JOHNNY CURIOUS & THE STRANGERS

A1. In Tune


A2. Road To Cheltenham


B1. Pissheadsville


B2. Jennifer


Illegal Records, IL009. 1978.

Johnny Curious & The Strangers were:
Bob Greene - Bass, Vocals
Alan Cowley - Lead Guitar, Vocals
John Phillips - Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Ian Cowley - Drums

Formed in Welwyn Garden City in 1976 from the ashes of the hippy band Mask, this rather strangely named band was one of those cast of thousands destined to obscurity and the eternal gig circuit for one reason or another. It could have been so different if they had released their first single 'Back In Pissheadsville Again' on Raw Records. Lee Wood was interested after hearing the demo but it was not to be though he did end up releasing a couple of tracks from Welwyn's next punk band Acme Sewage Company.

Instead The Strangers ended up on Illegal re-recording and releasing the single a long time after the spark had gone. The original Pissheadsville is a stomping classic punk track that would hold its head on any punk compilation and other tracks on that initial demo suggest Television, Wire and The Now as similar melodic punk. You will have to make do with the Illegal Records version but its better than none. A second single Someone Else's Home was released in 78 on Bugle Records without Johnny but by then the band sounded completely different. They played all the usual venues - The Roxy, Vortex etc - and their name is at least immortalised on the back of the Farewell To The Roxy album as graffiti.

(description from www.punk77.co.uk)