Penetration (band)
Encyclopedia
Penetration is a punk rock
band
from County Durham
, England
formed in 1976. They re-formed in 2001 with several new members.
Their debut single, "Don’t Dictate", is now acknowledged as a classic punk rock single and their debut album, Moving Targets (1978), is still widely admired
. Other members have included Robert Blamire
, Gary Smallman, and Gary Chaplin, and later Neale Floyd and Fred Purser. Steve Wallace and Paul Harvey
were drafted in as new guitarist
s in 2001.
The band took their name from an Iggy & The Stooges song and played their first gig in October 1976. Their second gig was supporting The Stranglers
at Newcastle City Hall. Significantly, the band also played at the now-legendary punk club The Roxy
during its first 100 days. On 9 April 1977, the band appeared on the same bill as Generation X
. Early in their career, the band also supported The Vibrators
and toured with the Buzzcocks
.
After the release of their second single, Penetration recorded the first of two sessions for John Peel
at BBC Radio 1
in July 1978. Later that year, the band released their debut album. Moving Targets was number 6 in the Sounds
Critics’ albums of the year; and it made number 13 in the NME
critics’ chart.
In 1979, they toured Europe, the US and Britain but the gruelling schedule began to take its toll. A disappointing reaction to Coming Up For Air, the second album, was the final nail in the coffin of the original band. After the band had split an album called Race Against Time was released, which was a collection of early demos and live tracks.
Pauline Murray featured briefly with The Invisible Girls
, which also included Robert Blamire as well as other Manchester musicians who drifted in and out such as Vini Reilly
, guitarist in the The Durutti Column
. John Maher from Buzzcocks drummed for the band. The album that resulted, produced by Martin Hannett
, spawned the singles "Dream Sequence" and "Mr.X". Murray also provided vocal for The Only Ones
on their track
, "Fools".
Pauline Murray worked sporadically as a solo artist under the name 'Pauline Murray and The Storm' with Robert Blamire, Tim Johnston and Paul Harvey. Paul Harvey is also a Stuckist
artist
. Blamire also worked as a producer for various groups, including the Scars
, whose sole LP (1981's Author! Author!
) he produced.
The remainder of the band briefly continued under the name Rhythm Clicks, releasing a 7" single in 1980 on the Red Rhino label containing the songs "Short Time", "Lies Don't Talk" and "Chains".
0
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
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
from County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
formed in 1976. They re-formed in 2001 with several new members.
Their debut single, "Don’t Dictate", is now acknowledged as a classic punk rock single and their debut album, Moving Targets (1978), is still widely admired
Biography
The lead singer is Pauline MurrayPauline Murray
Pauline Murray was the lead singer of the punk rock band, Penetration, which was originally formed in 1976.In May 1976 the then 18-year-old Murray saw the Sex Pistols...
. Other members have included Robert Blamire
Robert Blamire
Robert Blamire is known for being bassist of punk and new wave band Penetration.He formed along singer Pauline Murray, the punk band Penetration, in 1976, after seeing The Sex Pistols live. After the band split up, Murray and him went to form a project along John Cooper Clarke's backing band The...
, Gary Smallman, and Gary Chaplin, and later Neale Floyd and Fred Purser. Steve Wallace and Paul Harvey
Paul Harvey (artist)
Paul Harvey is a British musician and Stuckist artist, whose work was used to promote their 2004 show at the Liverpool Biennial. His paintings draw on pop art and the work of Alphonse Mucha, and often depict celebrities, including Madonna....
were drafted in as new guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
s in 2001.
The band took their name from an Iggy & The Stooges song and played their first gig in October 1976. Their second gig was supporting The Stranglers
The Stranglers
The Stranglers are an English punk/rock music group.Scoring some 23 UK top 40 singles and 17 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are the longest-surviving and most "continuously successful" band to have originated in the UK punk scene of the mid to late 1970s...
at Newcastle City Hall. Significantly, the band also played at the now-legendary punk club The Roxy
The Roxy
The Roxy was a fashionable nightclub on Neal Street in London's Covent Garden, known for hosting the flowering British punk music scene in its infancy.-Brief history:...
during its first 100 days. On 9 April 1977, the band appeared on the same bill as Generation X
Generation X (band)
Generation X was a British punk rock band, formed on 21 November 1976 by Billy Idol, Tony James and John Towe.-History:...
