New Films: Suzi Q, Seberg and White Riot

I don't often go to the cinema the days - there's not much on that I want to see, really - but there's been a few new films that I couldn't stay away from recently, beginning with a new documentary about Suzi Quatro.

'Suzi Q' is a full length documentary about the life and times of Suzi Quatro. I was lucky enough to see a screening followed by a Q&A with Suzi herself. I nearly saw Suzi for the first time back in 1972 when she was third on the bill behind Thin Lizzy and both supported SLADE on tour - I saw nearly since my parents decided I was too young to go to a gig on my own back then. 1973 was Suzi's year when she broke into the charts around the world with 'Can The Can' and went on to have a string of hits followed by acting in 'Happy Days' on TV and then on stage with 'Annie Get Your Gun' and all sorts of adventures.

It's a very thorough document of Suzi's early years, firstly as a member of the Pleasure Seekers in the late '60s and then coming over to London with Micky Most to start a solo career in the early '70s. There's a lot about her family and the jealousies that created when she broke away, and that's understandable. It did rather skate over the later years with only brief mentions of her continuing touring in Europe and Australia - she still sells out huge gigs in Oz on her tours there - and records and her autobiography over the last decade or so.

There were some lovely snippets of other 'names' talking about her, from Don Powell of SLADE and Andy Scott of Sweet (with whom she delivered a record a few years ago as QSP), all the Runaways, Debbie Harry, Tina Weymouth and Chris Franz of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club and others. Her former husband and lead guitarist Len Tuckey featured and it was great to hear his honesty about her career.  There were also some great video clips and photos of Suzi in her heyday that I'd never seen before. I thought it was a very good documentary - surprisingly good - that is well worth seeing. There was also a Q&A after the screening.

Another new film is 'Seberg', a film about three critical years in the life of Jean Seberg in the late '60s when she was hounded by the FBI in America for the crime of having a social conscience and donating money to 'right on' organisations. Jean became an instant hit when she played Joan of Arc on the big screen and remained a star in France while being a 'B' lister in America. In 1968 she started to support civil rights and equality groups including the Black Panthers and that's when the FBI started to take notice of her and decided to discredit her in any way they could. I suppose her only crime was that she wasn't a big enough star to be able to shrug off their attempts to trash her.

It's a sad tale in many respects and is selective in it's portrayal of her life but the facts of what happened are largely accurate. Jean died later in the '70s and is buried in Montparnasse in Paris.  Kristen Stewart plays Jean and she's very effective playing the young actress caught up in a much bigger picture. I saw an early screening at the BFI as part of the London Film Festival and the film will be released next year in 2020.

Another film screened as part of the London Film Festival was 'White Riot' about the Rock Against Racism movement in the late '70s, with the title taken from the song of the same name by The Clash. It tells the story of the rise of racism in the mid to late '70s and the rise of the National Front, the racist, fascist political party that was roundly defeated in the 1979 election. Rock Against Racism was a grassroots movement that  played it's part by mobilising music, bands and their fans to combat the everyday racism of the time. The film culminated with the Rock Against Racism gig in Victoria Park in London in 1978 with X-Ray Spex, The Clash, Steel Pulse and the Tom Robinson Band amongst others - punk and reggae always hand in hand. The sad thing is that there is so little video footage of the gig but we saw Jimmy Pursey singing 'White Riot' with The Clash on stage and some great photos of Poly Styrene and X-Ray Spex.

Rock Against Racism was everywhere in the late '70s, along with the Anti-Nazi League, and this film tells us how it came to be. How do organisations like this come into being? Someone has to have the initial idea, someone has to name it, produce a logo or sign for it, put up the first posters and put on the first gig. And that's what we learn in this film, how a rock photographer called Red Saunders and a small group of friends and activists attracted others and a cause was born.

It was a fascinating film to watch, a bit of time travel back to the '70s. I'd forgotten how grey everything was back then, how casual racism was everywhere, the potential for violence and so-called politicians were able to talk about 're-partriation' of British citizens on TV, it was all very odd by today's standards. It also felt very current in some ways with the racism of brexit and the gradual rise of another grassroots movement in Extinction Rebellion.

'Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliche' - The Documentary

A crowdfunding campaign has launched to make a documentary about the life of Poly Styrene. To be clear where my allegiance lies, this blog is named after one of Poly's songs from 1977, 'Plastic Bag'. Poly was never a cliche but the title, 'I Am A Cliche' comes from a song that was the 'B' side of her first single with X-Ray Spex, the classic 'Oh Bondage, Up Yours'. The documentary is being made with Poly's daughter, Celeste Bell, at the the helm so we can trust it to be an accurate view of Poly. I'm very much looking forward to seeing it.

