Between April 1978 and July 1979, Buzzcocks cemented a place in my list of all-time great bands thanks in part to a couple of great albums, but in the main to a run of seven truly incredibly pop singles that were released roughly ever three or four months, thus making it feel as if the band were never out of the charts (these were the days kids when a single that went to something like #22 would spend three or four weeks in the chart - if it went Top 10, it was around for months)Each of these singles were radio-friendly classics, with wonderful b-sides, all packaged in hugely distinctive covers that looked great when you flicked through them in the square box that I'm sure every 15/16 year old kept their precious bits of plastic in - mine were black or red and were bought in Woolworths (R.I.P.)
The seventh of these was the only one that didn't feature a lead vocal from mainman Pete Shelley, instead being the responsibility of lead guitarist Steve Diggle. In some ways it has become single that most folk have forgotten about. It wasn't a massive hit - it only reached #32, thus breaking a run of three successive Top 30 placings that went back to Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't Have) the previous September. Sadly, despite Buzzcocks releasing another three singles later in 1979 and in 1980, this was the last time they would ever have their name read out on the Sunday evening countdown.
mp3 : Buzzcocks - Harmony In My Head
mp3 : Buzzcocks - Something's Gone Wrong Again
Happy Listening.
2 comments:
This one of those under played overlooked classics, and shows that punk was as much 'pop' as 'punch'...
I Don't Mind is another Buzzcocks belter
I think I read somewhere that the reviewer in Sounds, not realizing "Harmony in My Head" was Diggle's vocal, commented that Pete Shelley's voice had "hardened".
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