SOHO
ROSES
One band that deserves the “could have been huge” title
is the Soho Roses. The British glam punk band was only around from
1987-1989, but they managed to secure themselves a strong glam and
punk cult following that continues to this day. The four rockers,
Paul, Andy, Joolz, and Pat, played all the major ‘80s London
clubs and recorded one 7” single, one 12" EP, and one
full-length LP for the indie label Trash Can Records of London.
These recordings, along with three remixed favorites, are here for
the first time on CD with many rare band pictures and in-depth liner
notes.
The Soho Roses did it their way. Taking their cues from local favorites
Hanoi Rocks and The Dogs D’Amour, the band brought their own
punk-infused anthems and glam rock style to the fast-changing British
scene. They were more punk and glam then metal, and that’s
the way the band liked it. When the trendy LA Sunset Strip bands
like Guns N’ Roses and Poison were unleashed upon the British
scene, the Soho Roses remained faithful to their Sweet, New York
Dolls, Buzzcocks, and Sex Pistols roots. The closing of the ‘80s
saw times changing, and the band’s two year run ended as popular
metal became the mainstream.
Soho Roses fans today know songs like “Sweet Sixteen”,
“Just a Girl”, “Cos of You”, and “So
Alone” are just as good as any over-played ‘80s one-hit-wonder.
This long-overdue collection is here to prove it.
PRESS:
CARBON 14 – ABOUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO... THE COMPLETE WORKS OF:
London. Late eighties. Hairspray, lipstick, patent leather. How did I miss this one? Never heard the name until I pulled the CD out of my little metal mail slot. Yes, I loved the eighties. From Hammerjackets to the Cat Club (NYC, that is), to The Limelight, I was there. That being said, many of those bands I once so adored have not faired well over the years. The records, much like the Aqua-Net, have just not stood the test of time.
I was skeptical when I tossed this in my player. Upon hearing the reverb-heavy drums of the intro to the instrumental “Bollocks” which kicks the whole think off, I had visions of “glam-gone-bad” dancing in my head. Let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised. Sharp, tight, power punk pop, with catchy hooks, Chuck Berry style leads, lots of oohs and aahs, handclaps, and conviction, all wrapped in a whiskey-soaked, gutter-glam shiny pink package. I would have to say The Devil Dogs owe a hell of a lot to these guys. (I think they’re guys. I’m still unclear on “Patrice”, the black glamazon drummer! Who knew? I sure didn’t.)
This here is a collection of works from 1987-89, including The Third and Final Insult LP, Whatever Happened To EP, and original versions and remixes of the three tracks from the So Alone single, originally recorded in 1988 and remixed in 2006. 23 tracks in all. Cool bouncy cover of The Buzzcocks “What Do I Get”, too. Informative liner notes from Stu Gibson of Sleazegrinder.com complete the package. Good stuff!
LOUD FAST RULES – ABOUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO... THE COMPLETE WORKS OF:
These gents my have had the glam/hair/metal look down, but between 1987-89 in London, they cranked out an LP, 12” EP, and a 7” EP of pure bubblegum guitar pop. Admittedly fairly raucous bubblegum, but it definitely owes more to Sweet and The Buzzcocks than Guns N’ Roses. Actually, if you take away the clothes, it’s pretty damn close to the guitar drenched bliss of Perfect Daze. This CD collects their entire output, with even some 2006 remixes of their 7”. Hanoi Rocks maybe. Slade, for sure. Quite excellent!
ROCK AND ROLL AND MEANDERING NONSENSE – ABOUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO... THE COMPLETE WORKS OF:
Here in the U.S., when most people think of glam, they think of the Sunset Strip scene of the late '80s where hairspray had more to do with a band's success than their music. Little known to so many on this side of the Atlantic, there was another glam scene across the ocean that ran concurrently. With Hanoi Rocks as its kings, bands like The Dogs D'Amour and The Quireboys were only known by a handful of fans over here. These bands weren't just a bunch of pop bands with big hair and over-indulgent guitar solos. They were rooted in real glam like T. Rex, Sweet, and Slade, as well as the punk rock of the New York Dolls, Sex Pistols and The Buzzcocks. Many of these bands did just fine for themselves in the U.K. and Europe but failed to make a dent over here. One of these bands, the Soho Roses, was an almost complete unknown in the U.S., much like their highly influential predecessor Slade during glam's first wave.
