THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “When punk rock started to fizzle out and squat punks started to appear on the streets, many of the U.K.’s disaffected youths had already moved sideways into Modernism and fell in love with bands like The Jam, Secret Affair, The Purple Hearts, The Lambrettas and The Chords — but let’s also remember the love for ska outfits like The (English) Beat, Madness and The Specials.
Mod was another gang culture, to some a way of life, to some it became life. The smart, striking fashion sense, the scooters, and of course, the music —some from the ’60s, soul and Motown, some from the ’70s and ’80s, and plenty of guitar-driven power-pop. Mod was the real deal.
The West Country embraced the scene and produced its own authentic Mod bands like The Reaction, Mayfair and The Newbeats. Other bands were in on the Mod tag for a period of time but could be more appropriately described as power pop and ska — namely The Review, The Rimshots and Thin Air.
Success for some was supporting their heroes. Thin Air (previously Out of Order) fronted by 15-year-old guitarist and singer-songwriter Paul Sandrone, supported The Jam at The Locarno in 1980. Likewise, The Rimshots played on the same bills as The Beat and The Bodysnatchers.
This album is a soundtrack to an era, remembering a period in time when Top Of The Pops was full of Secret Affair and The Chords together with all the 2Tone bands. Thatcherism was killing multi-cultural Britain but to escape, it was OK to write a catchy pop song, it was OK to look smart and it was acceptable to wear a parka, white socks, Hush Puppies and a mohair suit.”
