Radio Exile | Outloud – Oh Get A Grip On Yourself!

Outloud – Oh Get A Grip On Yourself!

By Dan Berkman - April 25, 2008 | Email the author

Hey there folks! Welcome to yet another edition of Outloud. This time around we are going to be talking a bit about one of the great love ‘em or hate ‘em bands of all time – The Stranglers. This divided attitude concerning the band is nothing new. In fact, it has dogged them since the band formed in 1974. They were outcasts in a scene full of outsiders. To be honest, I think they liked it that way because everything the band did and were about only reinforced the claim.

Before punk rock hit singer/guitarist Hugh Cornwell had been primarily a blues player and was involved in that scene at the time. In contrast to the stereotype of stupid, on the dole and under-educated punker, Cornwell received a B.A. in Biochemistry and studied for a masters in Sweden. Bass player Jean-Jacques Bumel, better known to the world as J.J Bumel, was a classically trained guitar player who on occasion backed symphony orchestras when not pursuing his true love- the martial arts. In addition to all that, the band also had to a 38 year old successful businessman and former jazz drummer Jet Black (Brian Duffy) and a professional keyboard virtuoso named Dave Greenfield in the band. To put it lightly, they were not your average punk rock band.

Another strike against The Stranglers is they refused to play “like they were supposed to”. Their songs were cleverly written, hooky and featured the most “un-punk” of instruments – the keyboard! At the time when the instrument represented all that was evil in rock music, the long epic solos, the attitudes and the failure of rock and roll, which to me can just be summed up in two words – Rick Wakeman, The Stranglers embraced it.

Also, what was different about the sound of The Stranglers was J.J’s bass playing. His unique trembly deep bass lines were forged not only by his dynamic control of the instrument but by the gear he used. He plays with a pick and from a cabinet that was designed for the electric guitar. This technique and his fantastic playing make him one of the many great unsung bass innovators.

Well, enough talk from me why don’t you see it and hear it for yourself. Here are the lads playing “No More Heroes” and “Something Better Change” live at the legendary Hope and Anchor in November of 1977.

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=CBKb0iZSTfo[/youtube]

One of the great joys of that clip is just watching J.J Bumel play the bass. He is just so exciting to watch as his performance, along with the rest of the band’s, mixes a fine brew of aggression, fun and dedication to the tunes that they are playing. For anyone who has had the displeasure of seeing The Stranglers say after 1987, would be damn shocked to see the band this active on stage. As the years have moved on Cornwell has gotten disinterested in the bands music, so much that he left in 1990, and advanced age started creeping up on Jet Black who has had to curtail his performance and his drum kit a little to keep playing.

Although not considered a punk band, even by their detractors, The Stranglers still had to suffer some of the same problems. they were banned from clubs, had their lyrics dissected for facist and sexist undertones (which from time to time were true. Note: “Making love to the Mersey Tunnel with a sausage” line from “London Lady” and all of “Peaches”) attacked by the press and were virtually ignored by the charts (although in later years that would change drastically). Why don’t you take a listen to my favorite hit by them “Golden Brown” -

“Golden Brown” [mp3]

There have been many memorable gigs in the early history of punk rock, Siouxsie Sioux and The Banshees first show were they played a 20 minute “cover” of the Lord’s Prayer with Sid Vicious on drums, The Sex Pistols at Screen on The Green and The Damned’s memorable stay and gig in France to name but a few, and easily up there with those legendary gigs is of them can controversial Stranglers appearance on Rock Goes To College

For those that don’t know, Rock Goes To College, was a BBC program or programee for our British readers, which would bring a hot alternative rock group to colleges all over England. Bands included in the shows short run were The Specials, Joe Jackson Band, AC/DC, The Boomtown Rats, The Police, etc. Anyways, The Stranglers were asked to play in Guilford, which the band agreed to not only because they hadn’t played there in quite a while but also due to the city being involved in the history of the band. You see before they were The Stranglers they were The Guilford Stranglers. You see, nice little tie in and a happy story but it didn’t turn out as planned.

The Stranglers agreed to do the show as long as the BBC allowed the public the chance to buy tickets (as a rule only students of the featured schools were allowed in to the gigs). The BBC agreed and things went on their way. When The Stranglers showed up for their sound check they were told by a friend from Guilford that not only were tickets not being sold to the public but they were being handed out at a wine and cheese University function up the street! This obviously displeased the guys in the band, so they decided to sneak their friends into the show for free via the window of their dressing room. According to J.J Bumel, the band snuck at least 30 people inside this way.

The show started much like any other. The Stranglers are rocking away until Cornwall spots a friend being dragged out by security. At the end of the song Cornwall addresses the crowd and asks, “How many of you are from Guilford?” To which he gets no response except for a couple of people who are being dragged out of the hall. Then this happens:

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=bBcKVECSPkc&feature=related[/youtube]

The presenter ends the segment, which can be heard along with J.J’s comments on the event in this week’s Extra Credit, saying that “Next time we come we will bring a professional band!” I don’t care about that old farty BBC presenter. To me this is just like Bob Harris calling the New York Dolls “Mock Rock”. It is just a pure state of not getting it and the energy of the music right at all. Hugh Cornwell and the rest of The Stranglers actions were as ballsy, revolutionary, risky and memorable as Elvis Costello’s performance on SNL.

The Stranglers might not have been punk in the typical, leather jacket, mohawk and draw an Anarchy symbol on everything fashion but they were where it mattered – in their heart, soul and music. Personally, I love ‘em and hopefully you now do too. Till next time!

Extra Credit

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=j7ENinn8l8A[/youtube]

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