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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 four months after its release, following internal arguments about their future direction. 



Other cool tracks were "My Baby does good sculptures"


and 'Flyng Saucer Attack'

After the Rezillos split, the band's guitarist and principal songwriter, Jo Callis, briefly joined a couple of unsuccessful Edinburgh post-punk groups before being invited to join The Human League. He went on to co-write some of The Human League's best known songs during their most successful period, including their biggest worldwide hit, "Don't You Want Me". 

The Rezillos' vocalists, Eugene Reynolds and Fay Fife, formed the Revillos, a group with an ever-changing line-up that continued where the Rezillos left off. I saw the Revillos when at University in about 1879/80, they were supported by the Gang of Four, if my memory serves me well.

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