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"Damn Those Eyes" Digital Single

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 14:11:54 GMT

THE BOYS released their new Digital single “ Damn Those Eyes ” on Friday 9th January 2026.

It is the first single to be taken from The Boys sixth studio album , due for release in the fall of 2026.

The album, as yet untitled, will be the band’s first new album since their critically acclaimed “Punk Rock Menopause” in 2014, and only their second studio album since 1981.

THE BOYS "Singles Collection" 1977-2025

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 09:12:12 GMT

Cherry Red are to release THE BOYS " Singles Collection " on 23 January 2026 .

The 2CD Digipak features the 'A' & 'B' sides of every physical (7" vinyl /CD) Single releases from both The Boys & The Yobs from 1977 to 2025.

The release includes a 20 page booklet with detailed linear notes and pictures of all the relevant sleeves.

You can pre-order the collection from Cherry Red
click here

THE YOBS "Xmas II"

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 09:45:29 GMT

The long deleted “ Xmas II ” album by THE YOBS will be available for the first time in almost 35 years when it is given a Special Limited Edition coloured vinyl release by Last Exit Music .

The album, which is to be released on 14 November, will be available in Red Vinyl with white snowflakes (limited to just 100 copies) as well as White Vinyl with blue & red marbling (limited to 400 copies).

The albums will include a full lyric sheet as well as notes from Matt Dangerfield.

To pre-order the album click here

UK pre-order (white vinyl only) click here

Honest John Plain RIP

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 11:02:02 GMT

Honest John Plain 1952 - 2025

Honest John Plain passed away peacefully on the afternoon of Friday 13 June 2025 after a long illness and we are all devastated.

John was an outstanding musician, songwriter and singer. John’s world-class rhythm guitar was the backbone of The Boys sound. He will be greatly missed by all.

Our thoughts and prayers at this sad time are with John’s son Joe, along with all his family, friends and many fans.

"Unplugged" Single Release For "Weekend"

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 10:20:20 GMT

Weekend / I'm A Believer Unplugged

The Boys release a new Limited Edition vinyl "unplugged" single on 27 December.
Pre-orders will be shipped three weeks ahead of the official release.
UK Orders click here
Germany & Rest of The World click here

The "A" side is the unplugged version of "Weekend" from the Top 50 German album "Power Cut" and features Campino from Mega German band Die Toten Hosen:
Campino - lead vovals
Matt Dangerfield - guitar/backing vocals
Casino Steel - piano/backing vocals
Honest John Plain - guitar/backing vocals
Duncan Reid - bass
Mark Harrison - drums

The "B" side is a new and previously unreleased unplugged version of "I'm A Believer" recorded in Sweden, May 2024:
Matt Dangerfield - guitar/vocals
Casino Steel - keyboards/vocals
Chips Kiesbye - guitar/vocals
Kent Norberg - bass/vocals
Martin H-Son - drums

Final Release For "Power Cut"

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 11:42:16 GMT

The Boys & Campino "Power Cut"

The Boys acoustic album “Power Cut” is being given a final Special Limited Edition Yellow & Black Marbled vinyl version of the album on 3 May 2024.

The album can be pre-ordered between 29 January & 3 March.

To order click here

No further copies of the album will be able to be ordered after 3 March.

The album, originally released in 1996, features four original members of The Boys – Matt Dangerfield , Casino Steel , Duncan ‘Kid’ Reid & Honest John Plain - along with with ex Berne Torme drummer Mark Harrison and Die Toten Hosen frontman/singer Campino .

The album includes sleeve notes from Campino & Matt Dangerfield along with full lyrics and several never before seen photos from the recording sessions.

First Ever Vinyl Release For "Power Cut"

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 14:30:12 GMT

The Boys & Campino "Power Cut"

Last Exit Music have released The Boys acoustic album “Power Cut” on vinyl on Friday 22nd September 2023.

It is the first time the album has been released on vinyl and is available on three different limited edition vinyl’s – White , Gold and Red & Black Splattered vinyl.
All three vinyl formats sold out through advance orders.

The album, originally released in 1996, features four original members of The Boys – Matt Dangerfield , Casino Steel , Duncan ‘Kid’ Reid & Honest John Plain - along with with ex Berne Torme drummer Mark Harrison and Die Toten Hosen frontman/singer Campino .

The album includes sleeve notes from Campino & Matt Dangerfield along with full lyrics and several never before seen photos from the recording sessions.

Three New 7" Singles

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 08:24:26 GMT

Organ Grinder c/w Punk Rock Girl

A brand new 2023 version of “Organ Grinder” was released on 25 August 2023 as a Digital Single.