My first X-Ray Spex record was on a punk compilation album, a 10" sampler vinyl record that also included Penetration and Linton Kwei Johnson ('Guillotine'). Following that I got their first single, 'Oh Bondage. Up Yours!' backed with 'I Am A Cliche'. I wish I'd seen them back in the day but I didn't. But I could enjoy their records and I did. All the singles and the amazing 'Germ Free Adolescents' album. I went so far as to hunt out the day-glo socks they wore on the record sleeve and wore them until they wore out. I still have and treasure two X-Ray Spex badges from 1978. Some things are important.

The years passed and 'Germ Free Adolescents' was released on CD and I bought it. It was then re-released as an expanded 'record+greatest hits+' and I got it. I still have my original vinyl version and, although the edges of the sleeve are worn, that's from love not misuse. The internet allowed me to buy other records from Poly Styrene, including her album 'Flower Aeroplane' direct from her house in St Leonards that she described as 'mantra with muscle'. 

Out of the blue a gig was announced at the Roundhouse in 2008 and I was there, finally seeing Poly on stage. I was due to go into hospital for an operation the next day but that wasn't going to stop me turning day-glo for the night.

And then in 2010 the news of a new album due for release in 2011 sadly followed by news that Poly had cancer. She died a few weeks after the album was released in 2011, still doing interviews to spread her messages. That was so sad, but it was also lovely to see the outpouring of grief on social media from a huge range of people - her passing was noticed.

I attended the first Polyfest gig in Putney, London, in 2013 to commemorate her passing and met Celeste Bell after she sang 'Warrior In Woolworths'. I subsequently bought the record of the performances that evening. And now a documentary and a book about Poly, and an opportunity to support it. And I have. My name will be in the credits of the documentary and that's a great honour. If you want to support it then please click here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/poly-styrene-i-am-a-cliche-music-feminism#/

Today Is Poly Styrene's Birthday

Poly Styrene would've been 57 today. Marianne Elliott-Said won her battle to move to a higher life in 2011 just a short while after her last album, the magnificent 'Generation Indigo', was released. I regret not having the chance to see Poly sing those songs live but I still listen to them. I'm listening to them at the moment. I treasure the memories of seeing Poly sing live - at last - at the X-Ray Spex reunion gig in 2008 at the Roundhouse, the evening before I went into hospital for an operation (phew! good timing!).

It's nice to see Poly still being remembered and praised. She's mentioned in Tracey Thorn's autobiography and in her review of Viv Albertine's new book, Viv gives a chapter over to Poly and she was referenced several times in The Culture Show documentary earlier this week on BBC2 about women in punk. She is still a powerful influence on anyone who will listen.

I was lucky enough to go to Poly's memorial gig last year - PolyFest - and saw Celeste (Poly's daughter) singing 'Warrior In Woolworths' but that doesn't seem to have gone anywhere. I still want a box-set of Poly's music, a detailed biography and photo-book. And who knows what else? It's public knowledge that Poly entered the studio to record 'Generation Indigo' with more songs than were released so maybe there's a demo album somewhere waiting to be released? There must be a legacy for such a special life.

Poly's day-glo legacy and memory burn bright. And could burn brighter still.

Virgin at 40

The National Theatre is 50 this year but Virgin is just 40. It's odd to think of something like Virgin having a birthday and celebrating it - these days it's just another multinational company raking in the money. Ah, but back in the day it meant something.

It started out as a hippy record company and it's the music that's being celebrated. Its first release was 'Tubular Bells' by Mike Oldfield (which I've never heard other than the bits in 'The Omen'). A few more hippy and prog rock releases later and after dipping its toes into reggae, Virgin signed the Sex Pistols and everything changed. It saw the light of punk (or possibly just the money making potential) and suddenly punk records were available all over the place. At around the same time it started to open record shops and I remember the small shop behind Newcastle City Hall that I seem to recall always smelled of patchouli (once a hippy ...).

To celebrate its birthday, Virgin has released a series of triple CDs:

Losing Our Virginity: The First Four Year 1973-1977 - featuring artists like Mike Oldfield, Robert Wyatt, Can, Steve Hillage, Kevin Coyne, Gong and Captain Beefheart.

Never Trust A Hippy: Punk & New Wave 1976-1979 - with the Sex Pistols, X-Ray Spex, Penetration, U-Roy, the Mighty Diamonds, Magazine, the Skids and the Members.

