Only Ones: Classic or Dud?

As for "Woke up Sticky" - get it if you can find a copy. It's worth it for PP's desperate version of "I'm Not like Everybody Else", although most of the originals are good too.

Maybe that sounds bad. What I mean, they suggest to me that the Only Ones were - Good. And that's good enough.

My favourite Only Ones track: 'Miles from Nowhere'. I like some of their songs a great deal, but his singing, plus the wearisome drug content = dud over extended periods.

but his singing, plus the wearisome drug content = dud over extended periods

I actually love his voice. It's too bad his personal life eliminated any possible ambiguity in the lyrics - or maybe I'm just being naive.

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0001HK1VA.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

I knew they were good but to be honest I'd forgotten quite how good - at their peak they really were right up there with Buzzcocks for creating perfect fey / winsome punk / pop songs.

As has already been said, they were viewed with (at best / least) suspicion by the mainstream UK punk scene, mainly because: some of them were "too old" (i.e. over 30); drummer Mike Kellie had actually been in (eeeek!) Spooky Tooth; Only Ones themselves (as England's Glory) had been about and gigging before the 'Pistols; they clearly knew how to play their instruments / write songs (not the only respects in which there are similarities between them and The Vibrators) and didn't conform to the "faster, louder" punk stereotype.

Nevertheless they were out and playing many of the same places around the same time - and often on the same bills - as most of the usual UK punk suspects; and they continue to appear on innumerable "punk" compilations, usually (OK, always!) with their signature tune "Another Girl Another Planet".

I vaguely remember reading a story somewhere about them playing a gig with the 'Pistols, where Sid was apparently astounded by Peter Perrett's huge capacity for smack - whilst Perrett was horrified to encounter Sid using water from a toilet to mainline speed!

Not particularly surprised to see comparisons above to some of the NY punk bands - 'though maybe a little surprised not to see any mention of Television during that discussion....

Not remotely surprised to see that that the estimable Dr. C loves 'em of course.

Another similarity that struck me over the weekend was with Morrissey / The Smiths; particularly as regards the precision and determination with which certain unusual words are selected and deployed - sometimes almost in spite of the scansion and melodic flow of the song.

Was Mozzer much of an Only Ones fan does anyone know?

Unfortunately (and probably inevitably) it did all start to trail off somewhat during the third album (much 'though I love both the Only Ones and Pauline Murray, that duet really wasn't a very good idea, was it?!?).

I remember purely by chance being present at their farewell performance 'in '81 - Peter Perrett looking totally emaciated and completely lost and forelorn in the middle of the stage The Lyceum; shivering with cold under those burning hot lights and despite multiple layers of jumpers and coats and scarves.

What an appalling waste of a phenomenal talent.

If I had to POO it would probably have to be "Out There In The Night" (could this the best / only good song written about a cat since "Lucifer Sam"?).

Anyway, I say classic, obviously - what say you?

POO? Curtains For You.

Am I losing my marbles or do I detect a lot of Perrett's drawl in Howard Devoto? Or is it vice-versa?

In chronological terms don't really see how Perrett could actually have informed Sheley or Devoto initially - although I'm sure they would all have listened to each other's work subsequently.

I suspect all three may have had some impact on Mozzer 'though (Shelley and Devoto maybe more directly because of the Manchester connection).

The only significant omission I can think of is "Silent Night" (which appeared as a single - apparently on Vengeance - a couple of years after the band split up).

With all that smack, why the hell isn't he dead yet?

Then I realized that I probably already had: and indeed, I had.

Extraordinary!

I first started seeing my partner C* towards the end of '77!

Admittedly there was a small gap (a trifling matter of 23 years) in the middle of our relationship....

Peel Sessions (fantastic!)
Remains (not fun)
Live At The BBC (alright)

Peel sessions CD
The 'story' video.
And a book 'homme fatale' or some such.

I notice how book and vid both end with 'the new stuff is fantastic' i.e. about to come out (and in both cases had to wait what, ten years and a heartthrobs team up?)

As you've probably realised, that bit in intalics in my last post was actually supposed to be a link.

POO? Erm, well, Flowers Die.

how about 'I love my mother but i wouldn't want to have sex with her'

bummer.

The Peel Sessions are the whole of the law.
only problem with them is that they don't have that song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxUSgrAv7VQ

What a song.

Dud. Can't stand them, and I don't want to hear 'Another Girl Another Planet' ever a-fucking-gain, tbh.
is this song really popular/ubiquitous in the UK?

Was on an TV advert for a while. It's fairly well known, I suppose.

RIP Mike Kellie

RIP :(

Hadn't remembered that Mike Kellie had played on "You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory."

Man, there are lots of covers of "Another Girl, Another Planet" on YouTube. Including one by the Libertines with Peter Perrett himself singing.