Please vote for Organ Grinder (No.28) on the Heritage Chart click here

Please vote for Organ Grinder (Under “T” for The Boys) on the Legacy Charts click here

Listen on Spotify click here

Finnish Record label Woimasointu will also release it today as a double "A" side 7 inch vinyl single. The vinyl single will come in three different versions including two Special Limited Editions.

Version One: "ORGAN GRINDER" c/w "Punk Rock Girl” & “Punk Rock Girl (live version).
Luminous Violet vinyl individually numbered 1-125.

Version Two: "PUNK ROCK GIRL"

c/w "Organ Grinder" & “Punk Rock Girl” (live version)
Red vinyl individually numbered 1-130.

Version Three: "ORGAN GRINDER" c/w "Punk Rock Girl” & “Punk Rock Girl (live version).
Regular black vinyl issue.

Copies can be ordered by emailing info@woimasointu.com

"Odds & Sods" Limited Edition Red Vinyl

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 17:25:13 GMT

VORAUS RECORDS released The Boys "ODDS & SODS" LP on 27 March 2023 on Limited Edition Red Vinyl along with a regular Black vinyl version.

The album features an eight page booklet with rare photos,full lyric sheet, updated sleevenotes from Matt Dangerfield and two previously unreleased Boys demos:

1. "You Better Move On" - The Boys first demo recording of their 1980 single (1980)

2. "Love Song" - Recorded by The Boys in November 1978. Written by Casino Steel & Matt Dangerfield in attempt to make the Eurovision Song Contest.

The release also includes an additional 1978 Capital Radio Ad (not used on the original release) for "Alternative Chartbusters". Recorded by Matt Dangerfield, Honest John Plain & Jack Black.

Copies can be bought from Voraus Records.

To buy click here

New Single & Album From THE YOBS

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 10:41:24 GMT

The Yobs release a new Limited Edition Snow White Vinyl album “The Worst Of The Yobs” on 30 November on German label Matus Records.

Featuring new sleevenotes from Matt Dangerfield and for the very first time on any Yobs record a full lyric sheet.

To pre-order copies click here

To promote the album The Yobs released a digital only single "Rub A Dum Dum" on 18 Novem ber

“To Hell With The Boys – Original Mix” First Vinyl Release

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 09:26:31 GMT

To Hell With The Boys - Original Mix

“To Hell With The Boys – Original Mix” has been given a first ever vinyl release by Mad Butcher Records .

The album features sleevenotes from Matt Dangerfield along with never before seen photos taken at the 1979 recording sessions at Nidaros Studios and full lyric sheet.

To Buy black vinyl click here

New Vinyl Single From THE BOYS

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 12:29:38 GMT

Three New 7" Vinyl Singles From THE BOYS - Buy Here

Following on from the success of last year’s "I'm A Believer" CD single, which reached the Top 10 of the UK Heritage Chart, Finnish label Woimasointu will release a new double "A" side 7 inch vinyl single from The Boys on Friday 8 July 2022. The single will come in three different versions including two Special Limited Editions.

Version One: "SHE'S THE REASON" c/w "(There Ain't No) Just One Beer" & "I'm A Believer".
Green vinyl with free Boys sew on patch and new picture sleeve, individually numbered 1-100.

Please VOTE for "SHE'S THE REASON" at No. 5 in the UK Heritage Chart: VOTE HERE

Version Two: "I'M A BELIEVER" c/w "She's The Reason" & "(There Ain't No) Just One Beer”.

Blue vinyl individually numbered 1-100.

Version Three: "I'M A BELIEVER" c/w "She's The Reason" & "(There Ain't No) Just One Beer”.

Regular black vinyl issue.

Black vinyl copies available from The Boys. BUY HERE

To promote "She's The Reason" a new promo video of the single has been recorded, featuring The Boys legendary rhythm guitarist/vocalist Honest John Plain. The video is due to be released on 18 July.

New Boys Albums & Single

PH318754 — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 07:21:58 GMT

"THWTB", "Boys Only" & "Weekend"

Radiation Records released Special Limited Edition copies of The Boys "To Hell With The Boys" (Red vinyl) & “Boys Only” (Orange vinyl) for Record Store Day on 23 April. Both albums also come with gatefold sleeves and were remastered directly from the original Safari Masters (as used by the recent Safari CD Box Set release)

The albums are now also available to buy online from The Boys Website: click here

To help promote the two albums Cherry Red have organised a remastered digital release for The Boys 1980 single “Weekend” c/w "Cool" on Friday 29 April: click here

Stream the single click here

New Single From The Boys

Thu, 12 Aug 2021 15:00:48 GMT

The Boys released their new three-track EP/Single “I’m A Believer” on 3 September 2021. It is available as a Special Limited Edition Digipak CD. The CD release also includes a four-page booklet and is limited to 100 numbered copies, which on the announcement of the release, immediately sold out through advance sales.

