GLAXO BABIES “MAXIMUM SEXUAL JOY” (1980)
JAMS TO THE MAX!
The Glaxo Babies are a long-time favorite…so much so that I secretly maintain (it’s been some time) the official Glaxo Babies MySpace page on behalf of vocalist Rob Chapman.
The Glaxo Babies were a Bristol band from the late 70s, probably best known for their song “Who Killed Bruce Lee?” and “Shake the Foundation” (later covered by the Pop Group, with Ari Up from the Slits). Rob Chapman left the band after the release of Put Me on the Guest List, and joined Sam Dodson’s Transmitters. The remaining members of the Glaxo Babies went on to form Maximum Joy with vocalist Janine Rainforth and a former member of the Pop Group. The Glaxos reformed in 1985 to make some recordings, most of which can be found on The Porlock Factor, a Cherry Red release from a few years back. “Maximum Sexual Joy” is probably one of the wildest cuts you will hear—from their more experimental debut full-length, Nine Months to the Disco.
—Jamillah
*this is my last post on 100 DAYS OF DISCO for some time. I hope folks have enjoyed my posts as much as I’ve enjoyed participating in this projects with friends and loved ones far afield. I will be continuing to maintain my covers blog, SECOND WAVE, in the meantime and will drop in here periodically. xoxo
Maximum Joy - Building Bridges (1982)
In light of the recent blog entries on racial/cultural divides, and that today is the anniversary of the September 11th plane crashes, I thought I would cast a little hope into our little blog and the web world at large with this beautiful dub/disco jam that asks the ever-important question:
How do you feel about building a bridge?
Between you and me,
Between them and us?
This was originally released as a b-side to Maximum Joy’s 12” White and Green Place (1982) on Y Records. In 2005, the label Crippled Dick Hot Wax! issued a compilation that includes most of this too-short-lived band’s slender output. The compilation is titled Unlimited (1979 - 1983) and I highly recommend adding it to your music library.
And in other news: I am sending out vibes of peace and hope (also HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) to all the humans and animals and plants in the world. As Yoko Ono says, “a dream we dream together is reality.” LEZ DO IT!!!!
For inspiration, get to know one of our modern day freedom-fightin’, bridge-buildin’ badasses: Malalai Joya.
xo
Latham
Liquid Liquid - “Optimo” (1983)
This song has a guaranteed 110% success rate at dance parties although most people not already familiar with Liquid Liquid have never heard it before. Must be the cowbell.
MORE COWBELL!!!
Probably one of the most innovative bands out of the early 80s New York scene, Liquid Liquid’s legacy is sometimes overshadowed by other groups such as ESG and James Chance & the Contortions. However, their influence today is quite clear in the sounds of dance-punk bands such as The Rapture, Tussle, !!!, and just about any DFA remix. They are also responsible for what is probably one of the most widely-known bass line samples, ever, from their single “Cavern.” Peep the awesome video below!
—posted by Aay P.-M.
Pigbag - “Brazil Nuts” (1982)
I come to this place with a limited knowledge of disco as my mother understood it—the very stuff she danced to in the New York nightclubs of yore. I do, however, know a bit about a certain flash in the pan crossover genre often referred to as “Mutant Disco”. The term coined by the proprietors of Ze Records in the early 80s to describe music in their stable, made by scrappy UKers often affiliated with the post-punk era who thought it was high time to boogie…by any (appropriated) means necessary.
Pigbag on Wikipedia here
Comprehensive Pigbag fansite here
—Jamillah