cherry red records Archives - Vinyl From The Vault https://vinylfromthevault.com/tag/cherry-red-records/ Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:59:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 198238920 The Hollywood Brats “Hollywood Brats” https://vinylfromthevault.com/the-hollywood-brats-hollywood-brats/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-hollywood-brats-hollywood-brats Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:59:05 +0000 https://vinylfromthevault.com/?p=16765 The Hollywood Brats "Hollywood Brats" 1973/1980. Cherry Red Records. Glam rock/protopunk from the UK (and sometimes credited as the UK's first punk band), originally recorded in 1974 for NEMS Records but the label refused to release it. The band formed in '71 as The Queen, changed their name, added a guitarist in '72 (recruited through [...]

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]]> The Hollywood Brats “Hollywood Brats” 1973/1980. Cherry Red Records. Glam rock/protopunk from the UK (and sometimes credited as the UK’s first punk band), originally recorded in 1974 for NEMS Records but the label refused to release it. The band formed in ’71 as The Queen, changed their name, added a guitarist in ’72 (recruited through an advertisement in Melody Maker for a guitarist “drunk on scotch and Keith Richards”) and then disbanded in ’74 after being boo’d offstage and kicked off their label. The Brats performances have been described as raunchy, flamboyant and meant to “to annoy and disturb.” Contemporaries of and very similar to New York Dolls musically and with nihilistic tendencies like The Stooges and other US hooligans, the band leaned into shaking things up and being obnoxious. Singer Andrew Matheson “hobnobbed with (and stole from) Cliff Richard, punched a young Freddie Mercury in the mouth for having the temerity to call his band Queen (before renaming themselves, The Hollywood Brats were The Queen), and managed to alienate every record company that came sniffing. Even when his band was thrown a lifeline, Matheson managed to torpedo it. In 1974, Mick Jones, not yet of The Clash, introduced him to an eager Malcolm McLaren, convinced the Brats might just be on to something. Matheson considered McLaren a man of no substance, and sent him packing. McLaren had to settle for signing The Sex Pistols instead.” Reportedly The Who’s Keith Moon said they were the best band he had ever seen.

Hollywood Brats is snotty, glammy, hard rock and hilarious. The track “Sick on You” is about a man so tired of his girlfriend’s actions that he wants to vomit on her. Their cover of  the Phil Spector penned and The Crystals performed classic “Then He Kissed Me” is dripping with punk sarcasm. The Brats continue to foreshadow the Ramones’ sound which evolved 50’s/60’s pop into a punk sound (“Zurich 17“) while “Tumble With Me” flips the narrative to the chaste “Wake Up Little Susie” (Everly Brothers ’57) and asks her, point blank, to enjoy herself and take a tumble. It probably had those early 70’s record execs clutching their pearls. Other tracks lament the irritations of youth like “Another Schoolday” (it’s sooo good!).

 

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]]> 16765 Dead Kennedys “Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables” https://vinylfromthevault.com/dead-kennedys-fresh-fruit-for-rotting/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dead-kennedys-fresh-fruit-for-rotting Wed, 02 Sep 2020 16:15:22 +0000 http://box2101.temp.domains/~vinylfro/dead-kennedys-fresh-fruit-for-rotting/ Dead Kennedys “Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables” released 40 years ago today, September 2nd, 1980. Alternative Tentacles/Cherry Red Records (UK version). I wrote about this LP relatively recently but am happily taking it out its anniversary spin today, blasting “Let’s Lynch the Landlord” as loud as my speakers will allow. Such a perfect punk classic! So, [...]

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]]> Dead Kennedys “Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables” released 40 years ago today, September 2nd, 1980. Alternative Tentacles/Cherry Red Records (UK version). I wrote about this LP relatively recently but am happily taking it out its anniversary spin today, blasting “Let’s Lynch the Landlord” as loud as my speakers will allow. Such a perfect punk classic! So, too are the tracks “Kill the Poor,” “Holiday in Cambodia” and punk anthem “California Uber Alles.”

