X Ray Spex

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"In the pop world they were truly subversive - A know all kid in a world of grown ups" Mark P 'And God Created Punk'

Formed in January '77 and appeared on the Roxy live album with their rallying cry 'Oh Bondage Up Yours'.  In September of that year it was released by Virgin (and banned) as a one off before the band signed to EMI. Every single that followed was an absolute peach and Top Of The Pops appearances followed.  By the end of '78 they had three hit singles and a hit album 'Germ Free Adolescence', which saw the band trapped inside test tubes on the cover. One more hit followed in '79 and then that was it. In August 1979 the band split through musical differences. Poly to become Maharani Devi in the Hare Krishna and  BP and Jak left to become Classix Nouveaux.

Ignoring the anger and nihilism of their contemporaries X Ray Spex instead set "vivid word portraits of consumer fantasy gone mad " (Burchill & Parsons 'Boy Looked At Johnny') and held up a mirror to punk against a background of glass shattering vocals, driving punk guitar /bass/drums and that most unpunk of instruments the saxophone " They say...'Oh you can't have a saxophonist in a punk band', and they see it work, then everybody likes it." The Jolt 1977. The lyrics make excellent reading. The music pure punk.
"Yama Yama Yama Yama Yama Yama Yama
Boredom Boredom Boredom Boredom"

I Am A Cliche  1977

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