Medical Melodies – For Those Concerned Cassette – 1988

I know little of this band except seeing them support other bands on a couple of occasions. Stuck it up for John Eden really, hope it brings back some memories. I thought I got this tape after a Blyth Power gig in St Albans in 1985, I was mistaken, as the date on the cassette sleeve states 1988, so think I got it at a Karma Sutra gig at Stevenage Bowes Lyon House around that time, with Medical Melodies in support.

This tape is one side live at the glorious Canterbury Arms, an above average music venue, which unfortunately was right opposite the Brixton Plod Station, the other side seems to be studio recordings. A bit like the Cardiacs, but that may be a little bit of lazy journalism because I am well knackered. Pretty sure I remember most of the band in white lab coats painted with various slogans, stomping about the stage with the old DM’s on…I have no idea what happened to the band or even if they had any thing released apart from this tape, maybe John Eden could enlighten us?

26 comments

Anok Jon
March 29, 2008 at 5:34 am

And recordings of Karma Sutra live?
John Eden
March 29, 2008 at 11:08 am

Ah bless you pengy! I think they may have done another tape but no vinyl iirc. I always enjoyed the slides they showed at their gigs – probably only saw them 3 or 4 times I think. I’ll have a listen and see what else bubbles up from my hazy memories…
John Eden
March 30, 2008 at 8:34 pm

“M25” is the one I remember most – it’s appeared on my mental soundtrack every now and then for the last 23 years, which ain’t a bad achievement. The visuals for the song included shots of the band arsing about around the site of the M25 itself which was being built at the time.

I think “Black Pig” (the cover of which was a pisstake of the trad anarchist mag Black Flag) had a load of their lyrics in, plus possibly there was some stuff in one of the Mucilages about them. I’ll try and dig them out and scan ’em.

I’d never heard the Cardiacs when I saw them, so I sort’ve classed them alongside the more melodic of the anarcho bands like Chumbawamba.
Penguin • Post Author •
March 31, 2008 at 12:30 am

Black Pig was Capt Pugwash’s ship I seem to remember also! Whatever happened to Capt Pugwash?All the other rubbish is on cable TV nowadays, never seen this programme repeated from when I saw it as a seven year old or whatever. Is there any Capt Pugwash DVD’s? Should check Amazon maybe…
Nic
March 31, 2008 at 8:59 am

Yes, there are DVD’s, Penguin: check the usual outlets…
Funnily enough, the Sunday Times gave one away a month or two ago…

Captain Pugwash is probably still moored at Rye, although I didn’t see him last time I was there…
Chris
June 7, 2008 at 12:37 am

I’m the singer on “For Those Concerned” & I’m glad we’re remembered by at least one person. I’m not the Melodies original Vocalist but when I joined the one thing that made us stand out was the fact that we stood for pretty much the same stuff as Flux of Pink Indians, Crass etc But Bob, Taylor (founder & Principal Songwriter), was heavily influenced by The Kinks & The Who hence the tunage & the lyrics being a little more subtle. We played with some great People/Bands along the way so but it’s only right I credit one band here – Thatcher on Acid. Because they were Friendly, played great music & recorded us at the same gig as their classic live Album (the “For Those Concerned” songs were recorded at the same gig!) Enjoy!
Penguin • Post Author •
June 7, 2008 at 12:53 am

Some Thatcher On Acid material on this site Chris if you use the search function, more to upload at some point…also stuff on post 86 section you may like.
Chris
June 7, 2008 at 12:59 am

I’d just like to add a message to someone called ‘Stormy’ who keeps bringing us up in the various “New Age Travellers” Websites she logs on to – You NEVER travelled with us at all, please don’t tell people that you did. STOP revising OUR History, you weren’t there for 90% of it. Bye! Sorry, I’m just cleaning out my Closet…
Chris
June 7, 2008 at 1:01 am

P.S. Our other Demo was called “Bouncing Big Knobs From Their Bunkers”
Neil Transpontine
October 23, 2008 at 11:29 pm

I have another (earlier?) Medical Melodies tape with tracks including Silence is Violence. Think I was at that Bowes Lyons gig too (I was living in Luton at the time and going to most Karma Sutra gigs)

Sadly, Bod, the original singer, committed suicide a few years ago. There’s a nice photo of him on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40899634@N00/133048555/
Chris Rogers
December 28, 2008 at 1:46 am

Thanks Neil for mentioning the photo of Bob. I still think about him often. A little history for you – A bloke called Tim (who now lives in Australia) was the Melodies original singer, I was next with Kev (from Luton) being last but by no means least. Bob used to sing lead on a couple of songs & backing on the rest. Anyway, it’s great that Bob & the music he made is still remembered. Anyone with any Bob memories should add them here.

