All Topics  
The Skids

 
The Skids

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

The Skids
 
 
  Topics The Skids Topic Home

The Skids were an art-punk/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 the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock....
 and new wave
New Wave music

New Wave is a genre of rock music which originated from the late 1970s. It emerged from punk rock as a reaction against the popular music of the 1970s....
 band
Band (music)

In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform songs. The following articles concern types of musical bands:...
 from Dunfermline
Dunfermline

Dunfermline is a town in Fife which had official City_status_in_the_United_Kingdom#Pretenders until 1970. It is located on high ground five miles from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth on the route of major road and rail crossings across the firth to Edinburgh and the south....
, Fife
Fife

Fife is a council area of Scotland, situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire....
, Scotland
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
, founded in 1977 by Stuart Adamson
Stuart Adamson

Stuart Adamson , was an English-born Scottish guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He founded the top-40 Scottish art-punk band The Skids and later the more mainstream rock group Big Country, as well as the 1990s alternative country rock act, The Raphaels....
 (1958 - 2001, guitar
Guitar

The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
s / backing vocals
Backing vocalist

A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. In some cases, a backing singer may sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry....
 / keyboards
Keyboard instrument

A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organ s as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic musical instrument....
 / percussion
Percussion instrument

A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound by being hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration....
), William Simpson (bass guitar
Bass guitar

The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
 / backing vocals), Thomas Kellichan (drums
Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbell s, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer....
) and Richard Jobson
Richard Jobson (television presenter)

Richard Jobson is a Scottish singer-songwriter and film-maker, best known as a television presenter....
 (vocals / guitar / keyboards). Their biggest success was the single
Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
 "Into the Valley
Into the Valley

"Into the Valley" was a 1979 single by The Skids, taken off their Scared to Dance album, and is their best known song, appearing on a number of punk rock and Scottish music compilation albums....
" in 1979. It is still used as a theme song
Theme music

The phrase theme music usually refers to that of a radio programming, television program, or movie. It is a Musical composition that is often written specifically for that show, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits....
 for fans
Fan (person)

A fan, aficionado, or supporter is someone who has an intense, occasionally overwhelming liking and enthusiasm for a sporting club, person , group of persons, company, product, work of art, idea, or fashion....
 of Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.

Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scotland Football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They play at East End Park, Dunfermline and are nicknamed The Pars....
 in the Scottish First Division and Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic F.C.

Charlton Athletic Football Club is a professional association football football team based in Charlton, London, in the London Borough of Greenwich....
 in the (English) Football League Championship
Football League Championship

The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League....
. "The Saints Are Coming
The Saints Are Coming

"The Saints Are Coming" was the third single by the Scottish punk rock band, The Skids, featured on their 1978 debut album, Scared to Dance....
" was formerly heard before Southampton F.C.
Southampton F.C.

Southampton Football Club is a professional English Football League teams, nicknamed The Saints and based in the city of Southampton. The club currently plays in the Football League Championship, since relegation from the Premier League in 2005....
's home games.

played their first gig
Concert

A concert is a live performance, usually of music, before an audience. The music may be performed by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band....
 on 19th August 1977, at the Bellville Hotel in Pilmuir Street, Dunfermline, Scotland. Within six months they had issued the "Charles" EP on the No Bad record label
Record label

In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of recorded sound and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the Record producer, manufacturing, distribution , marketing and promotion, and enforcement of copyright protec...
, created by Sandy Muir, a Dunfermline music shop
Record shop

A record shop is an outlet that sells Sound recording and reproduction music. Although vinyl records and audio cassettes are no longer sold in the majority of music stores, in favour of compact discs, people still use the term "record shop", in conjunction with "CD shop" or "music shop"....
 owner and then manager
Management

Management in business and human organization activity is simply the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leadership or directing, and Control an organization or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal....
.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'The Skids'
Start a new discussion about 'The Skids'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


The Skids were an art-punk/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 the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock....
 and new wave
New Wave music

New Wave is a genre of rock music which originated from the late 1970s. It emerged from punk rock as a reaction against the popular music of the 1970s....
 band
Band (music)

In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform songs. The following articles concern types of musical bands:...
 from Dunfermline
Dunfermline

Dunfermline is a town in Fife which had official City_status_in_the_United_Kingdom#Pretenders until 1970. It is located on high ground five miles from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth on the route of major road and rail crossings across the firth to Edinburgh and the south....
, Fife
Fife

Fife is a council area of Scotland, situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire....
, Scotland
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
, founded in 1977 by Stuart Adamson
Stuart Adamson

Stuart Adamson , was an English-born Scottish guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He founded the top-40 Scottish art-punk band The Skids and later the more mainstream rock group Big Country, as well as the 1990s alternative country rock act, The Raphaels....
 (1958 - 2001, guitar
Guitar

