Formed in London, UK in 1976, and disbanded for dental reasons in 1979, Radio Stars emerged from the tail-end of glam to seize the punk reins with abandon, albeit without the po-faced rigidity of their peers.
Writer/bassist Martin Gordon was in Sparks during the Kimono My House era, and then formed Jet with former John's Children singer Andy Ellison. Jet became Radio Stars, with guitarist Ian Macleod replacing Jet's Davey O'List and drummer Steve Parry, and later Jamie Crompton, completing the line up.
The first Radio Stars single ‘Dirty Pictures’ was championed by John Peel; their first EP, inspired by Germans and entitled ‘Stop It’, contained two tunes which were to become legendary live favourites, ‘No Russians in Russia’ and ‘Johnny Mekon’.
Their first album ‘Songs For Swinging Lovers’ was described as ’sticking out from the fetid morass of garage bands on fly-by-night labels like Nureyev's whatsit through his leotard’, which seems to sum it up rather well.
They toured endlessly, audiences invaded the stage, they even had hits and gained critical acclaim. Tickets for the shows were printed with the slogan ‘No riff-raff’ - no matter, the riff-raff turned up in droves, eager to get an earful of the band and an eyeful of Gordon’s soft-porn model girlfriend who stood obtrusively at the side of the stage.
Their second album ‘Holiday Album’ contained equal amounts of pop gems for grown-ups, but the writing was on the wall, and molars were being ground down. Exhausted by touring continuously, the band broke up and reformed the following day without bassist/writer Martin Gordon.
Trevor White, also ex-Sparks,was later added to the line-up but Gordon's departure in December 1978 undermined any lingering potential and Radio Stars disbanded the following year. Ellison and White subsequently undertook several low-key projects and the singer later revived the group's name, but to little success due in the main to Trevor White's increasing problem with transvestism and gerbils.
However, in a recent development in November 2007, they had this to say: "Canoe group claim to have no recollection of disbanding: British band Radio Stars who disappeared in a mysterious boating incident in 1979 and who were declared officially dead by the Performing Rights Society, turned themselves over to the proprietor of London's Blow Up club at the weekend.
They claimed to have no recollection of having broken up over thirty years ago, and to be 'completely in the dark' about the release of a new CD featuring live performances from the late seventies".They performed in London on March 1st 2008, and repeated this unique one-off event at London's Forum on December 13th 2008, and also in Southampton the following day.
They also performed on January 22nd 2010 in a once-only 32nd anniversary of their tour with Eddie and the Hotrods as special guests of that band at the 100 Club, London, UK.More on www.radio-stars.com,www.
martingordon.de and www.radiantfuture.eu