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]]> 9660 Dead Kennedys “Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables” https://vinylfromthevault.com/dead-kennedys-fresh-fruit-for-rotting-vegetables/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dead-kennedys-fresh-fruit-for-rotting-vegetables Fri, 10 Apr 2020 22:01:57 +0000 http://box2101.temp.domains/~vinylfro/dead-kennedys-fresh-fruit-for-rotting-vegetables/ Dead Kennedys “Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables” released almost 40 years ago (fall ’80). Alternative Tentacles/Cherry Red Records (UK – the album pictured here). An absolutely brutal and perfect punk pull for today. Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables was DK’s first album and is one of the genre’s best. Charged with political commentary (even the [...]

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]]> Dead Kennedys “Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables” released almost 40 years ago (fall ’80). Alternative Tentacles/Cherry Red Records (UK – the album pictured here). An absolutely brutal and perfect punk pull for today. Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables was DK’s first album and is one of the genre’s best. Charged with political commentary (even the album’s title: Jello Biafra ran for mayor of San Francisco and one of his proposed polices was for the city’s statue of City Supervisor Dan White have rotten tomatoes available so people could pelt it; White assassinated Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk) – “Kill the Poor” (one of my favorite punk tracks of all time), “Holiday in Cambodia” (another absolute classic), “California Uber Alles” (same) and “Chemical Warfare” (again, yes). And if I was a renter at this time in 2020, I think the brilliant anthem “Let’s Lynch the Landlord” would be playing on repeat. So so good.

My first version of this album was on a shitty dubbed cassette around ‘85. I borrowed the record for someone when I was 14 years old and when I was taping it in my bedroom, my dad walked past and was horrified to see the band’s name on the album cover, not to mention the music. I was delighted with his reaction (of course).

**Run Out Groove Side A: “is life as boring as you are?”

Run Out Groove Side B: “Well??? Who are the brain police?”

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]]> 9835 Dead Kennedys “Kill the Poor” https://vinylfromthevault.com/dead-kennedys-kill-the-poor-bw-in-sight-1980/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dead-kennedys-kill-the-poor-bw-in-sight-1980 Thu, 19 Jan 2017 15:37:06 +0000 http://box2101.temp.domains/~vinylfro/?p=2974 Dead Kennedys “Kill the Poor” b/w “In-Sight” 1980. Cherry Red Records. My mood for 80′s punk protest music has grown exponentially the closer the unfortunate inevitable approaches. “Kill the Poor,” its title dripping with caustic sarcasm, continues to reflect the hideous reality of our political climate. It was Dead Kennedys’ third single release and appeared on their debut album [...]

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]]> Dead Kennedys “Kill the Poor” b/w “In-Sight” 1980. Cherry Red Records. My mood for 80′s punk protest music has grown exponentially the closer the unfortunate inevitable approaches. “Kill the Poor,” its title dripping with caustic sarcasm, continues to reflect the hideous reality of our political climate. It was Dead Kennedys’ third single release and appeared on their debut album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. It even charted in the UK, reaching #49 on the singles chart and #1 on the indie chart, in 1980. Ned Raggett from Allmusic writes about the track, “Biafra’s conflation of liberal complacency, conservative aggression, and societal ignorance is both pithy and memorable.” It’s been 37 years and seemingly nothing has changed.

Efficiency and progress is ours once more
Now that we have the Neutron bomb
It’s nice and quick and clean and gets things done
Away with excess enemy
But no less value to property
No sense in war but perfect sense at home

The sun beams down on a brand new day
No more welfare tax to pay
Unsightly slums gone up in flashing light
Jobless millions whisked away
At last we have more room to play
All systems go to kill the poor tonight

Gonna kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor tonight

Behold the sparkle of champagne
The crime rate’s gone, feel free again
Oh, life’s a breeze with you, Miss Lily White
Jane Fonda on the screen today
Convinced the liberals it’s okay
So let’s get dressed and dance away the night

While they kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor tonight

Kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor tonight

Behold the sparkle of champagne
The crime rate’s gone, feel free again
Oh, life’s a breeze with you, Miss Lily White
Jane Fonda on the screen today
Convinced the liberals it’s okay
So let’s get dressed and dance away the night

While they kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor tonight

Kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor tonight

Kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor
Kill kill kill kill kill the poor tonight

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