New Gold Dreams: Post Punk & New Romantic 1979-1983 - Public Image Ltd, the Human League, The Ruts, Japan, Simple Minds, Culture Club and Heaven 17.

Methods Of Dance: Electronica & Leftfield 1973-1987 - with Sparks, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Cabaret Voltaire, Public Image Ltd and China Crisis.

Fascinating Rhythms: Sound Systems & Dancefloor - Neneh Cherry, Soul II Soul, Jesus Loves You, Massive Attack, Chemical Brothers and Everything But The Girl.

There's also a sort of 'hits' compilation called 'Virgin Records: 40 Years of Disruptions' with Mike Oldfield, the Pistols, the Spice Girls, Meatloaf, Chemical Brothers and. bringing the collection right up to date, some of the recent hits from people like KT Tunstall and Bastille.

I like the CD sleeves that resemble a 7" single from back in the day with the logo of the time. I'm especially pleased to see two previously unavailable songs from Jane Aire & The Belvederes on the 'Never Trust A Hippy' record - her picture-disc single 'Call Me Every Night' and 'Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache', from Jane's only album. I will invest in 'Never Trust A Hippy' and 'New Gold Dreams' (obv) and, maybe sample some of the others.

"... She's Not Working on The Checkout"

This afternoon my boss noticed my 'Poly Styrene' signature metal badge on my jacket, except she read it as 'polystyrene' with a puzzled face. I then had to explain who Poly was in increasing detail as she backed away realising that asking about my badge had opened the floodgates. Luckily this meant that my new, much younger, colleague could state that he knew about X-Ray Spex, had some songs by them and liked the current bunch of punk bands. Punk isn't a musical genre to me, it's part of my personal history.

That started me thinking about punk on the train home (and I've blogged about it before). Coincidentally, I was listening to Viv Albertine at the time.

As I left the train I remembered Chumbawamba's 'Girlsong' about Poly that includes the line, "She didn't understand why only boys were allowed to be in bands". She was brave. Poly started a band after seeing The Sex Pistols and started gigging. There weren't many women in bands and especially not fronting bands. Most women singers back then wore fancy frocks and sang ballads, playing the sex symbol and adding a bit of sparkle. They weren't rockers although there were always exceptions like the leather-clad bass player Suzi Quatro. Suzi opened doors and the punks kicked them wide open.

There was Poly and Siouxsie and The Slits all finding their own way, writing and performing their own music and creating the way for more women. There was Patti Smith, Debbie Harry, Chrissie Hynde and Pauline Murray and, a little later, Pauline Black and The Selecter. Kate Bush was, of course, her own creation. They were powerful women and they probably didn't know the impact they would have. They just wanted to get up there and sing and play their songs.

Poly dressed in her own creations and sometimes dressed like her mum while Siouxsie wore stockings and underwear making it clear that it was her choice and you couldn't touch her. That was empowering and a powerful lesson. They dressed and acted as they wanted to, not because they fit in with a certain role. They were their own templates and role models because no-one had travelled there before. They did it for the first time.

I can't help but wonder where it went wrong, where women became objects again. Where Beyonce bounces her bum and Gaga wears a dress of steaks and Miley "twerks'. That's balanced, I suppose, by Amanda Palmer, Theoretical Girl and She Makes War.

The women of yesteryear did so much to carve a new path for women musicians and it's sad to see that restricted again. I was listening to Viv Albertine today (centre top in the photo below) and one of her songs, 'Confessions Of A MILF' includes the great line, "I chose being an artist over being a wife, I will have a lovely life".

This photo from 1980 shows Debbie Harry, Viv Albertine, Siouxsie and, in the front row, Chrissie Hynde, Poly Styrene and Pauline Black. Great heroes indeed!

The message of punk was always 'be yourself'. I always try to be me.

PolyFest at The Half Moon, 5 October 2013

Last night I went to PolyFest at The Half Moon in Putney, the long overdue tribute gig for Poly Styrene. Poly left us in 2011 so it's been a while coming but better late than never. I had no idea what to expect or how it would work with so many folks on the bill but it was for Poly and the proceeds were going to Cancer Research so I had to go.

I got there at about 8:30pm to see a big sign saying it was sold out (which is a good thing). I'd missed a few acts but, just as I went in, Diane Charlemagne was saying a few words about Poly and then gave a touching version of 'Electric Blue Monsoon', just her voice singing above the murmur of conversations and laughter. I sang along quietly.