It is available on all digital and streaming platforms.

The EP/Single release comprises:

1. I’m A Believer – New 2021 Single Version

(Steel/Dangerfield/Plain)

2. She’s The Reason – From the album “Punk Rock Menopause”

(Steel/Dangerfield/Plain)

3. (There Ain’t No) Just One Beer – Previously Unreleased

(Steel/Dangerfield/Plain)

“Punk Rock Menopause”, The Boys first studio album for 33 years was re-released in 2020 and featured the original founder members and creative core of Matt Dangerfield, Casino Steel and Honest John Plain. The album is packed with 13 iconic songs bearing the band’s classic trademark blistering guitars, hard-edged melodies, killer hooks and layered harmonies.

Listen on Spotify Click Here

Download on i-tunes Click Here

“Terminal Love” vinyl-only album

Fri, 21 May 2021 10:31:14 GMT

(Updated 30 May)...

THE BOYS limited edition “Terminal Love” vinyl only album went on sale on 29 May at 8pm (UK time) and the seven Limited Edition numbered alternate covers all sold out within minutes.

There are a few copies of the regular coke bottle clear vinyl edition remaining. To buy click here

The album comprises rare demos and alternate mixes alongside acoustic & live recordings from the period 1978-2015 and bears the band's classic trademark blistering guitars, hard-edged melodies, killer hooks and layered harmonies.

To watch the video for promo single "See Ya Later" click here

Full track listing:

Side One
1. See Ya Later (Steel/Dangerfield)
2. Terminal Love (Plain)
3. You Can Give It (Walker)
4. I Love Me (Steel/Dangerfield)
5. Rue Morgue (Dangerfield)
6. Walk My Dog (Dangerfield)

Side Two
1. Punk Rock Girl (Steel/Dangerfield/Plain)
2. Waiting For The Lady (Penfold/Reid)
3. Brickfield Nights (Steel/Dangerfield)
4. Jimmy Brown (Steel)
5. Flies (Plain)
6. TCP (Plain)

Re-Release for "I Don't Care" Single

PH318754 — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 12:14:38 GMT

Mad Butcher Records re-released The Boys debut single "I Don't Care" c/w "Soda Pressing" on 21 February 2021. Strictly limited to 500 copies the single is available in regular black vinyl & yellow vinyl at only 6€ per single.

You can order a copy here

Mad Butcher Records are also considering 7" vinyl re-releases for "First Time", "Brickfield Nights", Run Rudolph Run" & "Silent Night"

The Boys debut single was recorded on 3 February 1977. At the point, The Boys were were the only UK punk band with an album deal, having signed with NEMS records a few weeks prior on 16 January (The Damned had only a singles deal and the Sex Pistols had been sacked by EMI).

The Boys were considering which of the following new STEEL/DANGERFIELD songs to record for the single:
TONIGHT
I DON'T CARE
SODA PRESSING
KISS LIKE A NUN
NO MONEY

Nems booked a session for the band at Point Studios in Ecclestone Street, and looked towards experienced producer Alan O'Duffy, who had worked with Casino’s previous band The Hollywood Brats, to produce the band's first single. Before the session it was agreed that the A-side of the single would be "I Don't Care" with “Soda Pressing” as the B-side. "Kiss LIke A Nun" was also recorded at the same session.

On the Thursday morning The Boys arrived at Point Studios and laid down "I Don't Care" and "Soda Pressing". As Matt Dangerfield recalls: “I remember being surprised when I saw the studio because the mixing desk was in the same big room as our amps and drums and there was no sound separation at all. There were also piles of boxes and furniture all around the same room so it was like recording in the middle of a storage warehouse. I think the studio was probably in the middle of being renovated and it occurred to me that we were recording there because NEMS had got a cut-price rate because of that. Nevertheless, the equipment was all working fine and O’Duffy was great to work with and he quickly got a good sound. By late afternoon we’d recorded, overdubbed and mixed both tracks”.

NEMS had intended that The Boys debut single 'I Don't Care' c/w 'Soda Pressing' would be rushed out on NEMS on 14 February 1977. However, although the single was mastered for pressing on 9 February, the release date was put back to 12 April. On its release the single was sold out at Virgin within three hours!

"The Boys on Safari" Box Set to be Released

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 11:24:02 GMT

Captain Oi will release a 5 CD Clamshell “The Boys on Safari” Box Set on 25 September 2020.

To buy click here

Disc 1 - "To Hell With The Boys"

Disc 2 - "Boys Only"

Disc 3 - "Rarities"

Disc 4 - "The Yobs Christmas Album"

Disc 5 - "1980 BBC In Concert"

The release will include a 28-page booklet featuring track notes and observations by singer/guitarist Matt Dangerfield . The package also includes eight never previously released Boys demos.

