Cuddly Toys
Encyclopedia
Cuddly Toys were a new wave
band from London
that grew out of the glam rock
-influenced punk rock
band The Raped.
and the "Cheap Night Out" single in 1978 on Parole Records. Alig Fodder and Nicky Brockway (piano) sessioned on Guillotine Theatre. Billy Surgeoner joined the re-emerged new wave band Cuddly Toys while they were recording the album, playing all the keyboard synthesisers. The band's first release was the single "Madman," a song written by David Bowie
and Marc Bolan
shortly before Bolan's death, which reached #3 in the UK Indie Chart
. They next released the Guillotine Theatre album in 1979 on Japanese label Teichiku, issued in the UK in 1980 on Fresh Records
, which reached #1 in the indie album chart and 8 in the main billboard charts The album was described by Dave Thompson, in a review for Allmusic, as "one of the underrated classics of the late 1970s, as delivered by one of the most underrated bands". The band continued until 1987, by which time the line-up had changed several times, their final release before splitting being a second album, Trials and Crosses.
Fodder went on to form Family Fodder
. Sean Purcell released a single under his own name Goat and then reformed Cuddly Toys with Tony Baggett with a complete line up change, although Baggett left almost immediately being replaced by Paul Wison on bass. Sean who was half Irish died in Ireland in 1996 from a brain tumour.
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
that grew out of the glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
-influenced punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band The Raped.
Ice Cream:comming and going
The Raped formed in 1976 with a line-up of Sean Purcell (vocals), Faebhean Kwest (guitar),Tony Baggett (bass), and Paddy Phield (drums). They released the Pretty Paedophiles EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
and the "Cheap Night Out" single in 1978 on Parole Records. Alig Fodder and Nicky Brockway (piano) sessioned on Guillotine Theatre. Billy Surgeoner joined the re-emerged new wave band Cuddly Toys while they were recording the album, playing all the keyboard synthesisers. The band's first release was the single "Madman," a song written by David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...
shortly before Bolan's death, which reached #3 in the UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
. They next released the Guillotine Theatre album in 1979 on Japanese label Teichiku, issued in the UK in 1980 on Fresh Records
Fresh Records (UK)
Fresh Records was an independent record label, and distributor based in the United Kingdom. Most popular in the latter 1970s, the label once supported punk groups like UK Decay, Play Dead, Family Fodder, Cuddly Toys, The Dark, Wilko Johnson and Big Hair competed with labels such as 4AD.The label...
, which reached #1 in the indie album chart and 8 in the main billboard charts The album was described by Dave Thompson, in a review for Allmusic, as "one of the underrated classics of the late 1970s, as delivered by one of the most underrated bands". The band continued until 1987, by which time the line-up had changed several times, their final release before splitting being a second album, Trials and Crosses.
Fodder went on to form Family Fodder
Family Fodder
Family Fodder is a group of musicians revolving around accordionist Alig Fodder. Formed in London in the 1970s, it has had a sporadic existence ever since, disbanding in the 1980s then reforming. Their song "Dinosaur Sex" is considered a post-punk classic. They released a 12-inch single for Small...
. Sean Purcell released a single under his own name Goat and then reformed Cuddly Toys with Tony Baggett with a complete line up change, although Baggett left almost immediately being replaced by Paul Wison on bass. Sean who was half Irish died in Ireland in 1996 from a brain tumour.
Albums (compilations)
- Philes and Smiles (1984) Iguana
- The Complete Raped Collection (1994) Anagram
Singles
- "Madman" (1979) Teichiku (Japan)
- "Madman" (1980) Fresh (UK Indie #19)
- "Astral Joe" (1980) Fresh
- "Someone's Crying" (1981) Fresh
- "It's a Shame" (1982) Fresh
Albums
- Guillotine Theatre (1979) Teichiku (Japan)/(1980) Fresh (UK Indie #11)
- Trials and Crosses (1982) Fresh
- The Best of the Cuddly Toys (compilation) (2001) Cherry RedCherry RedCherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...