During a short run in the late '80s, the Soho Roses recorded two EPs (a 7" and a 12") and one LP, all of which are obviously out of print. Almost 20 years later, the material is finally being reissued. Don't be put off by the glam tag if you associate it with L.A., because the Soho Roses' music is dirtier and grittier. As they say themselves, it isn't "Sunset Strip crap". While the subject matter isn't exactly rocket science, the music is played with true rock 'n' roll swagger rather than silly staged theatrics. Their cover of The Buzzcocks' "What Do I Get" shows they were, as glam truly was, more at home with punk than metal. While they aren't at the caliber of Hanoi Rocks, they're at the very least in the ballpark of The Dogs D'Amour. They're a fine treat for anyone who prefers a little bit of real rock 'n' roll over the corporate business rock that put on some lipstick and eyeliner over here in the '80s, and they're downright essential for fans of real glam.
METAL MARK – ABOUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO... THE COMPLETE WORKS OF:
I never heard of this band until just recently, but the Soho Roses were a British band from 1987-1989. They released one LP, one EP, a 12" single, and a 7" single. This CD includes that material plus a few remixes.
From the band name and the image, my guess was they would be like Hanoi Rocks, and indeed they are. They play a mix of glam and punk rock with the prime influences being Hanoi Rocks, New York Dolls, Sweet, Ramones, The Avengers, and maybe even DOA. The odd thing is these songs sound like they were done between about 1979 and 1982 rather than the late 1980s. So apparently these guys did what they wanted rather than following the big trends of the time. That's cool because they have a good sound, but that might also be why they didn't get any further than they did. The vocals and overall feel is closest to Hanoi Rocks, but the pacing leans more toward early punk rock than Hanoi Rocks normally did. The songs are short, largely mid-tempo, and fairly simple and fun. They are also far more straight forward than Hanoi Rocks or the New York Dolls.
I certainly prefer this to many of the hair bands that were pouring out of our country at the time. There is much more of a genuine feel to it as they manage to maintain a great deal of energy without having the over-processed sound so many bands of the day suffered from. My only major complaint is that I wish I had heard them back in the late 1980s, because I would have enjoyed them back then a great deal. At least I am getting to hear them now.
ROCK REPORT – ABOUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO... THE COMPLETE WORKS OF:
Very much the same way I first came across “Young & Crazy” by UK glamsters Tigertailz, I stumbled upon the Soho Roses’ Whatever Happened To EP during one of my frequent visits to the local record dealer in the blessed year 1987. One glance at the cover of said platter, which depicted a sofa surrounded by various objects spread across the floor and four young men with spiked up hair and enough lipstick, mascara, and eyeliner to give anyone’s teenage sister a run for her money, was enough to leave me awestruck.
Needless to say, I purchased the record and went home to crank it up. Much to my surprise, the Soho Roses weren’t the next band to jump on the Poison band wagon like many of their fellow glamsters, but instead served up a musical cocktail of punky rhythms, a buzz saw guitar sound, and Paul Blittz's Michael Monroe styled vocals. Part Hanoi Rocks, part New York Dolls, part Faster Pussycat, yet with enough pop sensibility to make their songs most memorable. Yet in spite of the quality of their material, the band went by largely unnoticed by the record buying public, and after one EP, a three track single, and a full album appropriately titled The Third and Final Insult, they disappeared from the scene at the end of the '80s.
Because only a limited number of people had actually bought a copy of the band’s original releases, they had become extremely hard to find over the years and very much wanted by glam collectors. So for the latter and anyone who wants to find out for themselves what the fuzz with this British combo is all about, Full Breach Kicks has recently unleashed a 23 track collection that includes all the tracks of the band’s official releases plus remixes of their So Alone single.