Both "To Hell With The Boys" and "Boys Only" have been remastered directly from the original Safari master tapes so sound far superior to any previous CD releases of the albums.

Full Track Listings:

DISC ONE - TO HELL WITH THE BOYS

1. SABRE DANCE (Trad Arr The Boys)

2. RUE MORGUE (Dangerfield)

3. TERMINAL LOVE (Plain)

4. SEE YA LATER (Steel/Dangerfield)

5. YOU CAN’T HURT A MEMORY (Steel/Dangerfield)

6. KAMIKAZE (Plain)

7. LONELY COWBOY (Dangerfield)

8. WAITING FOR THE LADY (Penfold/Reid)

9. BAD DAY (Steel/Dangerfield)

10. INDEPENDENT GIRL (Steel/Dangerfield)

DISC TWO - BOYS ONLY

1. WEEKEND (Dangerfield)

2. WRONG ARM OF THE LAW (Dangerfield)

3. POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL (Plain/Black)

4. MONOTONY (Plain)

5. NOTHING VENTURED (Dangerfield)

6. WONDERFUL WORLD (Campbell/Adler/Albert)

7. SCRUBBER (Plain)

8. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED (Black)

9. GABRIELLE (Dangerfield)

10. MISS YOU (Plain/Black)

11. LITTLE WHITE LIFELINE (Dangerfield)

12. LET IT RAIN (Steel/Dangerfield)

DISC THREE - RARITIES

1. SCHOOLGIRLS (Steel/Dangerfield/Plain)

2. JAP JUNK [1979 Demo] (Plain)

3. SEE YOU LATER [1978 Demo] (Steel/Dangerfield)

4. CRY TOMORROW [1979 Demo] (Plain)

5. LOVE IN PAIN [1979 Demo] (Steel/Dangerfield)

6. SCHOOLDAYS [1979 Demo] (Steel/Dangerfield)

7. YOU CAN GIVE IT [1979 Demo] (Walker)

8. TERMINAL LOVE [Original Mix] (Plain)

9. RUE MORGUE [Original Mix] (Dangerfield)

10. KAMIKAZE [Single version] (Plain)

11. TERMINAL LOVE [Single version] (Plain)

12. I LOVE ME [Single version] (Steel/Dangerfield)

13. YOU BETTER MOVE ON (Alexander)

14. WALK MY DOG (Dangerfield)

15. JIMMY BROWN (Steel)

16. LITTLE RUNAROUND [1980 Demo] ( Dangerfield)

17. WEEKEND [1980 Demo] (Dangerfield)

18. LET IT RAIN [1980 Demo] (Steel/Dangerfield)

19. NOTHING VENTURED [1980 Demo] (Dangerfield)

20. WRONG ARM OF THE LAW [1980 Demo] (Dangerfield)

21. COOL (Dangerfield)

22. LUCY (Steel/Dangerfield)

DISC FOUR - THE YOBS CHRISTMAS ALBUM

1. RUB A DUM DUM (Davis)

2. THE BALLAD OF THE WARRINGTON (Dangerfield/Plain)

3. ANOTHER CHRISTMAS (Dangerfield)

4. DOGGY (Merrill)

5. JINGLE BELLS (Trad Arr The Yobs)

6. AULD LANG SYNE (Trad Arr The Yobs)

7. SILENT NIGHT (Trad Arr The Yobs)

8. SILVER BELLS (Livingston/Evans)

9. C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S (Trad Arr The Yobs)

10. GLORIA (Trad Arr The Yobs)

11. TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS (Trad Arr The Yobs)

12. WHITE CHRISTMAS (Berlin)

13. WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS ( Trad Arr The Yobs)

14. MAY THE GOOD LORD BLESS & KEEP YOU (Wilson)

BONUS TRACKS :

15. RUB A DUM DUM [Single version] (Davis)

16. ANOTHER CHRISTMAS [Single version] (Dangerfield)

17. YOBS ON 45 (Trad Arr The Yobs)

DISC FIVE - BBC IN CONCERT 1980

1. FIRST TIME (Plain)

2. RUE MORGUE (Dangerfield)

3. YOU BETTER MOVE ON (Alexander)

4. KAMIKAZE (Plain)

5. COP CARS (Steel/Dangerfield)

6. NEW GUITAR IN TOWN (Plain/Stride)

7. BRICKFIELD NIGHTS (Steel/Dangerfield)

8. WORM SONG (Trad Arr The Boys)

9. TERMINAL LOVE (Plain)

10. LIVIN’ IN THE CITY ( Steel/Dangerfield)

Steel/Dangerfield interviewed on Phoenix FM

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 13:43:18 GMT

Matt Dangerfield & Casino Steel joined Steve Green for his Blank Generation show on Phoenix FM for an in-depth talk on all things Boys on Saturday 11 July 2020.

