TEENAGE HEAD I WAS A
In the manner of our ‘First Rites’ features, the young-at-heart RICHARD NASH tells the story of THE FLAMIN’ GROOVIES, starting with his discovery of ‘Shake Some Action’ in 1978. Just like Richard, all of us who’ve heard the tune will never forget it…
And so begins our collection of articles on this timeless band, penned by long-time Groovies supporters and chroniclers KRIS NEEDS and BRIAN HOGG, and super-fans PHIL SUGGITT and NICK WEST.
I
WAS REARED ONMOTOWN AND ’60s 45s. However, by the time I started at Salisbury College Of Technology in September 1978, as far as music was
concerned I was interested in nothing but the punk scene and what was then called “new wave”.
In my class was a whiz-kid guitarist named Kerry Waite, and we would spend hours in the common room smoking John Player Blue and banging on about music. He was a dyed-in- the-wool rocker, but with a healthy interest in all things melodic and a particular love of The Beatles. We helped broaden each other’s horizons, but where was the common ground?
The common room jukebox was the most eclectic I have ever seen. As well as a smattering of older classics, there was a great mix of contemporary stuff – Buzzcocks, Peter Tosh, Cortinas, Punishment Of Luxury, Ramones... then one afternoon a record came on that neither of us were familiar with.
After a little guitar lick, drums and power chords crashed in and the track took off into a barrage of descending riffs and snotty lyrics about the singer getting where he belonged, but not needing any friends to do it, topped off with a chorus that was nonsensical, but so eloquent – and the sound was so clear and fresh.
Here was the common ground –melody, harmony, energy and attitude. Both of us were stunned. Kerry looked at the jukebox to see what was playing. It was a single called ‘Shake Some Action’ by The Flamin’ Groovies, and to these ears it remains the greatest record ever made.
The truth is I didn’t have a clue as to who The Flamin’ Groovies were – to me they were just a name on a jukebox label. I had no idea that not only had this stunning single been released in ’76 – and therefore had already somehow missed its chance of chart glory – but it had in fact been recorded as long ago as ’73!
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