The Managing Directors epitomise the essence of the punk era: the energy, spirit, anger, DIY ethos, politics and – yes – FUN of the band are a testament to the shared values of that time. What’s more, they can actually play – this is a storming single!
Formed in 1978, the Hackney-based band shared many gigs with the likes of The Poison Girls, Charge, Crisis, Blood and Roses and loads of others, and were well-known for their support of local causes; they often played benefit gigs for everyone from Rock Against Racism to the ‘alternative’ bookshop/community space Centerprise, and were regulars at Chats Palace and Victoria Park festivals.
Starting out doing covers of everything from the Kinks to Gary Glitter, they just got better and better as their own material began to dominate. Drummer John Griffiths and bassist Kevs Ford grew up together in the tiny Welsh slate town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, sharing a mutual love of Jamaican reggae – listen to the drum and bass lines on this record and tell me they aren’t the Sly and Robbie of the punk generation…
It all came together when they met guitarist/vocalist/lyricist Chris Sparks in a squat on the Balls Pond Road. All three knew and were friends with many of the punks, rastas and squatters who lived in Hackney and his lyrics are based, as the title of the song suggests, on the ‘Life and Times’ of people like us: they include the line, “In the back streets is a foul and rotting rat-land, many people here have learned to call it home”, and touch on the shattered dreams and hopes of us all, name-checking Jez and Andy in the line, “Jez has spent his life dreaming he’s a soldier, Andrew needs a fix to get him through the day”. Ultimately, though, this is an uplifting song about redemption and positivity, summed up thus: “We’re just trying to bring some heat to the heart of London – that’s why we stay here, that’s why we play here, we’re just trying to play a song to make you happy…”. Anyone who’s squatted in a freezing, broken-down hovel through a British winter with no heating or hot water will sympathize with THAT sentiment!
In later years, Pip (well-known to KYPP) joined as keyboard player and for some songs Lee, a rasta, joined them on stage to toast.
The band paid for this record themselves during a tour of Sweden (they were big in Nordic music circles one Sunday morning between 2-3am), and broke up in 1984.
John and Kevs then returned to Wales, where they have had a lot of success with their new band Llwybr Llaethog (Milky Way in English) – they brought out the country’s first Welsh-language hip-hop/dub/reggae record, and are still going strong!
Thanks to Stewart for sending this in and doing the write up.
Nic
July 28, 2008 at 10:38 amThanks for that, Pengy and Stewart: always nice to hear a new ‘obscure’ record…
Stewart (jellyfish etc)
July 28, 2008 at 11:17 amOh, I put my response in the wrong place. Never mind, eh?!?! You’re welcome! 🙂
luggy
July 28, 2008 at 11:31 amWere they the first of many squat-reggae bands? At least the organ sounds authentic on these tracks, I like the cough on the a-side.
The world would have been a better place without most of their crusty-ska descendents though!!
Stewart
July 28, 2008 at 5:36 pmPenguin – Can’t you read the bloody label?!?! It says recorded in 1982, you fool! And it’s Sista Bussen records… (*winks in a friendly but pedantic and obsessive way*)
Luggy – Squat-reggae bands! :O No idea, to be fair I suppose the Slits and ATV were the first to actually record stuff, weren’t they???? I just think, as I’ve said, the band really summed up ‘punk’ to me, in that – to coin a phrase – they did it their way and didn’t give a shit what they were ‘supposed’ to be doing… I suppose I’m prejudiced because I knew them and they were part of the Hackney ‘scene’, but from as objective a viewpoint as I can manage I still think this is a fantastic record for all sorts of reasons! And I love the cough too, lol! Don’t know about ‘crusty ska descendents’ cos I’ve never heard any of them, but I wouldn’t be without early Beat, Specials or the first Madness single 🙂
PS I’m sorry the single jumps at one point on the B-side, probably had a bit of rock or dried blood in the groove, you know… :O 😉
Penguin • Post Author •
July 28, 2008 at 5:44 pmI got emailed scans of the record sleeves and mp3s files Stewey, so had no chance to look at the label as I do not own this record. Be nice i’m sensitive! All amended now.
Stewart
July 28, 2008 at 5:48 pmDidn’t mean you to take it the wrong way – I admire your commitment and dedication Penguin! Really! This site wouldn’t be what it is without you… 🙂 Just being a bloody-minded pedant, you know how it is… x (*gives Penguin a big hug*) (*eyes up the bear sneakily while doing so…*) x
PS That was quick work, my man!
