The Electric Chairs





  Wayne County and the Electric Chairs

Meanwhile in January 1979 after a successful UK tour, WAYNE COUNTY & THE ELECTRIC CHAIRS prepared to tour EUROPE, taking in FRANCE, BELGIUM, HOLLAND, and GERMANY, over a period of 2-3 months, most of the gigs being in Germany, but also playing THE GIBUIS CLUB, in PARIS, THE PARADISO, and THE MILKY WAY with THE DAMNED in HOLLAND, THE KANT KINO, in BERLIN, among many others.

While in Germany J.J. HENRI, and ELLIOT, had to travel through communist EAST GERMANY, which was then the DEUTSCH DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC, to reach certain gigs in the west ,which was an enlightening and scary experience, east and west Germany being, at that time, divided by the BERLIN WALL, WAYNE / JAYNE deciding to fly over east Germany with VAL, because of the stringent border checks and interrogations by the border guards which, at that time, were not known for their liberal attitudes, especially towards persons of questionable gender.

However, the tour was mainly successful, taking in many gigs and T.V. shows, climaxing in a large Europe wide televised gig which, was also filmed in its entirety, and may be available on video somewhere.

Around this time, mainly due to the pressures of touring, relationships within the band were becoming strained, the tour finished, and the band returned to England, travelling to Ridge farm studios in deepest rural WALES, to work on ideas and tracks for the third L.P. THINGS YOUR MOTHER NEVER TOLD YOU

Things your mother never told you posterit was during this period, coupled with the time spent in Germany, touring and performing, that the majority of the songs and musical directions and experiments were developed by the band, for the album, and it was felt that the right producer was crucial for the recording of it.

After visits from several producers,
DAVID CUNNINGHAM, of the
FLYING LIZARDS, who would later, release their famous single, MONEY, was chosen to produce the album. Around April 79, Wayne and the band returned to London, and went into Berry street studios to record the album. Further experimentation went on during the recording process, coupled with, for the first time, more lyrical input , as well as more musical freedom from everyone concerned, produced, debateably, the bands finest album to date,

THINGS YOUR MOTHER NEVER TOLD YOU.
(cat no.safari good 2)

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Electric Chairs Discography

Electric Chairs videos

Early Days
1978
Sex Pistols
Electric chairs First release
Jubilee soundtrack
Erics
Reading Festival 77
Safari Records

First LP
Storm the gates of Heaven
Punk Rock movie
Things Your mother Never told you
John Peel Session
So Many Ways
Re-releases


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The album released in May 1979 was split into two distinct halves, side one (US) portraying the traditional side of the band, and side two (THEM) portraying the more experimental tracks, the track listing being:
THINGS YOUR MOTHER NEVER TOLD YOU
Side One:
1. Wonder Woman, 2. Wall City Girl, 3. Boy With A Stolen Face, 4. Un-Con-Troll-Able, 5.Things Your Mother Never Told You.
Side Two:
1. Berlin, 2. C3, 3. Midnight Pal, 4. Waiting For The Marines, 10. Think Straight .


The album was also issued in CANADA on ATTIC RECORDS, (cat no. LAT 1071), and released in GERMANY, on CRYSTAL RECORDS, but was retitled MAN ENOUGH TO BE A WOMAN
(for some bizarre reason, ed:)
(cat no. crystal 064 cry 61986).

 

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Berlin
BERLIN
7"cat no.safe 13
12"cat no safel 13
Released June 79

The 7 inch single
BERLIN / WAITING FOR THE MARINES,
( cat no.safe 13.)was also released in June 1979,
along with the 12" extended version, containing 3 tracks

BERLIN
12" cat no. safel 13
Released June 79


BERLIN
WAITING FOR THE MARINES
MIDNIGHT PAL
(cat no.safel 13 )

The album was a radical change of musical direction, and during the recording it became apparent that the band was sometimes pulling in different directions, leading to many wild moments.

 

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Music Stack
All these records are obtainable at musicstack.com

 

Meanwhile the band rehearsed for another UK tour which started in April 79, and the album was released in May 79, to great critical acclaim, some reviewers comparing it to DAVID BOWIES, 'LOW' and IGGY POPS 'LUST FOR LIFE', which is some compliment.

The live shows though, were dividing the critics, the band had dumped some of the old new York street tough numbers, and were playing more tracks from the new album, some of the press seemed to prefer the old style, and now WAYNE was sporting an even more feminine look, looking more like JAYNE, the audience response was generally good, apart from a few gigs with mixed attitudes, the most extreme one, being at

THE LYCEUM in London, co-headlining with the UK. SUBS.
The place was packed with about 1500 to 2000 people, a lot of them genuine fans, but, also a large faction of national front skinheads who had joined the UK SUBS fan base at the gig and were harassing punks and other fans. WAYNE & THE ELECTRIC CHAIRS hit the stage, playing material from the new album, and were met with a hail of missiles, half full cans of lager, glasses, pieces of wood, anything the hostile skins could get hold of, coupled with nazi salutes and attacks on fans that wanted to listen to the band. The band hammered through the set regardless, during which wayne threw a bottle back at the skins, mainly out of frustration, and was arrested for it, not at the gig but at a later date on the tour, at Sussex University in Brighton, and was fined. From the very beginning, Wayne and the band had always been used to responding to hostile or appreciative audiences and missiles thrown in fun or hate, but this was different, this was war. The band finished their set, and came offstage bruised and bleeding, but undefeated. The DJ refused to play any music out of disgust, and announced to the skins,
" I'm not playing any music for you, you f***ing bastards",
the sound engineers disconnected the P.A. system and stormed off stage, and the police stormed in and closed down the venue.

   
 


 
 

 

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