The Vibrators

Infobox musical artist 2
Name = The Vibrators

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Img_capt = The Vibrators playing at Augustibuller 2007.
Background = group_or_band
Birth_name =
Alias =
Born =
Died =
Origin = London, England
Instrument =
Genre = Punk rock
Occupation =
Years_active = 1976-present
Label = Rak
Columbia
Epic Anagram Rat Race Ram Records
Carrere
FM/Revolver Dojo Track
Associated_acts = Chris Spedding, Bazooka Joe, The Stranglers, Roxy Music, Eater, The Members, UK Subs, Peter Gabriel, Peter Hammill
URL = [http://www.thevibrators.com/ The Vibrators' official site]
Current_members = Ian Carnochan (Knox) Pete
John ‘Eddie’ Edwards
Past_members =Pat Collier
John Ellis
Gary Tibbs Dave Birch Added Don Snow Ben Brierly Greg van Cook
Kip
Ian Woodcock
Phil Ram
Adrian Wyatt
Noel Thompson
Mickie Owen
Mark Duncan
Nigel Bennett
Darrell Bath
Nick Peckham
Robbie Tart

The Vibrators are an original and long-lived British punk rock band that formed in 1976.

History

The band was founded by Ian 'Knox' Carnochan, bassist Pat Collier, guitarist John Ellis, and drummer John 'Eddie' Edwards. They first came to public notice at the 100 Club when they backed Chris Spedding in 1976. On Spedding's recommendation, Mickie Most signed them to his record label RAK. Most produced their first single, "We Vibrate". The band also backed Spedding on his single, "Pogo Dancing".

The Vibrators recorded sessions at for John Peel at BBC Radio 1 in October 1976, June 1977, and February 1978. [ Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/artists/t/thevibrators/| title=BBC - Radio 1 - Keeping It Peel - The Vibrators:|accessdate=2007-12-03 ] They were one of the pioneering punk bands that played live in the first few months of London's Roxy Club. They headlined in January 1977, supported by The Drones, and in February they played twice at the venue. [ cite book|last=Thompson|first=Dave|year=2000|title=20th Century Rock & Roll-PUNK|publisher=Collector’s Guide Publication, Ontario, Canada|pages=p.61-62|isbn=978-1896522272 ] In March 1977 the band supported Iggy Pop on his British tour. Later that year they backed ex-Mott the Hoople frontman Ian Hunter.

The band signed to Epic Records in early 1977. Their debut album, "Pure Mania", reached the Top 50 of the UK Albums Chart. The album is well regarded by some music critics, and 17 years after its release, "The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music" named "Pure Mania" one of the best 50 punk albums of all-time. [ cite book |title= "Alternative Rock"|last= Thompson|first= Dave|year= 2000|publisher= Miller Freeman Books|location= San Francisco|pages= p.710|isbn= 0-87930-607-6|quote="Flashes of sheer brilliance (‘Whips & Furs’), weirdness (the many Ramones go down the pub songs), and endearing gaucheness (the perfect pop of ‘Baby Baby’ pummelled by the Stones-whipped lead guitar)".] [ cite web |url= http://wc06.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3pfexql5ldje |first=Mark |last=Deming |title= Review of ‘Pure Mania’ on Allmusic |quote= "Both Knox and Pat Collier had a genius for writing short, punchy songs with sneering melody lines and gutsy guitar breaks. If the Vibrators were into punk as a musical rather than a sociopolitical movement, it's obvious that they liked the music very much, and on that level their debut album stands the test of time quite well."] [cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|title=All Time Top 1000 Albums|publisher=Guinness Publishing, Enfield|pages=Chapter 9|isbn=978-0753502587]

The follow-up album, "V2", narrowly missed the UK Top 30. The only single to be taken from that album, "Automatic Lover", was also the only Vibrators’ single to reach the UK Top 40. It earned the band a TV appearance on the prime-time music show Top of the Pops. The Vibrators’ final single on Epic, "Judy Says (Knock You In The Head)", was released in June 1978. Years later it was included in "Mojo" magazine’s list of the best punk rock singles of all time. [cite news|publisher=Mojo"|date=October 2001|title=100 Punk Scorchers|pages=Issue 95]

