P.V.C.2 was a Glasgow-based punk band who emerged from the ashes of one-time promising teenybop band Slik who had been seen by many as the next Bay City Rollers.
There had been a #1 single in 1975 but the eponymous debut album the following year sunk without trace. The core of Slik – Midge Ure (vocals, guitar), Kenny Hyslop (drums) and Billy McIsaac (keyboards) – hooked up with Russell Webb (bass) and jumped upon the punk bandwagon, releasing a three-track EP on Zoom Records in August 1977, with the lead track being a Ure/McIssac joint composition:-
mp3: P.V.C.2 – Put You In The Picture
Within a few weeks, Ure had upped sticks for London, to join The Rich Kids, the new band formed by ex-Sex Pistol, Glen Matlock.
Put You In The Picture went with him and became part of the live set of his latest band, eventually being re-recorded to appear on the album, Ghosts of Princes In Towers.
Ure’s departure led to the other members of P.V.C. 2 to bring in Willie Gardner as the replacement and re-naming themselves as Zones, a story that will be told in more depth when this series reached the latter Z.
Let’s be honest. Put You In The Picture might be a tad punk-by-numbers, with more than a nod to the sort of sounds that were being made by The Stranglers, but it’s not a bad listen. It’s hard to believe that it’s Midge Ure on lead vocals mind you…..
This song comes to you courtesy of its inclusion in the Big Gold Dreams 5xCD boxset. I can’t ever recall hearing it prior to then.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 