by Jez Bird (singer/guitarist), Doug Sanders (guitarist/vocalist), Mark Ellis (bassist) and Paul Wincer (drummer). The name kind of gives it away. The Lambrettas were a band proudly flying the mod revival flag and, if you’ll pardon the mixed metaphor, riding the crest of that mod revival wave at the perfect time of 1979/1980. They are a band I have grown very fond of over the years, but it took me some time to fully appreciate them.
John Peel, on playing a Secret Affair session in 1979 (he quite liked Secret Affair) was a little sniffy over The Lambrettas’ name – saying “at least they [Secret Affair] weren’t called something ridiculous like The Vespas” which was an obvious reference. I’m paraphrasing a bit, but it was indicative I think of the reputation The Lambrettas had compared to groups like The Chords, The Jam and Secret Affair.
The Lambrettas were actually discovered, if that’s the right word, by the relatively new Rocket Record Company. Elton John’s label formed in 1973. The story is that they sent flyers around and leaflet dropped asking bands to call the studio number, 499 2139, and put an advertisement in Melody Maker hoping to attract new talent. The Lambrettas answered the call and Go Steady was recorded and featured on this early compilation album, titled the same as the aforementioned phone number, and indeed was the first single by the band put out by Rocket shortly afterwards.
Go Steady did well enough to warrant a signing and two more singles, followed quickly by their first album, Beat Boys In The Jet Age.
Incidentally, 4992139 included a track by The Act (formed by Nick Laird-Clowes of The Dream Academy fame) called Sure Fire which I think is the best song on that compilation. Rocket didn’t sign them and they went on to release their one and only album on Hannibal Records in 1981. Well worth seeking out.
Back to The Lambrettas, and I’m going to contradict myself sightly here having suggested they weren’t quite as popular as other bands of the time, because The Lambrettas second single is one you will all know. It was also their most successful, reaching number 7 in the UK charts. Poison Ivy was a 1950’s song recorded by The Coasters, and The Lambrettas, while staying faithful to the melody of the original, gave it the full on pop remake, almost reggae like in style which, to be fair, the Coasters version had hints of too. However, and this is purely a personal take on this single, I think it put some mod purists off. It was almost too poppy and a bit silly. Mod revival at its best spoke of social commentary, youth frustration and poverty, a desire for change, anger. Poison Ivy had none of this.
The third single, Da-a-a-ance, was much more up my street musically, and I think a much more Lambrettas sounding single. Of course, it was not quite as popular for that reason, but did reach number 12 in the UK charts which was their last major singles chart success.
No matter, the first LP, Beat Boys In The Jet Age was given the go ahead and released in June of 1980.
Da-a-a-ance is the first track on side 1 and I have come to think of it as a true mod classic. Clean guitar intros, power pop chords and a great Mark Ellis bass line. It also reinforces that other mod revival trope, the protective boy looking out for his girl, or girl-to-be (Secret Affair’s Time For Action for example).
Love, this time unrequited, features again in Cortina Mk 2. I really like this track and I think it would have done really well as a single, although Another Day Another Girl (or Page 3) was an excellent choice for this. Cortina is a funny song at its heart, but what underlies is the heartbreak of youth and courting. We’ve all been there, and mod revival never shied away from covering this most common of young emotions. If only I could get a Cortina then she would love me!
London Calling has hints of Merton Parkas and even The Jam – I think it was the most generic sounding track on the album, and by that I mean it sounds like they are trying to sound like other bands. No bad thing really and it’s a good enough track, if a little over produced. I noticed what sounds like morse code running through it on a recent listen (probably due to better speakers) which is curious as The Clash’s song of the same name released a year earlier also featured morse code.
After Poison Ivy, which I do actually think is a decent song although it still feel sounds out of place on the album so far, we come to Leap Before You Look which returns us to a more recognisable brand of mod revival music. There is Northern Soul influence here, as well as subtle Pete Townshend chord progression for good measure. It’s over all too soon though, a short track, they all are, but Leap Before You Look seems shorter as it leaves you wanting more.
The eponymous track Beat Boys In The Jet Age sounds like an attempt to replicate the wonderful Glory Boys anthem. It doesn’t quite manage it. Again, it’s all a bit too clean and well produced to be a true mod anthem for a youth movement. A missed opportunity to finish off side 1 strongly.
But if they missed that opportunity, they certainly made up for it at the start of side 2. Another Day (Another Girl) started out life as Page 3 but The Sun (a UK red top sleazy ‘newspaper’ known for their Page 3 topless girls) weren’t too happy with that for some reason and threatened to sue. Even though the words ‘Page 3, Page 3′ were sung throughout the track and very often, so we’re left in no doubt what it is they are singing about.
UK releases of Page 3 were quickly withdrawn, but some did make it out in the wild in Ireland (and I think other countries) before the name change. Needless to say these are well sought after now and command a reasonably high price.
Oddly, The Sun didn’t deem it necessary to sue for the same reason on the LP, as the track is still called Page 3 there.
Anyway, Page 3 is by far the best song on the album in my opinion, and although it was released as the next single, it was only a minor hit peaking at 49. This is because it wasn’t as poppy and accessible as the previous singles, and it is all the better for that!
Page 3 is, again, a song full of comedy, or if not comedy then it is firmly tongue in cheek, but it does talk about working class Britain in a way that maybe only working class Brits would recognise. If you were to make a compilation album of essential mod revival tracks from that period, Page 3 would have to be on it. From the initial drum intro, flowing up and down bass and lead guitars to the belting chorus asking us if we have seen today’s Page 3, it has all the elements required.
Living For Today comes next and whilst recognisable as a Lambrettas track, largely due to the unique bass sounds, it is fairly forgettable. Watch Out I’m Back starts off promising but again fails to hit the spot. I’m going to say it, even though I hate the term, but both of these songs feel like fillers. Don’t Push Me drags it back a little. On this track you can hear for the first time the influences that The Lambrettas had on later bands like The Gents, again due to the drawling bass that I’ve mentioned a couple of times. The improvement continues with Runaround – a decent track and one you’ll probably be singing long after the record player arm clicks back into place. It’s catchy without being too pop driven.
And so Face To Face closes the album out, and it’s a strong finish. It reminds me of Go Steady in that it’s a little more raw, it has decent rhythmic chords and even a guitar solo. The vocals seem more ‘real’ and have more emotion.
All in all, there are some crackers on this album. Da-a-a-ance, Page 3, Cortina Mk 2, Face To Face – all great tracks and certainly worthy of any discerning 2nd wave mod’s record collection, but I can’t help feeling Beat Boys In The Jet Age would have made more impact if the album hadn’t been rushed out. At least, it feels rushed out. Not quite ready. I know the pressure was always on to tap into the mod movement and, as we know, these things are gone as quickly as they appear, but with a few more better thought out songs instead of the ‘fillers’, Beat Boys could have been a truly great album. As it is, it’s good enough, and I do recommend it.