Ok, as this is the first in what (should be) a series of 10 posts on this topic, here’s a brief cover note about the Teenage Treats series of compilations and what I’ve managed to find out about them. They’re a series of bootleg compilations that came out on Xerox Records between 1997 and 2000. They get their name from a song by The Wasps that’s on two of the compilations, and they’re mainly focussed on the power-pop/mod side of things, and only stuff from the UK. Some of them were limited to about 100 copies each, and I believe are all well out of print.

I first came across them by downloading a torrent of five different albums off Punktorrents after thinking the description sounded worth a shot. Absolutely blew me away, and I tried to track down the other five albums, with no joy. In the end, a gentleman in Canada was kind enough to supply me with rips of the remaining five. Anyhow, given how much I love these, and how difficult I found it to find the remainder of them, I thought it’d be a good idea to stick them up here. I’ll be trying to find out as much information about each band featured, and anything else they put out.

So anyhow, onto Volume 1. Actually came out in 1998 at the same time as Volume 5 from what I’ve read, but I’ll put it first for the sake of running order.

Side 1

Track 1: Killers – Killer

This is from 1978, and it’s from the only LP they put out, which was entitled… Killer. It originally came out on Ariola (ARL 5003), but it looks like it’s been booted at least twice – once in Italy with no label or catalogue number, and once in the UK in 2004 on Teenage Lust (info from Record Collectors Of The World Unite here).

Here’s the LP sleeve from RCOTWU:

The Killers seem to have either gone by The Killers, or Joe Cool and The Killers (see Punk77.co.uk here). One LP on a disco based major label, and then vanishing. The greatest part from the Punk 77 page, the album was marketed as the “…album that will destroy you m***** f*****”. Punk 77 also say that Tony Mayberry then joined The Depressions.

The Killers were: vocals and guitar:John Clay, guitar: Suchard Thittichai, bass: Tony Mayberry, drums: Stuart Green

And here’s the MP3: Killers – Killer

Track 2: Razars – Idle Rich

This is from 1978, their second 7″ which came out on Charisma. Seeing as they formed in 1977, this is a band that’s only a year old. According to Punk 77, they share members with Third World War, the Soho Jets and Leo Sayer’s backing band…! Here’s the cover for Idle Rich, from Punk Rock From The UK:

The Razars were: vocals: Grant Stevens, vocals and guitar: Ant Glynne, bass and vocals: Jim Avery, drums: Gordon Barton. It looks like Grant Stevens is now a voice training artist in Berlin, put out a couple of solo albums, and is still involved in making music. According to his site, the Idle Rich 7″ release shared a producer with The Who. Ant Glynne seems to also still be heavily involved in music, as you can see from his site here. Check the quotes out at the bottom of the page!

Here’s the MP3: Razar – Idle Rich

Track 3: The Bears – On Me

Ok, so this is another track from 1978, which came out on Waldo’s Records Jazz Series (JS-001). They were from Watford, and featured ex-Wire members saxophonist Kris Kershaw and guitarist George Gill. Had two other releases – Insane / Decisions 7″ on Good Vibrations, and were on the Farewell To The Roxy compilation. According to Accelerated Decrepitude, they were originally called Smarter & The Average Bears. Incredible name. They had some appalling personal tragedies as well – their original singer Mick North was killed in a motorbike crash in September 1977 (along with Pete Perspex, while George Gill and girlfriend were assaulted for being Punks in 1978.

Here’s the cover to On Me, thanks to Irish Punk and New Wave Discography:

The Bears were: guitar: George Gill, saxophone: Kris Kershaw, bass: Ron West, drums: Cally Cameron, vocals: John Entrails.

A large amount of this detail came from a posting on Accelerated Decrepitude, which I heartily recommend as a good read.

You can find the Bears discography on Punk 77 here, along with an interview in Sounds here.

Here’s the MP3: The Bears – On Me.

Track 4: The Wasps – Teenage Treats

The track that gives its name to the entire series of compilations. I’m not going to try and gather bits of info together here, instead I just want to point you to the truly exhaustive section at Punk 77 here. Interviews with members of the band, cuttings, a full discography, etc.  Go on, shoo. This’ll still be here when you come back. I guarantee you it’s going to be one of the best reads you’ve had in a while, and it’s incredibly detailed.

The Wasps were: drums: Johnny Rich, bass: Steve Wollaston, guitar: Del May, vocals: Jesse Lynn-Dean.

Here’s the MP3: The Wasps – Teenage Treats.

Track 5: The Tours – Language School

Part of what’s already turning out to be interesting about this exercise is finding out what people from these band are up to nowadays. You look at guitarist Richard Mazda’s Wikipedia page and personal page, and you’ll discover he’s worked as a producer (and songwriter) with people like Neneh Cherry, Ultra Nate, Average White Band, The Fall, Tom Robinson, etc, etc. He’s also been in Eastenders playing a prison guard. Now that is a diverse career. Aside from Richard Mazda’s career, this was apparently John Peel’s second favourite song after Teenage Kicks. You can hear why.

