Emanuel sez: “I know nothing”. I have to agree. The Dials? Well they remind me alot of Neon Hearts. Great punk rock with an energetic saxophone. Turn the speakers up and enjoy.
Country: UK
Year: 1979
Label: Scene
Format: 7″
Songs:
All I Hear.mp3
Running
The Dials were from SW London, there’s rumoured to be another single “She Thought Her Nose Was Bleeding, But It’s Snot” either withdrawn or unreleased. The single listed in Volume on the Wessex label is (I think) a different band.
This has similarities to The Cravats. My first band tried to sound like this but my friend on sax couldn’t get it to sound quirky enough. We got rid of him and went in a harder direction.
The second single was “Get Up And Dance”/”She Thought Her Nose Was Bleeding But It’s Not”, a kinda ska/instrumental combo. I’ve never seen one, so how much it actually hit the shops I don’t know. Main Dial-bloke was later in Thirteen At Midnight, on Survival. Can’t remember what they sounded like.
So much for rumours! “Snot” would have been way cooler!
Ah! This was a blast from the past! I used to have it back when it came out but it’s vanished over all those years of living in squats (along with swo many records that people seem to go apeshit about these days)…
Great to hear it again though! Thanks!
I’m loving the blog by the way, and was a big appreciator of RT back in the 1980’s…
Very first punk record I ever owned. Thought I’d never hear it again. Thanks!
From Staines/Whitton way. Used to support The Members a lot. Matt, lead singer died from tumour on his arm. Cunt still had my early sixties leather bumfreezer when he died. Couldn’t go round and say “Sorry, Matt’s mum – stop crying and go and dig out my jacket from your dead son’s room”, could I? Saw bass player Jamie in Tottenham Court Road around 1980. He told me Matt was dead. I was a bit upset. He said “Didn’t know you liked him”. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I was weepy about my jacket. Cunt.
True.
Hey Persil – not a lot been happening in your life for the last 25 years then if you’re still worried about a leather jacket from 1983, what a sad sad bastard you must be now. Move on. Sure Matt wouldn’t have made such a waste of his life if he’d had the chance. You sad git.
Nemo – I don’t mean to intrude, but not a lot happening in YOUR life by the tone of your reply, or the timing, or the maths . . . oh shit, just found myself engaging with you – I really must get out more!
At my school, near Staines, probably in 1979, somebody painted in 4 foot high letters on the playground tarmac “THE DIALS ARE HERE” The writing had been poured from a paint tin rather done with a brush, or spraycan – quite artistic. Never heard anything they ever did though, …. until now – thanks // The Condemned, Dead Man’s Shadow & Action Pact came from the same area a few years later. DMS fizzled out, despite some great reviews at the time in the national music press – and they are now forgotten, but Action Pact seem to have survived the test of time and are still remembered — unlike The Dials. Sad the lead singer died so young. I don’t know if The Condemned ever made it onto vinyl, but they were very popular: their name often appearing sprayed on walls and painted on many a leather studded jacket. I would like to hear THE CONDEMNED again — if anything exsists — can anybody point me in the right direction?
There are two posts for The Condemned (not sure if it is the same band though) over at the Slaughter Of Innocents blog. A demo from 1985 and the “No Visible Scars” compilation EP from the same year.
Would love to hear what happened to The Condemned. My friend (Dave) who was their drummer, ived in Ashford, Middx but we lost touch around 82/83. Be good to know what he is up to these days.
My wife was at school with some of The Dials and was a close friend of Jamie’s, the bass player. We saw them supporting The Members at The Venue in Victoria, and saw them again when they became Thirteen At Midnight after Matt died.
I am fairly certain that their first single was going to have a song called “I Can’t Dance” on the A-side, with a picture of Richard Jobson from The Skids on the sleeve – here are The Skids on TOTP, with Jobson showing just what inspired them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1Jis2d4W_Q
As far as I can remember Jobson got wind of this and stopped them releasing it.
I haven’t seen Jamie for years.
