Adam And The Antz – Do It Records – 1979

Posted on June 4, 2008July 16, 2008 by Penguin

Adam and his Antz second 7″ single, recorded by the second Antz line up comprising the musicians that recorded the ‘Dirk Wears White Socks’ LP.

In 1980 this line up also infamously, had Malcolm McClaren (the then manager of the band) get the adorable and dreamy (I am allowed to say that cos I was a year younger than her at 13/14 in 1980) 15 year old Annabella Lwin to join up on vocals to become Bow Wow Wow, leaving Adam on his Jack Jones.

Quite a coup, still Adam got the last laugh becoming a huge world wide star with a completely different band.

Both the new Adam And The Ants (note different spelling now) and Bow Wow Wow had a very similar sound, performed in similar venues, and on similar TV and Radio sessions, and I am still quite amazed to this day that Bow Wow Wow did not overshadow the new Adam And The Ants in world wide popularity in 1980-1981.

Adam and his new Ants released the ‘Kings Of The Wild Frontier’ LP, which is a mighty fine listen. Bow Wow Wow released their first LP/EP release on cassette only format. That format did not qualify as a single in the charts, nor ironically an LP, the fact that there was no LP format meant a lot less sales. Bow Wow Wow lost ground on Adam And The Ants from that point on and were lapped several times before Bow Wow Wow released a proper vinyl LP (plus cassette version) in 1981.

Maybe I should not be so amazed…McClaren and E.M.I. bodging it up again.

Loads more Antz material uploaded, use the search function.

87 comments

Jah Pork Pie
June 5, 2008 at 4:47 pm

@Stewart-> Just had a quick Google around and found that members of The Slits were previously in a band called “The Castrators”. Puts a rather feminist perspective on the “Cut” album cover, doesn’t it?
Stewart
June 5, 2008 at 6:11 pm

Jah Pork Pie – I didn’t say they weren’t feminists (although since I didn’t know them I have no idea if they were or not), or that the cover wasn’t about strong women confronting sexual stereotyping and power roles and patriarchy etc etc, just that punk wasn’t, IMHO, asexual – just because Johnny Rotten didn’t like sex doesn’t mean that all punks didn’t! And I would hope that ALL punks were feminists – those with a brain, anyway. 🙂

Sex and sexuality is a very interesting topic, think we should start up a new thread sometime! For example, PolyStyrene with her braces and then shaving off all her hair is an example of another strong woman simultaneously acknowledging and rejecting her own sexuality and sexual attraction and the role of sex in society – and I knew lots of young punx then who would have clambered over mounds and mounds of polystyrene foam to spend some – ahem – ‘private time’ with her…

I would post a more considered, intellectual response – but I’m at work, so don’t have time! Maybe when I get home tonight after a drink lol! 🙂

As those old BT ads used to say: It’s good to talk…
alistairliv
June 5, 2008 at 6:14 pm

Marigold rubber gloves? I used to make ’em! Or at least spent seven years in the rubber wear industry / London Rubber Company 1977-1984. Marigold gloves, surgeons gloves and various Durex condoms…

I love the smell of latex in the morning. It smells of ….ammonia.

[That was an Apocalypse Now mis-quote just in case anyone missed it.]
Phil
June 5, 2008 at 7:02 pm

You can get nice black Marigolds now. Not just boring yellow
Jah Pork Pie
June 5, 2008 at 9:20 pm

“Smell that, son, the smell of latex. The smell of victory. I love the smell of latex in the morning. One day son, this condom’s gonna be over!”
Stewart
June 6, 2008 at 12:03 am

Jah Pork Pie – I didn’t say they weren’t feminists (although since I didn’t know them I have no idea if they were or not), or that the cover wasn’t about strong women confronting sexual stereotyping and power roles and patriarchy etc etc, just that punk wasn’t, IMHO, asexual – just because Johnny Rotten didn’t like sex doesn’t mean that all punks didn’t! And I would hope that ALL punks were feminists – those with a brain, anyway. 🙂
Sex and sexuality is a very interesting topic, think we should start up a new thread sometime! For example, PolyStyrene with her braces and then shaving off all her hair is an example of another strong woman simultaneously acknowledging and rejecting her own sexuality and sexual attraction and the role of sex in society – and I knew lots of young punx then who would have clambered over mounds and mounds of polystyrene foam to spend some – ahem – ‘private time’ with her…
I would post a more considered, intellectual response – but I’m at work, so don’t have time! Maybe when I get home tonight after a drink lol! 🙂
As those old BT ads used to say: It’s good to talk…
Stewart
June 6, 2008 at 12:09 am