The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
s / backing vocals
Backing vocalist

A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. In some cases, a backing singer may sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry....
 / keyboards
Keyboard instrument

A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organ s as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic musical instrument....
 / percussion
Percussion instrument

A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound by being hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration....
), William Simpson (bass guitar
Bass guitar

The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
 / backing vocals), Thomas Kellichan (drums
Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbell s, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer....
) and Richard Jobson
Richard Jobson (television presenter)

Richard Jobson is a Scottish singer-songwriter and film-maker, best known as a television presenter....
 (vocals / guitar / keyboards). Their biggest success was the single
Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
 "Into the Valley
Into the Valley

"Into the Valley" was a 1979 single by The Skids, taken off their Scared to Dance album, and is their best known song, appearing on a number of punk rock and Scottish music compilation albums....
" in 1979. It is still used as a theme song
Theme music

The phrase theme music usually refers to that of a radio programming, television program, or movie. It is a Musical composition that is often written specifically for that show, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits....
 for fans
Fan (person)

A fan, aficionado, or supporter is someone who has an intense, occasionally overwhelming liking and enthusiasm for a sporting club, person , group of persons, company, product, work of art, idea, or fashion....
 of Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.

Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scotland Football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They play at East End Park, Dunfermline and are nicknamed The Pars....
 in the Scottish First Division and Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic F.C.

Charlton Athletic Football Club is a professional association football football team based in Charlton, London, in the London Borough of Greenwich....
 in the (English) Football League Championship
Football League Championship

The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League....
. "The Saints Are Coming
The Saints Are Coming

"The Saints Are Coming" was the third single by the Scottish punk rock band, The Skids, featured on their 1978 debut album, Scared to Dance....
" was formerly heard before Southampton F.C.
Southampton F.C.

Southampton Football Club is a professional English Football League teams, nicknamed The Saints and based in the city of Southampton. The club currently plays in the Football League Championship, since relegation from the Premier League in 2005....
's home games.

Career

They played their first gig
Concert

A concert is a live performance, usually of music, before an audience. The music may be performed by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band....
 on 19th August 1977, at the Bellville Hotel in Pilmuir Street, Dunfermline, Scotland. Within six months they had issued the "Charles" EP on the No Bad record label
Record label

In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of recorded sound and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the Record producer, manufacturing, distribution , marketing and promotion, and enforcement of copyright protec...
, created by Sandy Muir, a Dunfermline music shop
Record shop

A record shop is an outlet that sells Sound recording and reproduction music. Although vinyl records and audio cassettes are no longer sold in the majority of music stores, in favour of compact discs, people still use the term "record shop", in conjunction with "CD shop" or "music shop"....
 owner and then manager
Management

Management in business and human organization activity is simply the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leadership or directing, and Control an organization or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal....
. The record
Gramophone record

A gramophone record is an analog signal sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed modulated spiral groove usually starting near the periphery and ending near the centre of the disc....
 brought them to the attention of national BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 1 is a United Kingdom international radio station operated by the BBC, specialising in current popular music throughout the day, with a slight bias to Rock music & Independent music music....
 DJ
Disc jockey

A disc jockey is a person who selects and plays sound recording for an audience. Originally, disk referred to phonograph records, while disc refers to the Compact Disc, and has become the more common spelling....
, John Peel
John Peel

John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, Order of the British Empire , known professionally as John Peel, was an England disc jockey, radio presenter and journalist....
. This led to a local support slot for The Clash
The Clash

The Clash were an English Rock music band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk rock. Along with punk rock, they experimented with reggae, ska, Dub music, funk, Hip hop music and rockabilly....
. Virgin Records
Virgin Records

Virgin Records is a United Kingdom record label founded by England entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972 in music. It was later sold to Thorn EMI, and then, in the US, merged with Capitol Records in 2007 to create the Capitol Music Group....
 then signed up The Skids in April 1978. The singles
Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
 "Sweet Suburbia" and "The Saints Are Coming
The Saints Are Coming

"The Saints Are Coming" was the third single by the Scottish punk rock band, The Skids, featured on their 1978 debut album, Scared to Dance....
" both made commercial inroads, before "Into the Valley" reached the UK
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 Top 10 singles chart
Record chart

Record chart are a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
 in early 1979. The band also released their debut album
Album

An album or record album is a collection of related Sound recording and reproduction or music tracks distributed to the public. The most common way is through commercial distribution, although smaller artists will often distribute directly to the public by selling their albums at live concerts or on their websites....
 Scared to Dance
Scared to Dance

Scared to Dance was the debut album by the Scotland art-punk rock band The Skids and reached number 19 in the UK album chart in March 1979....
 in 1979. It was recorded
Sound recording and reproduction

Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical or mechanics inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects....
 at The Townhouse Studios in London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
, England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 with production
Record producer

