*Replaced by Dusty Miller

No Title / Anything She Wants

Catalogue Number - LAS 35

Label - Laser Records

Year Of Release - 1980

Quantity Pressed - 1000????

The Russians were based  in Northampton and formed  at the start of 1979 when  ex Left Hand Drive members John Brassett and the late Jack Swann advertised for a vocalist. Julie Woolmore answered the ad and auditioned at the Navigation Inn, Cosgrove which was run by John's mum.  They were a non-political band, all about energy and fun and chose the band name as an ironic take on that. Julie felt her surname was boring by comparison to the others so the rest of the band invented one for her - Rebelowitchz.

They quickly wrote a batch of songs, recruited a drummer, John Lucibello ("Luci") and played their first gig at the Oranges and Lemons in Oxford followed by more  in the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire area.

They recorded a demo tape at Beck Studios in Wellingborough which they used to secure a session for John Peel. Unfortunately, Jack left the band due to personal commitments just days before the recording and Dusty Miller was recruited to replace him which meant he had to learn the songs very quickly. The session can be heard here

Julie  remembers stealing BBC monogrammed loo paper for the fans and hiding it under her top which rustled when she walked. On the way back from the loo, she bumped into Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull who exclaimed "ooh look, a little punkette!" and stopped to have a conversation. The session was produced by the late Tony Wilson of Factory Records fame.

Following the session, the Russians' fan base spread around the world and they were given gigs on the university circuit. They also played in London and did a 'Surfing Tour' round the  coast in the south of England as well as headlining the Willen Lake Festival in Milton Keynes. They also played a set at a festival in central Milton Keynes organised by local radio station CRMK which was broadcast live as well as being interviewed by CRMK.

The Russians put out a 7 track cassette called "Cellar Tape" which included most of the Peel Session.

In 1980, the Russians recorded a single called "No Title" b/w "Anything She Wants" (Laser records, LAS35) which was pressed and released but withheld due to industrial action at the distribution company.  The band managed to get a few for themselves and the fans by driving to London to get them. The single was eventually distributed and this rare item has been seen for sale on a German site for €75 (£63).

At the same time, they organized a custard pie fight against Acme punk clothing shop (whose ranks included Bauhaus drummer, Kevin Haskins), which brought Northampton town centre to a standstill and made the local newspaper.

Towards the end of 1980, Dusty also left for personal reasons and was replaced by Bob Spence, formerly with the Zeros and Neat, Neat, Neat. Another cassette was recorded called "Sorry!", containing 10 tracks.

In 1981, Bob Spence left the band and Bob Lindsay joined on guitar. A little later, Luci left and was replaced by Russ (or possibly Ross) - surname unknown. Julie left in 1982 and the band split.

In 2016, Julie, John, Dusty and Bob Spence got together from various parts of the world for the first time in 30 years to play a couple of gigs to promote a book about the Northampton music scene, Have Guitars Will Travel vol 3 (the Russians were in both volume 2 & volume 3). Luci was unable to join them so a friend of Julie's, Jonathan Sketcher, played drums. This was the first time they had been a five piece and the first time Dusty and Bob had played together. The reunion was a success and more gigs are being planned.

 Tracks

 Beck Session (cassette 1979 - unreleased)

You're So Superior

Meet Me After School Tonight

Manic Depression

Stop You're Killing Me

Oliver Reed

Hang On Punk Rockers

Number One

Crazy

Stop It

John Peel Session (1979)

Can't Explain (The Who cover)

Meet Me After School Tonight

Manic Depression

Stop You're Killing Me

Cellar Tape (cassette 1979)

Can't Explain (Peel Session)

Manic Depression  (Peel Session)

Stop You're Killing Me  (Peel Session)

Crazy Mixed Up Kid

Don't You Lie No More

Number One

Space City

Single (vinyl 1980)

No Title

Anything She Wants

Sorry! (Cassette 1980)

Stalag

From Russia With Love

Walk That Walk

I Doubt It

You're Just Impossible

Stop, Look & Listen

I Don't Want You

Ice Cream Van

Mannequins

Sorry!

Compilations

Northampton Under Glass (cassette 1981, CD  2011 White Elephant Records WER001) - Shoplifter

Have Guitars Will Travel (CD 2015 Whyte Tyger) - Stop You're Killing Me

Other covers

Last Train to Clarksville (The Monkees)

Let's Spend the Night Together (Rolling Stones)

Substitute (The Who)

We're Going Wrong (Cream)

Other songs

Fictitious Life

I Don't Like This World

See You When I Die

Poisonous Umbrellas

You Gotta Go

Do It Again

Get Away From You

Much Too Much To Bear

All I Wanna Do

Run Away

Nightmare

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