Persil,the Dials were from Sunbury and Ashford areas.Glad you never got your jacket back..karma for being such a shit.Was it black? I remember him wearing one and it suited him well !
Matt was a fantastic guy and it was dreadful to hear the news the day he had died and tragic to loose him so young.
The Dials were great,a young ,fun ,punk band.I still have vivid memories of the gig outside The Record Scene in Sunbury.They supported The Members and both bands had a crowd of followers from this area.Happy memories of old friends,wonder what you are doing now Neil Clarke and Neil Howes?
Neil Clarke: living in Madrid since ’94 and still playing loads of sax here!
Neil Howes lives in Nottingham
And still energetic Mr Clarke ?? …energetic sax playing ;)
And who is Jeff playing with ….
Remember first seeing them at the Walton Hop and afterwards having a long chat with Matty about music related things RIP Matty. We used to follow them after that never forget that gig in Croydon where they supported the then unknown Bad Manners plus all the other gigs supporting the Members.
Great times never to be forgotten, Still have their first single, also remember the Wardens from Staines great rivalry with the Dials
Yes the Dials were from Ashford and my cousin Jamie played bass . What a mad and exciting time it was. The news about Matt was so terrible . I didnt really know him but the shock of one so young had a sad and memorable effect.
The Condemned I saw a couple of times and do remember Dave their Drummer again I didnt really know him. But I do know Lawrance Powel their lead singer he was a good mate who told me about The Ruts who they supported down The White Heart in Acton…. what a night! Lawrance now plays guitar and sings in a punk covers band called No Lip who just happen to be playing this Sunday at The Undercover Festival in Bisley.
Action Pact i did see in a pub locally but I can’t remember where? Did the ever play Stanwell?
Wow …..interesting to read the legacy of The Dials. I am the drummer Geoff Hemsley, still living in southwest London. I haven’t stopped playing and for past 20 years drum for Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band.
Sadly Matt Stokes- singer, died in April 1983 and the band ended, the remains morphing into Thirteen and Midnight. Neil Clarke -sax, moved to Spain Madrid, Neil Howes – singer/guitar is living somewhere in Nottingham and bassist Jamie Bolster lives in Twickenham. The original bassist Craig Macdonald (whom Jamie took over from) lives in southwest London. Only Neil -sax and myself are still actively involved in music.
For a while I was in ‘O’ Level music class with Geoff Hemsley at Ashford College (now sadly bulldozed) in 1979 before he left mid-year, I think to become a full-time musician. Glad Geoff made a career of it as he was an excellent drummer back then.
The Dials’ debut single was the only one released by the in-house label of Record Scene, a bespoke four-store chain which was good at mainstream stuff (the Ashford, Middlesex branch was the world HQ for the Cliff Richard and Shadows fan clubs!) but also a haven for punk and new wave singles. Sadly, from memory, the Feltham branch got done for chart rigging which (pun intended, bearing in mind the intended A-side) put the skids under the empire.
As for The Condemned’s drummer, I think that was Dave Dodson, who I last saw in “The Swan” by Staines Bridge four of five years ago. Bumped into him a few times back then. A bit on the extreme side politically, but friendly and engaging company. At the time Dave was living near Pooley Green (on the edge of Staines and Egham), running some allotments and teaching guitar, and his dream was to relocate to Hastings eventually.
So many names from the past ; knew some on nodding terms but aforementioned Mr Dodson was an actual mate alongside other Ashford College alumni including Chris Larman, Gaz Bennett, Karen Mitchell, Sue Lawson
Dave Dodson was a top man. Ashford College indeed had a small punk abd new wave scene 1978-79. Geoff Hemsley and by extension Dials part if it too.
Matt, Neil Howes and original bassist Craig were at my school. Matt scored a cracking first time volley from the edge of the box away at Dulwich, a thing of beauty. Very handy in a tight spot too, I can remember him facing down some NF skinheads at a Members gig somewhere in Surrey whilst we all hid behind him. Good song, great played live. I think Nicky Tesco produced it, could have done a better job tbh.