Plummet Airlines
Encyclopedia
Plummet Airlines, was a British
pub rock
band
of the mid 1970s, which was originally formed in Nottingham
. Band members later joined The Pogues
and Darts
.
), who needed a band for a film that fellow students John Crumpton and Graham Langford were making called 'One More Chance' about a fading rock 'n' roll star, Shane Ventura. The band was initially called "The Brothel Creepers", after the band in the film. Harry Stephenson (vocal/guitar) had previously been in Harrogate band "Junkyard Angel", whilst Richard Booth (guitar/vocal), Darryl Hunt
(bass) and Simon Bladon (drums) had played in the same jazz band. Having completed the film, the band started playing gigs, and writing their own songs, mostly written by Stephenson.
In 1974 Bladon was replaced on drums by Keith Gotheridge, and Duncan Kerr (guitar/vocals) joined. They changed their name to 'Glyder', and got a residency at The Kensington, Olympia, London; one of the new pub-rock venues. A band called 'Glider' forced them to change their name, so they became Plummet Airlines. They played at the Hope and Anchor, Islington
, where they met Malcolm Morley
(ex Man
and Help Yourself
) who was living in the pub, and they soon moved in, working in the bar on their nights off. Fred Grainger and John Eichler, who ran "The Hope", became their managers.
They recorded their first Peel Session in August 1976. Dave Robinson, who ran the recording studio at The Hope and Anchor, gave them a one record deal with Stiff Records
who issued their first single: Silver Shirt" / "This is the World" (BUY 8) produced by Sean Tyla
. Morley started jamming with them and joined them for a Dutch tour in 1976, where they also supported Clancy
. Morley recorded a solo album, at Foel Studios, using Plummet Airlines as the backing musicians, but the master tape was then lost until 2002, when it was issued as Lost and Found (Hux 34).
Gasper Lawal, who had been in Clancy, joined the band and appeared on their second Peel show in January 1977, and they supported Van der Graaf Generator
, Rockpile
and other bands. A second single "It's Hard" / "My Time in a While" was issued on State Records, but Grainger, their manager, could not agree an album deal. They split with Grainger, and sued him for mismanagement, as he was being ousted from "The Hope" by a coup d'état.
When punk arrived they could not agree what direction to follow. Booth left first, followed by Stephenson, and the band broke up in 1977. After the band split, Booth compiled a double album of their work, including live and studio recordings. This was issued in 1981 as a double LP On Stoney Ground on Armageddon Records.
In 2004 there was a reunion concert in Nottingham, and in 2006 several members appeared in the 'Richard Booth Band'.
Harry Stephenson continues to write and perform his material with his band 'The Last Pedestrians', which also includes Wayne Evans, front man and bass player of 'Gaffa' and occasional bassist for Plummet Airlines, now playing double bass. 'The Last Pedestrians' have played in Nottingham pubs since 2004.
With Malcolm Morley
. Their company logo is a plane going down. It is not known if this name was based upon the band, or invented separately.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
pub rock
Pub rock (UK)
Pub rock was a rock music genre that developed in the mid 1970s in the United Kingdom. A back-to-basics movement, pub rock was a reaction against progressive and glam rock. Although short-lived, pub rock was notable for rejecting stadium venues and for returning live rock to the small pubs and...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
of the mid 1970s, which was originally formed in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
. Band members later joined The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
and Darts
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
.
History
The band was formed by students at Nottingham School of Art (now Nottingham Trent University, School of Art and DesignNottingham Trent University, School of Art and Design
Founded in 1843, the School of Art and Design at Nottingham Trent University is one of the oldest in the United Kingdom and currently has more than 2,500 students.-History:...
), who needed a band for a film that fellow students John Crumpton and Graham Langford were making called 'One More Chance' about a fading rock 'n' roll star, Shane Ventura. The band was initially called "The Brothel Creepers", after the band in the film. Harry Stephenson (vocal/guitar) had previously been in Harrogate band "Junkyard Angel", whilst Richard Booth (guitar/vocal), Darryl Hunt
Darryl Hunt (musician)
Darryl Hunt is an English musician, most famous as the bassist of The Pogues from 1986 until their breakup ten years later...
