12
Jean-Jacques Burnel
Years of playing and gigging, separately, and as a band, meant that The Stranglers were always more musically competent than their ramshackle, punkier counterparts. However, what they lacked in punk credentials (they knew more than three chords after all) they made up for in vitriol, aggression and sleazy swagger.
The group were formed in 1974 as The Guildford Stranglers, by the unlikely punk combination of ex-Science teacher Hugh Cornwell, history graduate Jean-Jacques Burnel and jazz drummer Jet Black. Augmented by keyboardist Dave Greenfield, they began gigging around the pub-rock circuit, playing a Doors-meets-Dr. Feelgood brand of retro rock. Late in 1976 the group were singed to United Artists and lumped in with the emerging punk/new wave scene. Their debut single, Get A Grip On Yourself saw the band at their sneering best, with Hugh Cornwell's trademark vocal growl, Burnel's ominious bass and Greenfield's churning organ pretty much laying the template for their sound. Controversial follow-up single Peaches, with its references to sun, oil, puny skin and beach babes, hit the UK Top 10 and brought the band into conflict with the nation's feminists and earned them a ban from the BBC. The surrounding controversy helped to propel their debut album, Stranglers IV - Rattus Norvegicus, into the UK Top 5 in 1977. While not a classic, the short, blistering attacks of the album's singles, Hanging Around and the vitriolic Something Better Change ensured that the album was a decent chunk of art-punk.
With their fanbase firmly established the band further enhanced their reputation with a series of vicious singles including the vaguely political Something Better Change and perhaps their finest hour, No More Heroes. Both singles reached the UK Top 10 in 1977. The album, No More Heroes, narrowly missed out on a No.1 spot but a live gig that year, Bring On The Nubiles, at Battersea Park which featured strippers, caused further outrage among feminists and the band were tarred as sexist yobs.
Further singles, 5 Minutes and Nice 'N' Sleazy, released in 1978, both entered the UK Top 20 and featured on the album, Black And White. 1979 hit single Duchess, with its baroque overtones, taken from the album The Raven indicated a slight change of direction, That year also saw the release of solo albums from both JJ Burnel (Euroman Cometh) and Hugh Cornwell (Nosferatu). Neither album made much of a dent on the charts but much worse was to come for Cornwell when, on the 7th January, 1980, the singer was found guilty of drug possession and sentenced to three months in prison. Later that year the whole band were accused by authorities of inciting a riot in the South of France and threatened with serious jail terms.
Their commercial health wasn't much better with the release of 1981 album, The Men In Black, a misplaced concept album about alien undercover agents. However, the band's fortunes were reversed later that year with the release of harpsichord-laden hit single, Golden Brown. The song reached No.2 on the UK charts. Even at the time of their biggest hit, the group was accused of promoting heroin use on the song. The singles European Female and the sentimental Strange Little Girl gave the band further hits, their Euro-pop synth stylings giving a clue to the resulting album, La Folie.
The band continued to flirt with synth-based Euro pop as the '80s wore on. Albums such as 1983's Feline and follow up Aural Sculpture (1984) were synth heavy, electro-tinged affairs. However the band's hardcore fanbase was dwindling. Their 1986 album, Dreamtime, inspired by Aboriginal culture, only served to enhance their outsider image. Just as the band were in danger of becoming forgotten cults they were propelled back into the charts with a cover of The Kinks' All Day And All Of The Night in 1987 - their first Top 10 hit for five years. The resulting album, the lacklustre 10, was written more with the US market in mind but failed to sell, prompting Hugh Cornwell to leave the band. The rest of the band decided to carry on, recruiting frontman John Ellis to replace him and guitarist Paul Roberts. Subsequent album, 1992's Stranglers In The Night was a vague return to form but still failed to recapture former glories. A second set with the band's new line-up, About Time, was released in 1995 and featured strong performances but let itself down with the songwriting. Another album, Written In Red, released in 1997, was a better effort while 1998's Coup De Grace failed to set the airwaves alight. Undeterred, the band continued and in 2000 they replaced Ellis with Baz Warne and against the odds, landed a new major label contract for the release of 2004's Norfolk Coast album. Jean Jacques Burnel, summing up the band%u2019s resurgence, said: "It was no small feat for a bunch of old geezers like us."
