Outloud – Another Planet of Sound | Best Indie Music Reviews, Interviews, and Everything Independent at Radio Exile

Outloud – Another Planet of Sound

By Dan Berkman September 5, 2008 Post a comment | Email the author

Hey ya’ll and welcome to another round of Outloud. In this week’s edition, I am going to be continuing my series on beloved one hit wonders of punk rock. If you remember last week we featured Wreckless Eric and his unforgettable anthem “Whole Wide World” [link]. This time around we are going to be exploring a song that has gone on to become a punk rock standard – “Another Girl, Another Planet”.

Before we get to the single itself, why don’t we find out a little bit about the band behind it – The Only Ones. The band was formed in 1975 by the waifish, high voiced Peter Perrett, a singer/songwriter who had been recording demos for years but never had an established backing group. He had met musicians John Perry and Glenn Tillbrook (who was in the just forming Squeeze as well,) in the punk rock scene. They played together for a time as a drummer-less combo, but in late 76 the line up changed as Perry switched from bass to guitar and Tillbrook departed more than likely to pursue Squeeze.. Later that summer they recruited a more established rhythm section: drummer Mike Kellie (ex- Spooky Tooth) and bassist Alan Mair (ex- The Beatstalkers, which were basically Scotland’s answer to The Beatles as they caused riots wherever they went)

The band had immediate success with their first single, “Lovers of Today”, which impressed the hell out of the NME and got them signed to CBS Records. The band had a strong connection with the emergenance of pop-punk, along with The Undertones and The Buzzcocks. Perrett’s trademark high voice, driving and catchy chord progressions, soaring melodies and highly bizarre lyrics created a very unique combo for the boys from London. Anyways, they released their self titled debut, which featured the song in question, “Another Girl, Another Planet”. Here is the video that was filmed for the track:

Oh and make sure to sing along at home :

“Another Girl, Another Planet” [mp3]

Another Girl, Another Planet
(Words and music: Peter Perrett)

I always flirt with death
I could kill, but I don’t care about it
I can face your threats
Stand up tall and scream and shout about it

I think I’m on another world with you
I’m on another planet with you

You always get under my skin
I don’t find it irritating
You always play to win
I don’t need rehabilitating

Another girl, another planet
Another girl, another planet

Space travels in my blood
And there ain’t nothing I can do about it
Long journeys wear me out
Oh God we won’t live without it

Another girl is loving you now
Another planet, forever holding you down
Another planet
——-

What a funky and fun video for the 70s.

The track, which was oddly enough never a “hit single”, went on to be their most popular. It has been covered by a variety of artists including: Blink 182, The Mighty Lemon Drops, The Libertines Babyshambles and The Replacements to name but a few. In fact it can be argued that Westerberg’s persona and songwriting was influenced by Perrett as much as Alex Chilton.

The Only Ones were extremely productive band. During their 6 years together as a touring band they released three full lengths and a album’s worth of Peel sessions. Each were well received and reviewed in the press, but despite this the band never broke through into the mainstream as their peers had done. They broke up in the early 80s.

The legend behind the band really started to build through tape trading, covers and on the lips of some of alternative rock’s biggest names. Eventually they reunitied in 2007 and have been touring on and off since then. Reinforcing the band’s hard working nature, the Only Ones got right to work on a new album that has yet to be finished.

Extra Credit

Despite the success garnered from “Another Girl, Another Planet”, the Only Ones actually wrote and performed other songs. Here are some rare live performances of “No Peace for the Wicked” and “Out There In the Night”.