In the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, Audio mixing and audio mastering processes....
 and keyboards
Keyboard instrument

A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organ s as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic musical instrument....
 by David Batchelor. Adamson walked out towards the end of the sessions before all the guitar overdubs were completed, but the album does showcase his unique guitar
Guitar

The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
 style which was later to come to prominence in the band Big Country
Big Country

Big Country were a Rock band from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, popular in the early to mid-1980s but still releasing material for a cult following....
. Session
Session musician

Session musicians are instrumental performers or vocalists who are available for hire for live performances or recording sessions, as opposed to musicians who are either permanent members of a musical ensemble or who have acquired fame in their own right as bandleaders....
 guitarist Chris Jenkins was brought in to complete it. In the meantime Adamson returned to Scotland while the recording was finished. He rejoined the band for the live concert tour promotion of the album. The record also featured the song "The Saints are Coming", it was also later recorded as a charity
Charitable organization

The definition of charitable organization, and of charity, varies according to the country and in some instances the region of the country in which the charitable organization operates....
 single by U2
U2

U2 are a rock music band from Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. .The band formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency....
 and Green Day
Green Day

Green Day is an American Rock music trio formed in 1987. The band has consisted of Billie Joe Armstrong , Mike Dirnt , and Tr? Cool for the majority of its existence....
.

Despite criticism of Jobson's lyrics
Lyrics

Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song, either by speaking or singing. The word 'lyric' comes from the Greek word ,lyricos, meaning "singing to the lyre"....
 as pretentious, the Skids enjoyed a further year of chart success as "Masquerade" and "Working For The Yankee Dollar" reached the UK Top 20 singles chart. Both came from their second album, also released in 1979, Days in Europa
Days in Europa

Days in Europa was The Skids's controversial 1979 second album. Initially released with an "Aryan race" album cover reminiscent of the 1936 Summer Olympics, complete with Germanic Blackletter-style lettering, this was quickly withdrawn and a new cover designed....
, with the record's production and keyboards by Bill Nelson
Bill Nelson (musician)

Bill Nelson is a prolific guitarist, songwriter, Painting and Experimental music musician from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. He currently lives in Selby....
 (Be-Bop Deluxe, Red Noise, Channel Light Vessel and solo artist). Nelson was the obvious choice for the records production duty's as he was Adamson's principle "Guitar Hero" and as a consequence was an enormous influence on Adamson's playing. Nelson also played an important role in polishing the Skids sound and in encouraging the development of Jobson's lyrics. Just before recording of the album commenced, Kellichan left the band and was temporarily replaced on drums by Rusty Egan
Rusty Egan

Rusty Egan was the drummer for the United Kingdom New Wave music music band, The Rich Kids. They were founded by former Sex Pistols, Glen Matlock, bass guitarist and backing vocalist, occasional lead vocals; with Steve New guitarist and backing vocalist, occasional lead vocals; and frontman by Midge Ure guitarist, singer and occasional backi...
 (ex-Rich Kids
The Rich Kids

Rich Kids were a short-lived, much-hyped rock and roll band from London, founded in 1977, by Glen Matlock, after he quit The Sex Pistols, and comprised also future Ultravox member, Midge Ure, who, in 1976, made some fame with his teenybop band Slik, and Rusty Egan, who later went to found Visage and to be part of the New Romantic scene, along...
, then with the band Visage
Visage

Visage are a British Pop Music band. Formed in 1978, the band became closely linked to the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement of the early 1980s....
, and a New Romantic 1980s dance DJ at the Blitz
Blitz Kids

The Blitz Kids were a short- lived group of then-unknown people who frequented the Blitz nightclub in Covent Garden, London in the very early 1980s....
 club). Egan played on the album, and later on the live concert tour of the record. Keyboard player Alistair Moore also temporarily joined the band to perform live with them. He had been recruited to play Bill Nelson's keyboard parts from the record. In November 1979, Mike Baillie (drums / backing vocals / percussion) (ex Insect Bites) was recruited as a permanent band member. He slowly took over from Egan, while the band were still touring Days in Europa. Some of Jobson's lyrics, and the album cover caused controversy. It showed an 'Olympian
Olympic Games

The Olympic Games are an international multi-sport event established for both summer and winter sports. There have been two generations of the Olympic Games; the first were the Ancient Olympic Games held at Olympia, Greece, Greece....
' being crowned with laurels, by an Aryan
Aryan race

The Aryan race is a concept in European culture that was influential in the period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It derives from the idea that the original speakers of the Indo-European languages and their descendants up to the present day constitute a distinctive Race ....
-looking woman, and the lettering was in Gothic
Blackletter

Blackletter, also known as Gothic scriptor Gothic minuscule, was a script used throughout Western Europe from approximately 1150 to 1500....
 script. Some felt that this glorified Nazi ideology and it was presumed that the imagery was copied from the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics

The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Nazi Germany....
, held in Germany. After the original version of the album had already been released, Canadian record producer Bruce Fairbairn
Bruce Fairbairn

Bruce Earl Fairbairn was a Canada rock music music producer who was prominent during the 1980s and 1990s. His style was notable for the introduction of dynamic horn arrangements in the context of hard rock bands such as Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Aerosmith and Loverboy....
 was brought into the project. The original cover and the track "Pros and the Cons" were removed. The sleeve was completely redesigned and the song "Masquerade" added. The album was also remixed and the tracks re-sequenced. This second version was released in 1980.