The programme, entitled The Boys NEMS Years,
covered the period from the birth of The Boys until the end of their departure from NEMS in 1978. A further programme, entitled The Boys Safari Years , covering the years 1979-81, will be broadcast later in the year.

Steve Green says, "I was thrilled to get the opportunity to add Matt Dangerfield and Casino Steel from The Boys to my portfolio of guests and speak to them live from Berlin and Oslo respectively. I was able via video to spend an afternoon with the Lennon and McCartney of punk rock, who together wrote the bulk of The Boys back catalogue. Cas and Matt were an absolute pleasure to interview and once again I was in awe hearing those punk rock pre ground zero stories in a must-listen-to account of how it all began from two major players in the movement. I wonder if The Boys could have been massive with just a little bit of luck or even just a little bit less bad luck. The 38 tracks played are a rundown in chronological order of their NEMS Records years which consisted of two classic albums, three incredible singles and a couple of alter ego offerings at Christmas under the name of The Yobs."

Listen to the show via Phoenix FM here

"Punk Rock Menopause gets Limited 100 Edition Vinyl Re-release

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 06:09:44 GMT

To celebrate the 6th anniversary of The Boys critically acclaimed album "Punk Rock Menopause” as well as album track "I'm A Believer" passing a quarter of a million plays on Spotify, Action Records will release a Special Limited Edition yellow & black marbled vinyl copy on 20 June 2020. The release is strictly limited to 100 individually numbered copies. This Limited Edition will also come with a free digital download of the whole album.

Action Records will also release “Punk Rock Menopause” on regular black vinyl, the original black vinyl release having been unavailable for four years.

On it's release "Punk Rock Menopause" became The Boys first new studio album for 33 years and featured original founder members and creative core of Matt Dangerfield, Casino Steel and Honest John Plain. The album is packed with 13 iconic songs bearing the band’s classic trademark blistering guitars, hard-edged melodies, killer hooks and layered harmonies.

REVIEWS:

• "An absolute belter" - Uber Rock

• "If you love music, give this album a home. This Menopause is red hot!" – Rice Cooker

• "Matt Dangerfield, Casino Steel, and Honest John Plain, the writing nucleus of arguably the greatest punk-pop-power-pop band of all time, are back!" – Audio Ammunition

• "Comeback Album of the Year!" – Soundtrack 4 Life

• "Album title of the year" – Classic Rock

• "Ringing guitars, booming drums & bass, punk swagger and grit, mixed with pure pop melodies, vocal harmonies and most importantly great songs - A scorcher!" – Nippertown

• "Power chord riffs, harmonies and titanic choruses were always this outfit's stock in trade and they're not about to skimp on them now" – Vive Le Rock

• "It's absolutely great, everything you'd expect from The Boys" – Bucket List

• "With the opening chords of '1976' you recognise that distinctive guitar sound and when the vocals start, it takes you right back to the glory days of 1978. One catchy song after another, full of simple effective melodies, lovely harmony vocals, great chugging guitar and winning vocals" - Punky Gibbon

• "The Boys are indeed back in town, and it sounds better than ever" – New Noise Magazine

Copies can be ordered from our store or from Action Records

It Was Forty Years Ago Today...

websitebuilder-hub@names.co.uk — Fri, 22 May 2020 21:30:36 GMT

May 22 2020:

Forty Years ago today The Boys appeared on German TV Show Musikladen . Matt Dangerfield shares his memories:

"When we got the offer to go on Musikladen we were on tour in France so the only way to fit it in between French dates was to hire an eight-seater private plane that could fly us quickly between smaller local airports, which was great fun.

"I remember halfway through our flight to Germany our pilot said 'Oh, by the way, if anyone needs to have a pee there's a special tube at the back for that'. This was a sort of funnel affair that you could piss into that sucked it in and emptied it out into the plane's slipstream.

"Unfortunately, by that time Honest John, having seen that there was clearly no toilet on board, had already filled two very large beer bottles that were then duly emptied. So maybe someone in Belgium enjoyed a freak golden shower on an otherwise clear and sunny day.

"When we got to Bremen, where the show was recorded, we were met by a chap from CBS. As we weren't needed at the TV studios till the following day the CBS guy took us to a bar. After a few rounds of “eight beers and 16 schnapps bitte” he could see what was coming so he left his credit card behind the bar and disappeared.

A few hours later, the barman said “can you do something about your friend outside?" Puzzled, I went outside to find Honest John lying spreadeagled on the pavement and blocking the entrance to the bar. So that’s why we had the bar to ourselves! Also It was a narrow, old town type pavement and quite busy by now, so people were having to walk in the road to get by.