(bass) and Simon Bladon (drums) had played in the same jazz band. Having completed the film, the band started playing gigs, and writing their own songs, mostly written by Stephenson.
In 1974 Bladon was replaced on drums by Keith Gotheridge, and Duncan Kerr (guitar/vocals) joined. They changed their name to 'Glyder', and got a residency at The Kensington, Olympia, London; one of the new pub-rock venues. A band called 'Glider' forced them to change their name, so they became Plummet Airlines. They played at the Hope and Anchor, Islington
Hope and Anchor, Islington
The Hope and Anchor is a public house on Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. During the mid-1970s it was one of the first pubs to embrace the emergent, but brief, phenomenon of pub rock...
, where they met Malcolm Morley
Malcolm Morley (musician)
Malcolm Morley is a British rock singer, guitarist and keyboard player who came to fame in the 1970s. Best known as a founder of Help Yourself and as a member of Man, he continues to perform to this day.-Early career:...
(ex Man
Man (band)
Man are a rock band from South Wales whose style is a mixture of West Coast psychedelia, progressive rock, blues and country-rock. Formed in 1968 as a reincarnation of Welsh rock harmony group ‘’The Bystanders’’, Man are renowned for the extended jams in their live performances, and having had...
and Help Yourself
Help Yourself (band)
Help Yourself, known to their fans as "The Helps", were an English rock band of the early 1970s whose style developed from “American-flavoured country-rock… …to acid-drenched psych.”.-History:...
) who was living in the pub, and they soon moved in, working in the bar on their nights off. Fred Grainger and John Eichler, who ran "The Hope", became their managers.
They recorded their first Peel Session in August 1976. Dave Robinson, who ran the recording studio at The Hope and Anchor, gave them a one record deal with Stiff Records
Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
who issued their first single: Silver Shirt" / "This is the World" (BUY 8) produced by Sean Tyla
Sean Tyla
Sean Tyla is an English rock guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist and songwriter, sometimes known as the “Godfather of Boogie”...
. Morley started jamming with them and joined them for a Dutch tour in 1976, where they also supported Clancy
Clancy
Clancy is an Irish name coming from the Gaelic Mac Fhlannchaidh.-As a first name:* Clancy Barone, American football coach* Clancy Brown, U.S. actor* Clancy Chassay, English journalist* Clancy Cooper, U.S. actor* Clancy Eccles, Jamaican reggae singer...
. Morley recorded a solo album, at Foel Studios, using Plummet Airlines as the backing musicians, but the master tape was then lost until 2002, when it was issued as Lost and Found (Hux 34).
Gasper Lawal, who had been in Clancy, joined the band and appeared on their second Peel show in January 1977, and they supported Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester. They were the first act signed to Charisma Records. The band achieved considerable success in Italy during the 1970s...
, Rockpile
Rockpile
Rockpile were a British rock and roll group of the late 1970s and early 1980s, noted for their strong rockabilly and power pop influences, and as a foundational influence on new wave...
and other bands. A second single "It's Hard" / "My Time in a While" was issued on State Records, but Grainger, their manager, could not agree an album deal. They split with Grainger, and sued him for mismanagement, as he was being ousted from "The Hope" by a coup d'état.
When punk arrived they could not agree what direction to follow. Booth left first, followed by Stephenson, and the band broke up in 1977. After the band split, Booth compiled a double album of their work, including live and studio recordings. This was issued in 1981 as a double LP On Stoney Ground on Armageddon Records.
In 2004 there was a reunion concert in Nottingham, and in 2006 several members appeared in the 'Richard Booth Band'.
Harry Stephenson continues to write and perform his material with his band 'The Last Pedestrians', which also includes Wayne Evans, front man and bass player of 'Gaffa' and occasional bassist for Plummet Airlines, now playing double bass. 'The Last Pedestrians' have played in Nottingham pubs since 2004.
