The Rochdale Fairies

Amersham

Biography

1979 and 'Rock Against Racism' ask a bunch of Amersham based musicians to put a band together for a fund raising gig in 2 weeks time!

Above Strings N Things Music shop the 3 get together and scratch their heads, Nigel Browning (Drums) Simon Lague (Bass) & Steve Kane (Guitar). No songs, no singer and not a lot of time. They are companied by friends Wendy Glock & Rosie Geary, aah they'll do as singers, so the Rochdale Fairies were formed. An idea arose, lets cover some otherwise different songs at 90mph. There followed these two tracks, plus Waterloo by Abba and I can't remember what else. About 5 in total I think.

Brian Connolly of 'The Sweet' fame, did a bit of production in rehearsals and before the gig, these two tracks were recorded at Spaceward Studios in Cambridge, pressed onto 7" vinyl to be sold at the gig. That was some going for those days!

The gig came, the band did their 4 numbers, got encored, so did them again, they did a second gig at 'Whispers' night club in Chesham with the addition of Cliff Levens on guitar, Steve left, Mick joined and the band split!

The single was picked up by Carrere Records and was intended as a Christmas release but the A&R man doing the signing got seriously injured in a car crash and the deal fell apart.

It was great fun to do, but the magic only flowed for a few weeks and the buzz died and we all went and did different things. It was Wendy & Rose's only ever band, the others are all still involved in music one way or another.

It was all done in fun, and fun was had!

More info, licensing etc from Nigel Ward email nigelward@btconnect.com

Influences

Influenced by all the bands that smashed what had been a very stale music industry at the time, especially of course The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Buzzcocks, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Ian Dury, Motorhead, Sham 69, The Skids, Snatch, Stiff Little Fingers. The Stranglers, Subway Sect, Transvision Vamp, UK Subs, Vibrators, Vice Creems, Wreckless Eric, X Ray Specs and many more! Also of course the original Friars Aylesbury and The Marquee Club!