Plenty of goodies for your and my listening pleasure, with absolutely no lows, but a few definitely some highs. My favorite track is “Yesterday’s Girl” on which acoustic guitars take the lead but is by no means a ballad. It’s up tempo, has all the trademarks of a full blown rock song, and is actually quite simple. But in this simplicity lies the beauty and strength of the track.
It had been close to 17 years since I last heard this song, but the minute it kicked in, I got goose bumps all over again. Brilliant stuff and the kind of album that everyone should buy. If not, you’re missing out on a collection of great music from the glamorous '80s!
CLASSIC ROCK – ABOUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO... THE COMPLETE WORKS OF:
Ah, the Soho Roses. Their reign was brief, and most of it took place at the bar, but from 1987 to 1989, they were the tastiest tarts on the Brit glam punk scene. Equal parts Hanoi Rocks and Sex Pistols, the Roses were stack-heel strutters with an impeccable ear for infectious pop hooks. As the title suggests, this welcome reissue collects every last scrap from the Soho Roses vault, including the entire Third and Final Insult album, various singles, and a trio of beefed-up 2006 remixes. They don’t make ‘em like these cats anymore. Well, they do in Sweden probably, but certainty not in ol’ Blighty. Klassic kuts, for sure.
NO FRONT TEETH – ABOUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO... THE COMPLETE WORKS OF:
First of all, it’s great you’re reading this review, but don’t stop at that because there’s two things you have to do now. One, get this A-M-A-Z-I-N-G collection. Two, thank Josh at Full Breach Kicks for making this available for the first time ever on CD since it came out two decades ago. This never getting an official re-release before is an absolute crime, and for someone to have the nerve to make it finally available again is just fantastic. The Soho Roses only existed for two years between 1987-89, and their 20 tracks, and might I add – 20 fantastic tracks – are collected here and include their Whatever Happened To EP, the So Alone 7”, and The Third and Final Insult full-length, as well as three remixes from 2006. This is such an essential compilation that I can’t even stress that enough. It’s been said before and I’m going to say it again, but the Soho Roses could have and should have taken the rock ‘n’ roll world by storm! Their blend of early punk rock and glam is matchless, and it’s full of that wonderful English charm that’s just disappeared. The songs are so open with a raw and touching honesty while still keeping a vulgar strut and delivered with spit and great melody too. They knew perfectly how to maintain the balance between the debauched and decadent and the gracious – there’s no exaggeration or unnecessary pomposity with the Soho Roses. There’s vanity for sure, but the good kind of vanity. These guys look cool as fuck and the most important thing is just how approachable their music is while still keeping that untamed edge at the very forefront. There’s just something about so many English bands that’s so sincere. There’s no candy-floss production or affectation but so much integrity and authenticity, and that’s exactly what the Soho Roses represent and perhaps why they never made it huge – they are too real. Fakes are afraid of what’s real. A band like the Soho Roses doesn’t come by often, and for this music to have gotten buried or existed solely in the hands of collectors and bootleggers would be awful. So thank you Josh! I know we don’t do star ratings but this gets five stars for sure – several times over.
LOUD FAST RULES – ABOUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO... THE COMPLETE WORKS OF:
Complete recordings from this late ‘80s UK glam punk band, and a fine reissue it is! The Soho Roses are one of those bands I passed up the first time around because I dismissed them as another lame Poison clone, but goddamn was I wrong! These guys are like the best elements of T Rex, Mott the Hoople, Sweet, The Boys, and Johnny Thunders all rolled into one convenient package. All 23 songs here are full of catchy riffs and killer hooks, with the material taken from their only full length LP being the strongest of the batch. This band was tailor made for rock ‘n’ roll radio and it’s a real fucking injustice they weren’t huge the first time around. Here’s to hoping a reunion is in the works.
