My Favourite 45s of the Year: 1977 Quiz

Answer: Mink De Ville

Mink De Ville formed in about 1974, and for a time were one of the original house bands at the CBGB Club in New York, home of American Punk Rock. However, their music was unrelated to that of the Ramones, Blondie and Television and was not "punk" by any definition - rather, it had influences of Springsteen, the Drifters and Ben E. King. "Spanish Stroll" was a prime example of this, louche and a bit sleazy, with a Spanish guitar coming in at the end to enhance the Latin flavour engendered by the spoken Spanish lyrics in the song's middle section.

The first single from their 1977 album "Cabretta", it got to number 20 in the UK Singles Chart but failed to chart in the US.

Answer: Althea & Donna

Althea and Donna were two teenage girls in Jamaica who one day, without any serious intent, recorded some ad-lib lyrics over the instrumental reggae track "Three Piece Suite" by Trinity. Somehow John Peel got hold of a copy: it was on the B-side of a Jamaican import of "Calico Suit" by The Mighty Two, but he accidentally played the wrong side on his radio programme, and was then inundated with requests for it to be played again. I actually ordered a copy by post from Jamaica, but then the record company had the bright idea of (a) releasing it in the UK and (b) flying the girls over to London to appear on "Top of the Pops".

Despite an obviously very nervous performance they both looked great in "m'khaki suit and ting", and the next thing they knew they were at number one in the charts! It's a fun record, nothing serious but upbeat and positive.

It reached number one in the UK Singles Chart, but was not released in the US. It was also ranked at number two in John Peel's "Festive Fifty" list of listeners' favourite tracks for 1977.

Answer: The Ramones

As far as I was concerned the Ramones could do no wrong, and their third album "Rocket to Russia" was just another demonstration of their mastery. It included this gem, "Sheena is a Punk Rocker", which had been released as a single a few months before.

It's a great up-tempo song, and also one of the first to use the word "Punk" in its title. It went to number 81 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 22 in the UK Singles Chart. It was also ranked at number 457 in the 2004 "Rolling Stone" list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, at number 461 in the 2010 list, and at number 434 in the 2021 list.

Answer: The Clash

Hot on the heels of the Damned and the Sex Pistols came the Clash - except they were much more committed and serious in their outlook and political views, as demonstrated by songs such as "Career Opportunities", "Garageland" and "White Riot". Their third single release was this absolute classic, "Complete Control", written as a bitter criticism of their record label that had released a single ("Remote Control") from their debut album without asking the band first.
From the very first chord the song is full of anger, directed not only at their record label but also at managers who wanted "complete control" of the band's activities - to quote the song's lyrics, "They said we'd be artistically free, when we signed that bit of paper; they meant "let's make a lots of money and worry about it later". Brilliant - and all of it sung by Joe Strummer with his typical snarl.
It went to number 28 in the UK Singles Chart but was not released in the US. It was also ranked at number 361 in the 2004 "Rolling Stone" list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and at number two in John Peel's "Festive Fifty" list of listeners' favourite tracks for 1978.
In December 1977 I saw the Clash play at Queen's University, Belfast. It was quite simply the best gig I ever went to. They ran on stage, plugged their guitars in and launched straight into this song - and it was marvelous. One of the best records ever, it's one of the three I want played at my funeral.

Answer: Television

Not all Punk and New Wave was three-chord, 100mph thrash, and "Marquee Moon" by Television proves this. The band were regulars at CBGB in New York along with Talking Heads and Blondie, but they were all great musicians interested in jazz and improvisation.
The song is a ten-minute classic, full of interlocking drum, bass, rhythm guitar and lead guitar rhythms. Richard Lloyd contributes a short solo between the second and third verses, while Tom Verlaine plays a much longer solo after the third verse. Both these solos are extraordinary. The song got longer and longer in the playing; at the live concerts towards the end of the band it often lasted over 15 minutes, and band members had difficulty in remembering its structure and chords.
Released in the UK as both a 7" and a 12" single, it reached number 30 in the UK Singles Chart; it wasn't released in the US. It was also ranked at number 372 in the 2004 "Rolling Stone" list of the 500 greatest songs of all time and at number 173 in the 2021 list.

