Buzzcocks

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Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks 2006 in Brazil
Buzzcocks 2006 in Brazil
General information
origin Manchester , England
Genre (s) Punk , new wave , pop-punk
founding 1976, 1989
resolution 1981
Website buzzcocks.com
Founding members
Howard Devoto (until 1977)
Pete Shelley (until 2018)
Steve Diggle
John Maher (until 1992)
Current occupation
Steve Diggle
Chris Remington (since 2008)
Danny Farrant (since 2006)
former members
Vocals, guitar
 Pete Shelley † (1976–1981, 1989–2018)
singing
 Howard Devoto (1976-77)
bass
 Garth Smith (1976-77)
bass
 Steve Garvey (1977-81, 1989-92)
Drums
 John Maher (1976-81, 1989, 1992)
Drums
 Mike Joyce (1990-91)
Drums
 Phil Barker (1992-2006)
bass
 Tony Barber (1992-2008)

The Buzzcocks are an English punk band from the very beginning.

Their music can be described as quickly played, melodic punk. Unlike their role model, the Sex Pistols , Pete Shelley's lyrics at the time were not aimed at provoking the establishment . Instead, they revolved around more conventional topics such as love and growing up - albeit in a sometimes biting (self) ironic way. Their most famous song, which in the obituary of Pete Shelley in The Guardian was described as a “masterpiece” or “punk's anthem” , is Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) and has been covered by Billy Bragg , among others .

history

From left: Steve Diggle, Pete Shelley, Danny Farrant, Chris Remmington (2014)

The beginning of the Buzzcocks was a concert by the Sex Pistols. Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto met in Bolton at the Bolton Institute of Technology. Having become aware of one of the first articles about the Sex Pistols, they attended two concerts in London in February 1976. They were so enthusiastic about the performances that they decided to start a band themselves.

With Garth Smith on bass and drummer Mick Singleton they gave their first concert in February 1976 at a textile school. In order to be able to perform together with the Sex Pistols, they organized a concert in the Manchester "Lesser Free Trade Hall" in June 76. The Pistols actually performed. Shelley and Devoto didn't come to play, however, as their bass player and drummer left the band shortly before the concert. They found a replacement in Steve Diggle (* 1956) on bass and John Maher on drums. With this line-up, they made their debut at the Sex Pistols' second Manchester concert, again at the Lesser Free Trade Hall, just a month later. By the end of the year the Buzzcocks had made eleven appearances and released the EP Spiral Scratch on their own label "New Hormones" (first edition: 1000 copies). At the same time they had managed to establish Manchester as the second British punk metropolis next to London.

Highlights

Shortly after Spiral Scratch , Devoto left the band and started his own project with Magazine . Pete Shelley now took over the part of the singer and set a striking contrast with his high, almost tearful voice to the otherwise rather rough style of most other contemporary punk bands. Steve Diggle switched from bass to guitar. Garth Smith briefly got back on as bass player, but was soon replaced by Steve Garvey. With this line-up, the Buzzcocks signed with United Artists Records in September 1977 , which gave them artistic freedom.

In keeping with the band's name, the first single Orgasm Addict played ironically with the topic of sexuality. A novelty in punk in the 1970s. Also unusual for the genre was the sound of the buzzcocks, which effortlessly combined catchy pop melodies with angry guitar riffs and a driving drum kit. Similarities are more likely to be found in US bands like The Stooges or the Ramones .

Three groundbreaking albums were released in quick succession: Another Music in a Different Kitchen (March 1978), Love Bites (September 1978) and A Different Kind of Tension (August 1979). At the end of 1979 the singles compilation Singles Going Steady was released . The high productivity, numerous concerts as well as alcohol and other drug problems led to growing tensions among the musicians. In addition, United Artists Records was bought by the EMI Group in 1980 . The new management led to more control of the band and caused further dissatisfaction. While the band was working on their fourth album in early 1981, EMI first wanted to re-release the singles collection. The Buzzcocks opposed this. Under these circumstances, the label was unwilling to pay an advance for the recording costs of the new album, whereupon Shelley, who had no interest in a dispute in court, disbanded the band.

Solo paths

After the breakup, Shelley tried his hand at a solo career, but apart from the single hit Homosapien, it was not a great success. Diggle founded Flag of Convenience with Maher , from which the latter immediately withdrew. Garvey played for a few years with a New York band called Motivation.

reunion

Steve Diggle, Pete Shelley, Danny Farrant and Chris Remmington at Hellfest 2013

In 1989 the four musicians got together again and gave a reunion tour. After the tour, Maher and Garvey left the band. For a short time, former The Smiths drummer Mike Joyce took the place on drums before being replaced by Phil Barker. With Tony Barber on bass, the new Buzzcocks lineup recorded their first album Trade Test Transmission in 1993 . Several concerts followed until the fifth Buzzcocks album All Set was released in the spring of 1996 . Modern was released three years later , followed by the 2003 album Buzzcocks . A month after the release of the studio album Flat-Pack Philosophy in March 2006, drummer Phil Barker left the group and was replaced by Danny Farrant.

