London SS
The London SS were the band that never really was but were as important as the Sex Pistols in the birth of what would come to be known as punk rock. They never had a stable line up, never played a gig and never released a record. There were in fact 2 main versions of the band with Mick Jones the common link but it’s the Mick Jones, Tony James and Brian James (no relation) line up that was the band as they took the name.
But critically for Punk Rock they brought into contact with each other individuals with similar musical, fashion and attitude ideas who from that point struck out and formed bands. If the Kings Road and Sex Pistols was the Yin of punk rock then the London SS and what came after was the Yang. From the London SS come the beginnings of Generation X, The Clash, The Boys & The Damned and other musicians who later played in the Rich Kids and Patrik Fitzgerald.
The London SS, for all that it was, lasted between March 1975 and January 1976. Traditionally the story has come to be told from Tony James which isn’t exactly the whole story.
In fact its starts in 1974 with Mick Jones and John Brown’s first band The Delinquents – a band looking to play in the vein of the New York Dolls, Sharks and Stones. Through the usual permutation of band churn they happen to pick up drummer Geir Wade ex of the Hollywood Brats which in turns leads them to Geir’s guitarist bandmate.
ES Brady It was February 1975. I was just recovering from the tragedy that was the Hollywood Brats (one of the greatest unknown rock bands) breaking up, when I met three guys in Portobello Road.
[…one of them turned] out to be Mick Jones (The Clash) his mate John Brown and Norwegian Geir Wade. … (ex-Hollywood Brats) … Anyway, Geir called me the next day and we went to Mick’s place on Paddington Green. Mick was just another guitar player, obsessed with Mott the Hoople, Stones, Iggy etc.
The Delinquents is dropped as a name and several others are suggested including London SS which is Geir’s idea. It has the same geographical city grounding as the New York Dolls and though later its claimed to stand as Social Security, its meaning is more the SS, as in the elite guard of the Nazi regime in Germany, and whose uniform and insignia have held a continued fascination. The name however isn’t used
For Mick this band must have been really exciting, if not a little intimidating. Two members of a band who were the real thing; both on an album that had an image and sound very similar to the Dolls but had developed seemingly in parallel.
Enter Kelvin Blacklock, known and distrusted by Jones and band power struggles.
We needed a lead singer …. We thought he looked cool but there was a power struggle between him and Mick, and Mick being the younger, lost out. Eventually, after doing a showcase for Guy Stevens on June 2nd, Mick was ousted from the band. The band later became “Violent Luck”, which basically lived up to the name. London SS site
It’s here the London SS really starts as Tony James enters the picture (see Punk rock family tree by Pete Frame for the Christmas 1978 edition of Sounds). Kevin before joining what became Violent Luck also looked at other bands including one called Random Frog. The bassist was Tony James and described by Kelvin in Marcus Gray’s Clash book – The Last Gang In Town as “He had all these really long songs with long lyrics.” The same book has Geir, Brown and Brady all describing James as “… a denim and greatcoat clad fan of Blue Oyster Cult who changed his style overnight upon befriending Mick.” Not surprising really as he wrote/continues to write them out of history. Well sort of, because they weren’t the London SS.
In an interview on a Generation X compilation as late as 2010, James was saying he and Jones met at a Heavy Metal Kids gig and decided to form a band together. In The Last Gang In Town, Kelvin who is the denominator between Jones and James says he introduces them.
Regardless the search begins once again for like minded musicians.
James and Jones are regular visitors to Warrington Road in Maida Vale where Matt Dangerfield and Barry Jones share a flat with a small recording studio. Matt was almost in the Hollywood Brats and is playing in Violent Luck. Barry is looking for a band and is into the New York Dolls etc.
Barry Jones: I remember getting up in Mick’s Grannies tower block flat with Tony and we were going to form a band and that was the London SS and our consensus of opinion (and I can hear Mick to this day go) ‘Its gotta be rock’n’ roll right?’ That was the quantifier.
Why the name London SS? I don’t know. That had nothing to do with me with especially me being a black guy. I think it was that radical looking for something that was off the charts.
Barry joins but is dumped from the band and in time honoured fashion they place a musician’s wanted ad in the Melody Maker.
Wanted: Lead guitarist and drummer to join bass player and singer guitarist influenced by Stones, New York Dolls Mott The Hoople. Must have great rock ‘n’ roll image.
Their aim was a high energy band comprising the best of the New York Dolls, MC5 and the Stooges but image as well as musical ability was to be all important.
Tony James believes avidly that a rock’n’roll musician must possess an image that fits both the musician and the group he intends to join…And he recounts a tale of drummer auditioning for London SS who came all the way up from Brighton to London on the train with his kit only to be shooed away for not looking the part NME, 8.4.78
A New York Dolls fan from Manchester called Stephen Morrisey writes but is discounted due to the distance. Various people ring up including a young Patrick Fitzgerald who tries out for the band unsuccessfully.