Jah Pork Pie – I didn’t say they weren’t feminists (although since I didn’t know them I have no idea if they were or not), or that the cover wasn’t about strong women confronting sexual stereotyping and power roles and patriarchy etc etc, just that punk wasn’t, IMHO, asexual – just because Johnny Rotten didn’t like sex doesn’t mean that all punks didn’t! And I would hope that ALL punks were feminists – those with a brain, anyway. 🙂
Sex and sexuality is a very interesting topic, think we should start up a new thread sometime! For example, PolyStyrene with her braces and then shaving off all her hair is an example of another strong woman simultaneously acknowledging and rejecting her own sexuality and sexual attraction and the role of sex in society – and I knew lots of young punx then who would have clambered over mounds and mounds of polystyrene foam to spend some – ahem – ‘private time’ with her…
I would post a more considered, intellectual response – but I’m at work, so don’t have time! Maybe when I get home tonight after a drink lol! 🙂
As those old BT ads used to say: It’s good to talk…
Stewart
June 6, 2008 at 12:11 am

This site has just marked my attempt at a message as spam and won’t let me post it! Spam?!?! Spam?!?! That was a considered, vibrant, and intellectually incisive response to a previous post, I’ll have you know… :O Bloody ‘spam’ indeed… Humph!
Penguin • Post Author •
June 6, 2008 at 1:08 am

Reckon it is another KYPP conspiracy Stewey.
Perhaps all the sordid X rated stuff you have put up previously has knocked the moderator thingymajig out of whack?
Do you sell viagra and other pills?
Can you make my little member 8″ longer from a standing start?
Can I put my life savings into an off shore account of your choosing?
Nic
June 6, 2008 at 9:21 am

Apparently you can now increase the size of your member to (and I quote) “make her know you are the only one”, and THEN have it put into an offshore account: magic!
🙂
On another note: this thread is very interesting reading – but I just don’t have the time to keep up! I think of adding a post and then the post that I was about to comment on is buried under a wash of other interesting posts…

If I can manage some quick (and no doubt garbled) few thoughts…
My perception of the Ants is vastly different to many on this thread: although I thought they were the best thing ever when ‘Dirk Wears White Sox’ came out, I think people are over-exagerrating the importance of the tropes in Adam’s lyrics. For me, they come across as shallow, contrived and almost cynical (rather than ‘brave’: the interviews made around the release of ‘Cartrouble’ suggest that he was already deluded about his status)…

I don’t feel that his lyrics had the depth to mean that they required you to “learn anything important or difficult about art or politics”: his referencing of the Futurists is almost exclusively in terms of style (rather than the underlying philosophical positions), his lyrics on sex seem largely to be a series of corny puns and titillated drooling, his understanding of the political climate he was operating in seems to have been wildly misguided (hence the obsession with Nazism and the content of ‘Puerto Rican’)…

On the sex ‘thing’, there seems to have been an explosion of discussion about the wide swathe of sexual expression in the 1970’s – from Feminist critique to Gay News, from Cosmopolitan to ‘Last Tango…’ and ‘The Night Porter’, from ‘Rocky Horror…’ to the Glitterati around Andrew Logan, from Swinging on out to the fringes (such as the P.I.E)…
It would seem like sex (or at least discussion of it) was everywhere, and in that context Adam Ants lyrics don’t seem particularly innovative (after all – Heavy Metal bands had been covering similar themes in the early 1970’s and dealing in similar imagery revolving around power relationships), or – for that matter – particularly well written…

The expression of sexuality in Punk seemed to oscillate between fascination and disgust – which would seem pretty accurate for a group of adolescents desperate to express themselves…
For every ‘asexual’, there was a song about lust: maybe everyone really WAS out to “get a bunk up” (as said Terry of Terry and the Idiots)…I know I was rather interested in it – hellfire, it was Chris Lowe’s raison-d’etre 😉
Lydon’s comments on sex always smacked of a profound fear of intimacy because of the exposure it entails (which would be very in keeping with his actions)…and Lydon’s views on sex as a whole seem to be heavily permeated with his ongoing engagement with Catholicism (he just comes across as a right-wing conservative libertarian – I can’t even listen to ‘Bodies’)…

Thinking of image: the ‘Dirk…’ era persona inspired kids in small market towns to wear kilts and make-up (as it was liberally plastered over the music press and thus available nationwide)…and one could argue that they had an even worse time for it being out in the provinces…

I would also disagree that “unpleasant and dark subject matter” has “a whole lot more artistic merit” too, but that’s another discussion…
🙂

After all that – please don’t tell me off, you dandy highwaymen (and women)…I was just expressing how I perceive it…
🙂
Jah Pork Pie
June 6, 2008 at 10:17 am

@Nic -> My comments about Adam’s “braveness” were made in the context of “unpopularity to the mainstream”, in the light of his later throwing himself at the feet of McLaren and begging for fame.

