''Elgin Avenue Breakdown'' is a compilation album by

The 101ers The 101ers were a pub rock band from the 1970s playing mostly in a rockabilly style, notable as being the band that Joe Strummer left to join The Clash. Formed in London in May 1974, the 101ers made their performing debut on 7 September at the ...

Joe Strummer John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British singer, musician and songwriter. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, ...

's band before he joined

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

. It was released on Andalucía Records (distributed by Virgin) in 1981 because of The Clash's popularity but mooted at the time that it was a semi-unofficial release due to Joe Strummer's contractual obligations with CBS. The first 500 copies came with a free poster. Just a few thousand copies were sold. The re-issue by EMI in 2005 has an accompanying booklet with an overview by Allan Jones and detailed notes on each track by

Richard Dudanski Richard "Snakehips" Dudanski, also known as Richard Nother, is an English drummer who was a member of a number of seminal British proto-punk, punk and post-punk bands, including The 101ers, The Raincoats, Public Image Ltd., Tymon Dogg and the Fool ...

Track listing

Original release The original Andalucía release of ''Elgin Avenue Breakdown'' contained 4 of the 6 songs recorded by Dr. Feelgood and

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...

producer

Vic Maile Vic Maile (1943 – 11 July 1989) was a British record producer. After starting his career as sound engineer with Pye mobile studios for the Animals on their song "We Gotta Get Out of This Place", Maile worked with some of the biggest names in th ...

, as a centrepiece. He had agreed to their use on the album in return for royalties. The 101ers owned the rights to the BBC Maida Vale recordings so they could also be used. However, most of the

Pathway Studios Pathway Studios was an independent recording studio in North London. Founded in 1970, the studio became an early favorite of Stiff Records' Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera, and was the location for early recordings by The Damned, Madness, ...

material recorded by Roger Armstrong was not allowed on. There was one exception: "Sweet Revenge". Partly this was a cross promotional idea because pub-rock and

proto punk Proto-punk (or protopunk) is rock music played mostly by garage bands from the 1960s to mid-1970s that foreshadowed the punk rock movement. The phrase is a retrospective label; the musicians involved were generally not originally associated wi ...

record label Chiswick wanted to release the track as a single when they found out about plans for the album. The other fact is that the 101ers had allowed Roger's use of "Five Star Rock n Roll Petrol" from the BBC Maida Vale Sessions as the B-side for "Keys to your Heart" on Chiswick's 1976 single.

Simon Jeffes Simon Harry Piers Jeffes (19 February 1949 – 11 December 1997) was an English classically trained guitarist, composer and arranger. He formed, and was the primary performer of, the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. He was the composer of the ballet ''Sti ...

Penguin Cafe Orchestra The Penguin Cafe Orchestra (PCO) were an avant-pop band led by English guitarist Simon Jeffes. Co-founded with cellist Helen Liebmann, it toured extensively during the 1980s and 1990s. The band's sound is not easily categorized, having elemen ...

, and also known for assisting

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...

producer Bill Price with the string arrangement for the

Sid Vicious John Simon Ritchie (10 May 1957 – 2 February 1979), better known by his stage name Sid Vicious, was an English musician, best known as the bassist for the punk rock band Sex Pistols. Despite dying in 1979 at age 21, he remains an icon of the ...

version of "

My Way "My Way" is a song popularized in 1969 by Frank Sinatra set to the music of the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed by Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Gilles Thibaut and Claude François and first performed in 1967 by Claude François. Its E ...

" which reached #7 on the UK singles charts as part of ''

The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle ''The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle'' is a 1980 British mockumentary film directed by Julien Temple and produced by Don Boyd and Jeremy Thomas. It centres on the British punk rock band Sex Pistols and, most prominently, their manager Malcolm McL ...

'' soundtrack, produced ''Keys to your Heart'' of which the reissue of the album features two versions, one significantly faster than the original. Roger felt honour bound to allow the use of one Pathway track on ''Elgin Avenue Breakdown''. Some observations on the songwriting: 'Usually Woody would come up with the lyrics and an idea for the melody and chords, and then develop it further with Clive, before bringing it to the band room where we would all knock it around until it took final shape.' In mid-January 1976, Mole was replaced by Dan Kelleher. Here are a few observations on Dan's contribution: 'Apart from his experience and dexterity on bass, he had other skills to offer. The backing vocals was one area that immediately improved with not just his singing but also with the harmony parts that he arranged, and then there were two or three songs on which he sang lead vocal, which would give Joe a welcome breather at strategic points in the set. He also helped me in working out new drum patterns.' The official credits are for Strummer and the 101ers unless otherwise noted. #"Letsagetabitarockin'" - 2:07 #"Silent Telephone" - 2:20 #" Monkey Business" (live) (

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

) - 2:22 #"

Shake Your Hips "Shake Your Hips" (sometimes known as "Hip Shake") is a song written by Louisiana bluesman Slim Harpo. He recorded it in February 1966 for producer J. D. Miller for a follow-up single to his hugely successful "Baby Scratch My Back". Miller's Exc ...

