"The Maniac"

The Maniac / Tv Personality / Heavy Rock / Katerina Backstreet Billy / Messin Around

Catalogue Number - SOSLP 027

Label - Sound Of Scandinavia

Year Of Release - 1978

Country - Sweden

"Let Your Fingers Do The Talking"

Let Your Fingers Do The Talking / Encore / Moanin' / Sloppy Song / Don't Keep Me Down / Here

Catalogue Number - WB 56 894

Label - Warner Brothers Records

Year Of Release - 1981

Country - Holland

BILLY KARLOFF & THE GOATS The history of Billy Karloff goes right back to the mid 70's when guitarist / vocalist / songwriter John "billy" Osborn played all over South London with bands like Slippery Sam, The Punks, Scum Of The Earth and Streamliner. By 1977 he'd formed Billy Karloff &The Goats along with guitarist Chris Pye (later of The Books), drummer Pedro Ortiz (who played with Bowie at Live Aid!) and bassist Ed Duane though keeping a regular bassist proved difficult for the band. They played The Roxy on quite a few occasions and following their appearance on "Farewell To The Roxy" they became the Billy Karloff Band for April 78's "Crazy Paving" / "Back Street Billy" 45 (Wanted Records, CULT 45-001) and album "The Maniac" (SOS LP 2) by which time they'd added a second guitarist known simply as Julian. They became Billy Karloff & The Supremes then, (after a threat of legal action from The Supremes management) Billy Karloff & The Extremes and secured a deal with Warner Brothers by which time the line up featured Karloff, Neil Hay (guitar), Paul Jelliman (guitar), Dolphin Taylor (drums ex - Tom Robinson Band later Stiff Little Fingers / Spear Of Destiny) and bassist Glen Buglass.

It was this incarnation that recorded the 1981 LP "Let Your Fingers Do The Talking" (K56894) and the singles "Headbangers" / "Don't Keep Me Down" (K17753) and "Summer Holiday" / "It's Too Hot" (K17818) though a second album "The Vinyl Solution" remains unreleased to this day.

Karloff then issued a "Stars On 45" style single under the name Frankie Lee called "It Ain't Him Babe" (ZIM001) which was basically a medley of Bob Dylan songs!

He then concentrated on song-writing and his credits include "Wait For The Blackout" / "Dozen Girls" by The Damned and "Anywhere But Here" / "Back Street Billy" by The Business.

BILLY KARLOFF

The South London based Billy Karloff first made an impression on the Punk scene via an appearance on the legendary "Farewell To The Roxy" compilation, contributing "Relics From The Past" under the monica Billy Karloff & The Goats. The "Crazy Paving" 45 was released in April 1978 by Wanted Records (CULT-1) - the B side "Back Street Billy" was covered by The Business on their "Keep The Faith" LP - and was followed by German only 1978 LP "The Maniac" (Jupiter, 26373) (SOS LP 2) before Billy formed The Extremes with ex - TRB and current Stiff Little Fingers' drummer Dolphin Taylor.
A single "Headbangers" was issued by Warner Brothers (K17753) in March 1981 and was followed by "Summer Holiday" (K17818) three months later.
An LP for Warners "Let Your Fingers Do The Talking" (K56894) was available for about five minutes in 1981 before Billy decided to concentrate on songwriting - The Damned's "Wait For The Blackout" / "Dozen Girls" and The Business's "Anywhere But Here" being just three of his many compositions.
 

Chris Pye	Ed Duane	Billy Karloff	Julian Standen
The above is an early photo of 'The Goats' rehearsing circa 1977.

  Thanks to Keith Osborn for all of the above
 

 

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