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Thirty-one years ago, a quintet of rough and tumble, leather-clad musicians trading under an enigmatic name inspired by Mickey Rourke\u2019s character in Francis Ford Coppola\u2019s avant-garde film noir Rumble Fish<\/em> entered London\u2019s Greenhouse Studios to record their debut album. Spirits were high, as their debut single released through Rough Trade, \u2018Big Rock Candy Mountain\u2019 was a staple on the daytime Radio One playlist (almost unheard of for an indie band), peaked at #2 in the Indie Charts, and was rewarded with the #22 placing in legendary DJ and musician\u2019s best friend John Peel\u2019s 1987 Festive Fifty (snuggled comfortably amidst the usual suspects, The Smiths, The Fall and The Wedding Present who collectively hogged nearly half the chart!) THE MOTORCYCLE BOY were on their way to fame and fortune. Or so it seemed.<\/p>\n The story that follows is riddled with bad luck, record label indecision, band disagreements and sackings, and weak management that resulted in all the hard work that took place in Greenhouse being shelved for three decades. But it\u2019s also the story of persistence and belief that what was laid down all those years ago was worth fighting for and bringing out from the dusty record vaults into the light of day for everyone to finally hear, as intended, and enjoy and recognise as one of the greatest lost albums of the \u201880s. An album that was too good to lie dormant in the mists of time and that, through the time, effort, and dedication of several of those band members, along with a \u201ccompatriot and associate\u201d who believed in the album, can now take its rightful place as one of the pinnacle albums of \u201880s Indie Rock.<\/p>\n Upstart teenagers Michael Kerr (drums), Eddie Connelly (bass), and singer Paul McDermott had previously played together in the noisy punk collective Meat Whiplash (named after a Fire Engines\u2019 B-side; another much-loved \u201890s\u00a0 band, The Candyskins copped the A-side). Their only release was the 20th<\/sup> single on Creation Records in September 1985. Peaking at #3 on the UK Indie chart, \u2018Don\u2019t Slip Up\u2019 c\/w \u2018Here It Comes\u2019 owed a lot to fellow East Kilbridian rabble rousers Jesus and Mary Chain\u2019s love of Velvet Underground squawk. In fact, they were the opening act at JAMC\u2019s notorious 15 March 1985 North London Polytechnic gig whose \u201criotous\u201d finale has often been misreported. Michael sets the record straight: \u201cEddie received a right hook to the jaw while guitarist Stephen McLean managed an uppercut that rocked his opponent off his feet and off the stage. Both parties actually shared a drink at the bar after the band\u2019s set\u2026 it was just one of those kind of nights!\u201d In 1987, Kerr switched to guitar, McDermott to the drum kit, and ex-Shop Assistant vocalist Alex Taylor brought her breathy coo to the party alongside Belfast guitarist David Scott and THE MOTORCYCLE BOY was born.<\/p>\n The band signed to Chrysalis subsidiary Blue Guitar and the first fruit of their labours was the effervescent single, \u2018Big Rock Candy Mountain\u2019 c\/w \u2018Room At The Top\u2019, destined to become one of the hallmarks of \u201880s indie rock. David and Michael explained that \u201cChrysalis insisted the single should be released on Rough Trade, feeling that it would receive more attention being released as an \u2018indie\u2019 single. Geoff Travis was the head of Rough Trade but also ran Blue Guitar for Chrysalis. So, we were never really signed to Rough Trade but used them as a flag of convenience.\u201d<\/p>\n Following the surprise runaway success of \u2018Big Rock Candy Mountain\u2019, Chrysalis sent the band into the studio with veteran producer Pat Collier (The Soft Boys, Katrina and The Waves, Soup Dragons, Darling Buds, and many more), himself an ex-bad boy and original bassist with legendary punkers the Vibrators. The band, augmented by additional drumming from Anthony Cooper and keyboards from former Jesse Garon and The Desperadoes guitarist Stuart Clarke recorded an album\u2019s worth of material, a running order was selected, and a few promo cassettes were created and circulated while the label assigned the recording a catalogue number (CHR 1689) and prepared the album for release. One of the cassette promos even garnered a favourable review in a music publication (believed to be Q<\/em>), so excitement was in the air and the band were ready to storm the charts once again. Until\u2026.<\/p>\n Well, nothing\u2026radio silence\u2026no album\u2026. Personnel changes found David and Michael out of the band, although the remaining members were keen to see the album released to capitalise on that positive early review. Unfortunately, as far as David and Michael are aware, \u201cChrysalis wanted to focus more on Alex rather than the band. In the end they probably got fed up throwing money at the band and pulled the plug.\u201d<\/p>\n Also, \u201cAlex, Eddie, and Anthony moved to London and the band (THE MOTORCYCLE BOY, Mk II) decided to take a different direction and attempted a more \u2018polished\u2019 sound by employing Mark Wallis as a producer.\u201d With the album indefinitely on hold, Chrysalis continued to release several singles, selecting the Wallis tracks as A-sides and relegating some of the Collier album sessions to B-sides across the 7\u201d and 12\u201d formats. David and Michael told us \u201cSome other songs, intended for the album, also ended up as B-sides on the \u2018Hey Mama\u2019 promo. These songs were never intended as B- sides but as album tracks. The vinyl release is exactly how the album was supposed to be, including the running order.\u201d (Note that the \u2018Hey Mama\u2019 B-side, \u2018Days Like These\u2019 is included in the CD version of the album.)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.shindig-magazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/The-Motorcycle-Boy-1.jpg\")