" (live) (

Slim Harpo Slim Harpo (born James Isaac Moore; January 11, 1924 – January 31, 1970) was an American blues musician, a leading exponent of the swamp blues style, and "one of the most commercially successful blues artists of his day". He played guitar and w ...

) - 3:26 #"

Junco Partner "Junco Partner", also known as "Junco Partner (Worthless Man)", is a blues song first recorded by James Waynes in 1951.

" (live) (Traditional; arranged by James Wayne) - 3:19 #"Don't Let It Go" (

Bo Diddley Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, incl ...

) - 2:54 #"Motor Boys Motor" - 2:22 #"Sweety of the St. Moritz" - 2:24 #"Surf City" (Dan Kelleher, 101ers) - 2:47 #"Keys to Your Heart" (Strummer) - 3:09 #"Sweet Revenge" - 2:57 #"

Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins) ...

" (live) (

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

) - 3:34 Tracks 1, 2, 7, 8 recorded 28/11/75, Jacksons Studio, Rickmansworth
Track 11 recorded 04/03/76, Pathway Studios, Kentish Town
Tracks 9,10 recorded 10/04/76, BBC Studios, Maida Vale
Tracks 3-6 and 12 recorded 18/04/76,

The Roundhouse The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhouse, ...

, Chalk Farm on a cassette by Mickey Foote Re-releaseTaken from booklet accompanying re-release CD on EMI (7243 474458 2 8) #"Letsagetabitarockin'" - 2:08 #"Silent Telephone" - 2:21 #"Keys To Your Heart" (Strummer) (version 1) (Chiswick Single Version) - 3:44 #"Rabies (From the Dogs of Love)" - 3:13 #"Sweet Revenge" - 2:58 #"Motor Boys Motor" - 2:23 #"Steamgauge 99" (previously unreleased) - 3:36 #"5 Star R'n'R" (Strummer, Kelleher) - 2:56 #"Surf City" (Kelleher, 101ers)- 2:49 #"Keys To Your Heart" (Strummer) (version 2) - 3:08 #"Sweety Of The St.Moritz" - 2:24 #"Hideaway" (previously unreleased) - 2:48 #"

" (live) (

)(previously unreleased) - 3:37 #" Lonely Mother's Son" (live) (previously unreleased) - 3:46 #"Don't Let It Go" (live) (

) - 2:51 #"Keep Taking the Tablets" (live) (previously unreleased) - 4:04 #"

Junco Partner "Junco Partner", also known as "Junco Partner (Worthless Man)", is a blues song first recorded by James Waynes in 1951.

" (live) (Traditional; arranged by James Wayne) (previously unreleased) - 3:31 #" Out of Time" (live) (

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

) (previously unreleased) - 2:56 #"

Maybelline Maybelline New York (formerly The Maybelline Company and Mabelline and Co.), trading as Maybelline ( ), is an American multinational cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care company, based in New York City. It was founded in Chicago ...

" (live) (

) (previously unreleased) - 1:57 #"

" (live) (

) (previously unreleased) - 8:04 Tracks 1,2,6,7,11,12 recorded 28/11/75, Jackson's Studio, Rickmansworth
Track 3 recorded 10/03/76, Pathway Studios, Kentish Town
Tracks 4,5 recorded 04/03/76, Pathway Studios, Kentish Town
Tracks 8,9,10 recorded 28/03/76 and 10/04/76, BBC Studios, Maida Vale
Tracks 13,14,16,17,19 recorded 21/05/76, Camberwell Art School, London
Track 15 recorded 18/04/76,

, Chalk Farm
Track 18 recorded 21/03/76, Wandsworth Prison, London
Track 20 recorded 22/05/76, Cellar Club, Bracknell

Personnel

;The 101ers *

- vocals, guitar * Clive Timperley - guitar, backing vocals *Dan Kelleher - keyboards, bass, backing vocals, vocals on "Surf City" and "Keep Taking the Tablets" *John Mole - bass *

- drums, backing vocals ;Technical *Roger Armstrong - producer *

- producer *

- producer *Barry Farmer - engineer *Micky Foote - engineer *Mike Robinson - engineer *Vic Keary - remixing *Howard Massey - remixing *

Peter Mew Peter Mew is a retired British music audio engineer. He worked at Abbey Road Studios, where he was the senior mastering engineer. He came to Abbey Road in 1965 as a tape operator and has since worked with many artists at the studio. Kevin Ayers of ...

- digital remastering *Nigel Reeve - A&R *Simon T. Bramley - poster design *Esperanza Romero - drawing *

Janette Beckman Janette Beckman is a British documentary photographer who currently lives in New York City. Beckman describes herself as a documentary photographer. While she produces a lot of work on location (such as the cover of The Police album ''Zenyatta ...

- photography *Ray Eagle - photography *Julian Yewdall - photography

References

{{Authority control 1981 compilation albums Albums produced by Vic Maile Albums produced by Simon Jeffes