradable el que años más tarde se haga un tributo en España por bandas españolas que todas son fans de The Records, me supone un orgullo inmenso. Me gusta mucho España, es muy familiar para mí. ¿Te das cuenta de todo lo que significaron The Records en las nuevas bandas que salieron por USA y Europa?. ¿Es tarde el reconocimiento a The Records?. ¿Contabas con este reconocimiento por parte de las bandas de Power- Pop?. Es una sensación muy extraña, yo siempre supe que tenía talento para hacer buenas canciones pero te sientes muy mal cuando las estas haciendo y que nadie te hace caso, por eso es muy extraño que unos años más tarde todo eso resulte una gran influencia para un buen montón de bandas, es algo muy extraño y placentero a la vez. ¿Qué es de Will Birch? (batería y letrista original de The Records). Creo que lo vimos en un tema de uno de los recopilatorios del Yellow Pills. ¿Sigue en la actividad musical o está ya retirado?. Está un poco retirado del negocio musical aunque sigue escribiendo letras de vez en cuando para algunas bandas y escribe en alguna que otra revista inglesa. Está casado, tiene hijos... ya no está tan metido como yo. Seguimos en contacto y somos grandes amigos. Muchísimas gracias John. Muchas gracias a ti. John Wicks ( of The Records ): We both had an affinity for stuff by Badfinger and The Raspberries. Rotate (2CD) John Wicks and The Records New Kool Kat release! Due late April/early May! Accepting orders now! John's long overdue new release promises to be a killer! Comes autographed by John and with a bonus disc featuring 5 exclusive, previously live/studio tracks! AUTOGRAPHED + BONUS DISC ONLY AVAILABLE FROM KOOL KAT! Rotate John Wicks and The Records New Kool Kat release! Due late April/early May! Accepting orders now! John's long overdue new release promises to be a killer! This is the single disc version. The Records are now John Wicks and The Records Shades in Bed (Virgin) 1979 The Records (Virgin) 1979 Crashes (Virgin) 1980 Music on Both Sides (Virgin Int'l) 1982 A Sunny Afternoon in Waterloo (Waterfront) 1988 Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses (Virgin) 1988 Paying for the Summer of Love (Skyclad) 1990 HUW GOWER Guitarophilia EP (X-Disque) 1984 JUDE COLE Jude Cole (Warner Bros.) 1987 A View from 3rd Street (Reprise) 1990 Like the Motors, the Records were reborn pub-rockers, who made a giant leap into the present by leaving their history behind and starting afresh with finely honed pop craftsmanship and the full-scale record company support they had never previously enjoyed. While the Motors went for grandiose production numbers, the Records — led by ex-Kursaal Flyer drummer/songwriter Will Birch — made sharp, tuneful confections that offered maximum hooks-per- groove in a classic Anglo-pop style not unlike the Hollies, with similarly brilliant harmonies and ringing guitars. Shades in Bed (resequenced, retitled The Records and dressed in a completely different cover for America) is a wonderful LP, featuring song after song of pure pop with clever lyrics and winning melodies. Almost every track could have been a single; "Starry Eyes" and "Teenarama" were actually released, which left "Girls That Don't Exist," "Affection Rejected" and "Girl" as untested chart material. The English album included a bonus 12-inch, High Heels (an untitled 7-inch in the US), of the Records doing four classic tracks, including the Kinks' "See My Friends" and Spirit's "1984." Crashes, produced mainly by Craig Leon, showcased a revised lineup. (Although American Jude Cole took over Huw Gower's guitar slot in time for the album cover and credits, the extent of his role on the LP is unclear. Barry Martin, who was in the Kursaal Flyers and later in the Hamsters, was subsequently acknowledged as having played guitar on it.) Nothing here can match the first LP's charm except for two tracks produced by Mick Glossop — "Man with a Girl Proof Heart," written while Birch was still in the Kursaals, and "Hearts in Her Eyes," done better by the Searchers later that year. At best a weak rehash of the first LP, Crashes is passable, but hardly a great follow-up. After a two-year recording gap, Music on Both Sides introduced a new five-piece lineup, with guitarist Dave Whelan and singer Chris Gent joining the surviving core of Birch, bassist Phil Brown and guitarist John Wicks. Birch produced this muddled but generally pleasant album, which sounds like Rubber Soul with a crappy rock singer. Not a great parting shot, although less annoyingly precious than their early work. Two years after leaving the Records, Gower resurfaced a continent away in David Johansen's band. His subsequent solo EP is pretty much in the Records' vein: well-crafted, unprepossessing rock-pop, but without their often-cloying preciousness. An earnest enough performer, the left-handed guitarist is a limited songwriter and not much of a singer; the EP's best track is a fascinating cover of Graeme Douglas' brilliant "Do Anything You Wanna Do," originally recorded by Eddie and the Hot Rods. (Illinois guitarist/singer Cole has also pursued a solo career; his albums of slickly commercial heartland rock display no vestiges of the Records' joyful power pop.) Unexpectedly, the late '80s saw a sudden resurgence of Records records. (The original group even got back together long enough to cut a version of Brian Wilson's "Darlin," for 1990's Smiles, Vibes, & Harmony tribute record.) A Sunny Afternoon in Waterloo — the fruits of a one-day '78 songwriting demo session — finds the Records playing simple, hard-driving Rockpilish rock'n'roll, reportedly in the hopes of selling some songs Birch had written with Dr. Feelgood, then enjoying large UK success, in mind. Although the effort was commercially unsuccessful, the loss was all Dr. F's, as the music is brilliant, a taut mixture of strong melodies and amusing lyrics about loving, drinking and driving. Another set of demos — recorded during '78 as preparation for the Records' first album — comprise the bulk of the white-vinyl Paying for the Summer of Love. All but two of Shades in Bed's songs appear in raw — but perfectly presentable, and not drastically different — form