British glamsters Hello deliver an album with a smattering of originals, cover versions and a couple of curios thrown in too for good measure, but overall this is a patchy album at best.
Written by: Explorer
ARTIST: Hello
ALBUM: Keeps Us Off The Streets
LABEL: Bell
SERIAL: Bells 263
YEAR: 1976
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: England
LINEUP: Bob Bradbury – lead vocals, rhythm guitar * Keith Marshall – lead guitar, backing vocals * Vic Faulkner – bass * Jeff Allen – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 Teenage Revolution * 02 Keeps Us Off The Streets * 03 She Knows * 04 Carol * 05 Then She Kissed Me * 06 Tell Him * 07 New York Groove * 08 Let’s Spend The Night Together * 09 Shakin’ All Over * 10 Hold Me * 11 Another School Day * 12 Star Studded Sham
(CD Bonus Tracks) Let’s Twist Again, Rebel, Let it Rock, Shout it Out, Hooray, Hooray, Where’s the Party?, Dynamite, Round and Round
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
Part of the UK Glam Scene back in the early 70’s, Hello unfortunately missed the boat somewhat as although they had scored a couple of top 10 singles in the previous years.
It wasn’t until 1976 that this their debut album appeared and by then Glam was pretty much a spent force and the UK was readying itself for the onslaught of Punk.
Signed to the ‘Go to’ Glam label Bell, and produced by Mike Leander who made his name producing the hits for one Gary Glitter, hopes were high for the band and their lasting impact in the UK was limited but they did have some success on mainland Europe, in particular Germany with a string of hit singles.
The Songs
Hello deliver an album with a smattering of originals, cover versions and a couple of curios thrown in too for good measure, however this is a patchy album at best. The two hit singles are unsurprisingly the best on show.
‘Tell Him’ being an enthusiastic cover version of the 60’s hit originally sung by Billie Davis, and then there is the original version of ‘New York Groove’ which was made a lot more famous a few years later by Ace Frehley on his ’78 solo album. ‘Tell Him’ in particular carrying that instantly recognisable Glitter stomp.
The band did release other tracks as singles; ‘Another School Day’ being a particular favourite of mine (Radio Luxembourg back in the 70’s was essential listening for many a teenager) and the Russ Ballard penned ‘Star Studded Sham’ both being rabble rousing glam anthems.
But it’s the rest that lets it all down with some pretty rotten covers of rock/pop staples such as ‘Then She Kissed Me’, The Rolling Stones ‘Lets Spend The Night Together’ and ‘Shakin’ All Over’, and their own material lacking any real substance too.
The bonus tracks on the CD reissue don’t help much either, apart from ‘the Chinn/Chapman penned ‘Dynamite’ which was later covered by Mud who took it into the UK top 5.
In Summary
I’ve gone back to my Glam days on the back of listening to my recently reviewed Hammered Satin release ‘Glamorama’ and it’s been a blast reliving some very fond memories of watching ‘TOTP’, and ‘Supersonic’, but sadly no ‘Lift off with Ayshea’, it was all so camp, cheesy and trashy, great fun!!.
Hello were very much a ‘second division’ band in the league tables of Glam, and were in truth a band who were never going to get promoted. They are, amazingly still active and a quick look at their website shows that they are still in gainful employment in Europe. This is one for the Glam diehards really, so that’s just me then.
Hello on Video
New York Groove
