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Alternative TV

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Alternative TV (often referred to by fans as ATV) were an influential British punk rock band, formed in London in 1976.

As the founding editor of the pioneering Sniffin' Glue fanzine, Mark Perry gained attention in the British punk scene. He formed the band whilst producing the fanzine, although eventually diverted his energies solely to this band.

Key members of the band were Perry and Alex Fergusson, who described their music as "closest to Can and reggae-type rhythms".

The band's debut single was "Love Lies Limp", a free flexi disc issued with the final edition of Perry's Sniffin' Glue fanzine. On this single Perry and Fergusson were accompanied by John Towe (ex Generation X) and Tyrone Thomas. Towe left to join the Rage as was replaced by Chris Bennett, so completing a line-up which early punk fans consider to epitomise the punk era (the band subsequently underwent extensive line-up changes). Shortly afterwards they released the "How Much Longer" / "You Bastard" 7" in December 1977, the A-side being a critique of youth culture apathy.

Soon thereafter at the end of 1977, Perry sacked his chief collaborator Fergusson. The latter went on to form Cash Pussies and, a few years later, Psychic TV along with Genesis P Orridge. Fergusson was replaced by Dennis Burns.

A dub influenced single, "Life after Life," was released as well as a critically acclaimed debut album, The Image Has Cracked. The band's second album, Vibing Up the Senile Man saw the band take a more explicitly experimental direction however, which alienated many of their followers as well as the music press. Around the same time, a live LP, split with commune-dwelling hippy band Here and Now was released (a document of their tour together), marking the band's movement further away from the ever more predictable punk/new wave scene. Alternative TV soon evolved into the avant-garde project, The Good Missionaries (taking the name from a track on the 'Vibing' album), releasing one album, "Fire From Heaven" in 1979. A series of releases under Perry's own name as well as an album under the name Door and the Window followed before Perry, Burns and Fergusson briefly reformed Alternative TV along with former members of Fergusson's Cash Pussies in 1981.

From 1981 to 1984, Perry had a new project, Reflections, collaborating with Karl Blake (of Lemon Kittens and Grant Showbiz among others, before concentrating on production.

Perry reformed ATV in 1985, and they released further records on and off over the following decade or so with varying line-ups, Perry being the only constant member.

Lost Moment Records released the 2001 studio album, "Revolution", followed in 2003 by the official bootleg album "Viva La Rock'n' Roll - comprising of live performances recorded in the UK, France, Germany and the US. In 2004 Mark finally gave in to logic and recorded the Ramones classic "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" for a Lost Moment Single and an Argentinian Ramones tribute CD, and the world heard at last his version of the song that his pioneering fanzine took its name from. Cleopatra Records released a compilation of the Lost Moment output for the US market in February 2006, entitled "In Control".

Mark Perry is currently (Dec 2006) in the process of forming the new Sniffin' Glue Records label, which will feature a third Long Decline album as its first release.

Discography

Singles

  • "Love Lies Limp" (1977, S. G. Records Unltd, 7" flexi)
  • "How Much Longer" (1977, Deptford Fun City, 7", DFC02)
  • "Life After Life" (1977, Deptford Fun City, 7", DFC04)
  • "Action Time Vision" (1978, Deptford Fun City, 7", DFC07)
  • "Life"/"Love Lies Limp" (1978, Deptford Fun City, 7", DFC06)
  • "The Force Is Blind" (1979, Deptford Fun City, 7", DFC10)
  • "The Ancient Rebels" (1981, I.R.S., 7", PFP1006)
  • "Communicate" (1981, I.R.S., 7", PFP1009)
  • "Welcome To The End Of Fun" (1986, Noiseville Records, 12", VOO1T)
  • Love/Sex EP (1986, Noiseville Records, 12", VOO2T)
  • "My Baby's Laughing (Empty Summer's Dream)" (1987, Anagram, 12", ANA36)
  • The Sol EP (1990, Chapter 22, 12", 12CHAP46)
  • "Best Wishes" (1994, Feel Good All Over, 7", FGAO6)
  • "Purpose In My Life" (1995, Feel Good All Over, 7", FGAO22)

Albums

  • The Image Has Cracked (1978, Deptford Fun City, LP, DLP01)
  • What You See Is What You Are (1978, Deptford Fun City, LP, DLP02) (live LP, shared with Here & Now)
  • Vibing Up The Senile Man (Part One) (1978, Deptford Fun City, LP, DLP03)
  • Live At The Rat Club '77 (1979, Crystal Records, LP, CLP1)
  • Action Time Vision (1980, Deptford Fun City, LP, DLP05)
  • Scars On Sunday (1980, Weird Noise, CAS, WEIRD001) (split with The Good Missionaries)
  • An Ye As Well (1980, Conventional, CAS, CON14) (split with The Good Missionaries)
  • Strange Kicks (1981, I.R.S., LP, SP70023)
  • Peep Show (1987, Anagram Records, LP, GRAM32) (reissued on CD 1996, Overground, OVER54CD)
  • Splitting In 2 - Selected Viewing (1989, Anagram, LP, GRAM40) (compilation)
  • Dragon Love (1990, Chapter 22, LP, CHAPLP51)
  • Live 1978 (1993, Overground, CD, OVER29)
  • The Image Has Cracked - The Alternative TV Collection (1994, Anagram, CD, CDPUNK24) (compilation)
  • My Life As A Child Star (1994, Overground, CD, OVER39CD) (reissued 1995, Feel Good All Over, CD, FGAO16)
  • The Radio Sessions (1995, Overground, CD, OVER44CD)
  • The Industrial Sessions 1977 (1996, Overground, CD, OVER49CD)
  • Vibing Up The Senile Man - The Second Alternative TV Collection (1996, Anagram, CD, CDMGRAM102) (compilation)
  • Punk Life (1998, Overground, CD, OVER70CD)
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