here, alongside self- produced renditions of other early tracks ("Hearts in Her Eyes," B-sides like "Wives and Mothers of Tomorrow" and "Held Up High," and "If I Write Your Number in My Book," written for — but unrecorded by — Rachel Sweet). A delightful companion piece. Although by no means definitive, Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses is a carefully annotated 20-song compilation containing about half each of the first two albums, a modest three-song reminder of the third, a couple of B-sides ("Held Up High" and "Paint Her Face") and previously unreleased outtakes of "I Don't Remember Your Name" and "The Same Mistakes" (two songs that appear on Crashes). In a case of rarer isn't necessarily better, the CD ends with a previously unreleased Mick Glossop-produced version of "Rock and Roll Love Letter" that isn't nearly as good as the band's 1979 single of the song. [Ira Robbins] That Was Then: This is now: Rolling Stone: "Beatles harmonies and Byrds-like guitar work dominate..." Trouser Press: "Finely honed pop craftsmanship... sharp tuneful confections that offer maximum hooks-per-groove... classic Anglo-pop with brilliant harmonies and ringing guitars...almost every track could have been a single..." All Music Guide: "Some have gone as far as to call them the British Big Star, which is probably a fair comparison... within their genre, they're seen as giants." The Rawk: "Why these songs didn't change the way of life is beyond understanding... Somebody ple CD reissue of 1979 Power Pop classic!Shades In Bed aka The Recordsplus 10 bonus tracksOn The Beach Recordings Catalogue no. FOAMCD5 1. Girl 4.10 2. Teenarama 4.01 3. Girls That Don’t Exist 3.40 4. Starry Eyes 4.35 5. Up All Night 4.38 6. All Messed Up And Ready To Go 3.46 7. Insomnia 3.02 8. Affection Rejected 3.51 9. The Phone 3.21 10. Another Star 4.36 11. Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her?) 2.44 12. See My Friends 3.46 13. 1984 3.32 14. Have You Seen Your Mother Baby 2.55 15. Starry Eyes (45 version) 4.23 16. Paint Her Face 3.08 17. Rock’n’Roll Love Letter 3.51 18. Wives And Mothers Of Tomorrow 4.15 19. Held Up High 3.33 20. Teenarama (Remix) 3.59 CD reissue of 1980 Power Pop classic!Release date: 8 November 2004 Crashesplus 6 bonus tracksOn The Beach Recordings Catalogue no. FOAMCD7 1. Hearts In Her Eyes 2. Girl In Golden Disc 3. Rumour Sets The Woods Alight 4. I Don't Remember Your Name 5. The Same Mistakes 6. Man With A Girlproof Heart 7. Hearts Will Be Broken 8. Spent A Week With You Last Night 9. The Worriers 10. Guitars In The Sky 11. Injury Time 12. Vamp* 13. So Sorry 14. Faces At The Window* 15. The Same Mistakes (1979)* 16. Man With A Girlproof Heart (1979)* *previously unreleased Shades In Bed aka The RecordsOn The Beach Recordings Catalogue no. FOAMCD5Barcode No. 506000632 019 4 CrashesOn The Beach Recordings Catalogue no. FOAMCD7Barcode No. 827565 008 22 3 Distribution: United Kingdom distribution/export/mail order enquiries to:Proper Music Distribution mail order tel 0870 444 0806 fax 0870 444 0801 e-mail: sales@proper.uk.com USA distribution/retail/mail order enquiries to:Mod Langtel (510) 486 1880 contact Paul/Naomi e-mail: info@modlang.com The Records 1978-1979John Wicks (guitar/vocals) Huw Gower (guitar/vocals) Phil Brown (bass/vocals) Will Birch (drums) Part One of a brief biography by Will Birch, March 2002 I first met John Wicks in 1977 when he auditioned as rhythm guitarist for the Kursaal Flyers. John was ideal musically, but his image was a no-no, so our singer, Paul Shuttleworth, conducted a makeover. Two days later John looked like a Sex Pistol. Together, John and Paul wrote a great song called Moral Fibre. Inspired by John’s grasp of pop melody, I sought to co-write with him following the Kursaals’ demise. John and I spent a number of afternoons together where I would have a snooze on the couch whilst he grafted wonderful tunes to some of my more juvenile lyrics. Early titles included Teenarama, Up All Night and one called The Weather In My Mind, thankfully, not a keeper. It was plain we had been listening to Revolver, plus lots of stuff by the Raspberries, Big Star and Badfinger. Gradually, the direction for our fantasy group evolved. We envisaged a classic four-piece of uniform height and head to body ratio. John would play rhythm guitar and sing; I was on the drums. To fill out the group we placed a carefully worded ad in the Melody Maker and found Phil Brown, whose sympathetic bass playing and infectious grin got us through the trauma of recruiting a lead guitarist. We auditioned over two-hundred. An early choice, Brian Alterman, made all the right noises but, after a few weeks, lost his nerve. Eventually, Huw Gower materialised. He played great left-handed Gibson 335 and had heard of Spirit. His party trick was simulated backwards guitar. We should have called ourselves The Void and waited fifteen years, but The Records we became. 1978 was a great year for the un(der)signed. Let me digress… As The Records were preparing themselves for world domination, Dave Edmunds had put a tune to my lyric A1 On The Jukebox and, more importantly, recorded and released it; John and I wrote Hearts In Her Eyes, which would soon be recorded by The Searchers, the group that had invented the sound we were mad for, and Rachel Sweet, a sort of new wave Brenda Lee, picked up another of our compositions, Pin A Medal On Mary. It was like falling off a log. We also had a strong new song called Starry Eyes, which was a shameless re-write of Eddie and the Hot Rods’ Do Anything You Wanna Do. When we were asked to join the Be Stiff Tour, as Rachel Sweet’s backing group, we confidently stated out terms, i.e. ‘give us our own spot in the show’. Stiff agreed and we were on the train. No wonder we were feeling pretty cocky when the record labels came knocking. For a brief moment we were red hot, or at least, fairly warm. The Be Stiff Tour was the perfect launch pad for The Records, especially when we all went to New York to play four nights at the Bottom Line and we had some freshly-pressed copies of Starry Eyes up our sleeves. Virgin Records signed us. In early 1979, with Starry Eyes getting US airplay as ‘an import’, we started recording our debut LP, Shades In Bed, with producer Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange and engineer Tim Friese-Green. Mutt and Tim worked endless hours honing the sound and although the Boston-style harmony guitar lines came as a bit of a shock, the whole thing sounded like a real record. A few words about the songs: In addition to Teenarama and Up All Night, which were originally demoed with the aforementioned Brian Alterman on guitar, John and I wrote Insomnia and All Messed Up And Ready To Go, the latter with Wreckless Eric in mind. Girls That Don’t Exist, an old Kursaals song co-written with Richie Bull, was substantially overhauled in the studio by Mutt Lange. The Phone was largely Huw’s creation; it features a Jane Aire cameo vocal and was recorded at the eleventh hour to replace Rock’n’Roll Love Letter, which had bombed as a single. Another Star was a re-write of another early song, Held Up High, whilst Starry Eyes was re-recorded for the LP. Huw and Phil contributed much to the arrangements throughout. Huw shared the songwriting credits on Affection Rejected, our attempt at a Badfinger-style rock-a-ballad, whilst Phil had a hand in Girl (our Cheap Trick moment). We also recorded a bonus EP (‘High Heels’), with four cover versions of favourite songs on which we each took a lead vocal. In the USA, our LP would be distributed by Atlantic, who represented the Virgin label there. The Americans re-titled the LP ‘The Records’, and re-vamped the sleeve. This involved Atlantic’s art director and a photographer coming to London, carrying an illuminated ‘The Records’ sign. The photo session took place in the wholly unique atmosphere of Dobell’s record shop in Shaftesbury Avenue. In May we went on a UK tour as support to The Jam. We were a few years older than Paul Weller and Co and his young audiences didn’t really take to us, but the experience was invaluable as preparation for our first full American tour. This was the realisation of a long-held dream - eight whole weeks in the land of neon. America was an eye-opener. Acts whose records we had previously collected, such as the Dbs and the Rubinoos, opened for us! Conversely, we supported others, including a number of dates with Joe Jackson and opening for The Cars in New York’s Central Park (a real buttock-clencher). The Virgin/ Atlantic publicity machine never slept as our debut LP scaled the charts. In every town we visited we did a dozen interviews, two radio stations, an in-store appearance and a more or less sold-out show. I’m sure it’s a familiar story for any group ‘breaking’ America. Your record company’s Vice-President of record promotion accompanies you to numerous radio stations. You discover that he is on first name terms with all the disc jockeys and you ask yourself, ‘how come this guy has so many friends?’ Writers whose songs you’ve covered turn up at your shows, sometimes bearing tapes. In our case Tim Moore (Rock’n’Roll Love Letter) and Blue Ash’s Frank Secich (Abracadabra - Have You Seen Her). You meet stars: in LA, the legendary Kim Fowley; on Long Island, Billy Joel, who comes backstage for a spot of tie-swapping (and you get lumbered with Billy’s kipper). Flo And Eddie show up everywhere, and in Cleveland your phone rings at eight in the morning and a female voice asks, ‘which one are you in the photograph?’ Following our 1979 US tour we commenced recording our next LP with producer Craig Leon. We also played some dates in Europe opening for Robert Palmer, after which Huw left the the group. End of Part One Never heard of John Wicks and The Records? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You should talk to: The Searchers Too Much Joy Mary Chapin Carpenter Peter Holsapple (dBs) The Gin Blossoms These acts have each covered songs written by John Wicks and The Records. Haven't heard enough? Consider this: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · The Records were one ot the most influential pop bands to come out of England during the New Wave era. They were the first pop act ever signed to Virgin Records, and a band music critics call "The British Big Star". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · The Records anthem "Starry Eyes" is still in active rotation on many modern rock stations, including heritage alternative WHFS-FM in Washington, DC - where it's one of the most requested songs of all time. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · "Starry Eyes" had a long ride in Billboard's Hot 100, stopping just short of the Top 40. Just look at the attached Billboard chart, where The Records' single logs in above singles from Cheap Trick, The Cars-even Neil Young. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · John Wicks was the singer and main songwriter for The Records, writing songs not only for his own band, but for other acts including Rachel Sweet and The Searchers. John Wicks and The Records official site The Records homepage 1979-2005 official fan site The Records Starring John Wicks Jude Cole Phil Brown Will Birch Huw Gower Dave Whelan Chris Gent and Ian Gibbons from The Kinks The Records Teenarama The Records Starry Eyes The Records Hearts In Her Eyes The Records Crashes The Records Music On Both Sides The Records Shades In Bed John Wicks and The Records Rock 'Ola John Wicks and The Records Yellow Pills The Records power pop UK supergroup have reformed. John Wicks and The Records are recording a new album called "Rotate" will be in stores shortly. "Rotate" will be The Records compact disc for 2005. The Records Official Merchandise The Records official tour dates The Records world tour 2005 The Records rare interviews The Records archives The Records poster John Wicks and The Records live dvd John Wicks and The Records Live In Spain DVD John Wicks and The Records are interviewed on new fleetwood Mac dvd John Wicks and The Records appear on Tsunami Disaster Relief Fund Cd entitled Of Hands and Hearts Music for the tsunami disaster relief fund cd John Wicks and The Records Crashes Cd now available John Wicks and The Records Shades In Bed cd now available John Wicks and The Records toured with The Jam 1979 The Records popmeister Television Generation The Records popsicle records Live at The Rodeo John Wicks and The Records with Al Stewart year of the cat The Records with Ian Gibbons The Kinks JOHN WICKS AND THE RECORDS PLAY GIBSON GUITARS, FENDER BASS GUITARS, DEAN MARKLEY STRINGS, LUDWIG DRUMS AND REMO HEADS, FENDER · Caroline Records and Virgin Records have each bowed to consumer pressure and have reissued the 1988 CD compilation from The Records, called "Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses." Polygram Music Publishing has just signed a contract with John Wicks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interested? Now get this: John Wicks is bringing back The Records, performing his hit songs-both old and new- for his huge cult following and today's younger pop fans. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Wicks and The Records. Now you've heard. Spread the word. The Records The Records are best remembered for their cult classic, Starry Eyes , a song that defined British power pop in the 70s. While they never matched the success of that record, their high-quality output from 1979 to 1982 held up better than most of the era and has also served as a blueprint for the various waves of UK and US power pop since. Within their genre, they're seen as giants, yet the general public has missed them for the most part. The band was formed around 1977, when pub rockers Kursaal Flyers broke up. The drummer from the band, Will Birch, and vocalist/guitarist John Wicks, began writing together, inspired by the pure-pop tradition of The Raspberries, Badfinger and Big Star. By 1978, they had completed the group by adding bassist Phil Brown and guitarist Huw Gower. After a series of live gigs, they released their debut, Starry Eyes. They received some valuable early exposure on the Stiff label's Be Stiff tour which, lead to their signing with Virgin Records. Wicks and Birch continued to churn out should-have-been-hit pop classics over the next three years and three albums ;1979's Shades in Bed (released in a slightly modified form as The Records in the US), 1980s Crashes and 1982s Music on Both Sides . The band broke up in 1982, though they reformed temporarily in 1990 to contribute a track to a Brian Wilson tribute album. Birch went on to become a notable music critic and historian. Since then, The Records have reformed as John Wicks and The Records and have continued to tour and record. October 2004/Passport Productions Celebrating the 25th anniversary release of their international smash hit, "My Sharona," "Getting The Knack" explores the group's dynamic and often controversial career via candid interviews with the original band and 3 special appearances from the legendary John Wicks of John Wicks and The Records. Other appearances are from Producers Mike Chapman and Jack Douglas, Sharona Alperin, (the inspiration behind the song), Steve Jones of The Sex Pistols, Rick Springfield, Elliot Easton of The Cars, Devo's Bob Mothersbaugh, comedian Weird Al Yankovic. There is also coverage of the band's early jam session with Bruce Springsteen. Presentation Narrated by Cherie Currie of The Runaways. The DVD will be available October 5th, and will be available in stores such as Tower Records. The DVD can also be ordered through Amazon and other online retailers. The Records,John Wicks and The Records,starry eyes,teenarama,hearts in her eyes,crashes, shades in bed,music on both sides,new wave,classic rock,power pop,punk rock,virgin,jude cole,huw gower,will birch,john wicks,phil brown,ian gibbons,the kinks,merchandise The Records are now called John Wicks and The Records. Please refer to the official John Wicks and The Records website www.johnwicksandtherecords.com John Wicks and The Records crashes cd is available on the official John Wicks and The Records website http://www.johnwicksandtherecords.com The album features Jude Cole on vocals and guitar, with John Wicks, Phil Brown, Huw Gower and Will Birch. The Records Crashes CD On Virgin Records 1980 CD reissue Photo is below. Album includes Jude Cole on Vocals/Guitar, John Wicks on Vocals/Guitar, Will Birch on Drums, Phil Brown on Bass and Huw Gower on Guitar. This album has been re-issued through Virgin Records for On The Beach Recordings. The songs on this cd have been digitally re-mastered. Includes bonus tracks and rarities. THE RECORDS PAYING FOR THE SUMMER OF LOVE CD Photo is below. Album includes John Wicks on Vocals/Guitar, Will Birch on Drums, Phil Brown on Bass and Huw Gower on Guitar. This album has been re-issued through Virgin Records for Angel Air Records. The songs on this cd have been digitally re-mastered. Includes bonus tracks and rarities. THE RECORDS SHADES IN BED CD 1979 VIRGIN RECORDS RE-ISSUE Photo is below. Album includes John Wicks on Vocals/Guitar, Will Birch on Drums, Phil Brown on Bass and Huw Gower on Guitar. This album has been re-issued through Virgin Records for On The Beach Recordings. The songs on this cd have been digitally re-mastered. Includes the "High Heels" bonus ep with bonus tracks and rarities. THE RECORDS COTTON T-SHIRTS THESE T-SHIRTS ARE LICENSED EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH http://www.johnwicksandtherecords.com and are 100% Pre-Shrunk Heavyweight Cotton THE RECORDS ROCK 'OLA Originally released on Rock Indiana. 10 tracks of melodic distortion and high-energy rock 'n roll. Includes guest appearances by Angus Young (AC/DC), Ringo Starr (The Beatles), Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) and Rick Ocasek (The Cars). THE RECORDS MUSIC ON BOTH SIDES The Records' third album on Virgin Records. Originally released in 1982.THE RECORDS A SUNNY AFTERNOON IN WATERLOO Released on Line Germany. 