More people arrived and the place got fuller so I grabbed a space near the stage only to find I was in the route to the stage when someone pushed past me saying 'sorry' only to see her go up the steps to the stage and realised it was Anita Harris. Yes, *the* Anita Harris from the 'Carry On' films and song and dance shows in the '60s and '70s and she's still going strong.

Anita said she'd never met Poly but admired her for opening doors for other singers and mentioned Siouxsie (which isn't quite accurate, but never mind) and said she was going to sing one of Poly's songs called 'Exploited' which had been specially arranged for her style by her pianist. Colour me puzzled at that point and then I realised she was singing a gentle version of 'I Live Off You'! I wonder if she sings it as part of her cabaret show? It worked really well and it was a delight to hear this raucous punk song tamed and given a new lease of life. Anita then did her version of 'Route 66' rocking out with just a piano accompaniment.

The evening was punctuated by various people getting up on the stage and doing short readings, sometimes with music and sometimes not, as well as the host getting up to ask where someone was and would they kindly come to the stage because they were due on. Youth was up and down laughing and posing for us. It wasn't quite shambolic but the DIY nature of it felt rather punk to me and, in that way, quite fitting.

Jona Lewie was on next, sitting behind the keyboard plonking away at a couple of songs that were fun enough but I couldn't see what the link to Poly might have been. I don't think he mentioned her either. His final song was 'You Will Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties' and it was nice to hear it played live for the first time, but then it went on and on. I stuck with it for about five minutes for the sake of Kirsty MacColl who was one of his backing singers 'dancing in a new way' on Top of the Pops long ago. Then I gave up and went to the toilet to escape, came out and it was still droning on, morphing into 'Seaside Shuffle' at one point (which he wrote yonks ago), queued at the bar and finally got a pint and it was *still* going on. Led Zep eat your heart out, Mr Lewie trumped you last night!

Next up was Jennie Bellestar and she gave us some serious rock moves on the stage in-between the seven or eight piece FFA Band including some Hare Krishna devotees - she seemed to be quite pleased that she was 'playing with the Krishnas' as she called it. She opened with the war cry of 'Identity' and flung herself around the stage, scarlet hair flying all over the place. She was in great voice and put her whole body into the song. Then we had a seriously muscular version of 'Wild Thing' before she spoke the immortal words, 'Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard, but I think OH BONDAGE, UP YOURS!' and she was off again, forcing us to sing along (which I did, obv). Well done Jennie, you did Poly proud!

The band was really good, solid guitars and drums with added horns to bring out the sax of the Spex sound. The FFA (Food For All) Band included some Krishna devotees (are they all devotees? I don't know) and they were great. The odd thing was that, despite playing raucous punk songs, they looked peaceful and gave off a feeling of calm and happiness which isn't the usual vibe coming off a rock stage. It was a bit strange but very appropriate.

As the crowd cleared a bit when Jennie left the stage I glanced over and saw a profile with an unmistakeable smile and there was Celeste, Poly's daughter. A minute or so later she was invited up on stage and said she was going to sing a song about Brixton where her mum grew up, just five miles from where we were. She sang 'Warrior In Woolworths' unaccompanied, just her voice, and she sounded excellent. I hope someone recorded her. She smiled at the applause and stepped off the stage back into her place in the audience as people came on to set up for the next act.

Next was Kevin Rowland and Madeleine Hyland who did a couple of new Dexy's songs which got a good reaction from the crowd. The final song was, of course, the perennial 'Come On Eileen'. That was rather predictable but got everyone singing and dancing along - let's face it, everybody knows that song. I'd seen Kevin in the crowd when I first got there so it's good that he was mingling and chatting but I've got no idea what his link to Poly might have been but it's good that he was on the bill since, from the reaction of the crowd, some people were there to see him.

During the break after the stage cleared I saw Celeste again, still at the front of the stage chatting to people and I put my shy self away, put on my brave face and went up to say hello and say how much I'd enjoyed her version 'Warrior'. We chatted for a minute or so and she asked where I lived and when I told her she said it wasn't far from Brixton that she'd been singing about. I told her I liked and had downloaded her songs with The Tabloid Queens and she said that was just a hobby really. She kindly let me take a photo of her and I did the terribly British thing of shaking her hand. Why do I always do that?

The stage was cleared for the final performance of the night - Doctor & The Medics. Now, all I know about the good Doctor is that he had a big hit with his version of 'Spirit In The Sky' in the '80s. That's it. So imagine my surprise when he, his guitarist and bass player (no drums) launched into a hard rocking version of 'You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)' followed by 'White Wedding' which were pretty fab. I was very impressed with the bass player who kept the same rhythm going across both songs without stopping. He got bonus points for wearing bright red tartan trousers in contrast to the Doctor's black and white gear and the guitarist's black.

