Big Country Info Big Country Info

 

LINER NOTES

(jump to: Credits)

The Skids, from Dunfermline in Scotland, enjoyed a career lasting just under five years, starting in early 1977. Between 1978 and 1980, they scored ten British hits, half of them reaching the Top 40. In many ways the Skids were the stylistic link between the Clash and the Alarm - punky, with that same classic line up, moving into superior technique and far less anthemic material. Among the group's longest standing members were vocalist Richard Jobson and singer/guitarist Stuart Adamson. Jobson was the only Skid there from start to finish - subsequently, he's tried more groups, solo albums, being a TV personality, & male model. Adamson went on to even greater fame as founder of Big Country, an internationally famous band today. Bass player Russell Webb (ex-Zones) was an everpresent after Bill Simpson emigrated to Australia, but drummers regularly changed. The band's most successful year was 1979, when they spent over half the year in the chart, with hits like "Charade', 'Working For The Yankee Dollar' and their biggest song, 'Into The Valley'. Later hits like 'Goodbye Civilian' and 'Circus Games' (both from 1980) were less successful, and the final Skids single (virtually a Jobson solo single, and not unlike 'Mull Of Kintyre'!), failed to chart at all. A rather sad end to one of the more interesting punk bands of their era. This tape presents their successes, shows their growing maturity and the start of the differing roads taken by Jobson and Adamson. A little bit of history.

John Tobler
For The Record, 1989

 

CREDITS

(jump to: Liner Notes)

into the valley
charade
working for the yankee dollar
circus games
goodbye civilian
iona*

all songs written by stuart adamson/ richard jobson. published by aim music Itd/virgin music (publishing) Itd except *written by russell webb - published by sok songs/bleakhouse Itd. designed by the leisure process. this compilation
©1989 virgin records Itd

running time: approx 23 mins

Dolby and the double D symbols are trade marks of the Dolby Laboratories. The copyright proprietors have licensed the material in this videocassette for private and domestic use only and any other use or reproduction in whole or in part including the making of copies of the material or causing it to be transmitted to subscribers to a diffusion service or selling, letting, or hire or otherwise dealing with it in whole or part is strictly prohibited.
Distributed by Virgin/PVG Ltd.

exempt from classification

VVC 580