In February 1980 one of The Skids founding members William Simpson left and was replaced by Russell Webb
Russell Webb (musician)

Russell Webb is a New Wave music Scotish bass guitarist who was member of bands like Slik , The Zones, The Skids, The Armoury Show and Public Image Ltd., and collaborated with Richard Jobson and Virginia Astley, and The Who....
 (bass guitar
Bass guitar

The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
 / backing vocals / keyboards / percussion / guitar) (Slik
Slik

Slik were a Scottish people pop music, glam rock, bubblegum pop and soft rock band of the mid 1970s, following in the footsteps of the Bay City Rollers....
, PVC2 and The Zones). Webb joined as a permanent band member, and immediately started work on the recording of the band's third album. The Absolute Game
The Absolute Game

The Absolute Game was The Skids' 1980 third album and was produced by Mick Glossop.The album continued the Skids' progression from a punky sound into a more mellow one - paralleled by many bands of the period....
, released in 1980, and produced
Record producer

In the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, Audio mixing and audio mastering processes....
 by Mick Glossop, proved to be the band's most commercial release. It reached the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart

The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website ; the full Top 200 is published exclusively in ChartsPlus....
 and contained the minor hit single "Circus Games". A few of the tracks on the album also included a collection of fourteen adult and child backing vocalists, along with a lone didgeridoo
Didgeridoo

The didgeridoo is a wind musical instrument of the Australian Aborigines of northern Australia. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"....
 player. Initial copies of The Absolute Game came with a free limited edition second album entitled Strength Through Joy, echoing the band's previous controversial themes. Jobson claims to have got the title from Dirk Bogarde
Dirk Bogarde

Sir Dirk Bogarde was an England actor and novelist....
's autobiography
Autobiography

An autobiography is a biography written by its subject . The term was first used by the poet Robert Southey in 1809 in the English language Periodical publication Quarterly Review, but the form goes back to antiquity....
.

Soon after the release and live concert tour of The Absolute Game Baillie left the band and was followed soon after by Adamson (although Adamson did stay around long enough to play on one more song for the next album Joy, called "Iona"). Baillie moved back to Scotland to live and Adamson went on to launch his new band, Big Country
Big Country

Big Country were a Rock band from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, popular in the early to mid-1980s but still releasing material for a cult following....
. This left Jobson and Webb to write and record the band's fourth and final album Joy
Joy (album)

Joy is the final album by the Scotland band The Skids. It was the fourth studio record and their first after the departure of signature guitar Stuart Adamson, who then founded Big Country....
, which Russell Webb also produced. The pair played multiple instruments on the album, and also invited a collection of seventeen musical friends to perform on various tracks with them. The Skids dissolved in 1982, with the album Fanfare
Fanfare (compilation)

Fanfare was the first compilation released by scottish punk rock and New Wave music band The Skids, on Virgin Records in 1982, shortly after the group dissolved....
 posthumously issued by Virgin
Virgin Records

Virgin Records is a United Kingdom record label founded by England entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972 in music. It was later sold to Thorn EMI, and then, in the US, merged with Capitol Records in 2007 to create the Capitol Music Group....
. It was a mixture of greatest hit singles and unreleased tracks.

Jobson and Webb then went on to form a new band called The Armoury Show
The Armoury Show

The Armoury Show was a band of the 1980s. The band was named after the Armory Show, a famous 1913 modern art exhibition in New York City. They released only one album, Waiting for the Floods, in their brief existence....
. The group recorded just one album, Waiting for the Floods in 1985 before splitting up. Jobson went on to pursue a solo career as a poet
Poet

A poet is a person who writes poetry....
, songwriter
Songwriter

File:Beethoven.jpgA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer....
, television
Television

Television is a widely used telecommunication mass-media for transmitting and receiving moving , either monochrome or color, usually accompanied by sound....
 presenter
Presenter

A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an Collection ....
 and most recently a film director
Film director

A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a film. A film director visualizes the Screenplay, controlling a film's artistic and dramatic aspects, while guiding the technical crew and actors in the fulfillment of his or her vision....
, He released albums on the Belgian record label Les Disques du Crepuscule
Les Disques du Crepuscule

Les Disques Du Cr?puscule was a Belgium independent record label.The label was started in 1980 in music by Michel Duval and Annik Honor?, residents of Brussels who had previously organised and promoted concerts in the city....
, and the UK
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
's own Parlophone Records. Webb proposed a solo career, according to Armoury Show fan page, later joined Public Image Ltd.
Public Image Ltd.

