Rich Kids
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1977 in London, England |
| Founder | Glen Matlock |
| Defunct | 1979 |
| Headquarters | London , England |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Key people | Glen Matlock, Midge Ure, Rusty Egan, Steve New |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Number of employees | 4 (original lineup) |
Rich Kids was a brief-lived new wave group originating from London, established in 1977 by Glen Matlock following his departure from the Sex Pistols. The ensemble featured young guitarist Steve New, former member of Slik and future Ultravox artist Midge Ure, along with Rusty Egan, who would later co-found Visage. Between March 1977 and December 1978, they issued one album and three singles before officially dissolving in mid-1979.
As prominent British representatives of the power pop genre, Rich Kids combined 1960s inspirations such as Small Faces and The Who with punk rock elements. Their only single to enter the UK Top 40 was their debut release.
Career
Bassist Glen Matlock formed the band in 1977 after leaving the Sex Pistols. The original lineup consisted of keyboardist/guitarist Bill Smyth, drummer Rusty Egan, lead guitarist Steve New, and Mick Jones from The Clash. Following the exit of Smyth and Jones, Midge Ure joined the group after his previous bands had disbanded.
In late 1977, they recorded initial sessions for BBC Radio 1's John Peel program. Their first single, "Rich Kids," reached number 24 on the UK charts in February 1978, resulting in performances on Top of the Pops and the TV series Revolver.
A second Peel session took place in March 1978. Their next single, "Marching Men," produced by Mick Ronson—who also contributed guitar at their Lyceum concert—did not chart despite promotional efforts. The band made a cameo in the 1980 film D.O.A. Several shows included guest appearances by musicians like Ian McLagan.
Matlock and New briefly collaborated with Sid Vicious in the one-time project Vicious White Kids.
In August 1978, Rich Kids released their album Ghosts of Princes in Towers along with its title track as a single, which peaked at number 51. Their last television performance was a live broadcast for Rock Goes to College in October. Internal disagreements arose regarding the use of synthesizers—Ure and Egan supported their inclusion, whereas Matlock and New favored conventional rock instrumentation—ultimately causing the band's breakup.
Following the split, Matlock and New toured alongside Iggy Pop; meanwhile, Egan and Ure formed The Misfits (unrelated to the American band) before reuniting in Visage. Ure joined Ultravox in April 1979.
On 7 January 2010, Rich Kids reunited for a charity event at London's O2 Academy Islington honoring Steve New, who passed away from cancer in May that year.
In February 2016, the band reassembled featuring Gary Kemp on lead guitar and James Hallawell on keyboards for a joint headline performance with The Professionals at London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire; this event was postponed to June due to venue renovations.
The group made a singular appearance at the Vive Le Rock awards held at O2 Academy Islington on 27 March 2019, with Neal X from Sigue Sigue Sputnik filling the lead guitar role.
Personnel
- Midge Ure − lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards (1977–1979, 2010, 2016, 2019)
- Glen Matlock − bass guitar, lead and backing vocals (1977–1979, 2010, 2016, 2019)
- Rusty Egan − drums (1977–1979, 2010, 2016, 2019)
- Steve New − lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1977–1979, 2010; until his passing)
- Mick Jones − guitar, backing vocals (1977)
- Bill Smyth − keyboards (1977)
Guest performers
- Gary Kemp – lead guitar, backing vocals (2016)
- James Hallawell – keyboards (2016)
- Neal X – lead guitar, backing vocals (2019)
Discography
- Albums
- 1978 – Ghosts of Princes in Towers (EMI, August 1978) Chart position: No. 51
- Singles
- 1978 – "Rich Kids" with B-side "Empty Words" (EMI, January 1978) Reached No. 24 (also available on red vinyl)
- 1978 – "Marching Men" backed with "Here Comes the Nice (live)" (EMI, March 1978)
- 1978 – "Ghosts of Princes in Towers" with "Only Arsenic" as B-side (EMI, August 1978)
- Compilation albums
- 1998 – Burning Sounds compilation release (Rev-Ola, September 1998)
- 2003 – Best of The Rich Kids compilation (EMI, July 2003)
See also
- D.O.A. (1980 film)
- List of Peel sessions
- List of British punk bands
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- Timeline of punk rock
External links
- Rich Kids at Myspace
- The Rich Kids at Myspace
- Photos and details from the final Rich Kids show