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APB - That Scottish funk band from the 80s

soulmarcosasoulmarcosa 4,296 Posts
edited April 2005 in Strut Central
Anybody into these dudes APB? They existed from about 1980-1985 and put out some good UK whiteboy funk along the lines of A Certain Ratio. I just copped their album SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN last night for $2 and it's surprisingly solid stuff that would go over great in an alternative-type club setting, or just a good danceable eclectic DJ set. I've known about them for years, but I rarely hear people talk about 'em as they do Gang of 4, Tom Tom Club, Duran Duran, ACR, etc. Granted they weren't as influential or well-known as those groups, but they were definitely a forerunner to the current crop of 80s-inspired bands like Interpol, Rapture, Bravery, Killers, etc. Feel free to discuss them or other 80s white alt/punk/funk bands like Konk, The Offs, Big Boys, etc.

  Comments

  • djdazedjdaze 3,099 Posts
  • soulmarcosasoulmarcosa 4,296 Posts
    file under:
    If It's Not Scottish It's Crap
  • DJBombjackDJBombjack Miami 1,665 Posts



    Anybody ever picked up the Bay City Rollers LP with the huge drum break on it?
  • peacefulrotationpeacefulrotation 3,481 Posts
    Yo, I'm feelin' you. On that.




    I picked this one up in a collection and it's a boirner
  • Birdman9Birdman9 5,417 Posts

    Anybody ever picked up the Bay City Rollers LP with the huge drum break on it?

    Probably...I love the Bay City Rollers!"Rock and Roll Love Letter" is a classic!
  • meshmesh 925 Posts
    i thought this was gonna be about All Points Bulletin, but then again they werent from scotland nor did they play in the 80s( i dont think). but they are a good band too.
  • CLabCLab 76 Posts
    the drum sound on "Shoot You Down" is for serious. you can still get most of their shit for fairly cheap as well.
  • Birdman9Birdman9 5,417 Posts
    you can still get most of their shit for fairly cheap as well.

    Then it can't possibly be any good!

  • ElectrodeElectrode Los Angeles 3,133 Posts
    i thought this was gonna be about All Points Bulletin, but then again they werent from scotland nor did they play in the 80s( i dont think). but they are a good band too.

    Me too. I still am wondering if any APB full length still exists. I think there's some country rock band named APB started by a surviving member of Lynard Skynard
  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
    Pretty sure All Points Bulletin had a couple 12s in the early 80s, no full lengths
  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts



    So good.
  • prof_rockwellprof_rockwell 2,867 Posts

    "Ready for high-tide any time!!"[/b]
  • Diamante_DDiamante_D 215 Posts


    Feel free to discuss them or other 80s white alt/punk/funk bands like Konk, The Offs, Big Boys, etc.



    I've been feeling Josef K's LP 'The Only Fun in Town' recentely. They were definately on the 'not wack scottish band' tip, you can hear a lot of them in Franz Ferdinand and The Futureheads (and not just because of the scottish thing).
  • tinyhuntertinyhunter 31 Posts
    They did three 45's for the Oily label - 'shoot you down', 'palace filled with love', 'why did it have to rain today' - all have their moments - b-side of 'palace..' has a nice b-boy cowbell break (if a bit sloppy). I brought all three when they came out & actually went to see them at the University of London Union around 82/83 supporting the Higsons or Maximum Joy - They also supported James Brown on a few Scottish dates around that time!

    As far as i know nothing has been reissued - this band never got the props deseverved.


    ps - Hi - first post on forum.
  • meatyogremeatyogre 2,080 Posts
    theres a real nice break on that blue/white LP too
  • soulmarcosasoulmarcosa 4,296 Posts
    POSTSCRIPT
    Last night, I mentioned that APB album I got to my wife.
    She just looked at me funny and said, "You knew I had that already, right?"





    They did three 45's for the Oily label....this band never got the props deseverved.
    ps - Hi - first post on forum.

    Welcome to the board, TinyHunter.

  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
    They did three 45's for the Oily label - 'shoot you down', 'palace filled with love', 'why did it have to rain today' - all have their moments - b-side of 'palace..' has a nice b-boy cowbell break (if a bit sloppy). I brought all three when they came out & actually went to see them at the University of London Union around 82/83 supporting the Higsons or Maximum Joy - They also supported James Brown on a few Scottish dates around that time!

    As far as i know nothing has been reissued - this band never got the props deseverved.


    ps - Hi - first post on forum.

    My brother was a big fan of theirs - myself a little less so, but I still liked them. They always got more props in the US than in the UK. I believe their records got a lot of spins at Danceteria and places like that, but weren't considered cool enough by the British press at the time, hence the lack of props. Same with Endgames, another bunch of Scots who did that "Ecstacy" joint Kid Capri hooked up for Heavy D on "Nuttin But Love", but were completely ignored in the UK.
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