Some of the concepts referenced (however lightly) in the Ants’ songs are very difficult, deep and clever. They are if you’re a 14-year-old from [insert backwater of your choice], rather than an educated middle-aged man on a punk blog, anyway. Regardless, the fans at the time bought into the lyrics and the image wholesale (as an “outsider”, I was uneasy about the level of hero-worship involved). I think that the shallowness and contrived nature of the lyrics was intentional – male coquettishness if you will. There’s an irony in the Ants’ lyrics if you read them in the context of him being a weakling, which I think he was in more than one sense at the time.

Let’s not forget, discussing all this, that Adam is manic depressive. I can understand him being misguided and/or deluded at times – I “enjoy” the same condition.

Unpleasant and/or tangled subject matter (in the sense that it’s not immediately warming and gratifying to the consumer) forces the consumer to consider in depth why they’re threatened or overwhelmed by it and to try to glean some reconciliation with it (a sense of closure?).

Artistic merit comes not in the physical production of an image but in the amount of perception which is required of it, surely? If we experience an image which is immediately pleasing, we tend to be less likely to question ourselves as to why we are pleased by it – we just take that image “at face value”and, flâneurs that we are, we stroll on looking at the daisies.

If the artist is cynical in their creation of a piece in order to gain a particular kind or depth of perception, that doesn’t preclude the piece from being good art. I’d rather listen to “Bodies” (unpleasant as it undoubtedly is) than I would to Dollar’s back catalogue – because “Bodies” makes me think. I rather suspect you would too.

Back off up the dandy information highway for me then… Here’s wishing you all a Jolly Roger (or in your case Stu, a safe one!) 😉
kaplan
June 6, 2008 at 10:48 am

Ants best lines Top 5 (from memory…)

1)”we were coming back in a van from Milan & I saw god right there…”
(“Day I met god”)
2)”now he wears big spectacles & he sings like buddy holly”
(“Nine plan failed”)
3)”then I woke up right in the middle of an horrible dream
I dreamed I was a spastic but my boots were clean”
(“Cartrouble part 1″)
4)”the evil I see sends bad vibrations through me”
(“Tabletalk”)
5)”I’m gonna get myself a girl with a gun
She’s gonna blow my throbbing brains out”
(“Red scab”)
Tony Puppy
June 7, 2008 at 1:56 am

Pat Marc!

The name raised by this post:

“Jah Pork Pie Says:

June 5th, 2008 at 2:50 am”

Now it’s me typing:
There’s a name. I remember him at the Fire Station; a terrifying fellow but also a hairdresser.

Val Puppy, at the time also nominally employed as a hairdresser, had an affinity with this brute and Pat held the baying NF and BNP skinheads at bay.

Pat has cut my hair on more than one occassion.
Val
June 7, 2008 at 4:00 pm

Re Pat Marc – he was brought home to the fire station by Lou; nothing to do with me Tony!
Val
June 7, 2008 at 4:16 pm

Great to see so much discussion on Adam and the Ants – I would love to think that I could add a well-considered and thoughtfully argued critique of all of the above comments, exploring how ideas of style can still be a conduit to an exploration of substance and exactly how, therefore, and why the Ants ‘did it’ for me (personal growth, political awakening, personal liberation, etc, etc) – but no chance – all I can do is stamp my foot and pout.

