Best Of Button Label (1982 - 1984)

OK Here's a a slightly different post to the usual.

My Picks [9 of the 23 45's] from the Edgware based Button Records [1982 - 86] that may be of interest to a New Wave collector. 

The label was predominantly Folk & Country being funded by Mike Redway and having such producers as Ex-Tull & Fairport Members, Martin Allcock & Bill Ward at the recording desk.

However, the label still managed to give us some well above average Synth / Powerpop & New Wave tunes.

7" Label Discography

BTN 101 - Mike Redway - Morris Minor / Happy Birthday [10-1982]
BTN 102 - Tied Logs - Stamp And Swing / Kamikaze Banjos [10-1982]
BTN 103 - Joseph And Giselle - But You Love Me Daddy / Rodeo Special [12-1982]
BTN 104 - Johnny Demestos - Leave My Jelly Babies Alone / Shanghai Sidestreet [11-1982]

BTN 105 - Patti Gold - As Long As We Keep Believing / You [10-1983]
BTN 106 - Charles Anthony - Breakthrough / I Want You [08-1983]
BTN 107 - Pete Dodds ‎- Cardboard City / Sally Ann [08-1983]
BTN 108 - Wooden-Tops ‎- White What? / Biffo [08-1983]
BTN 109 - Annie Lewis - The Lass With The Delicate Air / I Sowed The Seeds [11-1983]
BTN 110 - Gary Knight- Cry Wolf / Dreaming Of You [10-1983]
BTN 111 - Tied Logs - The Bluebell Polka / The Cat On The Mixer [10-1983]
BTN 112 - Private Party - Change / Breakdown [11-1983]
BTN 113 - Charm School ‎– Sun / Excerpts From The Modern Song [01-1984]
BTN 114 - Patti Gold ‎– Don't Take It / The Perfect Love Song [03-1984]
BTN 115 - Estelle Round - Silent Christmas / Heartaches [11-1983]
BTN 116 - Idée Fixe - Easy Madonna / Tell Me No More Lies [07-1984]
BTN 117 - Mike Carter And Dragonfly - My True Love / Let The Rain Fall Down [06-1984]
BTN 118 - Tied Logs - Captain Pugwash / ? [08-1984 Not Released]
BTN 118 - Marie-Anne Emmanuel - Merry Christmas And Happy New Year / Merry Christmas (Instrumental) [11-1984]
BTN 119 - Max Million - Walk My Way / Drunk Again [07-1984]
BTN 120 - Johnny D' Mestos - The Ten Commandments / You Don't Give A Damn [11-1984]
BTN 121 - John E. Loren - Regrets (A Thousand) / Fabienne [09-1985]
BTN 122 - Diana Wins - Peace On Earth / Silent Sleep [11-1984]
BTN 123 - Friendly Persuasion - A Tribute To Karen Carpenter / Only Yesterday [07-1986]

For Sounds & more info just Download

Northern Lights - Bad Girl (1979)

    

b/w Exodus

Nice 60's Style Mod Powerpop on the A-side of the sole release from this Manchester [Northern Club Band] 4 Piece [1977-82]

Bob Walsh AKA Robert Barrie (Voc)  

Steve Petricco (Guitar) RIP 

Paul Petricco (Bass)

Eric Patterson (Drums) Replaced by Joe Morris sometime early 1980

The 45 was recorded at Manchester's Smile Studios and released on the MPA imprint [The Stockport label also released the first Slowguns 45 - which is worth looking for if you haven't heard it] 

The Petricco brothers were later in The Spivs 

Steve Petricco

Useless Info   Paul Petricco Started (Amongst others) FAB Cafe, Satans Hollow and TV21 [which hosted ‘Mrs Boon's Cakes & Tea Party’ with Clint Boon of Inspiral Carpets]

Sounds & Scans

The Toys - Ba Ba Badap (1981)

b/w - In My Car 

Great Beatlesque Powerpop on the 3rd and Final 45 from this Bath (Somerset) based band [1979-81]

Clete Stallbaumer (Voc Guitar)
Jerry Short (Guitar Voc) 
Phil Sudron (Bass Voc)
Dave Stallbaumer (Drums Voc)

July 1978 : American Born brothers Cletus F Stallbaumer Jr & Dave Stallbaumer (More Info in the download) recorded an LP with Mike Sparks (Bass Voc) & Mike Pryer (Guitar Keys Voc)
Clete Stallbaumer - My House Is Your House - Open Door Records [ODR-001) Chippenham UK
Me And The Boys/ Pride And Glory/ Grandma’s Rocker/ Speedway/ Do You Remember?// Motoring/ A Song For Rachel/ Here I Lie/ Black Limousine/ John’s Song