Public Image Ltd. are an England musical group formed in 1978 by singer John Lydon, guitarist Keith Levene, and bass guitar Jah Wobble.Rising from the ashes of the pivotal punk rock group the Sex Pistols, PiL branched out to a more experimental sound, and their early work is often regarded as some of the most challenging and innovative mus...
 in 1992, but playing their last tour, and is now a videogame designer.

In 2007 Richard Jobson, William Simpson and Mike Baillie, along with Bruce Watson
Bruce Watson (guitarist)

Bruce Watson is a Canadian guitarist perhaps best known for being a founding member of the Scotland based rock band, Big Country.In the summer of 2007 he played in The Skids who had reformed to play two gigs in Dunfermline prior to a set on the Main Stage at T-in-the-Park....
 (guitar / backing vocals), Jamie Watson (guitar), Brian Jobson (backing vocals) and Jane Button (backing vocals), got together to play three gigs. They were to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the group's formation, and as a final tribute to Stuart Adamson, who died in 2001. The shows on 4 July and 5 July were at Dunfermline's Glen Pavilion (where they were supported by Rosyth
Rosyth

Rosyth is a town with a population of approx 15,000 located on the Firth of Forth on Scotland's east coast, three miles south of the centre of Dunfermline....
 band, The Draymin), outside of which The Skids had previously played only their second gig, according to Jobson, and on 7 July, at the T in the Park
T in the Park

T in the Park is a major music festival that has been held annually in Scotland since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents....
 festival
Music festival

A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday....
.

Line up changes

A considerable number of musicians have played for, or with, the Skids. The official website only lists eleven "Original and Main Members of the Skids". (Their contributions and others are detailed below). According to information from the original first edition vinyl record album sleeves, there were only ever six permanent band members: Richard Jobson, Stuart Adamson, William Simpson, Thomas Kellichan, Russell Webb and Mike Baillie.

Personnel for Scared to Dance (1979)

  • Richard Jobson
    Richard Jobson (television presenter)

    Richard Jobson is a Scottish singer-songwriter and film-maker, best known as a television presenter....
     — vocals / guitar
    Guitar

    The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
  • Stuart Adamson
    Stuart Adamson

    Stuart Adamson , was an English-born Scottish guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He founded the top-40 Scottish art-punk band The Skids and later the more mainstream rock group Big Country, as well as the 1990s alternative country rock act, The Raphaels....
     — guitar
    Guitar

    The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
    s / vocals
    Backing vocalist

    A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. In some cases, a backing singer may sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry....
  • William Simpson — bass guitar
    Bass guitar

    The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
     / vocals
    Backing vocalist

    A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. In some cases, a backing singer may sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry....
  • Thomas Kellichan — drums
    Drum kit

    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbell s, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer....
With:
  • Chris Jenkins — guitar
    Guitar

    The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
  • David Batchelor — keyboards
    Keyboard instrument

    A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organ s as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic musical instrument....
  • Producer — David Batchelor


Personnel for Days in Europa (1979 & second version 1980)

  • Richard Jobson — vocals
  • Stuart Adamson — guitars / vocals / keyboards
  • William Simpson — bass guitar / vocals
With:
  • Rusty Egan
    Rusty Egan

    Rusty Egan was the drummer for the United Kingdom New Wave music music band, The Rich Kids. They were founded by former Sex Pistols, Glen Matlock, bass guitarist and backing vocalist, occasional lead vocals; with Steve New guitarist and backing vocalist, occasional lead vocals; and frontman by Midge Ure guitarist, singer and occasional backi...
     — drums
  • Bill Nelson
    Bill Nelson (musician)

    Bill Nelson is a prolific guitarist, songwriter, Painting and Experimental music musician from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. He currently lives in Selby....
     — keyboards
  • Producer — Bill Nelson
Second Version ONLY
  • Thomas Kellichan — drums on "Masquerade" ONLY
  • Producer — Bruce Fairbairn
    Bruce Fairbairn

    Bruce Earl Fairbairn was a Canada rock music music producer who was prominent during the 1980s and 1990s. His style was notable for the introduction of dynamic horn arrangements in the context of hard rock bands such as Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Aerosmith and Loverboy....
Live concert performances ONLY
  • Alistair Moore — keyboards
  • Rusty Egan — drums
  • Mike Baillie — drums


Personnel for The Absolute Game (1980)

