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Eddie and the Hot Rods

From Alfawiki
Eddie and the Hot Rods
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1975 in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England
FounderDave Higgs, Steve Nicol, Rob Steele, Barrie Masters
Headquarters
Essex
,
England
Area served
United Kingdom, international tours
Key people
Barrie Masters (vocals, until 2019), Ian 'Dipster' Dean (current lead vocalist)
ProductsMusic albums, singles, live performances

Eddie and the Hot Rods are a pub rock group originating from Essex, established in 1975. They gained prominence with their 1977 UK top ten single "Do Anything You Wanna Do", issued under the abbreviated name Rods. The ensemble dissolved in 1985 but reunited in 1996. Vocalist Barrie Masters remained the only continuous member until his passing in 2019. The band persists in touring, currently led by former bassist Ian 'Dipster' Dean.

Formation

The band was created in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, in 1975 by guitarist Dave Higgs (previously with the Fix alongside Lee Brilleaux), drummer Steve Nicol, bassist Rob Steele, and vocalist Barrie Masters (4 May 1956 – 2 October 2019).

Initial lineup adjustments saw the removal of "Eddie," a dummy used as a stage prop. The stable core then comprised Barrie Masters on vocals, Pete Wall and Dave Higgs handling guitars, Rob Steele on bass, and Steve Nicol on drums. Management was handled by Ed Hollis, sibling of Mark Hollis.

By May 1975, the band secured a Saturday night residency at The Kensington in London, which was followed by a shared residency with the 101ers at The Nashville. Positive reception to their live shows led to a contract with Island Records in November.

Commercial success

By 1976, Lew Lewis (harmonica) and Paul Gray (bass) had replaced Wall and Steele. Lewis's involvement lasted only through the first two singles before he left. This lineup performed at London's Marquee Club, where their opening act, the Sex Pistols, caused disruption by destroying the Hot Rods' equipment. The Pistols' performance earned them their initial music press coverage in the NME, notably without mentioning the headline act. In retaliation, the Hot Rods claimed in a subsequent NME issue that they had "fired" the Pistols from an upcoming tour—a move described by the magazine as "the consequence of mixing with real punks." During a summer residency at the Marquee, they alternated weeks with AC/DC, vying for larger crowds amid one of the hottest summers recorded. Their first appearance on the UK Singles Chart came late in 1976 with the Live at the Marquee EP and the energetic rock single "Teenage Depression."

After releasing their debut album, Teenage Depression, which charted on the UK Albums Chart, they followed up with another EP titled Live – At the Sound of Speed. During this performance, Graeme Douglas (formerly of the Kursaal Flyers) joined them on stage and soon became a permanent addition. The band then commenced writing and recording their second album, with Douglas adding extra lead guitar overdubs in the studio to enhance the live EP’s sound.

With Douglas joining, their musical direction shifted toward a more accessible style for radio play. Their most significant hit emerged from Douglas and Hollis's composition "Do Anything You Wanna Do" in summer 1977, released under the shortened band name, the Rods. The track climbed to number 9 on the British Top 40 and connected strongly with punk audiences, as did that year's album Life on the Line. They appeared at the Reading Festival in August 1977 and toured America alongside the Ramones and Talking Heads. Later that year, they collaborated with MC5 vocalist Rob Tyner as 'Rob Tyner & the Hot Rods'. Attempts to duplicate the success of "Do Anything You Wanna Do" with subsequent releases were unsuccessful. The Life on the Line album encountered complications due to CBS Records’ contractual claim over Douglas, which led to his image being omitted from some LP covers. In 1978, they toured across Canada.

In early 1979, they released Thriller, recorded at Abbey Road Studios featuring a richer studio production and more effects. However, sales were disappointing, resulting in Island Records dropping them that year. Speculation about a breakup arose as Gray toured with the Members, while Masters and Nicol joined Plus Support. They signed with EMI in August 1979 and issued Fish'n'Chips in 1981 featuring new bassist T.C. (Tony Cranney), but disbanded later that same year.

Reformations

By this stage, both Gray and Douglas had departed from the group, with Gray moving on to join the Damned. Masters engaged in projects with the Inmates, while Ed Hollis collaborated with prominent punk artists such as the Damned, Elvis Costello, and Stiff Little Fingers. Meanwhile, Nicol became a member of One the Juggler.

In 1984, Masters and Nicol revived the Hot Rods, bringing in T.C. (Tony Cranney) on bass and introducing Warren Kennedy as the new guitarist, resulting in the release of the single "Fought for You". Cranney was eventually succeeded by Russ Strutter for the live mini-album One Story Town before the band dissolved once more in 1985. During this period, Tex Axile briefly participated before joining Transvision Vamp.

The band’s 'classic' formation—Masters, Nicol, Higgs, and Gray—came together again in 1992 for a European tour. Following Higgs' exit, Steve Walwyn from Dr. Feelgood stepped in as guitarist. Gordon Russell, also affiliated with Dr. Feelgood, had a short tenure before Mick Rodgers (formerly of Manfred Mann's Earth Band) assumed guitar responsibilities. In 1994, they recorded Gasoline Days, which was released two years later by Japan's Creative Man label. Later personnel changes saw Madman Keyo and Jess Phillips join the lineup.

Moving into the 2000s, Masters led a refreshed ensemble featuring Simon Bowley on drums, Dipster Dean handling bass duties, and Gary Loker on guitar. After completing an extensive 80-date UK 'Naughty Rhythms' Tour in 2001 alongside Dr. Feelgood and other acts, Richard Holgarth joined as guitarist while Loker soon exited.

