Skip to main content

The Associates

The Associates were a Scottish post-punk and pop band, formed in Dundee in the late 1970s by singer Billy Mackenzie and guitarist Alan Rankine. 

The group first gained recognition after releasing an unauthorized cover of David Bowie's "Boys Keep Swinging" as their debut single in 1979, which lead to a contract with Fiction Records.



They followed with their debut album 'The Affectionate Punch' in 1980 and the singles collection 'Fourth Drawer Down' in 1981.

The following year they scored hits with  "Party Fears Two" and "Club Country", during which time they were associated with the New Pop movement.




Rankine left the group that year, leaving MacKenzie to record under the Associates name until 1990.

I've also included their cover of 'Heart of Glass' made famous by Blondie.



Labels:

Popular Posts

The Rezillos

The Rezillos were a punk/new wave band formed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in th emid 1970s. Although they emerged at the same time as other bands in the punk rock movement, the Rezillos  took a more light-hearted approach to their songs. Their songs were heavily influenced by 1950s rock and roll, 1960s English beat music and garage rock, early 1970s glam rock, and recurring lyrical themes of science fiction and B movies; their influences mirrored those of US bands the Cramps and the B-52s, who were starting out at the same time.  The Rezillos' biggest hit in their home country was the UK Top 20 single " Top of the Pops " in 1978, but they are best known outside the UK for their cover version of " Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight ". Released in July 1978, the Rezillos' first studio album " Can't Stand the Rezillos " (and one of my favourite albums) is considered a classic of the first wave of British punk, but the group split up...
Read more