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Baby Baby Come to Cuckooland:
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One day in late August 2004, I sent Buttz,
aka Paul, head honcho of both
The Babysitters
and
Last of the Teenage Idols almost 20 questions and the guy answered
in his own inimitable way, shortly after. Read on for a tale of typical
Rock'n'Roll derring-do and valour in the face of the record industry
enemy, as Buttz fills up the space in the ashtrays of our lives, and lets
us in on what really kinda happened way back when.....oh, and thanks to my
mate Gaz for tracking down Buttz's email address, without which you
wouldn't be reading this. (Green
implies Babysitters/Idols song titles) 'Why Tel Aviv, (apart from the fact that it really is quite far away), any particular reason to pick that place for a song, or was it just random?' Right. "Tel Aviv" was brought to the band by "Pig", the Marionette drummer whom we borrowed. "Pig", "Jimbo" and "Boo" went back years. I think it was an old song they used to play in a garage somewhere. I remember whilst recording our album that due to the lack of material, we would have to include "Tel Aviv" to basically fill a couple of minutes! We all laughed about it being included. I don't think any of us knew where the fuck Tel Aviv was, or what the fuck it was all about. |
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Is there any truth in the talk of either/or a reunion of either The Babysitters / Teenage Idols and a compilation album of all The 'Sitters stuff? I've heard too that there are plans to try and reform either The Babysitters or The Idols, if not both, & Soho Roses for an all-dayer somewhere in London, with maybe The Dogs D'Amour and Quireboys, too?
Re-unions of Babysitters or
Teenage Idols have been in the pipeline for years. The Idols almost
re-formed 4 years ago. Shuff runs my old haunt
Gossips now, and drummed up a bit of interest, and we all thought it'd be
fun. Vom lives in Germany, so that was a bit of a problem, hang on...
Danielle lives in Italy, and Hovis returned to his mother
ship.....Blimey,.. we're like the Fucking Rolling Stones. As for the
Babysitters, I'm meeting our manager next week for a half. I bumped
into "Boo" at our roadie, (Billy the Willy)'s wedding a few years ago, and
we got on o.k. Jimbo and I haven't seen each other in 20 years, he lives
in the U.S.A now, and I don't know what his thoughts are. Stik played on
the "Gang Bang Band E.P" 16 years ago, and that's the last I saw of him.
The Babysitters won't be reforming. I would play a gig with the Dogs,
but I fell out with Spike, (after the Quireboys got signed and he left me
to run the club on my own),.. I fell out with the "Soho Roses" after a gig
at the Marquee when they needed funds for the "So Alone" E.P. We supported
them, and the place was full, and the fuckers wouldn't give us a fiver for
our bus ride home. They were Shuff's mates. I got on with Paul Blittz
after
that, but never really spoke to the others. I fell out with everyone in the
business over the years. Most of the bands got a sniff of the money and
ran. I remained nailed to the floor in Soho! I went to New York on my own
with a crappy demo tape of the "Idols" in '88 and ended up in R.C.A
drinking wine with the boss. It was magic. I set up interviews for the
coming month... but whilst I was there...our manager had booked a 26
date tour of all the toilets in England, and we had to honor them. I never
spoke to R.C.A again. I also had booked three showcase gigs in New York's
"Limelight", "CBGB's" and......" Radio City", but we had to play
Scunthorpe, Dudley and Cleethorpes. These were the days before mobile
phones. We played the gigs and sacked the manager. While in New york, I won
the "best arse competition" at the Limelight, and won a ticket to see
Nick Cave the next night. Funny how things happen. |
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Was / Is the
Embassey Club based on a real place, or just a completely
fictional tale based on places that are like that? The Embassey was a night club in Kensington. There were no rock clubs in London in '82, except one night a week,.. at the Embassey... (Yippee!!) ...the D.J might play Status Quo, or Bachman-Turner Overdrive towards the end of the "Abba and Village People" evening. Jimbo and I were regulars for a month, and couldn't believe how absolutely SSHHIIITTT it was. Posh twats came straight from the surrounding offices to shake their thang, the beer was around £5 a pint, and a bowl of nuts was more. One night, Jimbo came running out of the Embassey kitchens with a pineapple that he knicked from the fridge. Of all the fucking things to nick... a fucking Spikey-rock hard fucking pineapple. "Could have got a roast chicken, Jimbo" I gasped,.. starving hungry. "Ahh", said Jimbo, "wait"...reaching for his Swiss army knife. |
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For half a fucking hour we battled with this
fucking pineapple on the dance floor. Covered in juice and peel, the club
bouncer lifted us both up at the same time and threw us out of the back
door. He didn't know that we had secured our second ever gig there the
following week, and banned us for life. During that week, we wrote "Light up an Embassey" which appeared as
"Alright O.K" on the album. So the night of the gig, we kind of sneaked in
wearing crap disguises. (We changed the title as the club closed down