Answer: The Motors

After the demise of pub rock band Ducks Deluxe in 1975 a couple of former members of that band got together in early 1977 and formed the Motors. In March they debuted at the Marquee Club in London and recorded a session for the John Peel programme, in May they signed for Virgin Records and in September they released their first single, "Dancing the Night Away". And what a great single - punchy, a good intro, a great riff, and lots of power chords - just right for playing at 11 on the volume knob for a bop around the living room before going out for the night!
I was surprised to find out that it only got to number 42 in the UK Singles Chart. However the follow-up single, "Airport", got to number four in the UK, after which the band more-or-less folded. I remember reading at the time that Virgin Records took against the band because of the cover of their first album (imaginatively titled "1") - it was a close-up photo of the band, and it has to be said that none of them was particularly good-looking!
It's indicative, perhaps, of the band's transitory fame that this now more-or-less forgotten record was actually ranked at number one in John Peel's "Festive Fifty" list of listeners' favourite tracks for 1977.

Answer: David Bowie

Recorded in Berlin for the album of the same name it had little impact when first released, but "Heroes" by David Bowie is a classic example of what was once rated as a good song is now recognised as a great song. Using just a simple G - D sequence, the band created a throbbing pulse that built throughout the eight-minute song. A lot of Bowie's lyrics were improvised, but it's known that his inspiration was seeing the song's co-producer Tony Visconti kiss a woman (not his wife) outside the studio.
I loved this record from the first time I heard it, even though a lot of my friends were dismissing it as tedious and too dark. I found it hypnotic, and I loved the way that Bowie's voice built during the song, ending in almost a scream. It also reminded me of Neu!, my favourite German Krautrock band - there's a song called "Hero" on their "Neu! 75" album.
It failed to chart in the US but it reached number 24 in the UK Singles Chart; a re-issue after Bowie's death in 2016 reached number 12 in the UK. It was also ranked at number 46 in the 2004 "Rolling Stone" list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and at number 23 in the 2021 list. John Peel listeners ranked it at number 36 in his "Festive Fifty" list of listeners' favourite tracks for 1977, and many other publications have ranked it highly in similar "Best of All Time" charts.

Answer: Ian Dury and the Blockheads

Ian Dury first came to people's attention as the lead vocalist of the Pub Rock band Kilburn and the High Roads, before forming Ian Dury and the Blockheads. He contracted polio in 1949, which left him with paralysis and withering of his left leg, side and arm. He was a talented artist, attending the Royal College of Art under Peter Blake (designer of the cover of the "Sgt Pepper" album). He taught art in various colleges before turning to music in 1971 and eventually signing for Stiff Records in 1977.
His debut single was this gem, "Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll" ("they're all my brain and body need"). The BBC straightaway banned it owing to the licentiousness implied in its title, but John Peel and Annie Nightingale continued to promote it.
Stiff released the single in August 1977 but only made it available for two months. Consequently it only sold about 19,000 copies (one of them to me!) and failed to chart anywhere. However Dury carried on recording and by the next year he'd had a UK number one with "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick". Sadly, however, he died in 2000 at the age of 57.

Answer: The Jam

The Jam, a three-piece from South London, met as schoolkids in the early 1970s. They played mainly rock'n'roll music until lead guitarist and songwriter Paul Weller discovered the debut album by The Who, "My Generation", and became fascinated with Mod music and culture.

The new-look Jam were a band with attitude and influenced by hard rock, and their debut single "In the City" packed a lot of punch. It went to number 40 in the UK Singles Chart but was not released in the US; a 25th anniversary reissue went to number 36 in the UK.

The Jam went on to have four number one singles in the UK before breaking up in 1982; Paul Weller (aka "The Modfather") went on to form The Style Council, and remains one of the leading singer-songwriters of his generation.

Answer: Devo

Formed in Akron, Ohio, in 1973, Devo were weird. Their music was often discordant, experimental and merged with electronics, while vocals tended towards satire and social commentary. I thought they were brilliant! Their first single, "Mongoloid", failed to chart - possibly not surprising given the title - but their second single was an amazing cover of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction", totally reworked with a strange, jerky rhythm.

It went to number 41 in the UK Singles Chart but didn't chart in the US. A promising start by the band, and the backing of David Bowie ensured that Warner Brothers picked them up. Since then their output has remained resolutely off the wall, and they're now actively celebrating their 50th anniversary.