Chelsea – Step Forward Records – 1979 / 1980

I’m On Fire / Decide / Free The Fighters / Your Toy / Fools And Soldiers

All The Downs / Goverment / Twelve Men / Many Rivers / Trouble Is The Day

No Escape / Urban Kids / No Flowers For Him / All The Downs / Right To Work / Look At The Outside

What Would You Do / No Ones Coming Outside / The Loner / Don’t Get Me Wrong / Decide / Come On

One of the many good things that occur while working on the music uploads for this site  is that I get to play records and cassettes that I have not heard for many many years. It is nice to get reacquainted with bands like The Wall (the post underneath this one) and the mighty Chelsea, a great band with some massively fine recorded output from 1977 up to 1982.

As 1983 arrived and went Chelsea split up for the upteempth time, this time I think for several years by which time any reformed versions of band were off my radar for good. I have no idea when the new version of Chelsea got back together or what records were released with any new versions of the band, or I can not remember at least…

I do however distinctly remember Gene October eyeing me up a fair bit in The Intrepid Fox in Wardour Street on the occasions I visited Soho for gigs at the Marquee club. He followed me all around the pub once until I had the chance to give him the slip and got over to the Marquee club opposite the pub!  I am sure he is a nice enough fellow, I just did not want or need that kind of attention at that time in my life…I was confused enough! 

Anyway, uploaded tonight are the first two LP’s released by this great band. The second LP is a more or less a compilation of singles, which I prefer just very slightly to the debut LP as Chelsea were always a great ‘singles’ band.

Go on, get reacquainted with tracks like ‘Look At The Outside’, ‘I’m On Fire’, ‘What Would You Do’, ‘Decide’, ‘No Escape’ and many other great punk powerpop tunes from Chelsea.

Text below gloriously ripped from the chelseapunkband.com website.

It was in August 1976 that Gene October placed an advert in Melody Maker which led to replies from guitarist William Broad, bassist Tony James and drummer John Towe. On October 18th they made their live debut as Chelsea supporting Throbbing Gristle at London’s ICA. It was at this time that Gene convinced the manager of gay London nightclub, manager of a gay London nightspot in Covent Garden called ‘Shageramas’, to convert the club into London’s first live punk rock venue called ‘The Roxy’ – a fact for which he is given little credit. The band split in November 1976. Gene briefly recruited guitarist Marty Stacey and bassist Bob Jessie. The other three former members formed Generation X. When Gene was asked about his former band colleagues he said “Generation X? Oh yeah they used to be in Chelsea.”

In early 1977 Jessie and Stacey left and Gene put together a new line up consisting of guitarist James Stevenson, bassist Henry Daze and drummer Carey Fortune. This line up was slightly more permanent and soon the band’s first single, the punk classic ‘Right To Work’, was released. However, not long after the release of the second single ‘High Rise Living’, Chelsea played their “farewell” gig on October 6th 1977 at The Roxy.

As we all know “farewell” gigs are not to be taken seriously and in December Chelsea reformed as a five piece with rhythm guitarist Dave Martin, bassist Geoff Myles and drummer Steve J Jones joining October and Stevenson. Extensive gigging and the third single ‘Urban Kids’ was released before drummer Chris Bashford replaced Steve J Jones. In many peoples opinion the line up of October / Stevenson / Martin / Myles / Bashford is the definitive Chelsea.

The self titled first album was released in early 1979 and the band continued to tour extensively including U.K. dates supporting The Clash and another with The Police supporting them! They also made their first foray into the U.S. with an East Coast tour. As the first album contained none of the band’s singles a compilation of them was released as the second album. ‘Alternative Hits’ did also feature a couple of new tracks as well as drummer Bashford on the sleeve in typical rock and roll pose. This record became Chelsea’s first U.S. release and renamed ‘No Escape’ for that territory.

This line up’s final show was at London’s Notre Dame Hall on May 2nd 1980. They’d actually been together for two years! Sting got up and guested on a few numbers. James Stevenson, after playing on Charlie Harper’s debut solo single ‘Barmy London Army’, ironically went on to join the final incarnation of Generation X. Dave Martin and Geoff Myles formed The Smart and as for Gene he did what he’d done before – recruited a new Chelsea line up and took it back out on the road.

A temporary line up still featuring drummer Chris Bashford toured America later in 1980 during which their appearance in “Urgh! A Music War” was shot. Then in December 1980 the band split leaving Gene, once again, to rebuild and relaunch Chelsea. Having produced some of Punk’s finest moments such as the single ‘Right To Work’ and the self titled debut LP it seemed to many as though Chelsea’s finest days had gone. But Gene had other ideas and over the next three years came up with some of the band’s strongest and most enduring material.

A new Chelsea line up featuring drummer Sol Mintz, bassist Tim Griffin and guitarists Stephen Corfield and Nic Austin debuted in January 1981. Austin became a strong song writing partner for Gene as aired on ‘Rocking Horse’ the line up’s first single and Chelsea’s first for over a year. The band was reduced to a four piece following the departure of Corfield and Griffin was replaced in September 1981 by Paul “Linc”. A gig at London’s Fulham Greyhound once again featured Sting guesting as Griffin left the day before the show.

1982 saw continuous gigging and the release of the third album ‘Evacuate’ which gained substantial critical acclaim – a first for Chelsea.