Nick Powell, Steve McNerney Dave Rotchelle & Bo Benham
Powerpop / Rock / Post punk
Oh yes, the official founders of Powerpop wore smart suits and had the ability to actually play their instruments, The Pleasers (as in pic at top: Nick Powell, Steve McNerney Dave Rotchelle & Bo Benham), were at the forefront of the new wave guitar-based groups that swept through the British music industry in the late 70’s. They wrote and performed great songs with superb harmonies, jangling guitars and pure sixties drum fills, and their live shows brought back the fashion for being surrounded by cool guys wearing thin ties and screaming mini skirted girls. As proud Londoners, the group described their sound as Thamesbeat but you might know it better by the name their music was given by the press at the time: Powerpop. Yes The Pleasers were the group who gave birth to the title that defines strong melodic pop to this day. Teenage magazines, Music papers and National press alike named The Pleasers as the Sound of 1978 and toward the end of that year the sound, the look and the clean cut image evolved into a huge Mod revival that became a whole scene in itself. But that as they say, is another story. Always a major feature of their live act, the groups enthusiastic studio cover of the Who’s 1966 anthem ‘The Kids Are Alright’ brought a host of favorable reviews and comments when it was released in Spring ’78 from, among others, the songs composer Pete Townshend. If you were there at the time and were lucky enough to catch The Pleasers on one of their sell out tours, this will bring the memory back for you and if you weren’t, then you will certainly want to know what you missed. Listen then to some of their recently re-mastered tracks from 1977-78* that still stand today as fresh, quality, powerful pop. No less than the original Powerpop. *Produced by Tommy Boyce, Ron Richards & Geoff Haslam & are now available on iTunes.
Bo Steve & Nick on Crackerjack 1978
Bo Steve Dave & Nick on Crackerjack at BBC Shepherd's Bush 1978
Influences
The Who, The Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, Russ Conway!
Record Mirror front cover January 14th 1978
Media
(click on images to enlarge)
Evening Standard December 6th 1977
Music Press Coverage
SOUNDS February 4th 1978
Daily Mail feature January 23rd 1978
The Pleasers in Mojo 2007
ZigZag Magazine Jan 1978
Videos
The Pleasers 'LIES' Live on 'Get It Together' Now On iTunes.
The Pleasers 'The Kids Are Alright' NOW on iTunes
Listen to some of their recently re-mastered tracks from 1977-78, that still stand today as fresh, quality, powerful pop. No less than the original Powerpop. Produced by Tommy Boyce, Ron Richards & Geoff Haslam & are now available on iTunes.
A Japanese record label called 'Air Mail Recordings' have just licensed the Thamesbeat album (plus 6 bonus tracks) and will be releasing a new CD in January 09 for the Japanese market.
R.I.P Chips Chipperfield - The Pleasers manager (1977 - 1979), and also Grammy award winning producer of the Beatles Anthology (1995 documentary series). Chip passed away on August 13, 2008.
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