The Doctor said he didn't know Poly but that his first live gig back in the day was seeing The Who, his second was The Jam (who he said were a Who tribute band) and his third was X-Ray Spex and they were a breath of fresh air.

He brought on Charlie O'Connor to sing the new version of 'Germ Free Adolescents' she recorded as the tribute single from the event that went on sale on 5 October. Glen Matlock played on the single but wasn't at PolyFest. Charlie was on the far side of the stage and here's the best photo I managed to get of her. I quite like the new version - it's not an imitation of the original - and you can listen to it on Soundcloud and then download it from iTunes, Amazon or your favourite downloady site.

The good Doctor then brought on Anita Harris to sing along to the final song of the evening, his own 'Spirit In The Sky' of course. I couldn't hear Anita in all that noise but I shook her hand when she came off stage into the audience again. And, y'know what? Doctor & The Medics were great fun! Raunchy, jittery guitar, solid bass and songs we all know - I wouldn't mind seeing them play live again.

And there we have it, the first - and hopefully not the last - PolyFest! I didn't see Tessa Pollitt but I've seen from Facebook photos that she was there. It was an odd line-up, particularly since there were no original Spex there and few people seemed to have really known Poly but it was fun nonetheless. It would've been nice to see some of the first wave of punks there, even if just to share some memories of Poly rather than play or sing. I'd also expected more Poly songs to be covered rather than people doing their own stuff - some songs from 'Generation Indigo' would have been good since that album is full of great pop songs.

Stars of the evening for me (other than Celeste) were Jennie Bellestar and Doctor & The Medics with Anita Harris coming a close third. Jennie was very fab and threw herself into it on stage, commenting that she hoped Poly was watching. At the end when Jennie came out to say goodbye to people and head off I had to go up to her to say how much I'd enjoyed her performance.

According to the Half Moon website, the gig was going to be filmed and recorded for release as 'The Day The World Turned Dayglo' so watch this space. The proceeds from the CD/DVD will go to Food For All, a Hare Krishna charity that feeds homeless people. I hope it is released so we can all see and hear Celeste and Jennie and Diane, the Doctor and Charlie, and, yes, Anita. Well done people!

I hope you were watching Poly.

Krista Siegrieds - 'Seventeen'

Krista Siegrieds is my favourite pop star from Finland and she is full of energy and bounce, big dance songs and a big image. But she is also capable of touching just the right nerve with her songs. I've been listening to 'Seventeen' and would put it in my list of perfect teenage pop songs that say just the right thing and sound just right.

I remember being that age - I was 17 in 1977 when punk exploded out of London, the Sex Pistols released 'Pretty Vacant' and the Clash released their first album. And a host of other things like first hearing X-Ray Spex on a 10" compilation record and The Adverts' 'Bored Teenagers' (weren't we all?). I got my hippy hair cut short in 1977. Punk wasn't the only thing going on and disco was in the air with Donna Summer ruling the world with 'I Feel Love', full of sounds we'd never heard before. There was 'Rock Follies of '77'. And of course, there was growing up, hormones raging and getting ready to enter the adult world (although I'm not entirely sure I've managed to do that yet).

I think all of that helps to explain why I love Krista's 'Seventeen'. 17 is one of those ages that matter, a transition stage between childhood and becoming an adult and our experiences influence us for good or bad. Krista sings:

When i was seventeen, 

                                 We treated every moment like it was the last 

My boyfriend was nineteen, 

I am looking at a picture thinking of the past 

Every song was the best song ever, every kiss could last forever 

Every Friday night was stunning, every heart went wild drumming 

No worries in the world could stop us, we where always gonna be on top cause 

We could be what we wanted to be 

Look at me, living for the day like a dancing queen 

Young and free, there's something in the air when you're seventeen 

There's something the air when your'e seventeen 

And wasn't every song you loved the best song ever? Nothing could ever be better than your latest favourite song. I have a vivid memory of hearing 'Pretty Vacant' on the Kid Jensen show on Radio 1 on a Saturday morning and immediately getting the bus into town to buy the record straight away. I had to.

There's definitely something in the air when you're 17...

X-Ray Spex - 'Oh Bondage, Up Yours!'

A new video has been published on YouTube of X-Ray Spex playing 'Oh Bondage, Up Yours!' on a TV pop show called Twndish in 1978. It's an excellent quality video and it's great to see them all giving it some serious welly, particularly Poly in her pointy shoes. It starts off with Poly riding a bike in a park (an extract from the Arena documentary, also from 1978) with a voice-over of Poly reciting the opening lines of her song, 'Plastic Bag'. Click and enjoy!