8 tracks of pure rock 'n roll with r&b energy similar to The Small Faces and The Faces. Includes Huw Gower on guitar, John Wicks on guitar/vocals, Will Birch on drums and Phil Brown on bass. John Wicks and The Records/Paul Collins' Beat Tour Merchandise 2004 In association with Punkflix Merchandisers, official band merchandise may be purchased at all concerts. Vendors will be selling merchandise pertaining to John Wicks and The Records and Paul Collins' Beat, as part of the shared 2004 world tour.THE RECORDS POSTERS AND POSTCARDS Due to an excessive demand, we have sold out of all posters and postcards. Please be patient as these items are both on back-order. As you may know, The Records' merchandise is very much in demand and as a result, sells very quickly. SCROLL BELOW FOR NEW MERCHANDISE At this time, we are unable to sell merchandise through the fan club. John Wicks and The Records are selling this official merchandise through their website http://www.johnwicksandtherecords.com Amigos-Im a huge fan of The Revillos and I remember seeing them many years ago, before some of you were born. Now that I'm older and retired, I have time to pull out my old Revillos lps such as "Rev Up" and "Totally Alive In London." There was another band also from UK called The Records. I found out that The Records are now called John Wicks and The Records and they still tour playing those songs I loved, such as "Starry Eyes" "Teenarama" and "Hearts In Her Eyes." I went to their site http://www.johnwicksandtherecords.com or www.johnwicksandtherecords.com on some and I'm happy to see theyre still writing, recording and touring today. Their first album "Shades In Bed" had Starry Eyes and Teenarama and it has been reissued on digitally remastered cd through Virgin Records. The Records' second album "Crashes" has also just been released through Virgin Records on digitally remastered cd. I already had "Paying for the summer of love," so I didn't need to buy that one. So the songs by John Wicks and The Records from nowadays sound very good. They have "Her Stars are my stars" and the new album "Rotate." Those audio samples sounded good, but they leave you wanting more, like an incomplete Revillos bootleg. I'd like to see a tour where The Revillos tour as The Rezillos and they play with John Wicks and The Records. How could I get in contact with John Wicks and The Records to talk to them about this? Your friend, Calvin Pros: John Wicks and The Records made this great album in 1982. I found out it is only available on vinyl from www.johnwicksandtherecords.com but it is good still as lp Cons: John Wicks and The Records have not released this album in remastered cd form yet. But www.johnwicksandtherecords.com has pictures of this classic album for you to see. Also Jude Cole is not on here neither is Huw Gower or Ian Gibbons for example. Amigos- The Records are still around but now called John Wicks and The Records. They still play the hits like Starry Eyes Teenarama Girl and Hearts In Her Eyes but they have some new songs that rock too. This vinyl is a 1982 UK release on lp and it does not have Ian Gibbons or Jude Cole or Huw Gower playing on it for example. Also the tracks on here are not remastered the same way and don't sound as good as the new albums on cd like Crashes or Shades In Bed for example. Rock Ola is a great album although its not remastered like the new one on the box set. The songs stay true to the classic sound of The Records with the loud guitars and perfect vocals. Jude Cole was in the Records but hes not on this album. Neither is Huw Gower on this album. Jude Cole has had a great solo songwriter career and Huw Gower has been playing with Rick Springfield , Graham Parker , Carlene Carter and The Rooks. The Records first album called Shades In Bed was produced by Mutt Lange who produced Ac/Dc Highway to Hell a week later. Mutt Lange now writes and produces his wife Shania Twain a pop legend around the world as well. I saw The Records open for The Cars and Joe Jackson both were good live shows. The Records now call themselves John Wicks and The Records because John Wicks is writing songs for people like Mary Chapin Carpenter Joy Division and The Searchers. Shades In bed came out in what 2002 or 2003 on cd? The 2nd album Crashes has just been remastered and released on cd with bonus tracks and is sold everywhere in the world. It sounds better than the crusty old vinyl I've got but I've got all their material already anyways. I just ordered the 2 new tee shirts from the official John Wicks and the Records site: www.johnwicksandtherecords.com Your friend, Calvin STARRY EYED IN THE VALLEY ~Valley Boy~ ~ By ERIK HIMMELSBACH ~ ind the Englishman in the British Pub. It’s like playing Where’s Waldo, only with a pint in your hand. It sounds tricky, yet once inside, it’s not as tough as you might think. Studio City’s Fox and Hounds is rockin’ in that Friday night blow-off-steam sort of way, but something is definitely askew. The appearance checks out – the bar’s decked out with the requisite décor of Boddingtons Ale mirrors, Arsenal Football Club flags, plentiful on-tap options of fine English brew. But looks are deceiving. I didn’t see a crowd entranced by that crucial Division Three matchup between Hull and Cheltenham on any of the many televisions that hover overhead. Instead, it’s all SoCal: Lakers playoff game, Dodgers game, Angels game. And the crowd? Few British accents but plenty of inebriated frat boy types – obnoxious, loud, bellowing in a primitive shorthand of grunts that would require subtitles to understand. By process of elimination, then, it was fairly easy to find the person I was looking for. Stood out like a sore thumb, really. He was the one over in the corner with his mates. The guy with the tinted granny glasses, thinning blond mullet, Syd Barrett T-shirt, and jeans. Has aging rock bloke written all over him. Except that he was eating nachos instead of bangers. Ladies and gents, I bring you John Wicks. A man who rode the new wave in England 25 years ago as a principal member of the Records, a criminally unsung band who’ve been described (at least by the All Music Guide) as the British Big Star. But after a three-year run (roughly 1979-82), it was over. Really over. Which may explain why he lives in obscurity in Burbank. To hear him tell it, obscurity sure beats the hell out of rigor mortis. Though the 51-year-old is a card-carrying power-pop deity, Wicks may have more in common with musical elders Barrett, late of early Pink Floyd, and Fleetwood Mac founding guitarist Peter Green. Each was a talented fellow who happened to flip his lid. John Wicks’ musical career