Year : 1988-1992 (The Lost UK Jewels Collectors Series Vol.31 2025)
Style : Glam Hard Rock , AOR
Country : United Kingdom
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 126 mb
Bio:
CITY KIDDS were formed in the South Wales area during mid-‘80s and they have been a big part of the UK Glam Rock scene in the late ‘80s – early ‘90s, along with the likes of Tigertailz and Wrathchild.They recorded a bunch of demo-tapes and a two-song single CD and played countless shows, both as opening-act and as a headliner band.This will be the very first official release for CITY KIDDS (the two collection-CDs that have been previously released are totally UNAUTHORIZED by the band).The album will be called “South Glam Roxx” and it will contain 12 tracks taken off all band’s masters (two of the songs are unreleased and never been heard by anyone before).It will be available in de-luxe CD format (with the usual 16 pages booklet, featuring tons of unseen pics, memorabilia and the story of the band) and also in vinyl format (black and coloured).All profits from the band will go to “Cancer Research UK” in memory of Mark T, Pepsi T and Sian C.
Album:
"South Glam Roxx" contains the complete works of the band from Cardiff in South Glamorgan, Wales which was active from 1987 to 1994 but never put out a full album, though. Nice glam rock which does not have to hide from the American bands of that time. Tracks like "Broken Glass Stare", "Street Tease" or "Out For The Count" for instance explain why the CITY KIDDS tapes are still sought-after collectibles.For some of the old-time glammies out there, especially those from the boulevard of broken eyeliner pencils and lipsticks – the arrival of this CD is a welcome time machine to when Bogiez ruled the rock scene of Cardiff and in general South Wales.Lovingly put together by the Kidds’ bass player extraordinaire Stevie C. Bright – ‘South Glam Roxx’ is the long-awaited official release of the various recordings, as part of ‘The Lost UK Jewels’ collectors series. The songs here feature a plethora of South Wales’ finest rockers! These include Jamie Kall, Josie St John, Kane, Kelly Valentine, Kerry Wild, Stevie ‘C’ Bright, Steve Marie, Johnny Evermore, Mick Vallace, TigerTailz drummer Matt Blakout and Ian Danter. As you can see there was something of a revolving door on the band’s line-up over the years.Whilst the band are forever etched as the quintessential – should have been bigger or even came out at the wrong time – band. What this release finally achieves is that the potential of the City Kidds outweighs any doubt that this band actually had the songs to back up the outrageous image.Many of the recordings here have been available on various unofficial bootlegs – it is great to finally have them all in one place and given the aural updating that truly highlights the magic of those original recordings, which were made in the late ‘80s and early ‘90. So to have them sound this great after over 30 years is truly remarkable and a testament to the music and songwriting.Anyway, let’s get down to the music, as that is the reason we’re all here for. Starting the CD is the two tracks that made up their only other official CD release, and that’s the bubblegum pop whammy of ‘Generation Love’ and ‘Tonight’. I remember actually buying this CD single back in 1992 from Eccentrix in Cardiff, where it used to be advertised by the door alongside the shop’s usual merchandise of PVC and leather chaps. Also, I am a sucker for an over-the-top glam cover and this delivered on all accounts. So hearing this again after all these years was a pure nostalgia trip down the glam memory lane. Of the two songs, Generation Love has fared better, but they both are fantastic in their own right.After that kick-ass start, we go back to the band’s 1989 ‘Dressed To Kill’ demo and the demo’s title track and ‘Street Tease’. Which, back in the day, was hailed by the late Kelv Hellrazer as something really special. Kelv is also singled out guitarist Kelly Valentine – a possible new glam guitar god. Much praise from the glam pioneer.Following on from there is the three songs that made up the Atomic demo from 1990. These songs – ‘Out For The Count’, Hit ‘N’ Run’ and ‘Atomic’, continue where the previous demo left off. Featuring new singer Josh Kane the demo took the promise of the first one and raised the bar again.The next batch of songs were recorded at the famous Rockfield Studios in 1992 and again show a new maturity in the songwriting amongst ‘Broken Glass Stare’, Nowhere’ and ‘Perfect 10’. It’s these songs that show how much promise the band were in control of and also highlight just how unfair the music business really is. For if these songs were released only a couple of years earlier, who knows where the Kidds or as they later became, Sons of God would be right now.The last three bonus tracks are for me the hidden gems – with the band winning a Red Dragon FM Battle of the Bands contest back in 1988, the songs that were played are now released for the very first time – namely ‘Edge of the Night’ and ‘Lost Without your Love’. Both are clearly of their time and show a band in their infancy, but the potential was always there to be heard.So basically, if you love the late ‘80s glam scene and the likes of Poison, TigerTailz, Tuff etc you need this in your collection. Be quick, though as there are only 500 copies being made. Not only that, in buying the CD you will be helping to raise money for Cancer Research UK and comes complete with liner notes by Rob Evans and Stevie ‘C’ Bright as well.
Line Up:
Jamie Kall - Lead Vocals
Josie St. John - Lead Vocals
Kane - Lead Vocals
Kelly Valentine - Guitar
Kerry Wild - Guitar
Stevie “C” Bright - Bass
Steve Marie - Bass
Johnny Evermore - Bass
Tony Bollard - Keyboards
Mick Vallace - Drums
Matt Blakout - Drums
Ian Danter - Drums
Tracklist:
Single - Broken Glass Records - 1991
01. Generation Love
02. Tonight
Dressed To Kill Demo - Cassette - 1989
03. Dressed To Kill
04. Street Tease
Atomic Demo - Cassette - 1990
05. Out For The Count
06. Hit’N’Run
07. Atomic
Rockfield Studios - 1992
08. Broken Glass Stare
09. Nowhere
10. Perfect 10
Bonus Tracks:
11. Edge Of The Night
12. Lost Without Your Love (Live at Red Dragon FM Studios - 1988)
13. Row, Row, Row Your Boat
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