The Complete Poly Styrene?

Every now and then I see incorrect statements about Poly Styrene's career and I yearn to put them right. Statements that X-Ray Spex only made one album and that Poly only did two solo albums, both incorrect. So, for my own peace of mind, I'm laying down what I think is Poly's full discography - I'm sure I'll miss something out or not know of some musical foray some place - so please feel free to add to this post if you know of something I've missed.

Silly Billy/What A Way [Single 1976]

Poly's first single was under her own (shortened) name of Mari Elliott. 'Silly Billy' is a pop reggae song about a girl who falls pregnant by a lad called Billy Smith who vanishes to Kingston. "Billy you silly to mess with this filly" isn't one of Poly's best lyrics but I always like the inventiveness of using an unplanned pregnancy as the theme for her first foray into the music biz. 'What A Way' was the 'b' side of the single and it's laid back, almost jazzy Caribbean reggae sunshine sound reminds me of the sound of Poly's first solo album, 'Translucence'.

Little Mari Elliott then emerged later in 1976, fully formed as the magnificent Poly Styrene with her anthem, 'Oh Bondage Up Yours!'

Oh Bondage Up Yours/I Am A Cliche [Single 1977]

The first X-Ray Spex single screamed into our lives with the spoken introduction, "Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard, But I think OH BONDAGE UP YOURS! 1-2-3-4!" before the drums and guitar started and then the unique sax joined the fray. It still sounds young and frantic, challenging and full of energy. In one of her last interviews Poly commented that this is the song she'll probably be remembered for - her first in some ways - and that's true. But what a song!

The Day The World Turned Day-Glo/I Am A Poseur [Single 1978]

A threat and a promise, this was Poly in future-proofing mode, singing in 1978 about things we still haven't solved 35 years later. Consumerism, waste, the environment, greed - it's all in there in a powerful set of lyrics and thundering sound, dragging you along and into the song whether you want it or not. I loved seeing the Spex on 'Top Of The Pops' with this blasting out from the screen, Poly dressed to the nines.

It had that iconic day-glo world on the cover of the single. My copy of the single is on bright orange vinyl. What colour is yours?



Identity/Let's Submerge [Single 1978]

A great song about confused teenagers of any age, people modelling themselves on others and not being themselves. It's just as valid today with the celeb culture taking over the news and magazines. "When you look in the mirror do you see yourself? Do you see yourself on the TV screen?'.

Germ-Free Adolescents/Age [Single 1978]

A slower song for the Spex this time but still with a burning message about leaving humanity behind and becoming artificial through excessive use of cleanliness and beauty products. Be who you are. "Her phobia is infection, she needs one to survive."

Germ-Free Adolescents [Album 1978]

The three Spex singles all appear on the classic album, 'Germ-Free Adolescents'. This is the crowning glory of X-Ray Spex and certainly one of the top 50 best albums of all time in my view. It's been released various times, usually with an expanded track listing to include 'Oh Bondage' and 'I Am A Cliche' but the original track listing was:

Side1: 'Art-I-Ficial', 'Obsessed With You', 'Warrior In Woolworths', 'Let's Submerge', 'I Can't Do Anything' and 'Identity'.

Side 2: 'Genetic Engineering', 'I Live Off You', 'I Am A Poseur', 'Germ-Free Adolescents'', 'Plastic Bag' and 'The Day The World Turned Day-Glo'.

I know that's the right track listing because I've copied it from my original copy of the album. The edges of the cover may be a bit worn but it's from love, not neglect. Have I mentioned that this blog is named after Poly's song on side 2 of the record?

Highly Inflammable/Warrior In Woolworths [Single 1979]

The final single from the Spex, a mid-tempo song with the sax clearly in the lead with a staccato riff and with some early keyboard synth sounds in the background. This is a far cry from the savage sax and guitar of the early singles and makes me wonder where Poly and the Spex would've gone next if they'd stayed together.

Talk In Toytown/Sub Tropical [Single 1980]

The lead single from Poly's first solo album, 'Translucence'. It features early synth sounds with a sort of gentle reggae rhythm. Gossip isn't cool, kids.

Translucence [Album 1980]

This offers a very different sound for Poly, with gentle rhythms, calypso and reggae, jazzy in places. This is an album for lounging in the garden on a sunny Sunday afternoon rather than bouncing round the room in your day-glo socks. All new songs except for a re-recorded version of 'Age'.