"We managed to get him into the front seat of a taxi where he immediately flopped over onto the lady taxi driver’s lap. “He’s drunk!” she exclaimed. “No, he’s just got a bit of a cold”, we said. After a large tip and we’d seat-belted him in upright, she agreed to deliver him safely to the hotel.

"We were told later that they’d got him into the hotel on a luggage trolley."

Long-lost French TV Appearance Unearthed

websitebuilder-hub@names.co.uk — Thu, 21 May 2020 11:59:49 GMT

May 6 2020:

Forty-two years after it was broadcast on June 11 1978, rare footage of The Boys performing “Brickfield Nights” on French TV programme Blue Jean 78 has turned up online.

The Boys’ singer/guitarist Matt Dangerfield recalls: ”The show was recorded just before we went on a tour of France. It was a kind of French version of the UK’s Top of the Pops where we had to do three runs through our song miming for the cameras while they got their camera angles and herded the audience around.

“The only other artists on the programme that we knew of were Talking Heads doing “Psycho Killer” and Serge Gainsbourg doing a song called “Sea, Sex and Sun”. I don’t think Talking Heads had ever mimed for TV before, as they looked decidedly uncomfortable performing with unplugged guitars and no microphones and David Byrne looked to be on the verge of breaking out laughing at any moment.

“The next day we embarked on our tour of France together with a French support band. Two or three gigs into the tour we were told that the programme was going to be on TV. It was during the day on a Sunday.

“By then we’d got to know our support band quite well. They were really good though I can't remember their name. While watching the programme, we were surprised to see their lead singer in the studio audience and in shot during almost every performance.

"He hadn‘t introduced himself to us at the TV studio. But he had watched where the cameras would be for every act and managed to get in view and doing something strange in most of the camera shots.

“For instance, he’d be sitting on the stage right next to one artist who was singing and playing an acoustic guitar and staring at her tits for the whole song. And when Serge Gainsboroug’s spot came they had the French legend reclined on a deck chair in a kind of a beach scene. Gainsboroug was chain-smoking as usual but when he tried to light up another cigarette mid-song, he accidently dropped his cigarette packet. I’d gone over to watch him perform and saw this singer, a stranger to me then, lob a handful of cigarettes at Serge, who managed to catch one and light it up whilst looking a little confused. On the TV screen, all you saw was this shower of cigarettes hitting him halfway through his song.

“I wish I could see the whole show again, just to see this singer’s antics again.”

"The Boys" Debut LP Gets Limited Edition Re-release

websitebuilder-hub@names.co.uk — Wed, 20 May 2020 14:41:24 GMT

Apr 18 2018:

The Boys self-titled debut album is to be given a 1,000-copy limited edition splattered vinyl release on Saturday 21 April to coincide with international Record Store Day (RSD). The Boys will headline the Punk & Disorderly Festival in Berlin on the same day to promote the album's release.

Originally released by NEMS on 23 September 1977 the album entered the UK charts at Number 50 in it's first week of release and the album sold out immediately and as a result slipped out of the charts the following week. RCA (who distributed NEMS) had initially delayed the release and didn't repress the album for several weeks as they concentrated on repressing Elvis Presley records following his untimely death the previous month.

Last FM: “The Boys made arguably one of the best LPs of the 70s with their self-titled first album and provided the template for superior Pop Punk before even the Buzzcocks had got out of first gear”.

Record Store Day is the one day of the year when over 200 independent record shops all across the UK come together to celebrate their unique culture. Special vinyl releases are made exclusively for the day and many shops and cities host artist performances and events to mark the occasion. Thousands more shops celebrate the day around the globe in what’s become one of the biggest annual events on the music calendar.

Alternative Chartbusters Forty Years On

PH318754 — Wed, 20 May 2020 14:31:27 GMT

March 17 2018: By Matt Dangerfield

“The second Boys album has since ascended to the pantheon of power pop greats…” – AllMusic.com

On March 10 2018 it will have been 40 years since The Boys’ third single “Brickfield Nights” was released a week ahead of our second album “Alternative Chartbusters”. In September 1977 our record company NEMS told us they wanted to release a second album and asked if we ready to go back in the studio? You bet we were!

We’d already put aside our disappointment that the release of our first album a year earlier had been well and truly torpedoed by Elvis dying. His record company RCA, who were also the distributor for NEMS, switched all pressing plants to getting as much Elvis stuff out on sale as quickly as possible. As a consequence, our debut album slipped into the top 50 album chart on the week of release and promptly disappeared from sight the following week as it had sold out in the shops and no more copies were being pressed up.

After the RCA/Elvis debacle, NEMS had switched distribution to venerable UK music institution Pye so we were fairly confident that things should go well this time. Even better, after having recorded our first album in a few days, we managed to convince NEMS to book us a whole eight days at the legendary Rockfield Studios in Wales.