Later!
Justine
January 8, 2009 at 2:51 am

Blimey, I just looked through Dave Rownia’s photos from St Albans… I remember Bob, what a nice fella… sad to hear he died. I gave Medical Melodies a photo of a copper sticking his tongue out at me for one of their record (tape?) covers. Tim (Seelig) is a Dr of sommit in the Social Research Centre at the University of Queensland I believe. Is that who you mean?

It was funny seeing the photos of Lattimore Road – I rented that house with 3 other students when I went to the art college. They all left and I stayed on squatting for a bit then left St Albans. I hear it was squatted for ages afterwards…
Neil Transpontine
January 9, 2009 at 9:29 pm

I used to share a flat with Tim in Brixton after moving to London, will have to google him to see about his professorship!
Dave K
January 10, 2009 at 1:50 pm

Hi all,
Noticed this link through to my pictures on flickr.com.

The band were a great bunch only the bassist Geoff, still plays regularly. I use to do a few slide shows to go with the music. The band never took themselves too seriously, which was a relief after all those serios Anarch-punk bands did their stuff.

I sorely miss Bod who was the main man behind the band. With his over the top guitar playing, he was an artist in everyway. He taught me loads about art and music. I remember him everyday, It’s just a shame he couldn’t see a way through the mundane crap of life that kept depressing him and dragging him down.

The cassette cover picture you’ve put up was taken from a Situationist pamphlet critiquing the Miners Strike 1984-85. That’s when the pacifist ideology we had was beaten out of us by Thatcher’s boys in blue. My favourite slogans were “All power to the imagination” and “We don’t just want a piece of bread we want the whole fucking cornfield”.

I lived in Lattimore Rd for a couple of years 1986-88, had many good times and a few bad I can think of. Sam and Davey were the catalyst for this and many other squats in St.Albans. I’m just happy that I kept the camera loaded with film all the time (much to the annoyance of everyone else).

I dunno if you’ve seen this but for more stuff on St.Albans bands have a look at this group on facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=56504105636
This was set-up by Allan Clifford who’s another inspirational character.
Justine
January 11, 2009 at 3:10 am

Everyone looks so bloody young! I guess we were! Thanks for link, nice to see some of those faces again.
stormy
July 12, 2009 at 1:05 am

I wasn’t going to reply but then I felt I needed too as I feel what you have said is very unfair Chris… So you needed to get something off your chest Chris… well so do I now…. Yes, I was about with you some of the time even if it was the latter part of the 80’s and did go to gigs with you from the 1 in 12 club in Bradford to numerous in and around London….and the other bands Bod was in following Medical Melodies, for the 14 years I was with him. My art work is even in the “For those Concerned” Booklet. I am even on some of the pictures that Dave has put on his flicker account… I will continue to keep Bods memory alive anyway I chose… I didn’t know others had until now which I have to say I am very happy to see as he was an amazing person with an amazing musical talent…. I think of Bod everyday… I thankfully see him in his amazing son who is now 10 years old and the spitting image of his dad. So please do not have the cheek to tell me to shut up… I remember those days fondly so please do not ruin them for me… My life has been ruined enough by the passing of Bod from this earthly plane but hey you wouldn’t know that as you and many of his friends of that time have never bothered to find out!!

Anyway, I don’t wish to get in a slanging match on here but I do want to have my say!!
Chris Rogers
August 11, 2009 at 3:05 am

This is gonna be my one & only reply on this matter. Becky, I’m not trying to erase you from History. You were a big part of Bob’s History and you have a living, breathing testament to that in front of you everyday. I’m not telling you to shut up either-you can post whatever on the Internet about whatever you like. What rankles with me is that, from what I’ve read on this here World Wide Web, is that you are being portrayed as a member of Medical Melodies, whoever is responsible for giving that impression in the articles I’ve read I cannot say as they are mainly authorless rejoinders to remarks you’ve made about Bob over the last few years on various sites.

Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is this – I agree, YOU were probably more of a member of Medical Melodies than I ever was. When we were playing what could be regarded as our classic songs – “They’re Coming To Get You”, “Togetherness”, “M25” etc etc when Bob bought the songs, as new, to rehearsals the vocal part was already sorted out. There was very little for me to do apart from a little re-phrasing of the words. All the real creativity was forged by Geoff, Rob, Tony & Bob. From what I understand now, you contributed a lot to the booklet for “Those Concerned”. I left the Band before the tape was issued. I left shortly after we recorded “For Those Concerned” to join Perjury. With Perjury I wrote my own Lyrics, arranged them & had a hand in the Music writing too. Medical Melodies continued on, quite succesfully, without me after that.