June 1979 : The Toys were Formed giving us 3 45's 
1979 The Natural Way/Go To The Police - Red Bus Records [1 A 006 - 63632] Holland only Release
1980 Go To The Police/Breakdown - Red Bus Records ‎[RBUS 54] UK
1980 Go To The Police/Breakdown - Red Bus Records [PB 5766] German Pressing
1980 Go To The Police/Breakdown - Carrere Records [49.647] French Pressing
1981 Ba Ba Babap/In My Car - Open Door Records  Chippenham UK
For the true completeists there is also:
1980 Go To The Police/I'm Alright - Red Bus Records ‎[RBUS 54] UK - The B-side is "Breakdown" Just mislabelled 

In 1981 Jerry Short & Mike Sparks teamed up In Bristol based band "Streets Ahead" 

Going by the Insert for the 45 it appears The Toys may have slimmed down to a Trio of  Clete, Phil & Dave.

Sounds, Scans & More
 

Adrian Fuller - Everlasting Love (1980)

b/w Love Hurts

Nice Glammy Pop/Rock, 70's Powerpop on Love Hurts From these Yorkshire based boys. (I'm afraid their version of Everlasting Love doesn't do much for me)

Adrian Fuller (Voc)
Greg Ainsworth (Guitar Voc) Ex Christie 
Simon Albone (Bass) RIP Later in Dale Hargreaves' Flamingos 
David "Exciting" Albone (Drums) Ex Hobbies Of Today & The Vye

Lindsay Frost (Keys Voc) Ex The Out 

Producer Lindsay Frost
Engineer Bob Whiteley

Recorded September Sound Studios Golcar, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, 

Both are Covers
Everlasting Love - Cason / Gayden [The Love Affair]
Love Hurts - Boudleaux / Bryant [Roy Orbison]

Sounds & Scans

Auntie Pus - Half Way To Venezuela (1980)

b/w - Marmalade Freak

The London-based Band On this 45 were

Auntie Pus AKA Julian Isaacs (Voc Rhythm Guitar) 
Robin Bibi (Lead Guitar)
Jim Payne (Bass)  (The Stukas*)
Chris Millar AKA Rat Scabies (Drums) 

Julian Isaacs, was an enthusiastic solo Musician/Performer known as "The Public School Punk Rock Balladeer" - although he was kicked out of Kings College, Wimbledon 

Sounds Reviewer "...any man that sings like this must have something going for him, deafness for example"

How did this one-man old style rock ‘n’ roll guitar act score a support slot with the Damned?

Julian

He was Originally From Wimbledon South-West London & was best friends with 2 brothers who were in Chris Millar's (Rat Scabies of the Damned) 1st band. Julian was invited to support The Damned (due to his manager at the time David Scott promoting the gig) at the Hastings Pier in July '77, where he appeared on stage wearing his old public school blazer and cap

The 45 Recorded was in 1978 (at Pathway Studios) with production by Dick Taylor [Pretty Things] Yet it was released a year and a half later, in October 1980 by Septic [Spartan] Records, being specially created for this purpose by the Ruts Manager Andy Dayman (with whom he was touring extensively with at the time). 

Apparently a second 45 was recorded for Spartan but never released

As well as being a solo Live Performer He also gigged as Auntie Pus & The Men From Uncle
with at various times
Dick Taylor (Guitar)  Pretty Things
Mark Sullivan (Guitar)
Robin Bibi (Guitar ) also in John Dummer & Helen April's True Life Confessions 
Artyro Bassick (Bass) ex-Lurkers also in John Dummer & Helen April's True Life Confessions
Ed Case (Drums) Ex Hazel O'Conner, 999
Danny Heatley (Drums) Ex The Satellites 
Pete 'Esso' Haynes (Drums) ex-Lurkers also in John Dummer & Helen April's True Life Confessions 

Useless Info 1 - Early in 1977 he entered a Melody Maker talent contest being put into the folk music heat He played 4 songs in 10 mins [a Jerry Lee Lewis cover, a song about an abattoir + the 2 that eventually became this 45] - he didn't win!
Useless Info 2 - The sleeve was designed by Rachel Howard, who's father Oliver Howard designed the Ruts "Grin 'n' Bear" it sleeve 
Useless Info 3 - Stories are told that he was a tad "light fingered" relieving large department stores of their electrical goods & redistributing them to fund himself
Useless Info 4 - Marmalade Freak appears on Messthetics #102 [D.I.Y. 77-81 London 2] &  Messthetics #5 [UK D.I.Y. Post-Punk A 1978-81]

*Although Jim Payne was a member of The Stukas, he never recorded with them: this single turned out to be his sole credit: he died in a hang gliding accident aged 25. 