The band's song "Troops Of Tomorrow", also covered by The Exploited, has become a punk anthem. fact|date=December 2007

During the 1980s, John Ellis recorded and toured frequently with Peter Hammill, and subsequently The Stranglers, eventually joining the latter full-time during the 1990s. Pat Collier went on to work closely with Robyn Hitchcock, producing and/or mixing a number of his albums (to which Knox also sometimes contributed). Despite numerous line-up changes, The Vibrators are still touring to this date as a three-piece; Carnochan and "Eddie" being the only original members.

The band's discography is notable for many live albums, outtakes, round-ups and best-ofs. One of the more recent is "Live Near The Seedy Mill Golf Course", released in the UK by Invisible Hands Music in 2003.

A lack of further chart activity, and with only one UK Top 40 single to their credit, sees the Vibrators join the list of one-hit wonders; a list that includes other UK punk and new wave acts such as The Banned, John Cooper Clarke, The Flying Lizards, Jilted John, 999, the Radio Stars, and the Rich Kids.

Legacy

The Belfast based punk group, Stiff Little Fingers, took its name from the Vibrators' song of the same title. It was penned by John Ellis, and appeared on the Vibrators' debut album, "Pure Mania".

Discography

tudio albums

* "Pure Mania" (Epic, EPC 82097, June 1977) # 49 UK Albums Chartcite book
first= David
last= Roberts
year= 2006
title= British Hit Singles & Albums
edition= 19th
publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
location= London
pages= p. 585
id= ISBN 1-904994-10-5]
* "V2" (Epic, EPC 82495, April 1978) # 33
* "Guilty" (Anagram, GRAM 002, 1982)
* "Alaska 127" - 1984
* "Fifth Amendment" - 1985
* "Recharged" - 1988
* "Meltdown" - 1988
* "Vicious Circle" - 1989
* "Volume 10" - 1990
* "Hunting For You" - 1994
* "Unpunked" - 1996
* "French Lessons With Correction" - 1997
* "Buzzin"' - 1999
* "Noise Boys" - 2000
* "Energize" - 2002
* "Punk: The Early Years" - 2006

ingles released before 1980

*"We Vibrate" / "Whips And Furs" (RAK, RAK 245, November 1976)
*"Pogo Dancing" / "The Pose" (RAK, RAK 246, November 1976)
*"Bad Times" / "No Heart" (RAK, RAK 253, March 1977)
*"Baby Baby" / "Into The Future" (Epic Records, SEPC 5302, May 1977)
*"London Girls" (Live) / "Stiff Little Fingers" (Live) (Epic Records, SEPC 5565, August 1977)
*"Automatic Lover" / "Destroy" (Epic Records, SEPC 6137, March 1978) # 35 UK Singles Chartcite book
first= David
last= Roberts
year= 2006
title= British Hit Singles & Albums
edition= 19th
publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
location= London
pages= p. 585
id= ISBN 1-904994-10-5]
*"Judy Says (Knock You In The Head)" / "Pure Mania" (Epic Records, SEPC 6393, June 1978) # 70

ee also

* List of British punk bands
* List of musicians in the first wave of punk music
* List of Peel sessions
* List of performers on Top of the Pops
* One-hit wonders in the UK
* Music of the United Kingdom (1970s)

References

External links

* [http://www.thevibrators.com/ Official site]
*amg|11:gq6ktr69kl6x|The Vibrators
* [http://www.punk77.co.uk/groups/vibrators.htm The Vibrators] on www.punk77.co.uk
* [http://punkmodpop.free.fr/vibrators_pic.htm The Vibrators] on Punkmodpop
* [http://www.trackrecords.co.uk/artists/the_vibrators/artist_tv.php The Vibrators] Track Records 2002 profile