R.I.P. Pete Shelley

[adap2it]

Pete Shelley of the BUZZCOCKS died today of a heart attack, he was 63. Count me as a Buzzcocks fan, they helped me through the punk fiasco. RIP Pete.

[markwoll]

R.I.P.

[jlneudorf]

Damn. I was a fan.

R.I.P.

[Steve F.]

Jesus. Very young and terribly unexpected.

Rest In Peace.

[Chuck AzEee!]

Shit man...

[Prognosticator]

R.I.P......

Combining Ramones like speed & Beatle-esque melody/harmony
With noisy garage style sensibility & clever lyrics,
Shelley created a holy trinity of the times----

A Different Kind of Tension--Singles Going Steady--& Homosapien.
Some of Punk/ New Waves best songs..

Sorry to hear of this sad & sudden passing.....

[arturs]

The Buzzcocks were one of the "punk" groups that actually had a good ear for melody/chorus and riffs as well. RIP.

[Mythos]

RIP to a great homosapien...too!

[GuitarGeek]

I don't really know most of his music, but I also thought Homosapien was a cool song. I just learned from Wikipedia that it was banned by the BBC, because the lyrics "promoted homosexuality". That makes me even better, in my book.

[Steve983]

I was a fan, had the Buzzcocks first two albums at the same time as discovering Yes, Rush, Genesis etc. I soon realised the error of my ways but the Buzzcocks were a fine power pop/punk band. RIP Pete, gone too soon.

[Kavus Torabi]

Massive fan here. One of the first ‘proper’ songwriters I got into as a kid.
A really fine catalogue of fantastic tunes. Farewell Pete.

[Splicer]

Loved that group. Loved his solo work. Dammit. RIP

[JJ88]

I've played Singles Going Steady quite a few times over the past few years. Buzzcocks are one of the UK punk groups whose work without question holds up.

I was genuinely shocked by this.

[per anporth]

Looking back, the partnership of Shelley & Devoto was remarkable - such divergent musical sensibilities, but conjoined for a brief moment in time to produce some wonderful, vibrant, exhilarating music.


It was such a thing when Edwyn Collins sang "And my favourite song's entitled Boredom" towards the end of Rip It Up (just like when he sang "I wore my fringe like Roger McGuin's" - partly for the rhyme, of course, but partly because, in pre-internet days, this is how we found out what was "cool"!)

[Scrotum Scissor]

Haven't listened to Buzzcocks in at least 25 years. Factory preference was always Joy Division and the Duruttis. But they - the 'cocks - were sometimes brilliant.

Shit. Mark E. Smith in January, Shelley now.

[per anporth]

Haven't listened to Buzzcocks in at least 25 years. Factory preference was always Joy Division and the Duruttis. But they - the 'cocks - were sometimes brilliant.

Shit. Mark E. Smith in January, Shelley now.

Spiral Scratch was released on their own label, then, after Devoto left, they were signed to United Artists for Orgasm Addict, & then the subsequent lps.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Spiral Scratch was released on their own label, then, after Devoto left, they were signed to United Artists for Orgasm Addict, & then the subsequent lps.

Yup, I was way off. I thought in terms of the 'Control' movie reference. Just to consider the 'cocks as part of the Tony Wilson universe would be... Odd and off.

I've had a drink or two; on my way to Christmas dinner at work. I apologize.

[Chuck AzEee!]

I love The Buzzcocks, being that this is on the main "Prog" thread, I know many would like to validate his (of the band's) connection to "Progressive Rock" but bands like Buzzcocks were one of the many musical acts that I preferred to listen to outside the Progressive Rock circle.

Asides for The Jam, the Buzzcocks sense of harmony set them apart for peers.

[bRETT]

Prog connection: Geoff Richardson (Caravan) played viola on their great single "Are EVerything," which was pure psych rather than punk. Georgie Born (Henry Cow) played cello on the flipside.

[per anporth]

Prog connection: Geoff Richardson (Caravan) played viola on their great single "Are EVerything," which was pure psych rather than punk. Georgie Born (Henry Cow) played cello on the flipside.

I love this place! I just discovered, following up on this post, that Georgie also played on Gardening by Moonlight's lp - I recall being a fan of the band, way back in the day (one of the guys in GbM had played with John Foxx; the record was produced, I seem to recall, by the mighty Adrian Sherwood).

[helix]

I love The Buzzcocks, being that this is on the main "Prog" thread, I know many would like to validate his (of the band's) connection to "Progressive Rock" but bands like Buzzcocks were one of the many musical acts that I preferred to listen to outside the Progressive Rock circle.

Asides for The Jam, the Buzzcocks sense of harmony set them apart for peers.

I'm sure that there have been many ProgEars threads/conversations about "punk" etc vs "prog"


what's curious is what a fan of music is attracted to?? songwriting? chops? lyrical content? fashion/cultural bent? etc


I can see how someone could love both (as I do) but I'm always bummed when one slags the other, as surely there are slivers of punk in prog at places and vice versa. I'm not the biggest DC hardcore fan just as I am not a Dream Theater Fan; both seem like reductions of their forms. base.



this topic is what I love about the E.G. / Eno cabal in the 70s and Touch and Go Records in the 80s/90s, where art met form and cultural intent etc



anyways, Pete was surely a master of craft whom made his way via "punk". one thing is for sure is that a good 'tune' and melody will last forever. songs can always be played/interpreted by someone. vamps or hyper arrangements can but don't often hold up apart from the creator


/blah/

[Sunlight Caller]

I loved the Buzzcocks from the very start, I have a 7" Spiral Scratch still in my grasp. I saw them many times from those school punk days through to recent tours, which although 70's heavy in setlist were still vibrant affairs, though Pete could affect disdained disinterested look like no other "b'dum b'dum"....

As ever these sudden deaths prompt me to pull out the back catalogue and listen anew. So much is ingrained in my mind, but these sharp snappy three minute bursts of melodic pop energy would have been hits even if punk had never happened. They were the template for so much that came after, often imitated, never bettered. RIP Pete.

[Chuck AzEee!]

I'm sure that there have been many ProgEars threads/conversations about "punk" etc vs "prog"


what's curious is what a fan of music is attracted to?? songwriting? chops? lyrical content? fashion/cultural bent? etc


I can see how someone could love both (as I do) but I'm always bummed when one slags the other, as surely there are slivers of punk in prog at places and vice versa. I'm not the biggest DC hardcore fan just as I am not a Dream Theater Fan; both seem like reductions of their forms. base.



this topic is what I love about the E.G. / Eno cabal in the 70s and Touch and Go Records in the 80s/90s, where art met form and cultural intent etc



anyways, Pete was surely a master of craft whom made his way via "punk". one thing is for sure is that a good 'tune' and melody will last forever. songs can always be played/interpreted by someone. vamps and hyper arrangements can but don't often hold up apart from the creator


/blah/

The band was heavily into Neu! and Can and you heard it on many of the band's stretched out jams like "I Believe" and "Moving To The Pulsebeat" to name two songs.

Charles

[helix]

The band was heavily into Neu! and Can and you heard it on many of the band's stretched out jams like "I Believe" and "Moving To The Pulsebeat" to name two songs.

Charles

that much is noticeable and mentioned oft!


as are the Lydon/Hammill facts etc

[Zappathustra]

I just posted this on my facebook account:



The whole rivalry between punk/post-punk and classic/hard rock is complete bollocks to me. This is a classic, heavy rock riff that can be easily found in any NWOBHM record of the same era.