More info Here  & Here

Sounds & Scans

Them Geezers Over There - Panic EP (1987)

 

A1 - Panic
A2 - Pushin' Throu'
B - The Gig

3 better than average Male/Female Voc  80's Powerpop tracks from this short lived [1987-90] Chelmsford 5 piece on the Rambert Records label

All I know is :

The band were led by Jonna Beacon (Guitar Voc) & their drummer was Andy Franklin

There were 500 sleeveless 45's pressed as a prize for winning a 1987 Essex Battle of the Bands contest.

Being Bored By Keith & Co

In 1989 they also competed on Keith Chegwin's SkyTV's Star Search (Performing Pushin' Throu' with a slightly amended line-up)

If you can add any info please leave a comment

Scans & Sounds

Twist 'N' Shout - Bounce Back (1979)

b/w  As It Happens

Cool Powerpop on the Sole 45 from this Worthing 3 piece (1978 - 1981)

John Cohen (Voc Guitar)
Alfred Armstrong (Bass) 
Linda Doe (Drums Voc)

When Worthing band (1975-78) "Better Looking" [Members - Peter Juster, John Cohen, Graham Skinner, Kim O'Mahoney, Brian Morris, Steve Rose & Linda Doe] folded 2 bands were to emerge:

Store Ad

The Same (Steve Rose, Peter Juster, Brian Morris & Tony Denyer) & Twist N Shout

John Cohen (Voc,Guitar) & Alfred Armstrong (Bass) would later re-join Tony Denyer (Drums) & Peter Juster (Alto Sax) along with Greg Davis (Tenor Sax) as The Hot Heads

Useless info 1 Linda Doe later Married Brian Morris

Useless info 2 This release was WEX268 & The Same's sole 7'' release (Movements/Wild About You) was WEX267

Useless info 3 Their Full time jobs at the time were  John Cohen (Assistant Manager of Worthing Record Shop), Linda Doe (Secretary) & Alfred Armstrong (Computer Operator for an Insurance Firm)

This is not the same band even though the labels are from the Portsmouth area.

As always if you can add some info please leave a comment

Sounds & Scans

The Social Lites - Social Lies (1984)

 

A1 I'd Rather Be Lonely     

A2 Cadillac Crazy     

A3 It's Not Enough     

B1 Big Business     

B2 Girls

Cool New Wave from this Seattle WA Band 

Mark Clear (Voc Guitar)      

Laurie Lyons  aka L.A. Lyons (Voc Guitar)

Joan M. (Bass Voc)

Steve Phun Hadley (Drums)

  

I couldn't find any info on the band but both Mark & Laurie have an internet presence. Here's a snippet from Laurie Lyons bio:

..... She got her first guitar at age 13. At 16, Laurie Lyons began her musical career as a backing singer with an Elvis tribute band where she discovered her gift for creating unusual and highly melodic harmony lines. She then joined a new wave punk group called 'The Plague' as a singer/ songwriter and rhythm guitarist.

Developing this direction, Laurie achieved considerable success with her new wave pop/rock band, 'The Social Lites.' Their 1982 EP entitled 'Social Lies' picked up heavy rotation radio airplay in Seattle and on American college radio. Prestigious gigs included the Seattle Music Festival, 'Bumbershoot' and "Give Peace A Dance"....

Mark C, Joan M., LA Lyons, Steve H

Useless Info - You'll notice Laurie puts the release date of the EP at 1982, This may be correct as there is no date on the record just on the inside of the sleeve. 

There are some more unreleased tracks by the band here

As always, if you can add some info please leave a comment

Sounds & Scans

The Dälex - Juvenile EP (1981)

A1 Juvenile    

B1 Action Man    

B2 Touched   

Great Punky Powerpop 45 from this Luton [Letchworth] 4 peice

Steve Mew (Voc)

Phil Woodman (Guitar Voc)

Jon Hall (Bass Voc)

Mick Ashpool (Drums)

Recorded at The Crypt Sudios, Stevenage & 1000 pressed

Useless Info 1 - It was played by John Peel on 04-03-1981

Useless Info 2 -  Juvenile is on Teenage Treats Vol.8

Useless Info 3 - The 45 Gets quite a good reveiw in Tony Page's "Anoraky In The UK" Treat Yourself  

If you can add some info please leave a comment

Sounds & Scans

Elanø B ‎- Diane (1981)

b/w Too Late 

Luton band [1980-83] started as The Allies (according to the local press) became Decoy then changed their Musical Direction*, Bass player & name to Elanø B.

 

 

Terry Jeff Tim Jon Tubbs

Jeff Cockfield (Voc) later in Under The Sun 

Tim Torode (Guitar Voc)
Terry Gittins (Guitar, Keys)
Jon Rolland (Bass Voc)
Tubbs (Drums)

Photography by Michael A. Spiller

 

*From New Wave/Powerpop to a more Post Punk/Funk sound. Listen to their Excellent 1980 Demos recorded at Quest Studios here

Sounds & Scans + Extras