  • Richard Jobson — vocals / guitar
  • Stuart Adamson — guitars / vocals / keyboards / percussion
    Percussion instrument

    A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound by being hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration....
  • Russell Webb
    Russell Webb (musician)

    Russell Webb is a New Wave music Scotish bass guitarist who was member of bands like Slik , The Zones, The Skids, The Armoury Show and Public Image Ltd., and collaborated with Richard Jobson and Virginia Astley, and The Who....
     — bass guitar / vocals / keyboards / percussion
  • Mike Baillie — drums / vocals / percussion


With:
  • Jude Nettleton — vocals
  • Julius Newell — vocals
  • Andrew Sigsworth — vocals
  • John Sigsworth — vocals
  • Alison Pipkin — vocals
  • David Pipkin — vocals
  • Hannah Yeadon — vocals
  • Esther Marshall — vocals
  • Chloe Dymott — vocals
  • Marlis Dunklau — vocals
  • Gracie Benson — vocals
  • Sally Nettleton — vocals
  • Harriet Bakewell — vocals
  • Mary Volke — vocals
  • Derek Wadsworth — didgeridoo
    Didgeridoo

    The didgeridoo is a wind musical instrument of the Australian Aborigines of northern Australia. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"....
  • Producer — Mick Glossop


Personnel for Joy (1981)

  • Richard Jobson — vocals / guitar / keyboards
  • Russell Webb — bass guitar / vocals / guitar / keyboards / percussion
With:
  • J J Johnson — drums / percussion
  • Paul Wishart — saxophone
    Saxophone

    The saxophone is a conical-Bore transposing instrument musical instrument considered a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and are played with a Single-reed instrument mouthpiece similar to the clarinet....
     / flute
    Flute

    The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike other woodwind instruments, a flute is a reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air against an edge....
     / keyboards / percussion / vocals
  • Alan Darby — guitar
  • Stuart Adamson — guitar
  • Mike Oldfield
    Mike Oldfield

    Mike Oldfield is an England multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk music, ethnic or world music, European classical music, electronic music, New Age music and more recently dance music....
     — keyboards
  • Dave Duncan — bodhrán
    Bodhrán

    The bodhr?n is an Ireland frame drum ranging from 25 to 65cm in diameter, with most drums measuring 35 to 45cm . The sides of the drum are 9 to 20cm deep....
  • Tim Cross — keyboards / flute
  • Alan Rankine
    Alan Rankine

    Alan Rankine played keyboard instrument, and guitars, for the rock band known as The Associates, which he co-founded with Billy Mackenzie in the late 1970s....
     — guitar
  • Billy MacKenzie
    Billy Mackenzie

    William MacArthur "Billy" MacKenzie was a Scotland singer, notable for his powerful voice and vast vocal range....
     — vocals
  • Ken Locke — cello
    Cello

    The violoncello is a bowed string instrument. A person who plays a cello is called a cellist. The cello is used as a solo instrument, in chamber music, and as a member of the string section of an orchestra....
     / vocals
  • Virginia Astley
    Virginia Astley

    Virginia Astley is an England singer-songwriter active during the 1980s and 1990s. Although more popular in the far east, most notably Japan, she remains a cult artist in her native England....
     — flute / vocals
  • Frances Lynch — vocals
  • Nicky Holland — vocals
  • Debbie Mitchell — vocals
  • Nick Griffiths — vocals
  • Carey Taylor — percussion
  • Producer — Russell Webb


All personnel for album and single recordings, live concert performances, and live radio and television performances

Richard Jobson, Stuart Adamson, William Simpson, Thomas Kellichan, Chris Jenkins, David Batchelor, Rusty Egan, Bill Nelson, Alistair Moore, Russell Webb, Mike Baillie, Jude Nettleton, Julius Newell, Andrew Sigsworth, John Sigsworth, Alison Pipkin, David Pipkin, Hannah Yeadon, Esther Marshall, Chloe Dymott, Marlis Dunklau, Gracie Benson, Sally Nettleton, Harriet Bakewell, Mary Volke, Derek Wadsworth, J J Johnson, Paul Wishart, Alan Darby, Mike Oldfield, Dave Duncan, Tim Cross, Alan Rankine, Billy MacKenzie, Ken Locke, Virginia Astley, Kenny Hyslop, Frances Lynch, Nicky Holland, Debbie Mitchell, Nick Griffiths, Carey Taylor, Midge Ure, Billy Currie, John Mcgeoch, Steve Severin, Kirsten Adamson, Carol Laula, Callum Adamson, Bruce Watson, Jamie Watson, Jane Button, Brian Jobson, Brian Docherty, Lisa Macgregor, Maria Marshall