months before the album came out). I have a video of us performing the
song at the "Embassey Club". You can see Jimbo and Boo learning it on
stage, it was our last song of the night and we really went for it. Jimbo
falls through a hole in the stage, there's beer everywhere, and you can
hear "Razzle" laughing and shouting. It's was a great show. At the end of
the night, Jimbo spotted the bouncer's bicycle parked out the back. Out
came the Swiss army knife, and he left the bike in a neat vertical pile of
nuts and bolts.We never went back to the "Embassey". Did you ever find the girl that picked her nose?! "Boo" wrote "Pickin' the Blues". He turned up at a rehearsal with it going round his head! It was a very popular live track. "It's snot the way she wears her lipstick/It's snot the way she wears her clothes/ It's snot the things she says/It's snot the things she does/Oh, I just love her,.. for the way she picks her nose..." _______________________________________________________________________________________ |
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How did Babysitters
& Idols come about? Any stories surrounding
that? The Babysitters formed around '82. I was working in a shop called Melanddi's in Carnaby Street. Hanoi Rocks used to pop in all the time, they had their base in Maddox St just around the corner. Razzle, Nasty and Sammy were always hanging around the west end. We used to drink in a pub in Holborn called "the Oporto" in the heart of theatre land. Melody Maker was next door, and the News editor, Carol Clerk was the host of the Oporto's legendary "Rock 'N' Roll table". I spent most of the 80's in the Oporto with every rock star in London from Steve Marriot, Slade, the Mission, fuck me, even Rolf Harris popped in for a pint. He showed us how to make strange noises with your gob and a pint glass. But I do mean everyone was there. |
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More business was done in that pub than
anywhere else I ever went. I loved it . Anyway,. I had been singing in a
band with Neil X, (Later of Sigue Sigue Sputnik fame),..we
were called "The Babyslitters". We never played a gig, but that was my
first experience of singing in a band.( I was a bass player before that in
a punk band in Cornwall called "The System"). I have a tape of one of the
'Slitters' rehearsals. My first attempt at songwriting was "Everybody
loves you when you're dead". Sputnik were looking for a singer. I was a
big Generation X fan and wanted the job. I didn't get it. The official
reason was that my girlfriend was too fat. Phew,.. that was close. (But
they were right). I became friends with Martin Degville years later, we
were going to open a shop together in Kensington market. We started buying
film props and pop memorabilia (before it was fashionable),..but ran out
of money. That was the foundation of my shop today. A friend of a friend
knew Jimbo, who in turn knew Boo... they were the Isle of Wight crowd. Jimbo turned up to the first rehearsal on a motorbike with two birds,..
and I didn't care if he could play or not. The attitude was 100%. We
sounded like the Pistols for a month. The power was awesome. Jimbo was the
greatest Rock 'N' Roll guitarist in the world. He even wrote the best line
in any song: "I need the money for my beans!/Hey,D'ya know what I
mean?" |
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I met Shuff at his birthday party in '87. He must have had 100 people in his house, he said he was a musician, and I stayed in one of the rooms with a drum-kit. I assumed he was a drummer. He was a great bloke, (and still is!!). Shortly after that we decided to form "The Idols" after a meeting at the club. I booked our debut gig at "The Marquee" for Valentines day. (The St. Valentines day Mascarra). We hadn't written a song, and there was only two of us in the line-up. Our first lead guitarist was a guy we called "Metal Mat (no animal fat)" (he was a vegetarian). He lived in a squat next door to |
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Rotherhithe train station, with a mannequin. I'm sure he was shagging it.
Really odd bloke. He spent
one night explaining to me how "leaving the spoon in a cup of tea would
help to cool it down". My argument was "why not put a dash of cold in?" We
never agreed on much. I can't remember how we met, but he was
enthusiastic, although he only had one pair of trousers. I'm always wary of
people with ideals. I was scared to ask him for milk in my tea in case it
was somehow enslaving children in Uganda or something. Actually, he made
the worst tea in the world. No milk, sugar, and just a dash of water. I
can't remember if he had tea bags or if we had to supply them? But
maybe it's not important. Our first rehearsals were in his squat, 20 miles
from the west end, freezing cold, electricity cutting in and out. Somehow,
we put a set together. Our first songs were "Matchbox
City", (a song about
Soho) "Ned the Crow and Resurrection Joe", (a ballad to two 18th century
grave robbers), and "She's got big boots". The enthusiasm was immense, it
was exciting. Counting down the days to that first Marquee gig. "Dave (Who
Can't Behave)" became our drummer, and joined us in Rotherhithe for the
first few rehearsals, drumming on the settee with thick knitting needles.
Dave was pure Rock 'n' Roll. He would blow his dole check on hiring Rolls
Royce's to take him to the pub. He was a dangerous bloke to have around.
