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Slik

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Slik
Background information
Also known asPVC2 (only 1977)
OriginGlasgow, Scotland
GenresPop, rock, glam rock, bubblegum pop, punk rock (as PVC2)
Years active1974–1977
LabelsPolydor, Bell, Arista, Epic, Zoom Records (PVC2)
Past members

Slik were a Scottish pop group of the mid-1970s, most notable for their UK no. 1 hit "Forever and Ever" in 1976. Initially glam rock, the band later changed their style to soft rock/bubblegum. It was the first band with whom singer and guitarist Midge Ure began to experience musical success, before joining new wave band Ultravox.

History

Slik were formed as the Glasgow based band 'Salvation' in June 1970, comprising Kevin and Jim McGinlay, Nod Kerr, Mario Tortolano, and Ian Kenny. Brian Deniston replaced Ian Kenny in December 1970 and Nod Kerr departed in May 1971, followed by Tortolano and they were replaced by Matt Cairns on drums and Robin Birrel on keyboards. Deniston left shortly after this change and they were forced to continue as a four-piece outfit for almost a year. Birrel and Cairns then left in March 1972 and they recruited Kenny Hyslop on drums, Billy McIsaac on keyboards and Jim "Midge" Ure on guitar. They reverted to a four-piece band when Kevin McGinlay left in April 1974 to pursue a solo career.[1]

They changed their name to Slik in November 1974, and linked up with the pop songwriters Bill Martin and Phil Coulter, who were also writing for the Bay City Rollers who were teen favourites at the time. Now signed to Polydor, the band members all adopted pseudonyms - Midge, Oil Slik (Kenny Hyslop), Jim Slik (Jim McGinlay) and Lord Slik (Billy McIsaac). These were dropped after the failure of "Boogiest Band in Town", their debut single (which was also on the soundtrack of the film Never Too Young To Rock), and their suits were exchanged for baseball shirts. A change of record label also saw them signing with Bell Records.

This was followed by their greatest success when their single "Forever And Ever" reached number one in the UK Singles Chart in February 1976. As a result of the single, readers of The Sun newspaper voted Slik the best new band of the year. The song formula was repeated with their next single, "Requiem", which made the UK top 30 but failed to repeat the success of "Forever and Ever". Ure was injured in a car accident shortly after the release of the single, resulting in the cancellation of television appearances and a planned UK tour. "Requiem" opens with the first accordes of Joaquín Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez", which had been a number 3 hit just two months before in the UK for Geoff Love's orchestra, billed as 'Manuel & the Music of the Mountains'. Following the "Requiem" single, the band's self-titled album was released but this was a commercial failure, peaking only at no.58 in the UK. Subsequent Slik singles failed to chart.

In March 1977 Jim McGinlay left the group and was replaced by Russell Webb, a university drop-out,[2] who continued for the final Slik gigs.

PVC2

Shortly after Webb joined and a last tour, the band decided to change both genre and name. They chose to call themselves PVC2, and play punk music which was growing in popularity at that time. In the latter half of 1977, PVC2 released "Put You in the Picture", on Zoom Records, whose eponymous song joined the repertoire of The Rich Kids, Ure's next band. Slik/PVC2 disbanded in September 1977, when Ure departed and moved to London to join The Rich Kids.

