When I first started shaking a leg (or 'flapping' if it was The Cramps) at clubs back in the early eighties, Crocs in Rayleigh was the place to go if you were in the sunny Southend area. Marmite, Piley and I were regulars at Crocs alongside Depeche Mode (who played their debut show there), Boy George, Steve Strange and various other celebrity Blitz Kids, Punks and Pysco Billies that hoofed it down from London for the cheap drink (50p a pint before 10) and top tunes spun by resident DJ 'Fatman'.
This Mixwit comp is a rough sampler of the sound of the crowd from Crocs around the 1982/84 period until it eventually became refitted in chrome, mirrors and plastic palm trees and rebranded as the 'Pink Toothbrush'. One tune that was a guaranteed banker and fitted formats of all local clubs at the time...
The Monkey House - sounds for alt.student crowd
Chesters - Electro night on Wednesdays
Zero Six - Jazz Funk for Casuals and Soul Boys
T.O.T.S - Eighties Disco
was the Bobby O produced Ronni Griffith track 'The Best Part Of Breaking Up'. Unfortunatley but understandably Mixwit's database didn't stretch to this eighties obscurity, so I've loaded it up below...
Ronni Griffith - The Best Part Of Breaking Up
I will be loading up a hard copy of this mix at some point - but on a similar theme the good people at Punk Globe magazine invited me to submit a 'Top Ten' of anything for the April issue - which is now on their website and includes my top tunes and random items that I've been buzzing on recently - s'here if you fancy a peep Punk Globe Top Tens. (They've also loaded up my Brian James interview too - in case you missed it first time round)
17 comments:
What a fab trip down memory lane...
You’ve got me reminiscing about the old days PM...
I remember The Monkey House and Chesters well - it was fun wasn't it?
What a fantabulous mixwit. I have had at least five major flashbacks listening to that lot and I had forgot all about Fad Gadget. It made me want to cake even more purple lipstick on and whirl my arms around a bit whilst slurping warm lager and/or cider. I know of Crocs/Pink Toothbrush as my parents used to rent Lord Rayleigh's Butlers Lodge for years and we went for little local forays now and again on our bikes. And we used to hide in his woods and smoke dope and generally trespass and be bad. Happy days. Sticky floors, beer and stale fags in hair smell. Nice.
Lil - it was a right ol' tear up Chesters could be a bit of a Barley Wine blur though - and do you remember Raines near the Odeon too?
RM That's exactly the vibe (with a bit of dry ice too)It's amazing how many of these electro fizzery tracks get overlooked or forgotten Fad Gadget, Pete Shelley and Animal Magnet. I'll let you know when the down loadable version is up, (I'll also be adding in 'Drac's Back' Red Lipstique - remember that?). I've got some great front row pics of The Damned live at Crocs - they'll be right up your street.
Mondo - every time i thought i'd caught you out with one you missed, the next click it was there! Think you got the lot!
Although didn't see Lana Pellays Pistol in my Pocket! or that 'There aint nobody here but us chickens' no idea who it was by though.
A couple of years later and you can add:
Flesh for Lulu - Cat Burglar
Trans X - Living on Video
Killing Joke - Love Like Blood
Leather Nun - Gimme Gimme Gimme
Pogues - Irish Rover
Good post, great memories!
Piley - There Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens - Louis Jordan
Ash in Drag by the Mystery Girls?
Great post!
Even though in a Barley wine 'n' Black partial coma at the time - I fondly remember loads...
I do remember Raines PM - didn't go there very much though!
Mal - that's spooky I was only trawling round the net last week looking for 'Ash In Drag' - no luck with the track - but did find a vid here.
Perhaps Flesh For Lulu 'Subterraneans' should go on the list too.
Lil - Gold Label Barley Wine was rotten stuff wasn't it? And to think I used to keep a case of it at home and in my car sometimes (to sneak in for a cheapy nights out)
ive been flappin round my front room to mr pop ... monky house was such a properly unique thing ..along with my bleeched white flat top of the day.... wat was the meteors tune tunks used to play?? oh and goo goo muck was on 6music this aft too....i instantly was 18 again!!
rain was pretty special i seem to remember . and then the out right lack of any class award had to go to zhivago's ... day time student lash ups, askin lasses for birthday easter, christmas and new year snog in one to save time..... is my secret out now???
Bleech - 'The Crusher' was another one I couldn't find on mixit either.
That technique was a winner, and what with my birthday being so close to Christmas, which is next to New Years a right ol' smoochy doo all round
zhivago's - I'd forgotten about that - what a riot!
Bleecher PM - naughty tactic's!
Some great memories Mondo. Even if it is through a Purple (Nasty) Haze.
your entire youth can be saved by clubs like this - preston was a northern heck hole but at least it had the warehouse for everyone with funny hair and unsuitable shoes. the best thing was going to the mudd club and heaven knows wherer else when i got to london and hearing exactly the same records...
top stuff - and hell don't the cramps still sound fine. i wish i'd gone to see them last time they were here now
MB - I've got a few photos of us lot at Crocs, I may have to blog them at some point.
Ally
I never went to the Mudd Club, but did do The Beat Route (once) and Camden Palace a few times where Wednesday nights were best, as it was full of 'Smash Hits' type celebs who'd just finished filming Top Of The Pops. You're right, some of these tunes hold up so well - Pete Shelley, Gina X and Animal Magnet.
Yep, got quite a few goodies here. I'm gonna have to pull out Fireside Favourites now. Could be Fufu Stew goes MONDO part deux...
Just got in from work after a grueling overnight stay so "good night, Gracie". I'll catch up to you soon.
Good lord, you've captured my youth. I was a Crocs regular at that very same time...how I remember the poor BR staff cowering at Rayleigh station, as 400 mixed punks and flat-tops mobbed the milk train at 3am so we could all get back to Ilford. I also remember the really nasty fight at the station one Christmas Eve...
I wonder what happened to the original live crocodile they used to keep in that glass enclosure at Crocs? It probably died of asphyxiation from all the hairspray and poppers fumes.
Anyway, wonderful mixwit - cheers, hipster. See you at the reunion.
Hey Vince - your mighty new mix is along a similar sonic soundline.
ISBW - I'm amazed and boggled, have dropped you a note via your comments, drop me a line (email link is on my sidebar) I'd love to see who you knew.
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