The Last Words (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1977 in Sydney, Australia |
| Founder | Malcolm Baxter, Andy Groome, Mick Smith, Jeffrey Wegener |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Punk rock music, albums, singles |
The Last Words emerged as a punk rock band from Sydney, Australia, in 1977. The original lineup featured Malcolm Baxter on vocals, Andy Groome handling guitar duties, Mick Smith playing bass, and Jeffrey Wegener—formerly of the Saints—on drums. Baxter, Groome, and Smith encountered Wegener while residing in the Liverpool suburb of Liverpool. Within their first year, both Wegener and Smith departed the group. Their initial single, "Animal World," released in March 1978, was recorded solely by Baxter (vocals and drums) and Groome (guitar and bass) under their independent label, Remand Records; the two co-wrote the track. Australian music historian Ian McFarlane characterized this release as a "self-produced effort with poor recording quality."
Subsequently, Baxter and Groome enlisted Ken Doyle on drums and Leigh Kendall on bass to re-record "Animal World," which was reissued in February 1979 through Wizard Records. Bob Short of Kill Your Pet Puppy remarked that Wizard aimed to sign a genuine working-class punk band with a pop-oriented edge. The band then moved to London and secured a deal with Rough Trade Records. Doyle remained in Australia and was replaced by drummer John Gunn. Rough Trade re-released "Animal World" in the UK in October 1979, where it climbed to No. 8 on the Alternative Charts. Following singles included "Today's Kidz" in February 1980 and "Top Secret" in August 1980. Their debut album, self-titled The Last Words, arrived in December 1980. Produced by Adrian Sherwood, it included a rendition of Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit," yet the album did not significantly enhance their recognition. The band dissolved shortly thereafter, with Baxter returning to Australia.
In December 1979, Kendall contributed guitar work to German punk outfit Vomit Visions' EP Punks Are the Old Farts of Today, released by Rock-O-Rama Records. A live recording from The Last Words' March 1981 performance at London University supporting Killing Joke remains unreleased to date. After the band's breakup, Groome, Kendall, and Gunn joined forces with Erik Hysteric's backing group, the Esoterics, which also featured Vomit Visions' drummer Dieter Krist. This ensemble appeared on Hysteric's 1981 album Drive You Crazy, issued by Wasted Vinyl Records; it contains a German-language cover of The Last Words' "Wondering Why," performed vocally by Kendall. Additionally, Groome and Kendall contributed to several solo singles by Erik Hysteric released throughout 1982 and 1983.
Albums
- The Last Words (August 1980) – Armageddon Records (ARM 2)
Tracklist: Walk Away; Top Secret; My Streets Of Fire; Games; Do It Yourself; Semi Detached Love; Today's Kidz / Spectacular Times; The Stranger; It's Alright; Every Schoolboy's Dream; Never Never Man; White Rabbit Produced by Zen Gangsters (Adrian Sherwood). Recorded at Berry St, London.
- The Last Words 1977 - 1980 (Remand Records)
Tracklist: Animal World; No Music; Every Schoolboy's Dream; Today's Kids; Something's Wrong; Games; It's Alright; Top Secret; The Stranger; Animal World (original); Wondering Why
Singles
- "Animal World" / "Wondering Why" (March 1978) – Remand Records (RRCS 2439) Limited pressing of 500 copies with plain white sleeve
- "Animal World" / "Every Schoolboy's Dream" (February 1979) – Wizard Records (ZS-196) Released on blue vinyl
- "Animal World" / "No Music in the World Today" (October 1979) – Rough Trade Records (RT 022) First pressings labeled as "Rough Trade & Wizard"
- "Today's Kidz" (February 1980) – Remand Records
- "Top Secret" (August 1980) – Armageddon Records