Although we had a load of new songs for the new album, “Brickfield Nights”, which is the opening track, wasn’t one of them yet as I only wrote it days before we went to Rockfield. Being a fan of 1960s US girl bands I’d been toying with the idea of doing a cover version of “I Have A Boyfriend” by The Chiffons. In the end I ditched the idea but kept the drum beat and wrote a new song around it.

I really loved recording at Rockfield with a brilliant engineer called Dave Charles, who got the drum sound on “Brickfield Nights” just perfect. Right from the start we all knew, without discussing it, that this song was our next single.

With the album done and dusted, the up-till-now extremely tight-fisted NEMS seemed to have gained new faith in us because early in 1978 they booked us into the ITN studios in Wells Street, Soho to make a video for “Brickfield Nights”. It wasn’t a video as we know it today; it was a sound stage with a couple of TV cameras. We ran through the song three times and 30 minutes later they said it was finished and live mixed. We were about to leave when they told us we had an hour booked and did we want to do another song? So we also walked out of there with a video for “Sway”.

The newfound largesse of NEMS also extended to them booking us into a West End voiceover studio to record a radio ad (which, Holy Moses, meant they were prepared to pay radio stations to play it! Was there no end to their munificence?).

So, guitarist Honest John, drummer Jack Black and myself met up at the studio and in our usual speed recording style concocted not one but four Monty Python influenced radio ads for NEMS to choose from. In the end, all four were aired.

To coincide with the single and album release, NEMS also set up a UK tour kicking off on February 8 and finishing at London’s Music Machine on March 14. Unfortunately, in typical NEMS style, the release of “Brickfield Nights” single was delayed until March 10 towards the end of the tour and the “Alternative Chartbusters” album was delayed till March 17, three days after the tour set up to promote it had finished.

But never mind, as a band we were all really pleased with “Alternative Chartbusters”. We believed that we had taken the essence of the first album and moved in a broader, more accessible direction. Not everyone agreed though, as it had mixed reviews in the music press at the time.

Maybe we’d moved on a bit too quickly, as Amazon Music noted in 2005: “If this album was released today The Boys would be as big as The Strokes.”

And AllMusic.com agrees: “the second Boys album has since ascended to the pantheon of power pop greats, a combination of the band's own inestimable position at the forefront of what, by early 1978, was already a burgeoning movement, and their seemingly effortless grasp of the rudiments of a great pop song. “Brickfield Nights,” is almost Spector-esque in its vision, a Wall of Sound that totally predicts all that the Ramones would later do with Spector himself, but transplants the action and emotions into a strictly English setting, a soaring paean to the lost innocence of youth, set to a transistor blast of melody.”

It’s always nice to be told that you were right!

"First Time" at Forty

PH318754 — Wed, 20 May 2020 14:09:59 GMT

J uly 29 2017:

Forty years ago today on July 29 1977, The Boys released their second single, the Honest John Plain penned "First Time".

As Honest John Plain recalls: "First Time" will always have a special meaning for me as through it I managed to break the Steel/Dangerfield stranglehold as The Boys' songwriters.

Matt Dangerfield and Casino Steel formed The Boys in late 1975. They were the driving force behind the band and we were dominated by the Steel/Dangerfield songwriting partnership, the Lennon & McCartney of punk as someone described it. At that time it was extremely difficult for me, or anyone else for that matter, to get a look in with the songwriting duties.

That is until I came up with "First Time". From that moment I was taken seriously as a songwriter in the band alongside Matt and Cas."

"Odds & Sods" Gets Limited Edition Release

websitebuilder-hub@names.co.uk — Wed, 20 May 2020 08:36:53 GMT

June 30 2016:

The Boys’ long-deleted “Odds & Sods” album is to receive a limited-edition 500-copy vinyl re-release on Friday 1 July on PHR Records.

The re-release will include the original front cover artwork as well as a special inlay featuring new track listing notes by The Boys' singer/guitarist Matt Dangerfield.

Originally released in 1990 thanks to Die Toten Hosen frontman/singer Campino, the album features previously unreleased Boys recordings from 1977-1981 including “Walk My Dog”, “Jimmy Brown”, “Dressed To Kill” and “Little Runaround” as well as three Capital Radio Ads recorded by Dangerfield, Honest John Plain & Jack Black to promote their second album, “Alternative Chartbusters”.

Full track Listing: "Walk My Dog" (Dangerfield), "I Love Me" (Steel/Dangerfield), "Mummy" (Plain), "Garden Gang" (Dangerfield/Plain/Black), "SAP" (Plain), "We're All Crazy" (Dangerfield), "Pick Me Up" (Plain/Steel), "Jimmy Brown" (Steel), "You Can Give It" (Walker), "Flash" (Dangerfield), "Dressed To Kill" (Dangerfield), "Oyoyo" (Dangerfield), "Flies" (Plain), "Little Runaround" (Dangerfield), Capital Radio Ads (Dangerfield/Plain/Black).

