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LINER NOTES

(jump to: Credits)

Yes. Jolson. This, according to a mimeographed sheet from No Bad Records of Dunfermline, was the original line-up of the Skids. The anonymous writer of this press release, which accompanied the first Skids single, was of the view that the band was 'destined for the top', and he was almost right. To quote further from his thoughtful paragraphs, the Skids were ‘causing a substantial “BUZZ”.’ and this time he was spot-on. This was early 1978 and for some months Scottish fanzines had been noising abroad the excellence of Messrs. Jolson. Plode, Adamson and Bomb, remarking that they had moved beyond the confines of pure punk and were evolving something entirely of their own devising, something; that was, or sit it was hinted, identifiable Scottish.

Thus it was that when No Bad NB1, 'Reasons’ ‘Test-tube Babies', and 'Charles', reached the sink-pits and stews of London, the Skids already enjoyed the first murmurings of a reputation, and when the band followed the record south they must have hoped for an enthusiastic reception. Back home they had been heard on Radio Forth. for Heaven's sake, and had supported the Stranglers in Edinburgh, and when they clambered on stage in a Stoke Newington pub they must have been disappointed at the mute, incurious glances of the few regulars which greeted them. Happily, my old brave ones, this performance was enough to win the Skids an outing on Radio 1 and a subsequent approach from Virgin Records.

The rest, I an tempted to say, is history.

First out of the Virgin gate was 'Sweet Suburbia'. ‘This white, vinyl record has a weird gimmick’ warned the company's effervescent promotions department mysteriously adding ‘You’ll like it’. ' ,
Consumers did, but only a bit, as the record pounced on the number 70 spot in the charts but then fell away into nothingness. ‘The Saints Are Coining’ improved on this, clawing it’s way as high as 48.

Next on our turntables was 'Into The Valley', released in February 1979, which reached the top ten, although the truly discerning preferred the reverse, 'TV Stars', assuredly the only record to date to bring together in song the stars of 'Coronation Street' and ‘Crossroads' along with Kenny Dalglish, the greatest living Scotsman, and this typist.

There were further hit singles, stirring LPs, and it wasn't too long before the music weeklies having come to terms with the idea that Richard Jolson was really Richard Jobson, spotted that he was also a likeable, gregarious, and highly quoteable chap. ‘Jobbo’, as we had to learn to call him, has never been backward at corning forward, and he took to this notoriety with definite enthusiasm, using it to his own advantage and diversing into poetry and the theatre.
After the Skids third LP, 'The Absolute Game', Stuart Adamson. by now a highly individual guitarist, resigned his commission, leaving Richard, brother to Meadowbank Thistle’s goal-hungry striker, John Jobson, to soldier on with bassist Russell Webb.

On the stage, amid locker-room gossip that he never simulated anything, no sirree. Richard was to be spotted spending evenings lying on top of the celebrated ingenue, Honey Bane, and he could he observed at artistic soirees declaiming his and other folks' poems in a firm and manly voice. Contemporary with this arts-lab activity Richard was working with Russell on ‘Joy’, an LP in which they ferreted back into Scottish history and culture, Despite a warm review from the Guardian, reaction to 'Joy' was pretty frosty and shortly after release the Skids were no more.

Brushing aside with a contemptuous snort all the usual stuff about legacies of fine music, the great sadness in the demise of this most admirable bands lies, for me, in that in his search for a Celtic identity and sound, Richard Jobson (nee Jolson) overlooked the fact that it was precisely these elements that distinguished the Skids from the post-punk herd in the first place.

If you don’t believe me, listen again.

John Peel

 

CREDITS

(jump to: Liner Notes)

Skids:Fanfare

Richard Jolson (vocals)
Alexander Plode (guitar)
Stuart Adamson (guitar)
Thomas Bomb (drums)

SIDE ONE

INTO THE VALLEY
Produced by David Batchelor
Taken from the Album SCARED TO DANCE (V2116) released March 1979.
Reeased as a single (VS241) February 1979

WORKING FOR THE YANKEE DOLLAR
Produced and engineered by Mick Glossup for Dukeslodge Enterprses Ltd.
Release as a single (VS306) November 1979, subsquently included on re-packaged Album DAYS IN EUROPA (V2138)

SWEET SUBURBIA
Produced by David Batchelor
Reeased as a single (VS227). September 1978.

A WOMAN IN WINTER
Produced and engineered by Mick Glossup for Dukeslodge Enterprses Ltd.
Taken from the album THE ABSOLUTE GAME (V2174); released September 1980.
Reeased as a single (VSK101) November 1980

MASQUERADE
Produced by Bill Nelson/John Leekie.
Reeased as a single (VS262) May 1979; subsequently a different mix was included on the re-packaged album DAYS IN EUROPA (V2138).

THE SAINTS ARE COMING
Produced by David Batchelor
Taken frm the abum SCARED TO DANCE. (V2116) release March 1979.
Released as part of the E.P. WIDE OPEN (VS232) October 1978

SIDE TWO

ANIMATION
Produced by Bil Nelson; mixed by Bruce Fairbairn.
Original version 1979; subsequently re-mixed for the re-packaged album.
Reeased as a single (VS323). February 1980.

OUT OF TOWN
Produced and engineered by Mick Glossup for Dukeslodge Enterprses Ltd.
Taken from the album THE ABSOLUTE GAME (V2174); released September 1980.

T.V. STARS
Recorded live at the Marquee 1.11.78. Produced by David Batchelor.
Released as B side of INTO THE VALLEY (VS241) February 1979.

OF ONE SKIN
Recorded live at Hammersmith Odeon 21.10.80.
Produced and engineered by Mick Glossup for Dukeslodge Enterprses Ltd.
Previously unreleased.

CHARADE
Produced by Bil Nelson; mixed by Bruce Fairbairn.
Original version taken from the album DAYS IN EUROPA (V2138) released October 1979. subsequently re-mixed for the re-packaged album, and released as a sngle (VS288) September 1979.

CIRCUS GAMES
Produced and engineered by Mick Glossup for Dukeslodge Enterprses Ltd.
Taken from the album THE ABSOLUTE GAME (V2174); released September 1980.
Released as a single (VS359) August 1980.

THE PLAYERS
RICHARD JOBSON: Vocals, guitar.
STUART ADAMSON: Guitars, synthesisers, vocals.
BILL SIMPSON: Bass on 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11.
TOM KELLICAN: Drums on 1, 3, 5, 6, 9. {sic}
RUSTY EGAN: Drums on 2, 7, 11.
BILL NELSON: Keyboards on 5, 7, 11.
ALISTAIR MOORE: Keyboards on 2.
RUSSELL WEBB: Bass, synthesiser and vocals on 4, 8, 10 12.
MIKE BAILLIE: Drums on 4, 8, 10, 12.

THIS COMPILATION Ⓟ & © 1982 VIRGIN RECORDS LTD.