When Mick Jones got together Big Audio Dynamite, he certainly helped create a unique sound where Rock’n’Roll rubbed shoulders with a dance groove, it wasn’t long before others picked up the vibe, I’ve already posted some Lightning Strike and Romeo Street Gang, so now it’s time for some Chiefs of Relief. Their guitarist/vocalist Mathew Ashman was no stranger to pounding tribal rhythms, having previously played with Bow, Wow, Wow, prior to that he’d played in Adam And The Ants. Drummer Paul Cook ex Sex Pistol and Professional needs no introductions, the keyboard player used to play in Martian Dance, as for the bassist, who knows. As far as I’m aware the band only released Two singles; Freedom To Rock and Weekend, a self-titled album was also released, but only in the USA. Despite a big buzz in the music biz about the band, a tour with Big Audio Dynamite and appearances on TV programs The Tube and No.73 the band never really took off and faded away into obscurity. Mathew Ashman sadly died a few years back, Paul Cook continues to milk the Pistols for all they’re worth, which in 2008 should be about 50p but sadly retrolution seems to pay well, as for the rest of the band, once again who knows, and Mick Jones, well once again he took the lead with Carbon/Silicon by releasing Mpfree downloads only, an idea picked up upon in recent years by the likes of The Charlatans, Radiohead and a whole host of others. Anyway, enough waffle lets get on with the show. If you wanna hear the Chiefs of Relief singles + b-sides and a remix, just click! Shit, almost forgot; this post is for Harry the sometimes bastard, a regular irregular commenter from way back when I first started this blog, cheers mate.
Nuzz ... you da man! Thanks for that, I'll download and listen (getting extremely dewy eyed at the prospect)
ReplyDeleteHere's something for you ...
UK Decay Communities
Class of 1979 – 1989 Reunion III
Saturday 7th June 2008 6pm – 2am
Online ticket sales will cease 2am BST, June 7th 2008.
Online Tickets £10.00 available here
https://express.ts.com/k?ukdkcom
Ticket price on the door £12.50
http://www.ukdecay.co.uk/R3Bands/UKDK_R3_Program.pdf
UK Decay. Rubella Ballet, Click Click and more ...
Shame I can't make it, but if you go and manage to see the film of the carnival riot, that's me getting my head stoved in!!
Happy days!
Thanks again
Great post, thanks.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Ashman was the guitarist from Adam & the Ants and Bow Wow Wow. He died in London of diabetes related complications on 21st November 1995 at the age of 35.
Hi Nuzz, good post good band bit mean about Paul Cook milking the Sex Pistols legacy as he has his band Man Raze set to release an album about now, check 'em out here http://www.manraze.com/ also i have the Chiefs of Release album if anybody wants it i will put up a link here for them to d/l cheers.....
ReplyDeleteSaw Chiefs Of Relief a coupla times. Good band.
ReplyDeleteOnly comment I have to make about Cook is that I find it highly amusing that the Pistols are still managing to get up peoples noses (Including mine on occasion) thirty one years on.
No problem Monsieur le b'stard, I can't make the UK Decay do either. Didn't know Paul Cook had another band marky, I'll check 'em out, would love a link for COR album, mean...I dunno, maybee, maybee not, thing is I've always preffered the stuff the Pistols members did after they'd split, what I liked about 'em as a band was the attitude and like anon said the getting up the noses of people, and the fact they still do, hasn't been lost on me either.
ReplyDeleteReference the comment on Matt Ashman's diabetes, Nick Hawkins (see the Romeo Street Gang post) was also diabetic
ReplyDeleteHere's Nick's MySpace for anyone interested ...
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=42834757
Listening to COR as I type, I ain't fussed about Cooky's Pistol's stuff, although I think he is overlooked for his other work
Saw a documentary recently about Edwyn Collins, he was bashing the skins for EC as well
Despite the Pistols (IMHO) being a joke, Matlock, Cook, Jones and Lydon have made their mark on music/history, I doubt very much that music would be the same today without their input
BUT as I said that's my opinion, I'm sure that will no doubt rub someone up the wrong way, remember though, opinions are like arseholes, everyone's got one!
--- Freedom to Rock, still a choon!
Oh yeah, if the album gets floated I'm there ....
ReplyDeleteSex Pistols love 'em or loathe 'em who cares they were and still are here annoying people and that's the point isn't it, I just think it's great that Glen Matlock is getting his dues he taught 'em to play and wrote most of the Pistols tunes and he's a real genuine geezer, Fat forty and back was fun, shite fifty and sad maybe not but the point is here we are still talking about 'em, they put the Bollocks back into rock 'n' roll literally and for that they earn my respect.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's fair to say they've just lived of the Pistols legacy tho'
here's a list for yer
Paul Cook :
Lightning Raiders
Professionals / Greedies
Johnny Thunders - So Alone
Joan Jett - Bad Reputation
Bananarama produced 1st single
Chiefs of Relief
Vic Goddard
Edwyn Collins
The Slits
Man Raze
Steve Jones
Avengers - producer
Lightning Raiders
Professionals / Greedies
Johnny Thunders - So Alone
Joan Jett - Bad Reputation
Iggy pop
Chequered Past
Pilsen
Neurotic Outsiders
Glen Matlock
Rich Kids
Spectres
Iggy Pop
Concrete Bulletproof Invisible
London Cowboys
Johnny Thunders
The Mavericks
The Phillistines
John Lydon
P.I.L.
Time Zone
Leftfield Lydon
John Lydon - psycho's path
...and too many more too mention.
Anyway nuff yaking here's the Chiefs of Relief for yer 'ave fun
http://rapidshare.com/files/119974822/CHIEFS_OF_RELIEF.rar
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCheers for that marky, don't think much more needs to be said re:The Pistols, luv 'em or hate 'em you can't ignore 'em. Have you checked out Bernie Rhodes web page marky ?(the links over to the left in the check 'em out list)only found it after reading a bit in this months mojo, which incidently I only bought cos it had interviews with Cook, Jones, Matlock and Lydon in, which are well worth a read, anyway back to Bernies site, that's an interesting read aswell. Thanks again marky.
ReplyDeleteCheers Nuzz, checked out Bernies site interesting stuff indeed hope you like the COR album the best blog keeps on keeping on.
ReplyDeletewww.sangambayard-c-m.com
ReplyDelete