The Primitives Interview 1991 - at a Freshers’ Ball in Coventry

 

The Primitives interview 1991 - at a Freshers’ Ball in Coventry

by Pete Clemons

Since reforming during 2009, The Primitives have performed in Europe, made several visits to the US and Japan as well as touring the UK multiple times.

November will see The Primitives return to Coventry to play 2 gigs at the Tin on the canal basin. These dates, and the preceding tour, underlines a remarkable 40 years in existence for the band.

And that fact kind of upends the assertion made in the following interview from 1991 that The Primitives were a one hit wonder type band. That said, as you will read, it wasn't a bad interview.

Although they have had a number of hit singles and appeared on Top of the Pops three times the major success of Crash has pretty much left The Primitives in the category of one hit wonders.

They took time out after their sound check on Thursday afternoon to talk to me about the past, the present and the future.

“They only say one hit wonders ’cos it stayed in the top ten for around six weeks — two of our other singles have also got in the top thirty”, P.J. Court, vocalist and guitarist, quickly defends The Primitives’ right to long term status. In fact the band has been together now for six years.

So, how did they first meet? “The usual thing: someone wants a guitarist and I got asked to join — I knew about two chords. The singer left and Tracy joined through an advert,” P.J. explains.

The record deal came later when they hit the top of the Indie charts, as Tracy told me: “We were doing the usual gigs in London where A&R men scout and we had interest from three or four record companies. Obviously you go with the better deal.”

What about the comparisons that have been made with Velvet Underground and Transvision Vamp? “As for the Velvets, it is a bit over-exaggerated when people say I steal all their rifts — there is only one that I actually used, "admits Court," it’s just a matter of influence coming through.”

And so for Wendy James, or “the poor man’s Barbara Windsor ”so P.J. put it, Tracy had this to say, “I think you only have to listen to their records to see that the only comparison you can make is that we’ve both got blond hair. There’s more to us than one of those bands that just has a girl lead singer.”

After major tours in America and Japan, what comes next? “We’re going to be stronger and faster than ever in 1992" promises Tracy. “We’ll be doing a substantial tour and we’ve got a new album coming out in January /February time.” There’s a new chord on this one, confirms P.J., and it’s not from the Velvets.

And what’s going to give them staying power? “We’re believable. When you hear the album there’s really good songs on it. It probably will get in the charts, but we’re not looking for the sort of success we had with Crash - to us that was a bit of a fluke. You’ve got to be true to yourself.”

What about advise for aspiring new musicians at Warwick? “Have loads of money. Decide what you want to be like and have a definite plan. We didn’t really have one and it was all a bit thrown together looking back.”

My overall impression of The Primitives was that they are unwilling to reconcile musical integrity with commercial success, hence, unlike contemporaries such as Transvision Vamp, they have no intention of selling out. Good luck to them.

During 1992, and as indicated during the chat, The Primitives fourth album 'Galore' was indeed released. It was met with positivity.

Coventry’s own Primitives have managed to clean up their live sound without losing the energy of their music. The steady but not lavish drum beat and typical bass lines are swollen under some decent guitar playing. Vocal Harmonies are set above the instruments, producing a sound that’s not so much unique as simply clever. Gems include Lead Me Astray Cold Enough to Kill and the ultimate number The Little Black Eggs. Penultimately Smile reminisces to the days of Velvet Underground. The eye-catching, poppy strewn outer sleeve is fantastic, but the liner notes are conspicuously lacking. The visual quality is there, but it leaves you with nothing to do while taking that all important first listen. This album may be classified by some as Indie - Dance. Although the Indie feel is there, the album, released on RCA, doesn’t quite lend itself to the rave / disco scene. All in all, Galore is a worthwhile record and a worthy successor to the band’s last release, Ravish.

November 1973: New York Dolls

 

November 1973: New York Dolls

by Pete Clemons

Sadly David Johansen, lead singer of the New York Dolls, passed away recently. David had been the last surviving member of the classic line up of the glam and protopunk band. On one of the New York Dolls earliest, and rare, visits to the UK during 1973 they appeared at Warwick University.

Some critics dismissed them as an unserious group of amateurs who could not play or sing while others noted their dress sense and the resemblance of Johansen and Thunders to that of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

Guitarist Roddy 'Radiation' Byers was at the Warwick Uni gig and called it a life changing experience. Several students, however, begged to differ. These were different times and the New York Dolls were here to shock and shake things up in every possible way.

The line-up during that 1973 gig consisted of vocalist Johansen, guitarist Johnny Thunders, bassist Arthur Kane, guitarist, pianist Sylvain Sylvain, and drummer Jerry Nolan.

Several previews of the Warwick gig, which – yes – attracted some violence, appeared the nearer the gig approached............

The New York Dolls Yes dahhhlings they're here . Divinely decadent, superbly sexy, long, lean and licentious - dig this, if you can. Not quite drag, as the Dolls would be the first to admit, but certainly a vision out of the ordinaire. A taste for the bizarre? Interested honey? Say, did somebody mention music.....music? "The New York Dolls are trash, they play rock'n'roll like sluts." - Nick Kent. Not much more to say, lovelies. just come and wet your pants to the most outrageous band yet.

A preview appeared on the day of the gig...........

The Final Fall into Depravity It is with grave concern that we have followed the blatant attack on the moral standards of our society in recent years. In an age of declining morals, it is particularly disquieting to see the intellectual cream of the country condoning, and even encouraging moral laxity. The University of Warwick has recently gained notoriety in this respect, by allowing and even promoting entertainment of a lewd and offensive nature. In the past, we have had to put up with corrupt performances by theatrical groups before audiences largely composed of young people who are in the formative period of their life: even nudity and simulated drug-taking has been presented as a form of "art." More recently new depths have been reached.

Information has now reached us that tonight an unthinkable depth of depravity will be reached, when students - in what is supposed to be an institute of learning and education in the widest sense - will be exposed to a rock 'n' roll band 'The New York Dolls'.

This group has emerged from the gutters of New York - the Gomorrha of the Western World. These young men - if we may take the liberty of describing them thus - have the audacity to flaunt their perversions in public and on the stage. It should be realised that these and other groups purposely work towards the corruption of clean and decent youth. If the University cannot keep the Students' Union in check, then it is clear that the Director of Public Prosecution should be informed about this state of affairs forthwith. It is time that those of us who are older and wiser, those of us who have had experience of life, should act to protect the moral welfare of innocent youngsters who cannot yet be expected to judge that which is in their best interests.

After the gig a follow up letter mentioned......The excuse for this was the disturbance on the night the New York Dolls appeared, made by people dressed up in drag and with make-up plastered all over them. You try and tell me that students are supposed to have a higher grade of intelligence than most people.