Miscellanea

  • Manic Street Preachers
    Manic Street Preachers

    Manic Street Preachers are an alternative rock band from Blackwood, Wales, formed in 1986. Often referred to as the Manics, they are James Dean Bradfield , Nicky Wire and Sean Moore ....
    ' 1991 single "Motown Junk
    Motown Junk

    "Motown Junk" is an early stand alone single from the rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on January 21, 1991. The track has long been a live favourite from the earlier part of their career to the present day....
    ", samples
    Sampling (music)

    In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an musical instrument or a different sound recording of a song....
     The Skids' track, "Charles".
  • In 2006, U2
    U2

    U2 are a rock music band from Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. .The band formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency....
     and Green Day
    Green Day

    Green Day is an American Rock music trio formed in 1987. The band has consisted of Billie Joe Armstrong , Mike Dirnt , and Tr? Cool for the majority of its existence....
     released a cover
    Cover version

    In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition of a previously recorded, commercially released song.In its current use, it can sometimes have a pejorative meaning — implying that the original recording should be regarded as the definitive version, usually in the sense of an "authentic" rendition, and all...
     of "The Saints are Coming". It reached the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart.
  • Thomas Kellichan now runs a music bar
    Bar (establishment)

    A bar is a business that serves drinks, especially alcoholic beverages such as beer, liquor, and mixed drinks, for consumption on the premises....
     in Tenerife
    Tenerife

    Tenerife, a Spain island, is the largest of the seven Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. Tenerife has an area of 2034.38 square kilometers, and 886,033 inhabitants, which make it the most populated island of the Canary Islands and Spain....
    .
  • "Into the Valley" was used in a UK TV
    Television

    Television is a widely used telecommunication mass-media for transmitting and receiving moving , either monochrome or color, usually accompanied by sound....
      commercial
    Advertising

    Advertising is a form of communication that typically attempts to persuade potential customers to Purchasing or to consume more of a particular brand of Product or Service ....
     for Maxell
    Maxell

    , or Maxell, is a Japanese company which manufactures consumer electronics. The company's notable products are Battery and electronics -- the company's name is a contraction of "maximum capacity dry cell" -- and recording media, including audio cassettes and blank VHS tapes, and recordable optical discs like CD-R/RW and DVD?RW....
     audio tape
    Magnetic tape sound recording

    Magnetic tape has been used for sound recording for more than 75 years. Tape revolutionized both the radio broadcast and music recording industries....
    s.
  • All guitars on Skids recordings and live performances were tuned down a tone (2 frets), to accommodate Richard Jobson's voice
    Human voice

    The human voice consists of sound Voice production by a human being using the vocal folds for Speech communication, singing, Laughter, crying, screaming, etc....
    . Many of the band's songs were played with an open string "drone" note.


Discography


Singles

  • Charles EP
    Charles EP

    The Charles EP, or simply named Skids, is the first disc and EP of punk rock band The Skids, released in 1977 on the scottish punk label No-Bad....
     (March 1978: No Bad, NB1)
  • "Sweet Suburbia" / "Open Sound" (September 1978: Virgin, VS 227, also white vinyl) # 70 UK Singles Chart
    UK Singles Chart

    The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being printed in Music Week magazine , ChartsPlus , and published online on various sites ....
  • Wide Open EP
    Extended play

    An extended play is a vinyl record, Compact disc, or music download which contains more music than a Single , but is too short to qualify as an LP album....
     featuring "The Saints Are Coming
    The Saints Are Coming

    "The Saints Are Coming" was the third single by the Scottish punk rock band, The Skids, featured on their 1978 debut album, Scared to Dance....
    " / "Of One Skin" / "Contusion" / "Night & Day" (October 1978: Virgin, VS 232, red vinyl - also released as a 12 inch single) UK #48
  • "Into the Valley
    Into the Valley

    "Into the Valley" was a 1979 single by The Skids, taken off their Scared to Dance album, and is their best known song, appearing on a number of punk rock and Scottish music compilation albums....
    " / "T.V. Stars" (February 1979: Virgin, VS 241, also white vinyl) UK #10
  • "Masquerade" / "Out of Town" (May 1979: Virgin, VS 262, also released as a double single) UK #14
  • "Charade" / "Grey Parade" (September 1979: Virgin, VS 288) UK #31
  • "Working for the Yankee Dollar" / "Vanguard’s Crusade" (November 1979: Virgin, VS 306, also released as a double single) UK #20
  • "Animation" / "Pros & Cons" (February 1980: Virgin, VS 232) UK #56
  • "Circus Games" / "One Decree" (July 1980: Virgin, VS 359) UK #32
  • "Goodbye Civilian" / "Monkey McGuire Meets Specky Potter Behind the Lochore Institute" (October 1980: Virgin, VS 373, also picture disc) UK #52
  • "Women in Winter" / "Working for the Yankee Dollar (live)" (November 1980: Virgin, VSK 101) UK #49
  • "Fields" / "Brave Man" (August 1981: Virgin, VS 401, also released as a 12 inch single)
  • "Iona" / "Blood & Soil" (October 1981: Virgin, VS 449)