I guess a bunch of them probably were inspired by a Blink 182 version.

Phew, was fearing PP RIP.

Reading 'Squeeze: Song by Song' at the moment and discovered that Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze was also in an early incarnation of The Only Ones and even lived with Perrett. Perrett hooked them up with Miles Copeland got them their first deal.

He plays on some songs on "Remains".

Did not know any of that, interesting. Was that early version actually known as Peter and the Pets?

I recently acquired a good copy of England's Glory, which is Perret's 1973 album with Harry Kakoulli of Squeeze, including the aforementioned "Peter And The Pets" song. An interesting mix of glam and pre-punk!

Peter Perrett has a new album

New track "how the west was won" is excellent

Yeah, heard that and the other one.

"An Epic Story"

Giving an ear to a full advance now -- it's very enjoyable, and pretty much is what to expect sonically. But given how few actual albums he's done, I can't begrudge him.

I recently acquired a good copy of England's Glory, which is Perret's 1973 album with Harry Kakoulli of Squeeze, including the aforementioned "Peter And The Pets" song. An interesting mix of glam and pre-punk!

Also, the name of that public school he went to with Steve Harley broke my brane. Tom D. to thread!

How the West Was Won is pretty good.

Friend Andy was at the London show by Perrett the other night and had this to say:

Ferocious, post-VU-sounding band. Set included all of the (incredible) new album; seven or eight as-yet-unrecorded new songs that were just as good—he told us that he wasn’t even going to play his best new ones because he doesn’t want them on YouTube; and half a dozen Only Ones songs. “I’m not a fuckin’ oldies act!” he said, correctly; it was all about the new stuff, and it was great. Buy your tickets for the American tour now.

And speaking of said dates:

LIVE SHOWS
Nov 07
Concorde 2
Brighton, United Kingdom

Nov 13
Paradiso
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Nov 14
Point FMR
Paris, France

Nov 16
Botanique/Witloof Bar
Brussels, Belgium

Nov 20
Badehaus
Berlin, Germany

Nov 22
Sala Sol
Madrid, Spain

Feb 28, 2018
Horseshoe Tavern
Toronto, Canada

Mar 02, 2018
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY

Mar 03, 2018
Brighton Music Hall
Allston, MA

Mar 05, 2018
Subterranean
Chicago, IL

Mar 07, 2018
Turf Club
St Paul, MN

Mar 09, 2018
The Roxy Theatre
West Hollywood, CA

Mar 11, 2018
The Independent
San Francisco, CA

*bump*

Also, don’t think this was posted here yet: https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/classic-tracks-only-ones-another-girl-another-planet

Produced by Alan Mair? Never knew that.

xpost I always knew there was something hinky about those drums!

Lol

“Miles From Nowhere,” for one, has something interesting going on with the drums as well.

Lot of good Only Ones content on private FB Squeeze group.

Well not that much really but sometimes some good pictures like today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8Db6qxWyo0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07QlHcRndn4

The only thing I ever had was Special View, which is not a good place to start, I've been told on ilm, but his sheepy whiney voice was what turned me off, don't know how much another producer or better songs could do to fix that (songs might've been ok, but voice v. distracting)

Peel Sessions is the one to get.

That's what I'm told, but vox demotivates me even to check those Peel tracks posts. Speaking of Squeeze, they're gonna tour w Psy Furs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DxXFxGc_Cw

The old compilation “immortal story” is very good, but I love the voice. “The beast” is my fave but the Peel version is definitely better.

I put the 1st CD of the Sanctuary 2CD on and my player refused to play it. Need to fix player still.
Otherwise would have that first l.p. and a half on rotation this week.
Do enjoy those first 2 anyway and whatever live stuff I've heard. Guitar gets more ballroom patchy live QMS like in places.
Perret wound up being sent to school at Bancrofts which was across the road from my grandparents. I think he came from the other side of London though.

2CD set is Why Don't You Kill Yourself on Edsel not Sanctuary. Pretty good though either way.

If you don't like Peter Perrett's voice you're not going to get very far with the Only Ones.

Well maybe---in more recent times, I've learned how to listen around the singer when I like the band well enough to try, and these musos did sound better when I tried Special View on a better stereo than mine. What the hell, I might like him better now too.

Special View is a great place to start, who says otherwise?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3g4qpxJ86g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LeHlV9ZOjI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFxvILFrOnE

How about this one?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNWaEmSyC9A

There's always this one...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW0ey6eydU8

Surely enough versions for a tribute album.

You can’t put your arms around a memory.

Did we invoke them?. Are there other shows?

Thursday 3rd August
THE ONLY ONES
£23 | £25 [+10% booking fee]
Doors open 8pm
18+ show

Playing their first full show in 13 years and the first since the sad passing of drummer Mike Kellie, we’re honoured to bring you THE ONLY ONES.