Biff Bang Pow! were an

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and sub ...

band from

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England, active between 1983 and 1991, centering on

Creation Records Creation Records Ltd. was a British independent record label founded in 1983 by Alan McGee, Dick Green, and Joe Foster. Its name came from the 1960s band The Creation, whom McGee greatly admired. The label ceased operations in 1999, although ...

boss

Alan McGee Alan John McGee (born 29 September 1960) is a Scottish businessman and music industry executive. He has been a record label owner, musician, manager, and music blogger for ''The Guardian''. He co-founded the independent Creation Records label, r ...

History

Glaswegian Alan McGee had previously been in the band The Laughing Apple, who released three singles in 1981/82.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 409 After moving to London, McGee formed a new band, Biff Bang Pow!, taking their name from a song by one of his favourite bands, The Creation.Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Indie & New Wave'', Virgin Books, , p. 43-44 The first release on Creation records, "'73 in '83" by

The Legend! Everett True (born Jeremy Andrew Thackray on 21 April 1961) is an English music journalist and musician. He became interested in rock music after hearing The Residents, and formed a band with school friends. He has written and recorded as The ...

came with a

flexi-disc The flexi disc (also known as a phonosheet, Sonosheet or Soundsheet, a trademark) is a phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntabl ...

featuring Laughing Apple's "Wouldn't You", a song that would later appear on the first Biff Bang Pow! album. The initial Biff Bang Pow! line-up was McGee on guitar and vocals, with Dick Green on guitar, Joe Foster on bass, and Ken Popple on drums, these recording the first 2 singles "50 Years of Fun" and "There Must Be A Better Life". Dave Evans then replaced Foster (who went solo as

Slaughter Joe Joe Foster (born Joseph James Foster Ruiz, 9 August 1960, often known as Slaughter Joe) is an English musician and record producer, who, with Alan McGee and Dick Green, formed Creation Records in 1983.Andrew Innes Andrew Colin Innes (born 16 May 1962 in Glasgow) is a Scottish-born, London-based musician. He is best known for being the rhythm guitarist in Scottish rock band Primal Scream. Biography Early years While in high school in 1978, Innes was the ...

(later to join

Primal Scream Primal Scream are a Scottish rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie. The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simone Butler (bass), and Darrin Mooney (drums) ...

) joined on a part-time basis. Debut album ''Pass The Paintbrush...Honey'' was released in early 1985, displaying a mixture of mod, psychedelia, and new wave influences. 1986 saw arguably the band's strongest album ''The Girl Who Runs The Beat Hotel'', which expanded on the first album's psychedelic and sixties pop influences, and featured collaborations with artist/painter JC Brouchard. This album coincided with the peak of the first wave of

and as this gave way to

shoegazing Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...

and

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...

, Creation Records also moved in that direction, with the label increasingly being associated with artists such as My Bloody Valentine and

Ride Ride may refer to: People * MC Ride, a member of Death Grips * Sally Ride (1951–2012), American astronaut * William Ride (19262011), Australian zoologist Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Ride'' (1998 film), a 1998 comedy by Millicen ...

. With Biff Bang Pow!, however, McGee continued with guitar pop, becoming increasingly melancholy with releases such as ''Oblivion'' (1987), ''Love Is Forever'' (1988), ''Songs For The Sad Eyed Girl'' (1990), and ''Me'' (1991), which proved to be the last album proper by the band.Robbins, Ira & Anderson, Lydia
Biff Bang Pow!
, ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...

'', retrieved 2010-12-29 Two compilations, ''L'Amour, Demure, Stenhousemuir'' and ''Debasement Tapes'' were subsequently released on Creation, with ''Bertula Bop'' released in 1994 on the Tristar label. A further collection, ''Waterbomb'', compiled by Joe Foster, was released on

Rev-Ola Rev-Ola Records is a British independent record label formed in 1990 that specializes in reissues, as well as select new releases. The label is headed by Joe Foster, a former child actor and musician/producer. He, along with Alan McGee and ...

in 2003.Sendra, Tim
''Waterbomb'' Review
,

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, retrieved 2010-12-29

Discography

All on Creation Records except where stated. Chart placings shown are from the

UK Independent Chart The UK Independent Singles Chart and UK Independent Albums Chart are charts of the best-selling independent singles and albums, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980, and widely known as the indie chart, the rele ...

.Lazell, Barry:"Indie Hits 1980–1989", 1997, Cherry Red Books,

Albums

*'' Pass the Paintbrush, Honey....'' (1985) *''

The Girl Who Runs the Beat Hotel ''The Girl Who Runs the Beat Hotel'' is the second album by English indie pop band Biff Bang Pow! Biff Bang Pow! were an indie pop band from London, England, active between 1983 and 1991, centering on Creation Records boss Alan McGee. Histor ...

'' (1987 – reissued May 1988 on CD/C, including first album) *'' Oblivion'' (1987) *'' Love Is Forever'' (1988) *''

Songs for the Sad Eyed Girl ''Songs For The Sad Eyed Girl'' is the fifth album by London indie pop band Biff Bang Pow! Biff Bang Pow! were an indie pop band from London, England, active between 1983 and 1991, centering on Creation Records boss Alan McGee. History Glasw ...

'' (1990) (CD incl. Oblivion, C incl. Love Is Forever) *'' Me'' (1991)

Compilations

*''The Acid House Album'' (Jun 1989, CRELP046 PCRECD046 D *''For The Sad Eyed Girl'' (1990) *''L'Amour, Demure, Stenhousemuir'' (Nov 1991, CRELP099 PCRECD099 DCCRE099 *''Debasement Tapes'' (Feb 1992, CRELP125 PCRECD125 D *''Bertula Pop'' (Apr 1994, Tristar, WK 57565 D *''Waterbomb: The Best Of'' (Jul 2003, Rev-Ola, CRREV28 D *''Biff Bang Pow! & The Laughing Apple - The Singles'' (2010, Vollwert, xCDr *''The Singles As And Bs'' (2016, Poppydisc, 7xFile, ALAC *''A Better Life : Complete Creations 1984-1991'' (May 2022, Cherry Red, CRCDBOX125 xCD

Singles

*"Fifty Years of Fun" (Feb 1984, CRE003 " – No. 31 *"There Must Be a Better Life" (Jun 1984, CRE007 " *"J. C. Brouchard With Biff Bang Pow! - Someone Stole My Wheels (1986) *"Love's Going Out of Fashion" (Mar 1986, CRE024 "CRE024T 2" – No. 6 *"Someone Stole My Wheels" (Nov 1986, CRE034 "CRE034T 2" – ''credited to JC Brouchard with Biff Bang Pow !'', No. 31 *"The Whole World Is Turning Brouchard" (Feb 1987, CRE038 " – No. 26 *"She Haunts" (Feb 1988, CRE051 2" – No. 28 *"Sleep" (Nov 1990, CAFF, CAFF13 "– ''The Mods Are Back!'', split single with

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

) *" Bang Pow! / The Times - The Mods Are Back! (7", Single)

References

{{Biff Bang Pow! British indie pop groups English rock music groups Musical groups established in 1983 Creation Records artists Musical groups disestablished in 1991 1983 establishments in England 1991 disestablishments in England