Albums


Studio albums
  • Scared to Dance
    Scared to Dance

    Scared to Dance was the debut album by the Scotland art-punk rock band The Skids and reached number 19 in the UK album chart in March 1979....
     (February 1979) # 19 UK Albums Chart
    UK Albums Chart

    The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website ; the full Top 200 is published exclusively in ChartsPlus....
  • Days in Europa
    Days in Europa

    Days in Europa was The Skids's controversial 1979 second album. Initially released with an "Aryan race" album cover reminiscent of the 1936 Summer Olympics, complete with Germanic Blackletter-style lettering, this was quickly withdrawn and a new cover designed....
     (October 1979; Remixed
    Remixed

    Remixed may refer to:*Remixed *Remixed *Remixed *Remixed *Remixed *Remixed Records, a record labelSee also *Remix...
     & re-issued with a new sleeve design in 1980) UK #32
  • The Absolute Game
    The Absolute Game

    The Absolute Game was The Skids' 1980 third album and was produced by Mick Glossop.The album continued the Skids' progression from a punky sound into a more mellow one - paralleled by many bands of the period....
     (September 1980) UK #9
  • Joy
    Joy (album)

    Joy is the final album by the Scotland band The Skids. It was the fourth studio record and their first after the departure of signature guitar Stuart Adamson, who then founded Big Country....
     (November 1981)


Live albums
  • BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert
    BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert

    A number of artists have released albums titled BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert:*BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert , released in 1991*BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert , released in 1991...
     (February 1992)
  • Masquerade Masquerade (2007, mixed in 2006. Live album featuring tracks from two concerts. They were Hammersmith Odeon
    Hammersmith Apollo

    The 'HMV Apollo' is a major entertainments and concert venue located in Hammersmith, London, England. Designed by Robert Cromie in Art Deco style, it opened in 1932 as the 'Gaumont Palace' cinema....
     in 1980 & Glasgow Apollo
    The Apollo (Glasgow)

    The Apollo, formerly known as the Green?s Playhouse, was opened by Unicorn Leisure in September 1973 after acquiring a lease from the owners Green?s Playhouse....
     in 1979.)


Compilation albums
  • Fanfare
    Fanfare (compilation)

    Fanfare was the first compilation released by scottish punk rock and New Wave music band The Skids, on Virgin Records in 1982, shortly after the group dissolved....
     (May 1982)
  • Dunfermline: A Collection of The Skids' Finest Moments (July 1987)
  • Sweet Suburbia: The Best of The Skids (January 1995)
  • The Greatest Hits Of Big Country And The Skids - The Best Of Stuart Adamson (2002)
  • The Very Best of The Skids (2003)
  • Into the Valley: The Best of The Skids (2005)
  • The Saints Are Coming: The Best of The Skids
    The Saints Are Coming: The Best of The Skids

    The Saints Are Coming: The Best of The Skids is the seventh greatest hits album by The Skids, released in 2007. The album was released following the popularity of U2 and Green Day's cover song of "The Saints Are Coming," in 2006....
     (2007)


See also

  • List of British punk bands
    List of British punk bands

    List of United Kingdom punk rock bands...
  • List of musicians in the first wave of punk music
    List of musicians in the first wave of punk music

    This is a list of notable early punk rock musicians ....
  • List of New Wave bands and artists
    List of New Wave bands and artists

    The following list of artists that were involved with the New Wave music movement of the late 1970s and the 1980s. It also includes recent and contemporary artists whose style of music derives heavily from the so-called original New Wave movement, thus fitting the general description of New Wave as a musical genre....
  • List of Peel sessions
    List of Peel sessions

    This is a list of artists who recorded at least one session for John Peel and his show on BBC Radio 1 from 1967 to his death in 2004. the first session was recorded by Tomorrow on 21 September 1967, and the last by Skimmer on 21 October 2004. ...
  • List of performers on Top of the Pops
    List of performers on Top of the Pops

    Top of the Pops is a long-running United Kingdom UK singles chart television programme It was originally shown each week on BBC and is now licensed for national versions around the world....
  • Music of the United Kingdom (1970s)
    Music of the United Kingdom (1970s)

    In the 1970s, music from the United Kingdom further diversified. Heavy metal music grew into glam metal in the United States, and other American metal bands like Blue ?yster Cult, Aerosmith and Kiss helped move the UK from the forefront of the metal world....


General reference

  • The Great Rock Discography - 5th Edition - ISBN 1-84195-017-3


External links

  • on www.punk77.co.uk
  • on Punkmodpop
  • BBC Radio 1 John Peel Sessions