The Adverts Marquee Club, London 27th July 1978

Here's a second gig from the same date as the last post but two years earlier.

This is my favourite Adverts recording. I have posted this elsewhere, but it is certainly worth a repost here (at least in my humble opinion).

The bottom line is that I think that TV Smith is one of the most talented writers to have emerged from the '77 UK punk scene. Gems are to be found at each and every stage of his diverse career, from The Adverts to the Explorers to the solo years via Cheap of course. With lyrics that are consistently intellegent, passionate and thought provoking the quality of TV's work has been nothing but consistent.

Since the brief spell in the limelight that The Adverts enjoyed, commercial success has I think it is fair to say eluded Tim, but I don't think that that is such a problem for him.... and there is something enduringly romantic in the sight of a troubadour musician arriving at a gig with guitar and a handful of CDs as sole possessions! The man is a legend, but I digress.

Yeah, The Adverts.... punk commentators (whatever they may be) when considering the contribution of The Adverts seldom venture beyond the incediary 'Crossing The Red Sea' album. Whilst this album is undoubtedly a genre defining album, in my eyes it is less interesting than the follow up 'Cast of Thousands' album.

From the opening title track, with unexpected piano and vocal harmonies, this album was so different that any idea that The Adverts were in fact no more than 'One Chord Wonders' was just blown out of the water!

And so we have this Marquee gig, which unlike the majority of available live recordings of the band, features early live versions of tracks that were to appear on the 'Cast of Thousands' album. Unfortunately, The Adverts split the following year and in doing so never faced the challenge of that 'difficult third album'.... it would have been a corker, of that I am sure.

This is also a good excuse to include some photos and footage of one of the most visually striking bands of the day (and I'm not just talking about Gaye here!)

But here's one....

The Adverts

'Television's Over' in Germany

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-bWvgeSlBHO

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-WP8F7HdY0O

01. Fate Of Criminals
02. Gary Gilmore's Eyes
03. Drowning Men
04. Bombsite Boys
05. Television's Over
06. Male Assault
07. New Church
08. We Who Wait
09. New Boys
10. On Wheels
11. I Surrender
12. Back From The Dead
13. Love Songs
14. Safety In Numbers
15. Bored Teenagers
16. No Time To Be 21
17. One Chord Wonders
18. The Great British Mistake