The track listing is: 'Dreaming'. 'Talk In Toytown', Skydive', 'The Day That Time Forgot', 'Shades, 'Essence', 'Hip City Hip', 'Bicycle Song', 'Sub Tropical', 'Translucence'. 'Age' and 'Goodbye'.

Gods & Godesses [EP 1986] & Trick Of The Witch/Paramatma [Single 1986]

A four-track 12" ep, with the first track also being released as a single. The songs are: 'Trick Of The Witch', 'Paramatma', 'Sacred Temple' and 'Big Boy Big Toy'. I love 'Trick Of The Witch' with it's hard chugging guitar, synths and killer beats - why wasn't it a hit? "It's just a trick of the witch, she flicks the on-off switch...".

Love (by The Dream Academy) [Single 1990]

This songs is by The Dream Academy, a cover of the John Lennon song and sounds very much of its time, but Poly is there right up front in the mix chanting away. She also featured in the video.

Poly is also credited sometimes for arranging the chanting on Boy George's 'Bow Down Mister' but I don't know if that's true. Is it?

Live At The Roxy [Album 1991]

A short album of X-Ray Spex playing live at The Roxy in London in 1978, with 'Oh Bondage' featuring twice in best punk tradition of just keeping on playing your songs again and again until you fall off the stage . It's a live album and not particularly well recorded but it's a solid dose of real punk. This album is more for completists since the tracks have appeared elsewhere, most recently on the 'Let's Submerge' compilation album.

The track listing is: 'Oh Bondage Up Yours!', 'Identity', 'Let's Submerge', 'Plastic Bag', 'I Live Off You', 'I Am A Cliche', 'I Cant Do Anything', 'Oh Bondage Up Yours'.

Conscious Consumer [Album 1995]

This was an X-Ray Spex reunion record of sorts, with both Lora Logic and Paul Dean joining Poly and new musicians to make what I think is a great pop record. It doesn't have the raucous vocals and wild music of the first album but, after an 18 year break, why would it? The world had moved on by then and so had Poly and the band. It includes some great songs, some of which Poly played at the Spex reunion gig at the Roundhouse in 2008.

The songs are all on familiar themes for Poly - consumerism (of course), identity, her spiritualism, peace, vegetarianism, it's all there. My favourite song from the album is the final track, 'Party', that tells the tale of Poly going to a party and meeting all sorts of people. I love the chorus that has Poly in desperately honest mood: "Did you enjoy the party you went to the other night?/No, not really not really, no not really at all/I was bored stiff all night!" She then goes on to tell us about the boy who wanted to 'make love' to her, Prima who wanted to have a sex change and a guy wearing a tee shirt with the slogan 'destroy' (Mr Lydon or Mr Vicious anyone?). It's a classic three minute bouncy pop song and you must love it.

The track listing is: 'Cigarettes', 'Junk Food Junkie', 'Crystal Clear', 'India', 'Dog In Sweden', Hi Chaperone', 'Good Time Girl', 'Melancholy', 'Sophia', 'Peace Meal', 'Prayer For Peace', 'Party'.

Flower Aeroplane [Album 2004]

Poly describes this album as 'Mantra with muscle' on the back of the CD case. Half the songs are new and in dance-beats mode, the other half being re-recorded from 'Translucence'. As I wrote when I first got hold of the album through the X-Ray Spex website,

It's described as, 'An eclectic mix of soothing transcendent sounds with a metal edge' on the Spex site and as 'Mantra with muscle' on the back of the CD. The overall sound is calming and inspiring as Poly takes the listener on a trip on her flower aeroplane while singing a love song to Govinda. The album opens with the gentle dance beats of 'Atomic Rainbow' before moving on to the first of several songs re-recorded from her 'Translucence' album from 1980, repeating the jazzy-calypso feel that engulfs you in tropical sunshine. It works very well, the mixing of styles, a melange of journeys with Poly occasionally reciting Sanskrit prayers. And, in context, it works excellently. I was entranced on my first listen.

The track listing is: 'Atomic Rainbow', 'Essence', 'Beautiful', 'Spring', 'Shades', 'Sub-Tropical', 'Nice', 'B-Conscious', 'Airplane', 'Dreaming', 'Pink', Bi-Cycle', Earth Mantra'.

Let's Submerge - The Anthology [Album 2006]

There have been various collections of X-Ray Spex but this is my collection of choice since it has (as far as I know) everything from the '70s on it. It's a two disc set that includes all the singles and 'Germ-Free Adolescents', a few backing tracks, John Peel sessions, 'Live At The Roxy' and a bundle of demo tracks for the singles and album. It also includes Poly's solo version of 'Age' and the two songs released in 1976 as Mari Elliott.