I think we should end this discussion on this point – Medical Melodies, though a good Band, would’ve been nothing without Bob. I, like you, think of him everyday & I don’t think he would like us to continue to ‘Slang’. My Favourite Meds Song is “Looking Through A Window”, the best song Bob wrote for the Band. Next time I Listen to it I’ll give a thought to you & Bob’s son. Be Well…
Stormy
August 11, 2009 at 3:26 am

Hi Chris 🙂

I have just looked at my Email and found you have replied to my comments of a few weeks back and just wanted to say thank you for replying … I just wanted to say that I have never knowingly portrayed myself as a member of Medical Melodies and never ever would but I have always talked about them, especially Bob as I want to keep his memory alive, as I miss him and think of him everyday and he is often in my dreams at night … and as you know from your own comments on a website I used to have… that I have spoken fondly of him and Medical Melodies and my past experiences around those times, on the forum I own and one other forum from what I can remember….I think you may have the wrong end of the stick as I don’t think anyone has seen me as a member of the band but just someone who was around them in the later years and want them to be remembered as a memory to Bob… well all of you really!!

Anyway, you are right as I do agree that Bob would be very upset to know that we are being negative to one and another, and although he isn’t here on the earthly plane I know he is around us everyday 🙂

love and light to all x
Tonyhippy
September 2, 2009 at 12:15 am

Medicals were a wonderfull band, and Bod a true star, a guy I still sorely miss. We had marvellous times together! I’m in the process of getting a tape I have of the Meds live at the Pineapple, St Albans put onto MP3, which I hope to get uploaded to the UK Decay website, in his memory – I tried to MP3 it myself but my equipment was too primitive: I’ll be getting Spon to do it as he can clean it up and do it properly: It’ll be worth waiting for!
sam tharby
September 8, 2009 at 9:34 am

i dont have a puppy will a cat do. saying that i too just like to say miss you too bod, totally shocked what happened, and send you some buddhist chanting everyday in the morning and evening NAM MYO HO RENGE KYO
big time geezza live it up in the great gig in the sky. top man.

life is eternal.

best whishes to you becky, you was as part of everything that anybody else was, sorry that things unraveled the way they did.
give little lewis a hug from me, wish i could have bod meet my son MATTHEW whos 4 starts school next week.
AND ALL THOSE IN THIS WORLD WHOS THINKING THERE GLASS IS HALF EMPTY. ITS NOT, ITS HALF FULL, you just have to see it that way.
sam tharby
September 8, 2009 at 9:41 am

organise was my favorite medicals song
love chris singing this one “on the factory floor, lets cut our bosses down to size”
Paul Lovatt
July 13, 2010 at 9:47 pm

Wow, I have this tape and I was there for many a rehearsal in The Bell in London Colney (before that M25 was built) that is now a McD. I listened to many of these songs grow. And travelled many a mile in Bod’s yellow van. Nothing more than an observer. Rob on drums, Geoff on Bass, Bod on Guitar and Tony on keyboards. Tim then Chris leading vocals. Downstairs in the Crypt anyone? Does anyone have these songs digitised? Musically difficult to place, even alongside Chumbawamba.

Bod was a truly great bloke. So sad to hear what happened.

Tall Paul from London Colney
Heidi
April 23, 2012 at 10:14 pm

Does anyone remember Japan Bucks Fizz The Who Slade all rehearsed At the Bell London Colney? There was also a one off Battle of The Bands event where all the new romantic bands came in about 1980 and played i met them. Japan mostly Duran Duran Spandau And Visage can anyone get back to me on this as I want to do a documentory on this heidijking@yahoo.co.uk
Ren (Wron)
November 21, 2013 at 3:40 pm

Hey all, This is Ren from the past (Naturecore, America’s Hardcore). I hung out a lot with the Melodies in 87 as I left the US for 6 months. I lived with John in a Luton flat with my friend Rod, also from the US. We toured all over England with Culture Shock, Chumba, etc. Bod was a really nice guy and taught me some things about Judo. I am sorry to hear that he ended himself. i wonder why, and what happened to him during the prior years. I last saw him around 88. Chris too was a very cool guy. I wish you all well. I now live in Chile, play Turkish music, though last night I picked up an electric guitar for the first time in 20 years and started playing Black Flag and Rudimentary songs as if it were 1987 again! Cheers.
Ren Cerro
Muz Flanagan
March 19, 2014 at 11:32 pm

For the history books Medical Melodies name for the band came from Bod and Tony and myself writing songs in the thatched shelters in Naps Bury hospital
We practiced in Tonys mum and dad’s house in the kitchen the first gig for Medical Melodies was at the Pineapple in St Albans 1981. Still think of my old mate bod every day.
John Eden
September 15, 2020 at 10:15 am

I put this tape on Youtube now too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-WTimOcQ7Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-jxddg0Gb8

Also the four track demo from St Albans’ finest punkobillys New Kick:
https://www.youtube.com/user/uncarveddotorg/videos