The Sound of Young Scotland - Documentary
Teaser for documentary on FAST product and Postcard Records. And the msuic and people associated with the Scottish Post-Punk era
APB - Shoot You Down
APB formed in the small rural town of Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and consisted of singer/bassist Iain Slater, guitarist Glenn Roberts, and drummer George Cheyne.
Though living in a remote area, they took inspiration from the “DIY” spirit of the punk scene, adopting a hard-working approach to writing, rehearsing and performing. Meanwhile in Aberdeen, a small independent record company called Oily had started to release records and they were impressed enough by the band’s live shows to release a single in 1981. The song was “Chain Reaction”, which had long been a favourite at gigs. It was basically a two and a half minute punk/pop song with fuzzy distorted guitar and Scottish inflected vocals, but already the band was evolving with a sparser and more rhythmical sound. Bootsy, Clinton, GO4, ESG, Buzzcocks, and The Clash were all filtered through three teenagers from Aberdeenshire to create a catchy, rhythmic sound.
A change in their sound first became evident with their second single for Oily, “I’d Like To Shoot You Down” (1981). The single did well and sold out its first pressing, with some copies finding their way to New York City. Soon it was regularly played at most of NYC’s underground dance clubs. Unaware of the popularity of ‘Shoot You Down’ in the USA the band and Oily were busy pushing their third seven-inch, “Palace Filled With Love” (1982). This is when the Radio 1 sessions began. Peel and Jensen (and lastly Peter Powel) were playing the tunes nightly and offering sessions despite the lack of a major record deal. After recording several BBC session, APB had some success in Europe.
Oily Records released the band’s first singles “Chain Reaction” 1981, and the undeniably rambunctious “Shoot You Down” 1981 which made its way across the pond to New York City. This New York radio play proved to be their launching pad. The third single “Palace Filled With Love” came in 1982. Next came the anthemic “Rainy Day” in 1982. Around this time Nick Jones joined as percussionist. The last release with Oily Records was “One Day” came in 1983. Nick Jones left at this time and was replaced by Mickey Craighead.