Penguin • Post Author •
July 28, 2008 at 5:54 pmHug returned, then back to work…ahhhh, one hour and a half to go until hometime. Why do I take my lunch hour so late? Have you wished Bob Short a happy b-day yet on the Blood And Roses post Stewey?
Phil
July 30, 2008 at 6:28 pmI guess boxer boots are gonna make a huge come back with the release of this picture eh! Stewey
Stewart
July 31, 2008 at 1:17 pm*blushes*
Penguin • Post Author •
July 31, 2008 at 6:04 pmI used to have jeans like Stewarts until I could afford pure white Levis which I still wear today. I used to have a pair of white with blue trim boxer boots also (oh dear). These I do not wear to this day!
Nic
August 1, 2008 at 9:23 amThat is one sick look you’re rocking there…
(Nice Crockett and Tubbs sleeve action)
“Doing the Boxer Beat, Boxer Beat, Boxer Beat…”
😉
Stewart
August 1, 2008 at 2:50 pmWhy, thankyou, lol! But, none-the-less… still fucking ROCKING, eh?!?! *winks*
Stewart
February 12, 2009 at 7:45 pmAnd here’s some live video footage from a 1983 gig in Goteborg, Sweden with Pip on keyboards and me very drunkenly and completely embarrassingly trying to sing Gary Glitter’s classic Rock ‘n’ Roll and getting it all very wrong… but I DO look fucking cool, if I say so myself…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1yxSxMOPmw
Penguin • Post Author •
February 15, 2009 at 2:05 pmGreat performance Stewey.
I sung ‘Stranglehold’ on stage with UK Subs at Bowes Lyon House Stevenage in 1981 or 82 and ‘Purple Haze’ with Snuff at Ipswich Caribbean Centre in 1990. Luckly (or hopefully) no video tapes exists of these ‘performances’!
Other than that Josef from Blyth Power invited me up to do some ‘rappin’ during a version of ATV’s ‘Alternatives to NATO’ that they were performing during a ‘e string’ break in Brighton in 1987. I declined that kind offer!
What a doss.
Stewart
February 18, 2009 at 11:14 pmAnd here’s Pip giving it large at the same gig:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QszD3Ri0IBo
Beaca
March 15, 2009 at 4:37 pmThank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I heard Life and Times on a Swedish radio show about 25 years ago and I have searched for it for a VERY long time.
Sweet, sweet, sweet!
Stewart
March 15, 2009 at 5:48 pmAwwww, you know what Beaca, it’s responses like that that make it all worthwhile! 🙂 x
Stewart Jellyfish
March 7, 2012 at 7:54 pmAnd more Managing Directors stuff with me singing 4 mins in: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1yxSxMOPmw
Stewart Jellyfish
March 7, 2012 at 7:58 pmOh, I’ve posted it already. Well, never mind…
Johnny G
March 13, 2012 at 8:38 pmHey Stew, that’s my MDs single cover design! Nice one. Send me a digital copy if you have one x
chris sparks
December 1, 2012 at 10:29 amHi chaps …sparky here…..well well …still talking abou the MDs ..We had fun didn’t we ..and some of us are still alive ( if a bit damaged) . I got my Hep C sorted ( the hospital drugs worked!) so I have my liver back which is cool … a tuft of grey hair and a balsy pate and I’m a seriously grumpy fucker ( no change there). Living in beautifl north west Ireland and doing academic stuff. Any how my interest in things MDsish was set of by my daughter who sent my an itunes copy of the MDs single last week..( she’s playing to her mates in New Orleans and …to my surprise ..they think its pretty good ..I ahven;t heard it since we wer all in London ,but it still sounds pretty good to me too…the managing directers theme is actually fabbo …authentic punk …I’m happy about that. How’s Andy and Kevs…..all ok?
Stewart Jellyfish
January 7, 2013 at 4:24 pmChris!!!! I think we’re all alive apart from Pip, possibly, who I’m not sure about. Andy is doing really well – four kids, still in London; saw Kevs recentlyish (and John) and they’re both cool. Email me! Good to hear you’re OK too – last I heard you were living in Brixton???? x
Stewart Jellyfish
January 7, 2013 at 4:38 pmjellyfishinthebath@yahoo.co.uk