The album's opening track, “Walk My Dog”, is one of five Boys’ songs to be included in the soundtrack of forthcoming movie Sad Vacation , which tells the story of Sid Vicious & Nancy Spungen's fateful trip to New York in 1978.

"Undercover - Live in China" Released

websitebuilder-hub@names.co.uk — Tue, 19 May 2020 14:43:13 GMT

June 29 2015:

THE BOYS have released a live album recorded at a secret gig in January 2015 after they had been banned from playing live by the Chinese authorities. "Undercover - Live In China" is released by Action Records (AR006CD) on July 1 and features 13 of their best known songs:

TCP (Plain)

TERMINAL LOVE (Plain)
1976 (Steel/Dangerfield/Plain)
WEEKEND (Dangerfield)
I'M A BELIEVER (Steel/Dangerfield/Plain)
YOU CAN'T HURT A MEMORY (Steel/Dangerfield)
PUNK ROCK GIRL (Steel/Dangerfield/Plain)
GLOBAL WARMING (Steel/Dangerfield/Plain)
I DON'T CARE (Steel/Dangerfield)
BRICKFIELD NIGHTS (Steel/Dangerfield)
FIRST TIME (Plain)
LIVING IN THE CITY (Steel/Dangerfield)
SICK ON YOU (Matheson/Steel)

It will be available to Download/Stream from 15 September and will be given a Special Edition vinyl release on 13 November.

The Boys arrived in Shanghai on January 13 to embark on a nine-date national tour to promote their new album “Punk Rock Menopause”. However, they soon discovered that the tour had been cancelled by the Chinese Ministry of Culture.

The official reason given was 'crowd control and security' issues' in wake of the Shanghai stampede at a riverside New Year celebration a few weeks earlier in which 36 people were killed and 49 injured. The Ministry of Culture had informed all the venues on the tour that if The Boys performed they would be shut down with immediate effect. The Ministry also stipulated that no other venues were allowed to host the band.

Regardless of a tip-off that they were being followed, they decided to make the best of their time in China. With the help of their friends in China the band played three secret underground gigs promoted entirely by word of mouth and carefully avoiding government monitored Chinese chat rooms.

All three gigs were literally 'underground' - in former bomb shelters and basements. One of the gigs was a rehearsal complex with a recording studio attached and this live performance was recorded there. In addition, the band gave multiple interviews, became the subject of a one-hour documentary on national TV channel LETV in Beijing and recorded two videos.

The Boys Tour Cancelled by Chinese Government

websitebuilder-hub@names.co.uk — Tue, 19 May 2020 08:35:46 GMT

Feb 17 2015:

The Boys arrived in Shanghai in January 2015 to embark on a nine-date national tour to promote their new album "Punk Rock Menopause" only to discover that the tour was to be cancelled by the Chinese Ministry of Culture.

The official reason given was "crowd control and security issues" in the wake of the Shanghai stampede at a riverside New Year celebration attended by around 300,000 in which 36 people were killed and 49 injured. The Ministry of Culture had sent letters (pictured) to all the venues on the tour telling them that if The Boys played there, their premises would be shut down with immediate effect.

Undeterred, and with the help of their friends in China, the band managed to play three secret underground gigs – two in Shanghai and one in Beijing. These were promoted entirely by word of mouth and carefully avoiding official Chinese chat rooms and social networks such as Weibo.

In addition, the band gave multiple interviews, were the subject of a one-hour documentary on a national TV channel and recorded a live album, which will be released later this year.

The Boys to Tour China in January 2015

websitebuilder-hub@names.co.uk — Sun, 10 May 2020 14:01:53 GMT

Dec 28 2014 The Boys will visit China for the first time for a nine-date tour from 15-24 January 2015. The Dates are as follows: Thurs 15 Jan SHANGHAI; Fri 16 Jan SHANGHAI; Sat 17 Jan NANTONG; Sun 18 Jan HEFEI; Tues 20 Jan WUHAN; Wed 21 Jan XINXIANG; Thurs 22 Jan ZIBO; Fri 23 Jan QINGDAO; Sat 24 Jan BEIJING.

Kent Norberg, from top Swedish band Sator, will be playing bass for the first with The Boys on these Chinese dates.

The Boys’ critically acclaimed "Punk Rock Menopause", the band's first new album in 33 years, is to be given a Special Limited Edition Picture Disc release in February 2015. To coincide with the release, The Boys recently filmed a video in Germany for "Punk Rock Girl". Further filming for the video will take place in Italy in early 2015.

Photograph by Lothar Felkel