was a blip, a caress with success, largely due to the Records’ “Starry Eyes,” a lovely track that snapped, crackled, and popped with energetic verve and sharp Byrdsian riffs. It bubbled under in the U.S. and became the band’s calling card. After “Starry Eyes,” though, there would be no more hits, no more near misses. Nor would there be any second chances for Wicks in England. By the mid-’80s he had been cast aside for younger, newer blood. He was clinging to the Records’ name, drowning in a legal morass, and money was scarce. “If you’re from England and you’ve been around the block, the second time around nobody really cares,” he says matter-of-factly. With a self-esteem he admits was low to begin with, the failure proved all too much for the guitarist. And so he went mad. He leans in against the bar, shouting over the noise. “Mentally I never really came back from it.” Years were lost, relationships spontaneously combusted. When Wicks finally resurfaced in 1994, he found himself in the U.S., in Arlington, Virginia. “I thought I could put a band together,” he says, which he dubbed John Wicks and the Records, “to see if I was bankable enough to get an agency. Everybody wanted me to play but nobody wanted to pay me real money. “Many times I wanted to pack it in. In 1998, I came to L.A. and tried to record an album and I ran out of money,” he says. With life’s clock pounding away, pragmatism began to rear its ugly head: Wicks began selling real estate in Virginia. “I did it for a while. I wore the suit and I looked the part, but I just realized it wasn’t me. But I had to find out.” Now ensconced in middle age, Wicks at last gave in to the muse, this time without strings attached. By the end of the century, he returned to Los Angeles for good. “Whether I make it – whatever that means – isn’t really the point. I’ve got to do music whether I make money or not,” he says. “I still want to write songs, whether they make money or not. I feel like I have something to say.” These days, Wicks spends most of his time in the studio, working on new Records’ songs, as well as collaborating with Zack Nilsson (Harry’s boy) and Randy Hoffman in an outfit called WHeN. Without the burden of chasing the brass ring, Wicks is finally comfortable with his lot in life. “I think I’ve wasted too much time being so far down,” he says. “I’m making up for it now. What’s important is that I can write a good song. Never mind if David Geffen is interested. A good song is still a good song.” And on an unrelated note: In my last column I referred to Joseph Eichler as an architect. He was actually a developer. Sorry. My bad. The Records are best remembered for their cult classic, Starry Eyes , a song that defined British power pop in the 70s. While they never matched the success of that record, their high-quality output from 1979 to 1982 held up better than most of the era and has also served as a blueprint for the various waves of UK and US power pop since. Within their genre, they're seen as giants, yet the general public has missed them for the most part. The band was formed around 1977, when pub rockers Kursaal Flyers broke up. The drummer from the band, Will Birch, and vocalist/guitarist John Wicks, began writing together, inspired by the pure-pop tradition of The Raspberries, Badfinger and Big Star. By 1978, they had completed the group by adding bassist Phil Brown and guitarist Huw Gower. After a series of live gigs, they released their debut, Starry Eyes. They received some valuable early exposure on the Stiff label's Be Stiff tour which, lead to their signing with Virgin Records. Wicks and Birch continued to churn out should-have-been-hit pop classics over the next three years and three albums ;1979's Shades in Bed (released in a slightly modified form as The Records in the US), 1980s Crashes and 1982s Music on Both Sides . Shades in Bed (Virgin) 1979 The Records (Virgin) 1979 Crashes (Virgin) 1980 Music on Both Sides (Virgin Int'l) 1982 A Sunny Afternoon in Waterloo (Waterfront) 1988 Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses (Virgin) 1988 Paying for the Summer of Love (Skyclad) 1990 HUW GOWER Guitarophilia EP (X-Disque) 1984 JUDE COLE Jude Cole (Warner Bros.) 1987 A View from 3rd Street (Reprise) 1990 Like the Motors, the Records were reborn pub-rockers, who made a giant leap into the present by leaving their history behind and starting afresh with finely honed pop craftsmanship and the full-scale record company support they had never previously enjoyed. While the Motors went for grandiose production numbers, the Records — led by ex-Kursaal Flyer drummer/songwriter Will Birch — made sharp, tuneful confections that offered maximum hooks-per- groove in a classic Anglo-pop style not unlike the Hollies, with similarly brilliant harmonies and ringing guitars. Shades in Bed (resequenced, retitled The Records and dressed in a completely different cover for America) is a wonderful LP, featuring song after song of pure pop with clever lyrics and winning melodies. Almost every track could have been a single; "Starry Eyes" and "Teenarama" were actually released, which left "Girls That Don't Exist," "Affection Rejected" and "Girl" as untested chart material. The English album included a bonus 12-inch, High Heels (an untitled 7-inch in the US), of the Records doing four classic tracks, including the Kinks' "See My Friends" and Spirit's "1984." Crashes, produced mainly by Craig Leon, showcased a revised lineup. (Although American Jude Cole took over Huw Gower's guitar slot in time for the album cover and credits, the extent of his role on the LP is unclear. Barry Martin, who was in the Kursaal Flyers and later in the Hamsters, was subsequently acknowledged as having played guitar on it.) Nothing here can match the first LP's charm except for two tracks produced by Mick Glossop — "Man with a Girl Proof Heart," written while Birch was still in the Kursaals, and "Hearts in Her Eyes," done better by the Searchers later that year. At best a weak rehash of the first LP, Crashes is passable, but hardly a great follow-up. After a two-year recording gap, Music on Both Sides introduced a new five-piece lineup, with guitarist