Buzzcocks - Magazine - Pete Shelley

Time: 1975 / Place: The Bolton Institute of Technology, UK. When student Peter McNeish responded to a notice placed by fellow student Howard Trafford, looking for musicians sharing a liking for Sister Ray by the Velvet Underground, the Buzzcocks were born. Howard changed his surname to Devoto, Pete changed his to Shelley and a year later, having recruited Steve Diggle on bass and John Maher on drums, they made their debut, opening for the Sex Pistols' second Manchester concert in July 1976.

By the end of the year, Buzzcocks had recorded and released an EP called Spiral Scratch. It is the third record ever released by a British punk band (after New Rose [The Damned] & Anarchy In The UK [Sex Pistols]). It included Boredom, probably the EP's most well-known song.

The video:

After a few months, Devoto left the group, expressing his dissatisfaction at the direction that punk was taking. He returned to college for a year, then formed Magazine. Pete Shelley took on the vocal duties. The bass guitarist position was eventually filled by Steve Garvey and then the group signed with United Artists.

Their first UA single was Orgasm Addict, a playful examination of compulsive sexuality that was (and remains) uncommonly bold. It was recorded in 1977 and since it was banned by the radio, it didn't get any chart action.

The video:

The finest and most succesful song they recorded came a year later, is called Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) and was inspired by a line from the musical "Guys And Dolls". It was hailed by the critics and made #12 on the UK charts.

The video:

In 1986 Fine Young Cannibals recorded the song for the soundtrack of "Something Wild". It made #9 in the UK.

The video:

Meanwhile, Howard Devoto and his new band Magazine released their first single, Shot By Both Sides. It only made #41 in the UK, but it's a great song.

Here's a live version (Paris, 1978) on video:

The song was included in their debut album, Real Life (1978), which got stellar reviews and is found in many "best-ever" lists (The Guardian, Sounds, Uncut, etc).

My Tulpa, is found in the same album. It's the first gay-themed song for today (I took my time getting there, didn't I?). Some of the lyrics:

I suspect you ain't so sweet

As the lust I'm concealing

My skin wants to crawl back home to ma

I've lost my way in my feelings

You always collect your fists

When my shadow falls upon your hands

You're just giving a body heat away

But they say you're a nice enough young man

I want to see you

Don't you want to see me?

I'm full of questions

To call a mystery

I want to see you

Don't you want to see me?

I'm full of questions

To call a mystery

You can touch yourself any time

You can touch yourself any time

The video:

The last Magazine song for today will be their excellent version of Sly & The Family Stone's Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin), which they recorded in 1980.

The video:

We're not quite over yet... The Buzzcocks went on an extended hiatus in 1981 and Pete Shelley focused on his solo career. He released the album Homosapien, which moved away from guitar-driven Punk into synth-driven Pop/Dance. Some critics loved it, others didn't (a matter of expectations). The title song was the first single from the album, reaching #14 on Billboard's Club chart and #6 in Canada. In the UK, BBC banned it for "explicit reference to gay sex". Here are the lyrics:

I'm the shy boy, you're the coy boy

And you know we're Homosapien too

I'm the cruiser, you're the loser

Me and you sir, Homosapien too

Homosuperior in my interior

But from the skin out

I'm Homosapien too

And you're Homosapien too

And I'm Homosapien like you

And we're Homosapien too

(...............................)

And I just hope and pray

That the day of our love is at hand

You and I, me and you

We will be one from two, understand?

And the world is so wrong

That I hope that we'll be strong enough

For we are on our own

And the only thing known is our love

I don't wanna classify you

Like an animal in the zoo

But it seems good to me to know

That you're Homosapien too

The video:

Pete Shelley publicly came out a bit later, but those around him were quite aware of his sexuality. His next album, XL1 (1983) contained a number of songs with gay-related lyrics. I Just Wanna Touch is one of them. It begins like this:

I don't wanna maul you at all

You know I kinda like you too much

It would be great if we could relate this way

Cos i, I just wanna touch

I don't wanna play the old roles

You know like taking turns to be butch

Don't want our love to be over in minutes

And so I, I just wanna touch

Oh I wonder if you understand

That oh just having you near

Is better than all of those one night stands

I hope that you don't get me wrong

You see I'm not perverted as such

Just wanna love that is more than mere fantasy

So I, I just wanna touch

I didn't find a video of the song, but I went one better and found one for the whole album (the above song begins at 32:21):

The Buzzcocks reformed in 1989 and are still active, touring and appearing on TV. They are now a legacy act.