The Tours were: guitar: Richard Mazda, vocals: Ronnie Mayor, bass: Steve Jeff, drums: Mark Spiers.

Here’s the MP3: Tours – Language School

Track 6: Apartment – The Car

1980 release, and the only release by Apartment. Came out Heartbeat, which STILL SEEM TO BE GOING. Awesome. Reading up on the history on that site, it looks like they were a driving force in the early punk scene in Bristol. Thanks to the wonders of Google, I can also direct you to an article written by one of the members of Apartment – Alan Griffiths here, with a full list of gigs and everything. This kind of detail and love is wonderful to find. I’d recommend reading the rest of the Bristol Archive Records site as well, as their byline says, they are a “record label dealing in Bristol post punk 1977 onwards. [they] aim to showcase music from the diverse Bristol Music scene and provide a historical account / document of all things Bristol that should never be forgotten.”

Here’s the MP3: Apartment – The Car

Side 2

Track 1: The Innocent Vicars – Starship 22

This came out in 1980 on the Class Of ’81 compilation on Upper Class. I can’t really find too much on The Innocent Vicars, but from this page on Wanderin’ Wilf’s Harp Surgery, it looks like they were school age band, and supported a prior incarnation of Kadgagoogoo. I’m guessing Wanderin’ Wilf is Richard Norris, aka one half of The Grid, so that’s another band member who is still involved in music. edit: Turns out Wanderin’ Wilf is actually Richard Taylor, not Richard Norris – see comments.

Here’s the MP3: The Innocent Vicars – Starship 22.

Track 2: Telescope – Bye Byes Ain’t Nice

This came out in 1977 on Pentagon Records, it was their only release. Can’t find much about them at all, but it looks like it goes for about £150 online at the mo. Bloody hell.

Cover from an eBay auction:

Here’s the MP3: Telescope – Bye Byes Ain’t Nice.

Track 3: AD 1984 – The Russians Are Coming

Again, I can’t find too much about this band. Even the generally amazing Punk 77 doesn’t really have much. All I can really do is quote what they say, and which I agree with – “this song is just so f***ing infectious. Shades of The Stranglers, and God knows what else. Get it. Listen to it. Love it…its a peach.”

This amazing cover is also from Punk 77.

AD 1984 were: solo bass: Glenn Howard, bass: Peter Stevenson, guitar: Dave Fancourt, drums: John Bell, vocals: Rob Ross, keyboard: Adam York.

Here’s the MP3: AD 1984 – The Russians Are Coming.

Track 4: Moskow – Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Moskow were a predecessor band to The Bolshoi – with Trevor Tanner and Jan Kalicki, and came from Trowbridge in the West Country. Apparently this single has been released three different times, once by themselves, once by Rialto, and once as a re-issue.

This cover’s a scan from World Of The Bolshoi.

Here’s the MP3: Moskow – Man From U.N.C.L.E..

Track 5: Wooden Gangsters – Vibrant Thigh

Vibrant Thigh featured Mark Hoyle on vocals, later of The Chameleons. There’s a large amount of artefacts relating to the band at Manchester District Music Archive here. Flyers, and also the cover of the compilation album that this is from – A Manchester Collection by Object Music. It appears that most of the bands were part of the Manchester Musicians Collective, of which there is a brief history here and here. Alumni of this collective? The Fall, Joy Division, and more. To quote the second link, the MMC had an emphasis on “public performance and [an] egalitarian ethic of shared gear, expertise, and, frequently, band-members.” It’s the same sort of thing we’d recognise as DIY today.

Here’s the cover to the compilation, from Last Days Of Man On Earth.

Here’s the MP3: Vibrant Thigh – Wooden Gangsters.

Track 6: Tea Set – B52-G

It’s another Watford band! Tea Set shared members with The Bears, who are also on this compilation. Formed at the Watford College of Art they sound like a a great laugh. How can you not love a song like this, or an EP called the Cups And Saucers EP? This came out on the Waldo label, side one is “One Lump – Infused by The Tea Set”, side two is “Two Lumps – Defused by The Tea Set”. According to 7″ From The Underground, Waldo’s generally was terrified of a hit, because most of the releases had detailed hand made inserts.

the Tea Set finally arrived with Waldo’s 003: the Cups and Saucers EP. This came in a fancy booklet, but it wasn’t a patch on their second, Parry Thomas, which arrived in a folder sleeve on four different colours of paper –with a poster, a card and a ‘tea bag’. Cally: “Most all of the Waldos releases were laboriously hand-assembled and packed in Phil’s living room. We dreaded a hit!”

I’d also recommend having a look at the band pictures on Last.FM here.

It looks like Philip Lloyd-Smee of Waldos is now a graphic designer in the music business – working with The Hollies, The Hamsters and the like under the name Waldo’s Design and Dream Emporium.

Cover from Discogs.com.

Here’s the MP3: The Tea Set – B52G

That concludes Teenage Treats Vol. 1. I’ll leave it a few days before starting on Vol. 2 I think.