Personnel
- Simon Bladon – (drums) 1973-74
- Richard Booth – (guitar, vocals) throughout
- Keith Gotheridge – (drums) 1974-77
- Darryl HuntDarryl Hunt (musician)Darryl Hunt is an English musician, most famous as the bassist of The Pogues from 1986 until their breakup ten years later...
– (bass, vocals) throughout - Duncan Kerr – (guitar, vocals) 1974-77
- Gasper Lawal – (percussion) 1976-77
- Malcolm MorleyMalcolm Morley (musician)Malcolm Morley is a British rock singer, guitarist and keyboard player who came to fame in the 1970s. Best known as a founder of Help Yourself and as a member of Man, he continues to perform to this day.-Early career:...
– (guitar, keyboards) 1976 - Harry Stephenson – (guitar, vocals) throughout
Subsequent careers
- Booth – Played with Brainiac 5, Ferenji Warriors and Audio Murphy before forming the Richard Booth Band
- Hunt – Joined The PoguesThe PoguesThe Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
and played with Steve EarleSteve EarleStephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play.... - Gotheridge – Joined DartsDarts (band)Darts were a nine-piece British doo-wop revival band that achieved chart success in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The popular London-based band had a number of UK top 20 hits including three successive Number twos with revivals of early U.S...
- Kerr – Joined DartsDarts (band)Darts were a nine-piece British doo-wop revival band that achieved chart success in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The popular London-based band had a number of UK top 20 hits including three successive Number twos with revivals of early U.S...
, later also joining Audio Murphy - Lawal – Appeared with numerous other bands, including Steven Stills, Graham BondGraham BondGraham John Clifton Bond was an English musician, considered a founding father of the English rhythm and blues boom of the 1960s....
, Babe RuthBabe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
, Vinegar JoeVinegar Joe (band)Vinegar Joe were a British R&B band. They issued three albums on Island Records, but were best known for their live shows and launching the solo careers of Elkie Brooks and Robert Palmer.-History:...
, CamelCamel (band)Camel are an English progressive rock band formed in 1971. An important group in the Canterbury scene, they have been releasing studio and live recordings steadily, with considerable success, since their formation.-1970s:...
and Wishbone AshWishbone AshWishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular records included Wishbone Ash , Argus , There's the Rub , and New England... - Morley – Played with Deke LeonardDeke LeonardRoger "Deke" Leonard is a rock musician, "serving a life sentence in the music business." Best known as a member of the progressive rock band Man, which he joined and left several times, and for fronting his own rock and roll band Iceberg, which he formed and disbanded several times, he is also...
, Wreckless EricWreckless EricWreckless Eric is an English rock and roll/new wave singer-songwriter, best known for his 1977 single " Whole Wide World" on Stiff Records. More than two decades after its release, the song was included in Mojo magazine’s list of the best punk rock singles of all time...
and Kirsty McColl, issued solo albums Aliens (2001) and Lost and Found (see above) - Stephenson – Played with Harry & The Atoms, Gaffa, Cycle Annie and The Last Pedestrians
Discography
- "Silver Shirt" / "This is the World" - Stiff RecordsStiff RecordsStiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
(BUY 8) Single (1976)
- "Silver Shirt" also appeared in The Big Stiff Box Set 4CDs (SALVOBX402)
- "This is the World" also appeared on the Hits Greatest StiffsHits Greatest StiffsHits Greatest Stiffs is a various artists compilation album, drawn from ten of the first eleven Stiff Records singles, BUY 1 – BUY 11.The tracks follow the numerical order of the singles, but feature mostly the b sides, although several singles were originally issued as double a-sides...
LP (FIST 1)- "It's Hard" / My Time in a While" - State Records - Single (1977)
- On Stoney Ground - Armageddon Records (Hedonics 1/2) Double LP (1981)
With Malcolm Morley
- Lost and Found - (Hux 34) CD (2002)
Grand Theft Auto
Plummet Airlines is also the name of an airline in Grand Theft Auto: Vice CityGrand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
. Their company logo is a plane going down. It is not known if this name was based upon the band, or invented separately.