Eddie And The Hot Rods
Formed in 1975, this quintet from Southend, Essex, England, originally comprised Barrie Masters (vocals), Lew Lewis (harmonica), Paul Gray (bass), Dave Higgs (guitar), Steve Nicol (drums) plus "Eddie", a short-lived dummy that Masters pummelled on stage. After one classic single, "Writing On The Wall", Lewis left, though he appeared on the high-energy "Horseplay", the b-side of their cover of Sam The Sham And The Pharoahs' "Wooly Bully". Generally regarded as a younger, more energetic version of Dr. Feelgood, the Rods pursued a tricky route between the conservatism of pub rock and the radicalism of punk. During the summer of 1976, the group broke house records at the Marquee Club with a scorching series of raucous, sweat-drenched performances. Their power was well captured on a live EP, which included a cover of ? And The Mysterians' "96 Tears" and a clever amalgamation of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" and Them's "Gloria". The arrival of guitarist Graeme Douglas from the Kursaal Flyers gave the group a more commercial edge and a distinctive jingle-jangle sound. A guest appearance on former MC5 singer Rob Tyner's "Till The Night Is Gone" was followed by the strident "Do Anything You Wanna Do", which provided a Top 10 hit in the UK. A fine second album, Life On The Line, was striking enough to suggest a long-term future, but the group fell victim to diminishing returns. Douglas left, followed by Gray, who joined the Damned. Masters disbanded the group for a spell but re-formed the unit for pub gigs and small label appearances. Gasoline Days was a depressingly retro affair.
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- Teenage Depression
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