Later, he was to set fire to himself during the soundcheck at a show in
Sheffield, and was rushed to hospital with third degree burns...but
managed to return, (half mummified) for the gig. He also re-arranged the
plants at "Stringfellows" one evening,.. and was literally thrown through
the door on to the street...but I'll save the rest for my book!! Our last
song for the debut gig was..... "Dave (Who can't Behave)"..... He shouted
the chorus.." Here he comes, setting fire to the drums,.. call the fire
brigade! We just dunno what to do....about Dave..."I Can't Behave!!" The show went well at the Marquee, It was sold out. We got great reviews.. the Idols had arrived! _____________________________________________________________________________________ |
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Who wrote most of the stuff? Was it mainly collaborative, or did you
write most of the tunage? Could you tell us a bit about what happened at the end of The Idols?
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The Last of the Teenage Idols played everywhere over the next 3 and a half years. All our mates had got signed and were doing "Top of the Pops" and supporting big acts from the U.S. We were exhausted. I gave up. After a break of a few months, Taz, our last guitarist, phoned and said he had landed a job at London's biggest rehearsal room "Ezee Studios" on the Caledonion Road. We could rehearse free of charge, and there was a band of technicians working there who wanted to do something. We got together, and it was the best group I ever played with. It was so professional, I couldn't believe it. We even had our own producer. We spent months practicing in rooms that were bigger than most of the gigs I had played. We were mixing it with Madness, the Pogues, Public Image, Sting, and even The Who came to one of our sessions. I remember having a game of pool with Shane Mcgowan, it took 6 hours, he couldn't find the table. We started to record an album at the studio, it was sounding great. It was to be called "Neither God 'Nor Master". The writing was powerful, it was looking good. Then I collapsed with chest pains, and ended up in Kings Cross Hospital after a minor heart attack. I quit. I have the album demos on a shitty little cassette that I bought at a car boot sale a year later. Fancy that! I don't know how the demo became available at a boot fair, but I'm glad I got one. I never sang again, (except for the odd birthday party down here in Cornwall). I left London shortly after that and lost touch with everyone (until I invented the internet). For a few years it was like it never happened. I keep finding boxes of photos and videos, I can't believe it's me. Recently, a few good old mates have died. Stu.P.Didiot was the "Babysitters butler", he features on the "Live at the Marquee" video '85, then Desperate Dave, a mate roadie and musician died alone in his flat in London. Our driver "Woody" committed suicide, and then Rene Berg...There were hundreds of talented bands during that time, who were ignored by the record companies and the press. Being at the wrong time was certainly our problem. I'm sure that we invented Brit-Pop! We always let local bands support us on our tours, it was sad that they put so much effort into it and yet had no chance of fame and fortune due to where they lived. There were an awful lot of London bands who got signed just because they were drinking with the right people, and shagging the p.r. secretaries. We were one of them. |
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Hovis Presley
(Idols singer). Surely not the same Hovis that
does stand-up comedy, it must be a coincidence?
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what did you think of all the waves of grunge
that helped send crazy-assed Rock'n'Roll to the sea like Atlantis? 3 people, alive or dead you'd have to a meal, & if possible, why? 3 people I'd like to have round for
dinner...Well,.. I don't cook, but I wouldn't mind going out on the piss
with Jack the Ripper, Lord Nelson and Monica Lewinsky. |
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We couldn't believe "Spinal Tap" when we first saw it. We all looked at each other... I'm sure every rock band says the same, you always get the odd "Tap" moment on any tour,.. but we lived like that for years. Even down to the management. One show began with our gear being fired up, and it kind of started playing a tune all by itself.,..we were backstage listening to this weird "Jaws soundtrack"... eerie beat coming from our equipment... it was kind of going..."RRREEEEIIOOOOOOO oo oo oo RRREEEIIIOOOOO oo oo oo", even the drums joined in. It sounded like a kind of warning for us to keep the fuck away. I loved our tour bus,.."THE YETTI" (Named by Hovis, as he couldn't believe a bus like that could exist). It was a kind of small rusty white and brown transit van. We did 10,000 miles in "THE YETTI", all over the country. We would pull up backstage at the gigs, and the young punters couldn't believe we were the band. "THE YETTI" had a kind of chimney inside that would blow toxic fumes at us every now and then. Once at a service station...MILK was pouring out of it. It was fantastic. There is a photo of us in the mountains, lost after a gig, 10 of us in the back, with the gear on top of us, sleeping head to toe like sardines. Ahh.. those YETTI MOMENTS. Our late driver "Woody" had placed a bet in his local pub that "THE YETTI" would complete the second tour, (Yes, we booked it again), so off we went...trundling down the motorway to our final gig at Southend. With 5 miles to go, "THE YETTI" caught alight, and flames were pouring down the side of us. The other drivers were tooting ,..and later shouting ...."YOU'RE ON FIRE!!!". Woody calmly leant out of the drivers window..."I FUCKING KNOW!!" When we arrived at the gig, an hour late, "THE YETTI" rolled into the car park and went PPHHHOOOAAAR...And the side door fell off. "Woody" left "THE YETTI" there where it lay. Are there any unreleased tapes from either
The Idols, The 'Sitters,
or yourself, lying around anywhere, gathering dust that should be out
there in the fresh air? -FIN-
-Stu Gibson |
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Are you still involved in anything musically,
bands or DJ-ing anything like that?