Eye Witness (by The Brian James Gang ft Poly Styrene) [Album Track 2007]

Poly duetted with Brian James on this song on his self-titled album. It's very different for both of them, a slow acoustic duet.

City Of Christmas Ghosts (by Goldblade ft Poly Styrene) [Single 2008]

This song came out of the blue, a few months after Poly's triumphant X-Ray Spex gig at the Roundhouse in September 2008. Goldblade were the support band that night so they clearly hit it off. It's terrifically simple and bouncy, just what you need from a punk Christmas single. It includes the phrase that made me tear up when I heard it last Christmas, "Raise a toast to the ghosts of the friends we lost last year". That was the first time I'd heard it since Poly left us and I did raise a glass.

Live At The Roundhouse London 2008 [Album 2009 + DVD]

This is the CD and DVD package of the live gig at The Roundhouse in 2008. It's a lovely package with a good booklet inside full of photos and lyrics. It's particularly special to me since I was there that night and saw and heard Poly for the first and only time. It was a great privilege to see her on that stage a the Roundhouse, somewhere she last played in 1978. It was very lucky for me since I was going into hospital the following day for an operation so I went with great memories.

The songs included all the hits and bright lights from 'Germ-Free Adolescents', a few from 'Conscious Consumer' and a new song, 'Bloody War'. 'Bloody War' includes the refrain, 'Code pink, code pink, code pink yeah' and must be a relative of the very different 'Code Pink Dub' on 'Generation Indigo'.



Black Christmas [Single 2010]

Another single out of the blue that announced that Poly was back and there was an album to follow. It was given away free when you signed up to her mailing list and I did - I would've anyway! It's in punky reggae 70s style and it was great seeing Poly in the video with her daughter Celeste (who looks just like her mum). Needless to say, I play it endlessly each Christmas.

Virtual Boyfriend [Single 2011]

The first single from the album, 'Generation Indigo', downloaded as soon as it was available. Naturally. It was accompanied by remixes from Creep and from Leigh Dickson

Generation Indigo [Album 2011]

The long awaited album from Poly, 'Generation Indigo' was released on 25 March, just four weeks before Poly left us. It received universal critical acclaim and is full of perfect three-minute pop songs. As I said at the time:

This isn't an old punx last throw of the dice, this is a vibrant album full of hope and positive messages, written by someone who's experienced life and still believes in love and a higher spirituality.

One of my favourites (well, they're all favourites) is 'Electric Blue Monsoon' which I hear as a love-song to Krishna, although you might hear it as something else. I love 'No Rockefeller', an upbeat reggae skank reminding us that the majority of the world lives in poverty. I love 'L.U.V.' that tells us that love is all that really matters. I love 'Code Pink Dub' that tells us there must be a return of love and light and we need peace. I love 'White Gold' in which Poly wishes she could fly a plane of ice cubes to the desert. I love 'Thrash City', Poly's response to the madness that is modern London. I love the whole album. And so should you.

That says it all, really.

The track listing is: 'I Luv Ur Sneakers', 'Virtual Boyfriend', 'Generation Indigo', 'Kitsch', 'White Gold', 'L.U.V.', 'Ghoulish', 'Code Pink Dub', 'Colour Blind', 'Thrash City', 'No Rockefeller', 'Electric Blue Monsoon'.

The iTunes download edition includes a bonus track, 'Virtual Boyfriend (Youth Dance Mix)'. An early version of 'Code Pink Dub' has also surfaced on Youtube. There may be more in the vaults, songs that didn't make it onto the album for whatever reason.

Ghoulish [Single 2011]

This was a posthumous single and was released with a remix by Hercules & Love Affair. It was announced with the release of a great video to the song depicting a casting for a Michael Jackson look-alike. The video was made with love and ends with the words 'We *heart* Poly'. Which we do.



No Rockefeller (Wass N Burls Remix)/Black Christmas [Single 2011]

This final single was the result of a remix competition for 'No Rockefeller' and was released with the 'Black Christmas' single plus a remix of 'Black Christmas' by Khan. It was billed as the Somali Refugee Appeal single with all monies going to that charity.

And there you have it. As far as I know, this is the complete Poly Styrene - unless you know that I've missed something out. Have I?

Wouldn't it be great if someone pulled all this music together into a box set, remastered, re-packaged and high production values. How do you lobby for a box-set?