Dave Whelan and singer Chris Gent joining the surviving core of Birch, bassist Phil Brown and guitarist John Wicks. Birch produced this muddled but generally pleasant album, which sounds like Rubber Soul with a crappy rock singer. Not a great parting shot, although less annoyingly precious than their early work. Two years after leaving the Records, Gower resurfaced a continent away in David Johansen's band. His subsequent solo EP is pretty much in the Records' vein: well-crafted, unprepossessing rock-pop, but without their often-cloying preciousness. An earnest enough performer, the left-handed guitarist is a limited songwriter and not much of a singer; the EP's best track is a fascinating cover of Graeme Douglas' brilliant "Do Anything You Wanna Do," originally recorded by Eddie and the Hot Rods. (Illinois guitarist/singer Cole has also pursued a solo career; his albums of slickly commercial heartland rock display no vestiges of the Records' joyful power pop.) Unexpectedly, the late '80s saw a sudden resurgence of Records records. (The original group even got back together long enough to cut a version of Brian Wilson's "Darlin," for 1990's Smiles, Vibes, & Harmony tribute record.) A Sunny Afternoon in Waterloo — the fruits of a one-day '78 songwriting demo session — finds the Records playing simple, hard-driving Rockpilish rock'n'roll, reportedly in the hopes of selling some songs Birch had written with Dr. Feelgood, then enjoying large UK success, in mind. Although the effort was commercially unsuccessful, the loss was all Dr. F's, as the music is brilliant, a taut mixture of strong melodies and amusing lyrics about loving, drinking and driving. Another set of demos — recorded during '78 as preparation for the Records' first album — comprise the bulk of the white-vinyl Paying for the Summer of Love. All but two of Shades in Bed's songs appear in raw — but perfectly presentable, and not drastically different — form here, alongside self- produced renditions of other early tracks ("Hearts in Her Eyes," B-sides like "Wives and Mothers of Tomorrow" and "Held Up High," and "If I Write Your Number in My Book," written for — but unrecorded by — Rachel Sweet). A delightful companion piece. Although by no means definitive, Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses is a carefully annotated 20-song compilation containing about half each of the first two albums, a modest three-song reminder of the third, a couple of B-sides ("Held Up High" and "Paint Her Face") and previously unreleased outtakes of "I Don't Remember Your Name" and "The Same Mistakes" (two songs that appear on Crashes). In a case of rarer isn't necessarily better, the CD ends with a previously unreleased Mick Glossop-produced version of "Rock and Roll Love Letter" that isn't nearly as good as the band's 1979 single of the song. Through Josh Wink and King Britt, he met legendary producer John Wicks and quickly became his intern. "John Wicks is the sensei. He taught me how to make records," says Jones. "He's 50 years old and has a beautiful child, but still chills, makes records and owns a business. I hope to achieve the lifestyle that he has some day." Never heard of John Wicks and The Records? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You should talk to: The Searchers Too Much Joy Mary Chapin Carpenter Peter Holsapple (dBs) The Gin Blossoms These acts have each covered songs written by John Wicks and The Records. Haven't heard enough? Consider this: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · The Records were one ot the most influential pop bands to come out of England during the New Wave era. They were the first pop act ever signed to Virgin Records, and a band music critics call "The British Big Star". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · The Records anthem "Starry Eyes" is still in active rotation on many modern rock stations, including heritage alternative WHFS-FM in Washington, DC - where it's one of the most requested songs of all time. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · "Starry Eyes" had a long ride in Billboard's Hot 100, stopping just short of the Top 40. Just look at the attached Billboard chart, where The Records' single logs in above singles from Cheap Trick, The Cars-even Neil Young. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · John Wicks was the singer and main songwriter for The Records, writing songs not only for his own band, but for other acts including Rachel Sweet and The Searchers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- · Caroline Records and Virgin Records have each bowed to consumer pressure and have reissued the 1988 CD compilation from The Records, called "Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses." Polygram Music Publishing has just signed a contract with John Wicks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interested? Now get this: John Wicks is bringing back The Records, performing his hit songs-both old and new- for his huge cult following and today's younger pop fans. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Wicks and The Records. Now you've heard. Spread the word. Amigos-The Records are still around but now called John Wicks and The Records. They still play the hits like Starry Eyes, Teenarama and Girl, but they have some new songs that rock too. Mix of 70s rock, roots rock, power pop and Paul McCartney. Jude Cole was also in this band on the album Crashes, where he sang and played guitar for them. He was the only American in the band of course since The Records were English/British. Shades In bed (Virgin Records) came out in what 2002 or 2003 on cd? The 2nd album Crashes (Virgin Records) has just been remastered and released on cd with bonus tracks and is sold everywhere in the world. It sounds better than the crusty old vinyl I've got but I've got all their material already anyways. Music On Both Sides was the 3rd album by The Records released in 1982(Virgin Records) Calvin Previous reviewer: The Records are one of the all-time greatest bands. They toured with the likes of The Cars, The Jam with Paul Weller, The Police, Robert Palmer and Joe Jackson. The Kursaals formed in 1977 