BUBBLEGUM SLUT – ABOUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO... THE COMPLETE WORKS OF:
The clue is there in the name. While they may have crimped and back-combed with the enthusiasm of Poison and owned more frilly shirts than the guys from Cinderella, musically speaking these Roses were unflinchingly loyal to their London roots in the face of the L.A. invasion led by Axl and co. Hearing the band’s Ebay coveted back catalogue collected on CD for the first time (their entire frantic punk output total just 20 tracks, requiring three remixes be added to make up the minutes here) provides strong evidence that, given another album to make their mark, the Soho Roses could have been fondly remembered as widely as scene figureheads The Dogs D’Amour and those honorary Lahndonars, Hanoi Rocks. As things turned out, those who do recall their fleeting brilliance will regain lost nights at Gossips on hearing the snotty punk stomp of “What Do I Get” and “Just A Girl”, and those who simply share a love of their parent influence in the Dolls, The Buzzcocks, and The Only Ones, will be well advised to pick up a copy of this collection while they can!
LOUD FAST RULES – ABOUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO... THE COMPLETE WORKS OF:
As the title suggests, this is a 23 track collection of all the recorded output by the Soho Roses, including their LP, EP, single, and 3 remixed tracks from 2006. On the cover these guys look like early Poison, however, don’t let that put you off! The Soho Roses made some great sleazy rock 'n' roll, and this CD is one for fans of the New York Dolls and Hanoi Rocks. Having said that, a band like The Heart Attacks are bringing this kind of music to a much wider punk audience, so you may just want to try something a little different as well. This may seem like heresy, but I prefer their cover of The Buzzcocks classic “What Do I Get” than the original and is worth buying on the strength of that one track!
NOW WAVE – ABOUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO... THE COMPLETE WORKS OF:
Talk about a totally essential retrospective! The Soho Roses should rate near the top of anyone's list of all-time underappreciated bands, and thankfully Full Breach Kicks has rescued the group's complete recordings from the trash heap of obscurity. Around only from 1987-89, the Soho Roses are frequently lumped in the same lot with the likes of Dogs D'amour and The Quireboys. But what was cool about that late '80s UK glam scene was all of those bands had their own unique thing going - and the Soho Roses' thing should be right up the alley of your typical Now Wave reader. Not unlike the more tuneful side of Hanoi Rocks, but equally informed by '70s pop and punk and Dion-esque doo wop, the Soho Roses sound was all about melodies, hooks, and songs that should have been hits (really!). Included here is the entirety of the band's one-and-only LP, along with the two EPs that pre-dated it. This is fantastic stuff all the way through – very catchy songs with a big rock sound, precursing later greats like American Heartbreak and The Wildhearts (who, in fact, featured two ex-Soho Roses at one time). And I suspect these guys were also a huge influence on a young Chaz Halo too. Any Full Breach Kicks fan who bought and loved The Ghosts of Saturday Night or Amazing Graceless is strongly advised to pick up Whatever Happened To as well.
The shoulda-been hits roll by in stunning succession: "Cos of You", "This Ain't Called Anything Yet", "Next To You", "Just a Girl", and more. Surely you'd think this must be a best-of offering from some long-running and prolific pop group. How else could there be that many gems? But nope – this represents a mere two years worth of songs from a band that came and went in the blink of a lined eye. And that, literally, was all she wrote.
Much love goes to Full Breach Kicks for unearthing all these buried treasures that fit right in with its roster of new talent. First The Joneses, now the Soho Roses. Who's next? Demolition 23? The Babysitters? Keep 'em coming, Josh!
VEGLAM – ABOUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO... THE COMPLETE WORKS OF:
More serious than The Babysitters, more pop than Marionette, and more glam than The Quireboys, the Soho Roses went through the late '80s like a shooting star while new wave was still imposing its ugly synthesizers on the Thames’ border before getting flooded by heavy metal decibels. The Soho Roses were the ideal glam punk pop band who avoided the superficial aspect and the buffoonery sometimes associated to this style. Andy DeGray’s talent to write rock 'n' roll anthems, catchy choruses, and sweet ballads, as well as Paul Blittz’s charisma and androgynous angel beauty should have taken this band to the top. Unfortunately, the Soho Roses disappeared after only two years leaving us a single, an EP, and an album as their only testament. Inspired by their glorious elders like The Sweet or the Buzzcocks and sharing obvious common musical affinities with Wrathchild (“Dance With Me”) and Hanoi Rocks(“Crazy ‘Bout Me”), the Soho Roses never wrote a bad song and even if they weren’t that known, they deserved far better than the post-mortem fame they later got. This collection CD, recounting the career – from “Bollocks” (the intro reminding me of “Pipeline”) to “Yesterday’s Girls” – of one of the most flamboyant British bands ever, is a real present to all glitter and lipstick rock 'n' roll lovers and a real nightmare to all Ebay crooks. Make yourself happy, buy yourself Roses!
