F-X
F-X were a Worthing punk band and are not to be confused with a later band called FX who used to play all around London. They’ve appeared on numerous bootleg compilation albums over the years and they always stuck out for 1) Their outsize 8″ picture cover 2) The American Civil War scene on the cover 3) The song is apparently about the South Rising Again 3) Teddy boys buying it thinking it was some confederate rockabilly bollocks and then smashing it up in anger when they played it and found it was dastardly punk rock and 4) Noone knew fuck all about the band!
The one thing we did know was that it was pure punk perfection!
So all credit to Dizzy at Bored Teenagers who with patience and tenacity dug out the story and was eventually contacted by Jon Burn so go and read the full story.
Dizzy also released the tracks and more and the record was again re-released. I’m assuming that was what what prompted the Record Collector interview with guitarist/vocalist Jon Burn below by Ian Shirley which I’ve cut down
Did you play regularly – if so where? Did you support any larger bands? Any stories?
We played a few places such as Resource Centre in Brighton with 4 or 5 other bands. (inc. the Bats from Worthing). We went to see 999 and Rick and I asked to support them as they were going on tour. Their Manager said that it would cost £2000 – at the time we didn’t have 2 pence. Wasn’t long after the record was released that we were involved in a court case for possession and given a suspended sentence, and probation. A condition was made that Rick and I weren’t to speak to each other let alone practice or play.
How did you come to record your EP?
Pat Allen put an advert in the local paper for the best songwriters from South Coast. I sent him a cassette and he offered us a contract. He asked me to write a song about football, which was ‘South’s gonna Rise again’. We only had a weekend to record the EP and in the studio on the Saturday he said we were a verse short. The 2nd verse starting ‘We are all warriors for the cause…’ was written on top of the speaker.
Where was it recorded?
It was recorded at Chestnut Studios, Frensham Ponds.
Who did the production?
The sound engineer was really helpful, we worked together and he even played some of the bass
Was it funded by the band or your manager – how did you come to get a manager?
The manager paid for all of that. He said you have got the studio for the weekend if you haven’t finished you’ve got no record.
Why did you do the oversized sleeve – was it homemade?
That was the Manager’s idea so that it would stick out in a collection
Why call it the Souths Gonna Rise Again? when OBE was the lead track?
The manager had asked me to write a song about football, so it was his decision. He chose to have a picture of the American Civil War on the cover.
Did you write the tracks or was it a band effort? Where did you get the sound effects for OBE? (And the beginning of The Souths Gonna…)
I wrote the tracks and the music. Sound effects came from BBC Sound Effects Vinyl album which Manager got from the library I think. He had an idea for some of the sound effects but I wanted the National Anthem at the beginning of OBE. I heard when the tape was re winding what sounded like ‘they’re’ off’ that was off the sound effects record too. It was the Cardiff Male Voice choir
OBE is classic – any stories about writing/recording it?
I hummed the tune onto a cassette recorder having woken in the middle of the night and not wanting to get my guitar. The words came very easily and I don’t know if there is any connection but my French grandad died in the trenches at Verdun. I only found that out later.
Where did inspiration for Slag come from – who added the effect at the beginning?
Just a song about me. In 70’s that was an expression for a bloke who was a waste of time. The idea for the effect at the beginning may have come from the Manager
Your manager sent out a great press release with a picture – did it help the band?
In all time we were with Pat Allen I only met him about 4 times so I don’t really know if it helped. I think the photo for the flyer came from the picture taken by the local paper when we did an interview for them at the Road Show in Steyne Gardens. When Mike and I got parts as extras in Quadraphenia, the producer said ‘Don’t look at the camera’, I told Mike to look, hoping to get publicity for the record, but we were cut out of all shots apart from in the café scene where we had our backs to camera.
Did you get any offers of a contract or anything after it came out?
No
Why did the band split up?
Mainly due to the court case as Rick and I weren’t meant to be seeing each other.
What do you think of it now?
All we wanted at the time was to make a record and have it played on the radio. If we hadn’t met Pat Allen there wouldn’t have been an EP. Now I think Dizzy has done a great job and I am really grateful to him and the Record Collector magazine for their continued interest. Sorry that others who were involved with the band at the time are not around to see it.
TalkPunk
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