Fingerprintz – THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN

Cure, Destroy All Monsters, Fingerprintz, Jilted John, Ramones, Those Naughty Lumps

SHAKEDOWN, 1979 (January, part three)

While lying on a beach in Barbados last month, it hit me that quite a few tremendous, or at the very least, interesting, singles from 1979 wouldn’t have made the charts and would therefore be missing from this series. So, the plan is to consult one of my reference books – in this case the mighty tome that is The Great Indie Discography by Martin C. Strong (Canongate Books Ltd, 2003 edition) – and find some 45s which didn’t sell in great numbers. These are from January 79.

mp3: The Cure – Killing An Arab

The band’s debut was released on 22 December 1978 on Small Wonder Records, and later in 1979 was given a re-release on Fiction Records. Those lucky enough to have a Small Wonder pressing could get £150 upwards if they wanted to sell it.

mp3: Destroy All Monsters – Bored

Destroy All Monsters came to be in Detroit in the mid-late 70s. The vocalist was Niagara, (real name Lynn Rovner), a former model and visual artist, while the musicians included, among others, Mike Davis (ex-MC5) and Ron Asheton (ex-Stooges). This was their debut single, released in the UK on a then newly-formed label, Cherry Red Records (Bored has the catalogue number Cherry 3). I think it would be fair to say that Sonic Youth were influenced by them.

mp3: Fingerprintz – Dancing With Myself

Debut single, on Virgin Records, of a London-based band whose singer Jimmie O’Neill was from the Glasgow area. Fingerprintz were perfectly described by Martin Strong:-

One of the earliest bands to translate the energy and anger of punk into a more accessible New Wave style, they were an obvious choice for Virgin.

mp3: Jilted John – True Love

The eponymous debut single had gone Top 5 in August 1978, but ultimately proved to be a one-hit wonder for the first alter-ego of Graham Fellows. There was an album, True Love Stories, which was produced by Martin Hannett, from which this single was lifted without much fanfare in January 1979. Twee-pop anyone?

mp3: The Ramones – She’s The One

This was the third single to be lifted from the Road To Ruin album, but if failed to trouble the charts. Its b-side, which could also be found on the album, is probably the better known song:-

mp3: The Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated

Bill Drummond has been around a long time. He’d been part of Big In Japan, whose debut (and only) single has been the first release on the Liverpool-based Zoo Records. He was also part of the band which who released the label’s second 45:-

mp3: Those Naughty Lumps – Iggy Pop’s Jacket

Bill played lead guitar on this one.

JC

Fingerprintz

SOME SONGS ARE GREAT SHORT STORIES (Chapter 39)

I remember as a 16-year old at school back in 1979 getting really excited about all the guitar-led New Wave bands that were springing up and wondering if there might be someone local to hook on to. That’s when I first became aware of Fingerprintz when they were mentioned in a local paper as having signed a deal with Virgin Records (which was a big thing at that time).

But I remember being disappointed to also read in the same article that while the main guys in the band were from just outside Glasgow, they were actually based in London, so there was no point in building up hopes of using a false ID to get along and see them.

One of the DJs on the local commercial radio station was also championing them on his weekly show, and I remember going out and buying their debut single the week it came out. But after that, I lost interest in the band – most certainly because I couldn’t see past The Jam for anyone else in among the football and the hope of landing the elusive serious girlfriend.

My rekindled interest in vinyl has led me, over time, to pick up second-hand copies of all three of the band’s albums released between 1979 and 1981 all of which have some very decent songs although there’s not quite enough throughout to completely hold my attention. The closing track on Distinguished Marks, released in 1980, (and whose sleeve was designed by Peter Saville), is a very much a short story:-

The metropolitan corps
Found a corpse in the middle of the night
And they wrote it down in their blackbooks
By the revolving blue light

The face has no name
The mouth doesn’t speak
He hasn’t shaved or brushed his teeth
For at least a week
Hide and seek

Another typical chore for the cops
They deserve a mention
The dirt from his nails in a plastic bag
Forensic attention

Any distinguishing marks?
Or a great physique?
Has he ever been kissed?
Is he on a missing list?
British, French Arab or Greek?
Ohhh, hide and seek.

mp3: Fingerprintz – Hide and Seek

A short story with a very inconclusive ending. I’ll admit, it’s not entirely satisfactory.

JC

Fingerprintz

SATURDAY’S SCOTTISH SONG : #96 : FINGERPRINTZ

This is another one that I wasn’t sure about including, but having decided that the Scottish frontman of this English-based band was such a key factor in their songs and sound that I’m edging them in.

Jimmie O’Neill and the late Cha (Charles) Burns are best known as being part of The Silencers, a band formed in Glasgow in the 80s and still going strong today. Prior to that, they had been half of Fingerprintz, a new wave band from London who released eight singles and three albums between 1979 and 1981, all on Virgin Records. Most of the songs were written by O’Neill, including this rather splendid debut 45 (albeit it is very much of its time and place):-

mp3 : Fingerprintz – Dancing With Myself

It didn’t trouble the charts; nor indeed did any of the band’s releases.