In 2005, they produced Better Late than Never ahead of their 30th anniversary tour and expanded to a five-member group by adding Chris Taylor in 2006 for the album Been There, Done That. This formation has continued to perform under the name Eddie and the Hot Rods.

Guitarist Dave Higgs passed away in December 2013.

At the beginning of 2018, the band announced their intention to cease headline tours but proceeded to tour the UK in March 2019 supporting Stiff Little Fingers, featuring Adam Smith from Newtown Neurotics as their touring bassist.

A special reunion event titled 'Done Everything We Wanna Do' took place at o2 Academy Islington on 13 April 2019. This concert included current and former members along with guest appearances from artists like Captain Sensible (The Damned) among others.

Frontman Barrie Masters was discovered deceased at his residence on 1 October 2019 at age 63; subsequent investigations determined his death was related to drug use.

Following Barrie’s intended retirement and a pandemic-induced break in 2020, the band resumed activity in 2021 with bassist Ian 'Dipster' Dean stepping up as lead vocalist. Mic Stoner (Chords UK) replaced Dean on bass for a UK tour alongside Nine Below Zero.

Guardians of the Legacy

On 27 March 2022, the group performed their new single "Guardians of the Legacy" during a broadcast of The Heritage Chart Show with Mike Read on Talking Pictures TV. This song serves as the title track of an album released to commemorate the anniversary of Masters’ passing in October 2022.

Musical style

Initially, their setlist featured covers of 1960s R&B songs along with original material influenced by Dr. Feelgood. Renowned for their vigorous live shows, they attracted a younger demographic compared to many pub rock contemporaries. Frequently recognized as early contributors to punk rock, their emphasis was on loud and fast-paced rock and roll. Their dynamic performances resonated strongly with punk audiences; Joe Strummer highlighted their pioneering use of the term 'punk' when describing a band. Their 1977 American tour alongside the Ramones and Talking Heads was marketed as a punk rock event, including a show in Windsor, Ontario promoted as "Windsor's First Punk Rock Concert." Despite this association, they were soon overshadowed by emerging punk groups and came to be viewed as outside that genre.

Studio albums

Year Album UK Albums Chart Record label
1976 Teenage Depression 43 Island Records
1977 Life on the Line 27
1979 Thriller 50
1981 Fish 'n' Chips — EMI Records
1996 Gasoline Days — Creative Man Records
2005 Better Late than Never — Voiceprint Records
2006 Been There, Done That... —
2011 35 Years of Teenage Depression —
2022 Guardians of the Legacy — Outro Records (Vinyl)

Renaissance Records (CD)

Live albums

  • One Story Town (1985), Waterfront
  • BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert (1994), Windsong
  • Live at the Paradiso (1998), Pub
  • Get Your Rocks Off (2002), Jungle
  • New York:Live (2009), recorded at Southpaw, Brooklyn

Compilations and sessions

  • Rods (1977) Promo (Live & Out-takes)
  • Curse of the Hot Rods aka 1979 Freerange Studio – Covent Garden sessions (1992), Street Link
  • Live and Rare (1993), Receiver
  • Ties that Bind (1994), Dojo
  • The End of the Beginning – the Best of Eddie & the Hot Rods (1994), Island
  • Get Your Balls Off (1996), Skydog
  • Doing Anything They Wanna Do... (1996), Anagram
  • Take No Prisoners! The Best of British Punk (1998), Delta Music (UK)
  • Do Anything You Wanna Do (2000), Spectrum
  • The Singles Collection (2009), Captain Oi!
  • Do Anything You Wanna Do: The Best Of (2012), Spectrum Music

EPs

  • Live at the Marquee EP (1976), Island, IEP 2 – UK No. 43
  1. "96 Tears"
  2. "Get Out of Denver"
  3. "Medley: Gloria – Satisfaction"
  • At the Sound of Speed EP (1977), Island, IEP 5 – UK No. 56
  1. "Hard Drivin' Man"
  2. "Horseplay"
  3. "Double Checkin' Woman"
  4. "All I Need is Money"
  5. "On the Run" (12-inch version only)

Singles

Year Title Peak chart
positions 		Record label B-side Album
UK Singles Chart
1976 "Writing on the Wall" — Island Records "Cruisin' (In the Lincoln)"
"Wooly Bully" "Horseplay (Weary of the Schmaltz)"
"Teenage Depression" 35 "Shake"

Teenage Depression

1977 "I Might Be Lying" 44 "Ignore Them (Always Crashing in the Same Bar)"
"Do Anything You Wanna Do" 9 "Schoolgirl Love" Life on the Line
"Till the Night Is Gone (Let's Rock)" — "Flipside Rock"
"Quit This Town" 36 "Distortion May Be Expected (laughbagindub)" Life on the Line
1978 "Life on the Line" 55 "Do Anything You Wanna Do" (Live)
1979 "Media Messiahs" — "Horror Through Straightness" Thriller
"The Power and the Glory" — "Highlands One, Hopefuls Two"
1980 "Wide Eyed Kids" — EMI Records "Leave Us Alone" Fish 'n' Chips
1981 "Farther on Down the Road
(You Will Accompany Me)" 		— "Fish 'n' Chips Part 2"
1985 "Fought for You" — Waterfront Records "Hey, Tonight"


DVD Releases

  • Do Anything You Wanna Do (1996), issued by Cherry Red
  • Live 2005 (2006), released through Plastic Head
  • Introspective (2009), distributed by Voiceprint

References

Further reading

  • Crancher, Steve (2008) Eddie and the Hot Rods: Do Anything You Wanna Do, Desert Island Books,

External links

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