With The Stranglers Australian tour looming for early 2020 it is timely to look back on the legacy of the band that was carving a Punk Rock template in real time as it was happening.
The Stranglers first five albums were Top 5 albums in the UK. The first 10 were Top 20.
The first album ‘Rattus Norvegicus’ was produced by Martin Rushent who just a few years later would be the driving force at the desk behind The Human League’s ‘Dare’ album.
‘Rattus Norvegicus’ reached no 2 in the UK and delivered an unlikely hit in ‘Peaches’. ‘Peaches’ was co-written by Jean-Jacques Burnel, who still drives the band today.
The ‘No More Heroes’ album came next, just six months after the debut (because that kiddies is how real music used to be done).
Burnel also wrote the band’s next hit single ‘Something Better Change’, a no 9 hit in the UK.
Album three ‘Black and White’ was released in May 1978, just 13 months after the release of the first album. ‘Black and White’ reached no. 2 in the UK, off the back of the hit song ‘Nice ‘N Sleazy’ (credited to the whole band).
The Stranglers paced the next album out. ‘The Raven’ came 16 months after ‘Black and White’. It contained the no. 14 hit ‘Duchess’.
Album five ‘The Gospel According to the Meninblack’ was released in February 1981. This album reached no 8 in the UK and began to evolve the band from punk to the 80’s techno we would hear on the next albums that would solidify as The Stranglers sound of the 80s and set them up for 10 more Top 40 hits.
‘Thrown Away’ was the hit from ‘The Gospel According to the Meninblack’.
THE STRANGLERS AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2020
Wed 5 Feb – Astor Theatre, Perth
Fri 7 Feb – The Forum, Melbourne
Sat 8 Feb – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Sun 9 Feb – The Tivoli, Brisbane
Tue 11 Feb – The Gov, Adelaide
General public tickets on-sale NOW. For more info visit https://sbmpresents.com/tour/thestranglers/
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