The Surprises

The Surprises recorded and released the single ‘Jeremy Thorpe Is Innocent (We Know Who Did It) in April 1979. The band were part of the vibrant Birmingham music scene of the late seventies that included; UB40, Dangerous Girls, The Privates, The Au Pairs, The Denizens, The Beat, and Dexys Midnight Runners.

The Surprises. by John Wormald (guitarist) 2005

The Surprises met in Moseley, Birmingham, all living within a stone’s throw of one another. I suppose it was inevitable that we all bumped into one another at various pubs and parties. A combination of being students/on the dole etc…we had the time and the attitude. We started playing just sitting around in the flat next door with band members of Dangerous Girls, and did quite few gigs on the Moseley scene. We did a few gigs, our first was supporting Dexies Midnight Runners, and we also played on the same bill as The Beat and UB40. It was inevitable that we would try and put out a record…

Conrad had written this song “Jeremy Thorpe Is Innocent”…(we never did get sued! ) which was an obvious choice to release. we added “flying saucer attack” as well. Back in those days other outfits were proving that it could be done, so we scraped together the money, booked a studio slot and a pressing plant, and that was it. little sir echo came to be recorded because I’m sure Conrad must have started singing it one day and it just came together straight off, we were all familiar with it and it was just so much fun to do. We had a decent live set, a lot of it written by Conrad, with a few classic covers and pastiches. I remember we used to do “Shakin’ All Over” (Johnny Kidd & the Pirates), “Polythene Pam” (The Beatles) and a version of “Tell Laura I love Her”, which we did as “Tell Nora I love Her”. Somewhere in the back of somebody’s cupboard there may be rough-mix cassette tapes with several of our numbers on it, but I’ve no idea where they may have got to.

John Peel…We just sent a copy of the record in, and he played it! When we heard that it was going to be played we were overjoyed…how cool was that, getting played on John Peel! (along with hundreds of other young hopefuls). The Surprises had a few reviews in the local press, but nothing in the big music papers.

Janice Connolly is very active on the comedy scene, having appeared on Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights, and as her alter ego “Mrs. Barbara Nice” (she’s got a website). Rob, the drummer on the record, is still active on the music scene I believe, collaborating with Boo Hewardine. John Nestor the bass player runs a greengrocer’s in Dorset (well, that’s what I’ve heard), and Conrad Schwartz, lead singer and guitarist is technical director of the Dominion Theatre in London. I’m still in Birmingham, running my own business.
I re-established contact with Conrad and Janice a year or so back…we went out for a drink together.

The ep was intended as a one-off effort, and we moved onto other bands. Janice and Conrad were in the Everreadys (and put out at least one single) and I played with The Hot Pencils, with Chris Ames, ex-guitarist with Dangerous Girls (now living in the South of France).

The ep goes for 40 quid and upwards on ebay? I think that’s great, although I’d be intrigued to know who’s buying them. It’s quite nice to know someone out there recognises something about what we did….or am I reading too much into it? I’ve got my copy framed and on the wall!

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Thanks to Joey Deacon

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