3RD GENERATION NATION – ABOUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO... THE COMPLETE WORKS OF:
Von dieser CD habe ich eigentlich am wenigsten erwartet, als ich den Dreier-Pack von Full Breach Kicks auspackte. Bei Glam-Rock von Tuntenfrisuren bin ich ja mit der Zeit doch etwas vorsichtiger geworden. Denn ganz schnell findet man sich bei gaehnend langweiligen Combos wieder, die zu viel an the Rolling Stones, fuckin' Motley Crue oder double-fuckin' Guns n' Roses gehoert haben. Das ist allerdings bei dieser englischen Band ueberhaupt nicht gegeben! Die sehen ihre „Helden“ eher in den New York Dolls, Sex Pistols, oder 70er glam rock a la Slade und Sweet. Das Ganze wird gepaart mit der Verruecktheit die einst thee Thrash Brats aus Detroit in den 90ern an den Tag legten. Doch nun kommt es! Das hier ist ihre komplette Studioarbeit aus den Jahren ´87 bis ´89!!! Wie bitte??? Und wie sollten die Soho Roses da schon thee Trash Brats gekannt haben? Schon unglaublich, das diese band in ihrer aktiven Zeit an mir so voellig vorbei gegangen ist. Dafuer muesste ich mich selbst ohrfeigen. Aber man kann ja auch nicht ueberall seine Horchlappen haben. Auf jeden Fall bin ich scheisse-froh, das Josh von Full Breach Kicks diese band "ausgegraben" hat. Die Soho Roses halten sich auch nicht lange auf und powern ihre 23 songs im allerbesten bubblegum punk glam straight nach vorne. So gefaellt mir das und so muss das eben funktionieren. Auf der CD befindet sich ihre LP The Third and Final Insult (u.a. mit der Buzzcocks coverversion "What Do I Get"), ihre 12" EP Whatever Happened To, ihre 7" single So Alone sowie die drei songs von der So Alone single, als 2006 remixes. Tip(p) des Monats! Five stars!
DIG IT – ABOUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO... THE COMPLETE WORKS OF:
Autre réédition avec des cheveux partout, l'unique album des Soho Roses de Londres (1987-1989), augmenté d'une dizaine de titres provenant de deux singles, d'un 12" EP et de trois titres récemment remixés. La touche glam fait encore merveille (Sweet contre les Dogs D'Amour!), le côté Trash à la NYD est évidemment sensible puisque c'est une constante chez le label, et les mélodies speedées power pop punk chatouilleront agréablement l'oreille des fans des Buzzcocks (dont ils reprennent le "What Do I Get"), des The Vibrators (les choeurs semblent échappés tout droit de "Baby Baby") ou des The Boys. Cette réédition est intitulée Whatever Happened To... The Complete Works Of. Les Soho Roses ont à peine existé trois ans, deux des membres du groupe ont ensuite participé aux débuts des The Wildhearts. Une sorte de groupe culte.
SOUNDS – ABOUT WHATEVER HAPPENED TO 12" EP:
A big pink 12-incher that comes out smelling of perfume (ho ho ho, these bands
think of everything). This is four jolly-ish, glammy, pop rock tracks and an equal number of blokes in makeup and frills who look more accustomed to street brawling that mincing around in petticoats.
KERRANG! – ABOUT SO ALONE 7”:
“I don’t like this, it’s trash, it’s trashy,” roars all eight foot of Nisbet the Neanderthal. You don’t argue with that, but between you, me, and that girl looking over your shoulder, I happen to rather like this bash about from Blittz and the boys. It trips, it stumbles, it shakes, and then it draws the bottle of meths out of its back pocket and takes a good long draw. This isn’t bonk rock, this is fuck rock.