The group were formed in 1974 as The Guildford Stranglers, by the unlikely punk combination of ex-Science teacher Hugh Cornwell, history graduate Jean-Jacques Burnel and jazz drummer Jet Black. Augmented by keyboardist Dave Greenfield, they began gigging around the pub-rock circuit, playing a Doors-meets-Dr. Feelgood brand of retro rock. Late in 1976 the group were singed to United Artists and lumped in with the emerging punk/new wave scene. Their debut single, Get A Grip On Yourself saw the band at their sneering best, with Hugh Cornwell's trademark vocal growl, Burnel's ominious bass and Greenfield's churning organ pretty much laying the template for their sound. Controversial follow-up single Peaches, with its references to sun, oil, puny skin and beach babes, hit the UK Top 10 and brought the band into conflict with the nation's feminists and earned them a ban from the BBC. The surrounding controversy helped to propel their debut album, Stranglers IV - Rattus Norvegicus, into the UK Top 5 in 1977. While not a classic, the short, blistering attacks of the album's singles, Hanging Around and the vitriolic Something Better Change ensured that the album was a decent chunk of art-punk.
With their fanbase firmly established the band further enhanced their reputation with a series of vicious singles including the vaguely political Something Better Change and perhaps their finest hour, No More Heroes. Both singles reached the UK Top 10 in 1977. The album, No More Heroes, narrowly missed out on a No.1 spot but a live gig that year, Bring On The Nubiles, at Battersea Park which featured strippers, caused further outrage among feminists and the band were tarred as sexist yobs.
Further singles, 5 Minutes and Nice 'N' Sleazy, released in 1978, both entered the UK Top 20 and featured on the album, Black And White. 1979 hit single Duchess, with its baroque overtones, taken from the album The Raven indicated a slight change of direction, That year also saw the release of solo albums from both JJ Burnel (Euroman Cometh) and Hugh Cornwell (Nosferatu). Neither album made much of a dent on the charts but much worse was to come for Cornwell when, on the 7th January, 1980, the singer was found guilty of drug possession and sentenced to three months in prison. Later that year the whole band were accused by authorities of inciting a riot in the South of France and threatened with serious jail terms.
Their commercial health wasn't much better with the release of 1981 album, The Men In Black, a misplaced concept album about alien undercover agents. However, the band's fortunes were reversed later that year with the release of harpsichord-laden hit single, Golden Brown. The song reached No.2 on the UK charts. Even at the time of their biggest hit, the group was accused of promoting heroin use on the song. The singles European Female and the sentimental Strange Little Girl gave the band further hits, their Euro-pop synth stylings giving a clue to the resulting album, La Folie.
The band continued to flirt with synth-based Euro pop as the '80s wore on. Albums such as 1983's Feline and follow up Aural Sculpture (1984) were synth heavy, electro-tinged affairs. However the band's hardcore fanbase was dwindling. Their 1986 album, Dreamtime, inspired by Aboriginal culture, only served to enhance their outsider image. Just as the band were in danger of becoming forgotten cults they were propelled back into the charts with a cover of The Kinks' All Day And All Of The Night in 1987 - their first Top 10 hit for five years. The resulting album, the lacklustre 10, was written more with the US market in mind but failed to sell, prompting Hugh Cornwell to leave the band. The rest of the band decided to carry on, recruiting frontman John Ellis to replace him and guitarist Paul Roberts. Subsequent album, 1992's Stranglers In The Night was a vague return to form but still failed to recapture former glories. A second set with the band's new line-up, About Time, was released in 1995 and featured strong performances but let itself down with the songwriting. Another album, Written In Red, released in 1997, was a better effort while 1998's Coup De Grace failed to set the airwaves alight. Undeterred, the band continued and in 2000 they replaced Ellis with Baz Warne and against the odds, landed a new major label contract for the release of 2004's Norfolk Coast album. Jean Jacques Burnel, summing up the band%u2019s resurgence, said: "It was no small feat for a bunch of old geezers like us."
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Steve Goudie