Patrik Fitzgerald: I remember it was quite funny because they both looked quite hippyish. Mick Jones came over as quite aloof and a bit rock starish and I thought I’m obviously not the right person for them. I was little and quite tubby and certainly not rock starish looking at all. I couldn’t play slide guitar either, which is what I thought was what they wanted as they were advertising for people who liked the Stones. It was appalling. I’m sure they must have thought I was completely useless. I didn’t know they were heading to be honest and I don’t think they did either. There must have been a severe rethink to get to the Clash!!
Also trying out was Brian James, already in a band called Bastard, and who looked and sounded the part.
Tony James: The first guy to phone up was Brian James. He said ‘I’m a lead guitarist; I’m really into the Stooges – which fitted our plans perfectly! Then as soon as we saw him we said this is the guy because he had just the New York Doll image we wanted.
Brian however needed to sort out his affairs in Belgium and while waiting Jones & James put together a band with Matt Dangerfield on Guitar and Geir Wade on drums. Also there as kind of unofficial manager was Bernie Rhodes, Malcolm McLaren’s sidekick.
Matt Dangerfield: The early days of London SS was me, Mick Jones, Tony James and various drummers. In the time I was with them they were constantly looking for singer and we did have Bernie Rhodes. Not officially as manager but to all intents and purposes one.
Barry Jones: I remember Bernie hanging out in the pub and talking about street cred. He thought Mick and Tony didn’t have enough street cred. Mick was ok but he couldn’t play very well.
While looking for a singer they become aware of the Sex Pistols who were advertising for a second guitarist and who were asking for a similar music and image requirement. ‘Not older than 20. Not worse looking than Johnny Thunders.’
Matt Dangerfield does a couple of sessions but doesn’t join.
Matt Dangerfield: When I left the SS to join up with Cass and Andrew who were remnants of the Hollywood Brats Bernie came round to ask me to reconsider but I’d made my mind up. The Brats had already made an album and I thought the songs were great . I had a lot of respect for Andrew Matheson and Cass as songwriters.
When Matheson returned to Canada and didn’t come back, Honest John Plain a friend of Matt’s was drafted in. Originally calling themselves the Choirboys they shortened their name to The Boys.
With James back, the band set about more auditions. Between July and December 1975 the band advertised every week for a drummer and singer and they auditioned shed loads of people.
Terry Chimes answered the ad and was turned down but later ended up in the Clash not just once but twice at the beginning & the end.
Paul Simenon – tried out as singer and sang Roadrunner but was rejected through lack of stage presence. Ended up in the Clash
Nicky Headon passed but turned them down as he was already in a band with better prospects. Later ended up in the Clash
Roland Hot was the drummer for the longest
Tony James Roland Hot drummed for us most of the time – probably because he had a leather jacket – but he used to get pissed a little too often. Punk rock family tree by Pete Frame, Xmas 1978, Sounds.
Songs being played at the time were Protex Blue (later by the Clash), Portobello Reds (later by the Damned but called Fish) but then called, and covers of Slow Death (Flamin Groovies), Rambling Rose (MC5) and Night Time. A tape was made with Roland Hot drumming though this has never surfaced. Apparently they all agreed they would never release it. Really? Cmon on!
Rat Scabies auditioned and he was rejected as well. However Brian James had tired of endless auditioning.
Brian James I’d been in London SS for about 3 months and all we did was audition all these idiots who had no idea at all…and then Rat came along. Mick and Tony didn’t like him, but I did – and I decided to do something with Rat because I got on better with him. Rat knew Captain Sensible…so he came to play bass with us – and then a bit later we met Dave. So The Damned were born.
So by January 1976, 9 months after a zillion auditions, they had lost their guitarist and just fired their drummer Roland Hot and were back to a two piece. They decided to split.
Bernie Rhodes saw it differently
Bernie Rhodes: The London SS were 3 guys, Mick Jones, Tony James, and Brian James. I got them in a rehearsal room and watched them for two weeks, and I said “You can fuck off but Mick can stay”…at one time Rat Scabies was in too. The London SS was a load of bollocks. Negative Reaction, #5 Feb/March
From then on Rhodes and Jones acquired Strummer, Simenon and then Chimes to form the Clash, Tony James got a job before meeting Billy Idol and joining Chelsea before they split to form Generation X. Matt Dangerfield and Casino Steele became the Boys.
Kevin Blacklock would hang around the scene but do nothing of note except a brief cameo in the short lived White Cats formed by Rat Scabies in between splits of the Damned. Barry Jones becomes a partner with Andrew Czezowksi running the Roxy Club WC2 and will eventually find his place in The Idols with Jerry Nolan playing Heartbreakers style music and then the London Cowboys. Brady, Geir Wade and Brown disappear from musical history from this point.
So of all these various people who passed through the band it was arguably Mick Jones who made his dream happen along with Tony James and Brian James. They had that drive and skill, they coincided with the rise of the punk at exactly the right time but critically they found that elusive thing of band chemistry.
Jones and James would eventually work in Carbon Silicone round about 2010 for a while and in 2023 Generation Sex (James, Idol, Cook and Jones) have toured the UK.
In 2012 inexplicably Brady put together a new lineup, featuring himself along with Jimi McDonald, Taj Sagoo, Michael Kane, and Andi Emm playing songs that sounded like it was 1976 again. They played at Rebellion festival, released some records and are still going as of 2023.
TalkPunk
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