Eyes

Eyes were a Portsmouth band and featured on Lee Woods’ famous Raw Records label known primarily for key punk releases by the Users, Unwanted and Killjoys and that’s where they got bracketed.

Before Eyes, Doug Kane was in band called Gandolf which morphed into Eyes somewhere around the early 1970’s mark.

The band centred around singer Doug Kane and manager Jake Anthony and also featured Nick Porter (Guitar), Reg Marshall (Bass), Steve Simmons (Drums) and John Stuart Mills (Guitar).

In fact their debut vinyl was in 1976 with a curious release on Vertigo records featuring the same song on each side but in mono and stereo and only in Norway! The picture cover for it showed suitable long hair, glam style make up, wide lapels and chest hair a la Roxy Music. The song was produced by manager Jake and also Nils Bjarne Kvam who had been a member of the sixties Norwegian pop band The Morgans.

In 1977 when Raw was looking for releases, Jake got in touch with Lee Wood.  Part of their appeal was that they had already the songs recorded and/or access to free studio time.

Part of the reason was that they had a wealthy gentleman involved who owned (or part owned) a studio within the Wembley complex. So, the recording time was free and available. Lack of money was always an issue for Raw.

But I did believe in the band. They were extremely talented musicians. But I have fond memories of working with them as it was clear they knew exactly what they were doing. ‘They had quite a flamboyant manager too, called Jake Anthony, and he often made the effort to come and see me.

Lee Wood (Raw Records)

The first single on Raw was hardly Punk rock and pretty much reused the style of the first single’s picture cover.

They weren’t quite what you would call a punk band in the sense of the Sex Pistols because they were more rock oriented.

Lee Wood (Raw Records) 

Once In a Lifetime (Raw29 1978), the second single on Raw, again came about because Raw didn’t have to front any recording costs. Again produced by Lee Wood and Jake their manager, this one came in a colour sleeve and its b side was a cover of the Doors Hello I Love You and which now featured the guitar of Fin Panton from local punk band the Public Heirs as John Stuart Mills had left.

Fin Panton I went to an Eyes gig and they were looking for a guitarist. They wanted to become more punk basically because at the time they were like a glam type band. They saw me at a gig and the guitarist told the rest of the band and the manager Jake Anthony came down with a five pound note sticking out of his pocket  – that kind of look (laughs!)

The whole band were there and it broke into a massive fight and they flung me in the back of their touring Mercedes truck, took me back to their place, played their stuff and said you’re coming on tour to Germany next week next week (laughs) So I had to learn the set and off we went. They’d already had one record out on Raw Records which was one chord, brilliant but slow, so they hadn’t quite got it. They were in the process of doing another one which they’d already done the A side for, so I went in and played guitar on a funny old punk version of the Doors Hello I Love You on the B side. That was my recording debut!

Punk77 Interview 2021

The publicity shot at the top of this feature was used for their second single; still glammy, but with tighter jeans, shorter hair and makeup!

The singles received little publicity from Raw and bar a couple of negative reviews for the second single in the weekly music papers, that was it. Despite this, they apparently sold 6,000 of each single!

No indication as to which Eyes these be. Several (at least 2, anyway) have used the name in the past, the most amusing of which cut an EP called ‘My Degeneration’ sometime in the mid sixties. This is rather humdrum by comparison, with endless ttitle repeats over thinly recorded back-up. On the flip, the Doors’ ‘Hello I Love You’ is blurrily and undistinguishedly revived. Not special. 

Sounds 28.10.78

The Eyes are so cryptic it never becomes clear just what happens once in a lifetime. Either ay it hardly seems to matter. Pedestrian toon, slipshod ideology and on the flipside they tackle “Hello I Love You” and get the bloody words wrong. The Eyes don’t have it.

 NME 21.1.1978

The band definitely seemed connected and more popular on the continent as the Norwegian single and European tours show. More punky looking abroad in France.

Finn Panton I think we all moved up to London eventually in about 1979. Eyes were fizzling out. We went around Europe and had a lot of fun, did auditions for TOTP and the whole works but we didn’t quite have it right. 

Punk77 Interview November 2021

Somewhere along the line the below promo was recorded with Fin, Doug and Nick miming to the first single.

Finn Panton Eventually around 1984 members of Eyes were signed by EMI and Wilf Pine [He had a tough-guy reputation after being one of only two Englishman to be allowed into the American Mafia!] the old Black Sabbath manager. So we did eventually get a record deal but under a false name. They got a £10,000 publishing deal with EMI. The manager turned up in a new car and gave us £500 quid each and that was it (chuckles).

That was the end of Eyes. We did a whole album of eighties poppy soft rock, more Duran Duran, for EMI and that was the end of it. We changed the name to Roccoco or something like that. We did one single that was released and failed and the album was shelved so we went off and did our own things. [note from Punk77 – anyone know anything else about this?] 

Punk77 Interview November 2021

That was it for Eyes except in 1987 the below crept out on Vision Records again with manager Jake Anthony’s name attached to it and was a full album with single tracks and other tracks from the first line up but released under Doug Kane’s name.

Eyes Postscript – Finn went onto have a long and varied career in multiple bands (Headhunters & Junior Manson Slags to name just two of many) for the next forty years eventually returning to his punk roots when he fronted Menace for 10 years.

The Eyes have reunited on stage a couple of times. The first time in 2011 with Finn, Doug, Steve and Mick.

One of his last bands was Seeds of 77, and at the album launch for said band at the Hope & Anchor in 2021, two members of Eyes got on stage and played an old song.

First up is a unique and unannounced event… two of his former bandmates from The Eyes have turned up to see the gig and the three of them get onstage to run through one of their old songs. This happens before anyone realises what’s going-on, something they just wanted to do for themselves. No big deal, just a bit of fun between old friends. Good for them! 

Fear & Loathing Fanzine

Sadly in August 2022 Finn tragically lost his prolonged fight with cancer.

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September 2022 – Dedicated to Finn Panton – An unsung Hero

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