. Early in their career, the band also supported The Vibrators
The Vibrators
- Early career:The Vibrators were 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...
and toured with the Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
.
After the release of their second single, Penetration recorded the first of two sessions for John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
at BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
in July 1978. Later that year, the band released their debut album. Moving Targets was number 6 in the Sounds
Sounds (magazine)
Sounds was a long-term British music paper, published weekly from 10 October 1970 – 6 April 1991. It was produced by Spotlight Publications , which was set up by Jack Hutton and Peter Wilkinson, who left "Melody Maker" to start their own company...
Critics’ albums of the year; and it made number 13 in the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
critics’ chart.
In 1979, they toured Europe, the US and Britain but the gruelling schedule began to take its toll. A disappointing reaction to Coming Up For Air, the second album, was the final nail in the coffin of the original band. After the band had split an album called Race Against Time was released, which was a collection of early demos and live tracks.
Pauline Murray featured briefly with The Invisible Girls
The Invisible Girls
The Invisible Girls were a British rock band, formed in Salford, Greater Manchester in 1978, to provide a musical backdrop to the recorded output of Salford punk poet John Cooper Clarke...
, which also included Robert Blamire as well as other Manchester musicians who drifted in and out such as Vini Reilly
Vini Reilly
Vincent "Vini" Gerard Reilly is an English musician and leader of the post-punk group The Durutti Column.-Biography:...
, guitarist in the The Durutti Column
The Durutti Column
The Durutti Column are an English post-punk band formed in 1978 in Manchester, England. The band is an ongoing project of guitarist Vini Reilly who is often accompanied by drummer Bruce Mitchell. Other current members are Keir Stewart and Reilly's girlfriend Poppy Morgan...
. John Maher from Buzzcocks drummed for the band. The album that resulted, produced by Martin Hannett
Martin Hannett
Martin Hannett , sometimes credited as Martin Zero, was a record producer and an original partner in Factory Records with Tony Wilson...
, spawned the singles "Dream Sequence" and "Mr.X". Murray also provided vocal for The Only Ones
The Only Ones
The Only Ones are an English rock band. They were initially active in the late 1970s and were associated with punk rock, yet straddled the musical territory in between punk, power pop and hard rock, with noticeable influences from psychedelia...
on their track
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, "Fools".
Pauline Murray worked sporadically as a solo artist under the name 'Pauline Murray and The Storm' with Robert Blamire, Tim Johnston and Paul Harvey. Paul Harvey is also a Stuckist
Stuckism
Stuckism is an international art movement founded in 1999 by Billy Childish and Charles Thomson to promote figurative painting in opposition to conceptual art...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
. Blamire also worked as a producer for various groups, including the Scars
Scars (band)
Scars were a Post-punk band that hailed from Edinburgh, Scotland, and were a part of that city's bustling music scene of the late 70s - early 80s.-History:...
, whose sole LP (1981's Author! Author!
Author! Author! (album)
Author! Author! is the only studio album by the Scottish post-punk band Scars. It was released in 1981.-Side A:-Side B:-2007 reissue:...
) he produced.
The remainder of the band briefly continued under the name Rhythm Clicks, releasing a 7" single in 1980 on the Red Rhino label containing the songs "Short Time", "Lies Don't Talk" and "Chains".
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Albums
- Moving Targets (October 1978: V 2109) First 15,000 copies on luminous vinyl # 22 UK Albums ChartUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
- Coming Up For Air (September 1979: V 2131) # 36 UK
- Race Against Time (Official bootleg) (October 1979: Virgin / Clifdayn PEN 1)
Singles
- "Don’t Dictate" / "Money Talks" (November 1977: VS 192) Re-released in 1983.
- "Firing Squad" / "Never" (May 1978: VS 213)
- "Life’s A Gamble" / "V.I.P." (September 1978: VS 226)
- "Danger Signs" / "Stone Heroes (Live)" (April 1979: VS 257) Also released, with an additional track "Vision", as a 12 inch single.
- "Come Into the Open" / "Lifeline" (August 1979: VS 268)
See also
- List of British punk bands
- List of musicians in the first wave of punk music
- List of Peel sessions
- Music of the United Kingdom (1970s)Music of the United Kingdom (1970s)Popular music of the United Kingdom in the 1970s built upon the new forms developed of music developed from blues rock towards the end of the 1960s, including folk rock and psychedelic rock...
External links
- Official web site
- Penetration on www.punk77.co.uk