It’s a second appearance on the blog for Boots For Dancing. Last time around was in June 2019 with the airing of the song Ooh Bop Sh’Bam, something of theirs that I’d picked up via its inclusion within the Big Gold Dreams box set that I’ve referenced on many a previous occasion.
The previous posting attracted no comments. Better luck this time around?
A reminder……from wiki.
“The band was formed in late 1979 by Dave Carson (vocals), Graeme High (guitar), Dougie Barrie (bass), and Stuart Wright (drums). Showing influences from the likes of Gang of Four and The Pop Group, they signed to the Pop Aural label for their eponymous debut single, receiving airplay from John Peel.
In the next two years, the band had more line-up changes than releases, first with ex-Shake and Rezillos drummer Angel Paterson replacing Wright, to be replaced himself by Jamo Stewart and Dickie Fusco. Former Thursdays guitarist Mike Barclay then replaced High, who joined Delta 5. The band also added ex-Shake/Rezillos guitarist Jo Callis for second single “Rain Song”, issued in March 1981. Callis then left to join The Human League, with no further line-up changes before third single “Ooh Bop Sh’Bam” was released in early 1982. Barrie then departed, his replacement being ex-Flowers/Shake/Rezillos bassist Simon Templar and ex-Josef K drummer Ronnie Torrance replaced the departing Fusco and Stewart (the latter forming The Syndicate). The band split up later in 1982.
Between line-up changes, the band recorded two sessions for John Peel’s BBC radio show, in 1980 and 1981. In 2015 they reformed and released The Undisco Kidds, an album of recordings from the 1980s.”
Ooh Bop Sh’Bam was the first song of theirs that I picked up. I’ve since done a bit of digging, which is why the song on offer today is the debut single.
mp3: Boots For Dancing – Boots For Dancing
It’s decent enough in an angular post-punk sort of way without being groundbreaking. The wiki references to Gang of Four and The Pop Group certainly make sense.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
I saw them live just the once, at Teviot Row Student Union circa 1980 or 81. I’d gone along for the openers Everest the Hard Way who were one of my favourites and stuck around for Boots without knowing much more that their name. I remember thinking what a deeply improbable pop star Dave Carson was, but then most things were deeply improbable in those days. I’m glad they have a recorded legacy all the same to preserve that moment of DIY amateur punk-funk that was the rage.
My other memory of that gig was a friend overdoing the export lager and us having to pour her into a taxi with little confidence that she’d be able to climb out of it unaided and up the stairs to her room at the other end. Happily it appeared that she did since we saw her alive and well a couple of days later with no evidence that she might have spent the night in a privet hedge on the Dalkeith Road. I mean, we didn’t judge, we’ve all been there, haven’t we?
Think Jo Callis made a very wise decision in leaving to join the Human League.
I like it, thank you. Scratchy rhythms always get me going… Muddy Mike