By the way, reading this made me go and have another listen – I’ve only got a copy CD from Joe Pop, assembled from the recent release of outtakes and un-released stuff – and I can only confirm – the Ants really are FAB! B-side Baby is my no 1 listen at the moment, but really the goodies are just too numerous to mention by name.
Stewart (jellyfishinthebath)
June 7, 2008 at 4:42 pm

So where can we get a copy of this outtakes and unreleased stuff CD Val?!?! *stamps foot and pouts too*
luggy
June 7, 2008 at 6:08 pm

Try here:

http://drunksongs.blogspot.com/2007/02/adam-and-ants-1977-79-demos-volume-i.html

Torrent here:

http://www.mininova.org/get/1006577
Tony Puppy
June 8, 2008 at 1:23 am

Stewart Jellyfish – search for Ants in the box at the top right of this page: you’ll find some live Ants stuff to die for. Try this https://www.killyourpetpuppy.co.uk/news/?p=466

I was interviewed last night for 4 hours by some chap for a book – I spent a long time talking about 1978 and Ants being a focus for the thousands of punks arriving from across the world into London with nowhere to stay and becoming the beginning of punk squatting. Before Crass and Anarcho-punk squatting there was Ant People Squatting.

That’ll teach the bastard!
Stewart (jellyfishinthebath)
June 8, 2008 at 2:22 am

Ta Tony! I shall do that as soon as I get home from this nightshift… 🙂

BTW, just to clear up any confusion, I don’t think I’ve ever been known as ‘jellyfish’ anywhere in the world at any point in time by anyone at all – it just happens to be one of my email addresses. I was on some chatsite winding up an American (it’s a hobby of mine) who was bragging about the rare, exotic and expensive pets he had, so I told him I had a pet jellyfish which I took for days out strapped to a skateboard etc. And then of course he wanted to know where I kept it… 🙂
luggy
June 8, 2008 at 2:44 am

Stewart. did post a couple of links earlier but have been lost in moderation somewhere. Just google ‘adam ants demos blog’ & you should be able to find a few links.
alistairliv
June 8, 2008 at 5:53 am

Found comments by Stewart and Luggy and de-spammed

AL Puppy
Penguin • Post Author •
June 8, 2008 at 8:37 am

Hey Jellyfish, that will teach you to tell fibs then. I once had a great idea of calling myself after a flightless bird to sell records at gigs and on mailorder. It stuck. 20 plus years later and it has still stuck. Oh well…
Stewart (jellyfishinthebath)
June 8, 2008 at 9:04 am

Luggy – That’s an excellent link, thank you! Now that’s more like the Ants I remember!!!! 🙂 Took me a while to work out what the hell to do and then get the decompression software, but I’m feeling smug cos I did it! Thanks again!

Penguin – Lol!
Stewart (jellyfishinthebath)
June 8, 2008 at 11:07 am

PS You know what – I think we’re all just getting old… (*sighs heavily*)
Stewart (jellyfishinthebath)
June 8, 2008 at 11:08 am

PPS Penguin – I thought it was because you were fat and waddled?
johng
June 8, 2008 at 1:59 pm

@gerard->”Got me wondering if any of those old t-shirt designs are available anywhere?”
maybe here…… http://stores.ebay.co.uk/brigandage
Chris
June 8, 2008 at 2:19 pm

JOHNG: I’ve just been down Camden and you’ll be pleased to know the basement shop under the (last remaining 🙁 ) record shop on Inverness Street has reprints of a couple of the old Antz SM design shirts (plus posters) for sale at a cheap price.
johng
June 8, 2008 at 2:39 pm

cheers chris,bit too far away for me to go to today though,maybe its closer for gerard??
gerard
June 8, 2008 at 3:53 pm

That’s great – cheers John / Chris – I’ll pop in there sometime 🙂
Lou Mc Grew
June 8, 2008 at 7:58 pm

Yeah great listening to The Ants at The Fire Sation back then. Vals room was underneath mine and listening to Whip and Zerox again was so fabulous.
Stewart (jellyfishinthebath)
June 8, 2008 at 9:08 pm

Can’t get the Punk in the Supermarket link to work, so will splash out 8 quid buying it instead (call me mad, I know…). This is an interesting link – allegedly demos recorded by Mr Ant at home… I’m not recommending it, no idea what it’s like or what the seller’s like, just interesting… http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ADAM-ANT-and-the-ants-home-demos-1977-punk_W0QQitemZ190227390181QQihZ009QQcategoryZ1049QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Penguin • Post Author •
June 8, 2008 at 9:48 pm

Having trouble with your links today Stewey? Maybe time to give the hamster spinning in the wheel in your computer a rest. Patrik Fitzg download seems fine and dandy old bean.
Stewart (jellyfishinthebath)
June 8, 2008 at 10:20 pm

Oh, it’s Patrik FITZGERALD?!?! I knew it was an Irish name – I was searching for Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness. No wonder the bloody link didn’t work – don’t think they’ve recorded any punk anthems… 😉