So read the advert Dave Berk put in the paper, to find a replacement for the newly departed Ray Burns(captain Sensible) in 1976, to which two applicants replied,one Slimey Toad,and someone unknown called Chrissie Hynde.Now they could take their much under-rehearsed repatoire on the road......(see the rare Live at the Roxy 1977 download below,which is the complete double set they played for the "Live at the Roxy" album,for which they contributed the classic 'Hard Lovin' Man')
'Basically',life would have been different if the original scene punk rocker types released their own records........the Sex Pistols "Spunk", for example, could have sold in the 100's of thousands,and they could have kept all the money, and made the beast they had helped to create in to an unstoppable monster. The same goes for the Clash, they never even tried, straight on the fast lane to rock stardom.
Yes, 'Tomcats!'....Johnny Moped used to sell the music contained on these brightly coloured discs on "The Original Johnny Moped Bootleg" cassette at their gigs. Containing all the drunken insanity of their bedroom sessions, from their earliest recordings from 1974 to some studio out-takes from '77.
The personnel on this madness, included Dave Berk (Damned,Henry Badowski,and King), Captain Sensible (Damned,King), Xerxes, Fred Berk, Slimey Toad,Johnny's infamous 'Bird' Brenda,but there's no appearance of the mythical Chrissie Hynde, who apparently left and became world famous in some group called The Pretenders or something!
In true DIY tradition, the good Captain is often utilised on suitcase to provide the percussive elements.
This is the real sound of the streets from 1974-76, no designer clothing involved here, and definitely no hippies involved. And further evidence that real basic rock'n'roll existed before the Ramones 1st LP,and there were many other similar groups all over the UK.
Johnny Moped gigs were infamous: Slimey Toad specialised in ridiculous outfits & PA stack climbing – & you never knew what was going to come out of Johnny’s mouth at any given moment (diatribes, abuse, surreal episodes). They often played with totally the wrong type of groups – got caught up in the Punk v Metal wars – & toured with Motorhead! They even once played the Hammersmith Odeon – & got booed ON – only to leave the stage to 2,000 people chanting: “Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!”
This is Proto-DIY!!
Tracklist:
1) Johnny's Intro
2) Groovy Ruby
3) Little Queenie
4) Starting A Moped
5) Hard Lovin' Man
6) The Wolf And Dracula/Was That Good?
7) Thanks For Making It To Side 2/3-D Time
8) Somethin' Else
9) These Students
10) Hellrazor
11) You Out There ...
12) Hi Tomcats, Phone
13) Hi Tomcats, Studio
14) I Wanna Die
15) I Believed Her Lies/Musical Bore
16) I. A Zombie
17) Moped
18) Wee Wee
19) Radio Leeds Interview
20) Little Queenie
21) Cut Across Shorty
22) Ruby Don't Take Your Love To The Vibrators/Boogie City
23) Save The Baby Seals
24) Johnny's Underpants
25) Incendiary Device
26) New Rose
Download The Johnny Moped Bootleg Tapes HERE!
plus....Johnny Moped live at the Roxy 1977:
set one01. Groovy Ruby
02. Wild Breed
03. Little Queenie
04. Hell Razor
05. 3D Time
06. Incendiary Device
07. Something Else
08. No One
09. Hard Lovin' Man
set two
10. Groovy Ruby
11. Wild Breed
12. Little Queenie
13. Hell Razor
14. 3D Time
15. Incendiary Device
16. Something Else
17. No One
18. Hard Lovin' Man
and DOWNLOAD Johnny Moped Live at the ROxy 1977 HERE!!!!!!Its the whole set,TWICE! not just one track!