and reformed later, with John Wicks and Will Birch from The Records. As the Kursaals, they later disbanded. The final result was an all-star UK band known as The Records, containing John Wicks as lead singer/writer and rythm guitarist. Will Birch played the drums and co-wrote some of the songs with John Wicks. In 1979, The Records played numerous stadiums and club venues in support for Shades In bed, which was entitled The Records in the United States and contained alternate artwork. In 1980, The Records continued to please fans with their extraordinary rock and roll, while maintaining their trendy sensibility. Though he is now a full-scale producer and singer/songwriter, Jude Cole was vocalist and guitarist in The Records until 1980, when they quickly returned to the UK. Jude Cole moved to Los Angeles, where he expanded his career, playing bass for a rock legend and the man who brought us "Runaway," Del Shannon. In the coming years, Jude Cole would begin his solo career, recording numerous hit albums, with radio singles and videos on mtv. Hearts in her eyes was recorded by the Searchers and more recently by Mary Chapin Carpenter, an acclaimed singer/songwriter. The Records had singles that charted above Cheap Trick and Neil Young. The Records contained members of The Kursaal Flyers and formed in 1978 and disbanded in 1982. Today, The Records are known as John Wicks and the Records and they sound just as they did 25 years ago. The Records have an official site www.therecords.org and I went to www.johnwicksandtherecords.com and listened to some of the new recordings from John Wicks and The Records, which sound great! The site has an excellent 3-part biographical section, along with a complete discography, tour dates, a discussion forum and an archive. While The first album, Shades In Bed features John Wicks, Huw Gower, Will Birch and Phil Brown, the second album, Crashes features John Wicks, Jude Cole, Will Birch and Phil Brown. Shades In Bed features the hits Starry Eyes, Teenarama, Rock and roll Love Letter and See My friends a popular cover of the classic song "See My friends," by The Kinks. The Records Shades in bed album was produced by John Mutt Lange who went on to produce AC/DC Highway to Hell, Def Leppard and currently producing his wife the country rock and pop crossover Shania Twain. Crashes is the current cd re-issue, which included the hit "Hearts in Her eyes." The disc features Jude Cole on vocals and guitar. Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses is a greatest hits compilation, which serves as a great introductory for newer fans. Paying for the summer of love contains rare songs and tracks that have never been released on cd until now. John Wicks and The Records have recorded several albums, including Rock Ola and their newest album, entitled Rotate. Rock Ola is a stripped-down rock and roll album with songs of the same quality as the classic Records material. Rotate explores the different aspects of songwriting, while maintaining the quality and craftsmanship of the past recordings. Some say The Records were and still are Getting The Knack
Even with the hindsight and clarity of nearly two decades, it is difficult to describe the impact the Knack had on radio, fashion and rock and roll. The story of the Knack was all too familiar. An overnight success that was several years in the making. Songs that would ultimately find their way onto their multi-platinum deb |
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A huge draw in the LA club scene, the Knack played incessantly throughout California 1978 and early 1979. They revitalized live music in many of the older establishments which had been converted to disco dance halls, such as the Troubadour and Starwood with sellout crowds. Rolling Stone magazine followed the still unsigned band through several high profile performance jams with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, The Doors’ Ray Manzerak, Stephen Stills, and Eddie Money. Energetic sets featuring hard driving original music scattered with chestnuts from Buddy Holly, The Kinks and The Doors won them a loyal and enthusiastic following. 
to participate. However, the job went to someone the band hadn’t even considered, Mike Chapman. A songwriter and member of the hitmaking band Sweet, Mike Chapman had enjoyed a successful career behind the board as a producer, racking up an impressive run of number one records for Exile, Nick Gilder, and Blondie. Chapman read an article the LA Times which identified the producers the band most wanted to work with. His name wasn’t on the list. Sensing a blockbuster, Chapman convinced the band to allow him to produce and signed on. 
The band’s second effort, "But The Little Girls Understand" (released less than eight months after their debut) was recorded in two weeks, immediately went gold and sported a top 40 single "Baby Talks Dirty". Even as a "Knuke The Knack" campaign sprung up by an enterprising profiteer from San Francisco, industry peers nominated the boys for two Grammy awards. The band carried on, released another single "Can’t Put A Price On Love" and continued to tour into the spring of 1980, before taking a much needed break. 
In April of last year, the band performed to a capacity crowd at Hollywood's Viper Room. Among the audience was Harold Bronson, President of Rhino Records. The set included expected Knack standards, along with a handful of new songs. The audience reponse to both the old and new material was overwhelmingly positive. Bronson, a long time fan of the band's music, immediately brought the band to Rhino and commenced recording of a new CD. The result of this effort is "Zoom". The fourteen soon to be classic compositions were produced by Richard Bosworth (Don Henley, Steve Perry) and features the drumming of newest Knack member, Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa, Missing Persons). Demonstrating their commitment to the band, Rhino has also issued "Proof: The Very Best Of The Knack". This CD contains remastered versions of Knack classics and four new tracks not available on any other release. A solo record by Doug Fieger was released to greet the new millenium.