Discography

Albums

year title Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
UK UK US US
1978 Another Music in a Different Kitchen UK15th
silver
silver

(111 weeks)UK 		-
Love bites UK13
silver
silver

(9 weeks)UK 		-
1979 A different kind of tension UK26 (3 weeks)
UK 		US163 (1 week)
US

more publishments

  • 1993: Trade Test Transmissions
  • 1996: All Set
  • 1999: Modern
  • 2003: Buzzcocks
  • 2006: Flat-Pack Philosophy
  • 2014: The Way

Live albums

  • 1988: Lest We Forget (Live 1979/80)
  • 1989: Live at the Roxy Club April '77 (Live April 2, 1977)
  • 1992: Entertaining Friends (Live March 31, 1979)
  • 1995: Encore du Pain (Live in Paris) (Live April 12, 1995)
  • 2008: 30

Compilations

  • 1979: Singles Going Steady (singles compilation for USA, September 25, 1979, UK:goldgold)
  • 1981: Parts 1-3
  • 1987: Total Pop
  • 1989: The Peel Sessions Album
  • 1989: Product
  • 1991: Operator's Manual: Buzzcocks Best
  • 1997: Chronology
  • 1997: I Don't Mind The Buzzcocks
  • 2000: Time's Up
  • 2000: Ever Fallen in Love? Buzzcocks Finest
  • 2003: Inventory
  • 2004: The Complete Singles Anthology

EPs

year title Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
UK UK US US
1977 Spiral scratch UK31 (6 weeks)
UK 		-
1989 The Fab Four UK89 (2 weeks)
UK 		-

more publishments

  • 1978: I Am the Amazing Buzzcocks EP
  • 1981: Parts 1-3
  • 1987: Peel Sessions
  • 1987: The Early Years Live
  • 1991: Alive Tonight
  • 1993: Innocent
  • 1993: Do It
  • 1994: Libertine Angel

Singles

year Title
album 		Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
UK UK US US
1978 What do I get?
 UK37 (3 weeks)
UK 		-
I Don't Mind
Another Music in a Different Kitchen 		UK55 (2 weeks)
UK 		-
Love you more
 UK34 (6 weeks)
UK 		-
Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)
Love Bites 		UK12
silver
silver

(11 weeks)UK 		-
Promises
 UK20 (10 weeks)
UK 		-
1979 Everybody's Happy Nowadays
 UK29 (6 weeks)
UK 		-
Harmony in My Head
 UK32 (6 weeks)
UK 		-
1980 Part 1
 UK61 (3 weeks)
UK 		-

more publishments

  • 1977: Orgasm Addict
  • 1978: Moving Away from the Pulsebeat
  • 1979: You Say You Don't Love Me
  • 1980: I Believe
  • 1980: Part 2
  • 1980: Part 3
  • 1996: isolation
  • 1996: Autumn Stone
  • 1996: Totally from the Heart
  • 1997: What Do I Get?
  • 1999: Promotional Product
  • 2003: Jerk
  • 2003: Sick City Sometimes
  • 2006: Wish I Never Loved You
  • 2006: Sell ​​You Everything
  • 2007: Reconciliation

literature

  • Howard Devoto: It Only Looks as If it Hurts: The Complete Lyrics 1976-90. Black Spring Press, London 1994.
  • Tony McGartland: Buzzcocks - The Complete History. Omnibus Press, 1995.
  • Steve Diggle, Terry Rawlings: Harmony In My Head: The Original Buzzcock Steve Diggle's Rock 'n' Roll Odyssey. Helter Skelter Publishing, 2003.

Web links

Commons : Buzzcocks  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Dave Simpson: Pete Shelley on making Buzzcocks' masterpiece Ever Fallen in Love. In: The Guardian , December 7, 2018, accessed December 7, 2018.
  2. ↑ Buzzcocks: Singer Pete Shelley is dead. In: Rolling Stone , December 7, 2018, accessed December 7, 2018.
  3. ↑ Death at 63: Buzzcocks front man Pete Shelley has died. In: BNN , December 7, 2018, accessed December 7, 2018.
  4. ↑ Punk band Buzzcocks singer Pete Shelley has died. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung , December 6, 2018, accessed on December 7, 2018.
  5. ↑ a b c Chart sources: UK
  6. ↑ a b c Music Sales Awards: UK