Following Ure's departure, Webb, Hyslop and McIsaac added Alex Harvey's cousin Willie Gardner to their next band, called Zones; they released some singles and an album, Under Influence (1979) (which credited Midge Ure among the collaborators), but went their separate ways shortly afterwards. Webb and Hyslop joined The Skids, and McIsaac retired from the pop music scene. In the 1990s he formed the Billy McIsaac Band.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Year A-Side B-Side Label Other
1975 "The Getaway"
(Robert Scott)
"Again My Love"
(Jim McGinlay)
Bellaphon published in Germany [1]
1975 "Boogiest Band in Town"
(Bill Martin-Phil Coulter)
"Hatchet""
(Bill Martin-Phil Coulter)
Polydor Records [3]
1975 "Forever and Ever"
(Bill Martin-Phil Coulter)
"Again My Love"
(Jim McGinlay)
Bell Records UK # 1
1976 "Requiem"
(Bill Martin-Phil Coulter)
"Everyday Anyway"
(Kenny Hyslop)
Bell Records UK # 24
1976 "Don't Take Your Love Away"
(Bill Martin-Phil Coulter)
"This Side Up"
(Billy McIsaac)
Arista Records
1976 "The Kid's a Punk"
(Bill Martin-Phil Coulter)
"Slik Shuffle"
(James Ure)
Bell Records
1976 "Bom-Bom"
(Exuma, Reno)
"Dancerama"
(Bill Martin-Phil Coulter)
Bell Records published in Spain [2]
1977 "Dancerama"
(Bill Martin-Phil Coulter)
"I Wanna Be Loved"
(Jim McGinlay)
EMI Electrola
1977 "It's Only a Matter of Time"
(Herbie Flowers-Tony Kelly)
"No Star"
(Billy McIsaac)
EMI Electrola
1977 "Put You in the Picture" as PVC2
(Midge Ure)

Zoom Records

List of Songs

The following is a sortable table of all songs by Arrows:

  • The column Song list the song title.
  • The column Writer(s) lists who wrote the song.
  • The column Album lists the album the song is featured on.
  • The column Producer lists the producer of the song.
  • The column Year lists the year in which the song was released.
Song Writer(s) Album Producer Year Other
Again My Love (1975) Jim McGinlay Slik (CD) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1975 B-side of The Getaway
Again My Love (1975) Jim McGinlay Slik (CD) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1975 B-side of Forever and Ever
Better Than I Do Bill Martin-Phil Coulter Slik (LP) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1976
Bom-Bom Exuma, Reno Slik (LP) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1976 A-side of Dancerama, published in Spain [3]
Boogiest Band in Town Bill Martin-Phil Coulter Slik (CD) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1975 A-side of Hatchet
Dancerama Bill Martin-Phil Coulter Slik (LP) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1977 A-side of I Wanna Be Loved
Dancerama Bill Martin-Phil Coulter Slik (LP) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1976 B-side of Bom-Bom
Darlin Billy McIsaac Slik (LP) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1976
Day By Day Billy McIsaac Slik (LP) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1976
Do It Again Midge Ure Slik (LP) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1976
Don't Take Your Love Away Bill Martin-Phil Coulter Slik (CD) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1976 A-side of This Side Up
Everyday Anyway Kenny Hyslop Slik (CD) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1976 B-side of Requiem
Forever and Ever Bill Martin-Phil Coulter Slik (LP) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1975 A-side of Again My Love
Hatchet Bill Martin-Phil Coulter Slik (CD) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1975 B-side of Boogiest Band in Town
I Wanna Be Loved Jim McGinlay Slik (CD) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1977 B-side of Dancerama
It's Only a Matter of Time Herbie Flowers-Tony Kelly Slik (CD) Slik 1977 A-side of No Star
No Star Billy McIsaac Slik (CD) Slik 1977 B-side of It's Only a Matter of Time
No We Won't Forget You Jim McGinlay Slik (LP) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1976
Put You in the Picture as PVC2 Midge Ure 1977 A-side of ?
Requiem Bill Martin-Phil Coulter Slik (LP) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1976 A-side of Everyday Anyway
Slik Shuffle James Ure Slik (CD) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1976 B-side of The Kid's a Punk
The Getaway Robert Scott Slik (CD) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1975 A-side of Again My Love
The Kid's a Punk Bill Martin-Phil Coulter Slik (CD) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1976 A-side of Slik Shuffle
This Side Up Billy McIsaac Slik (CD) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1976 B-side of Don't Take Your Love Away
When Will I Be Loved Phil Everly Slik (LP) Bill Martin-Phil Coulter 1976

References

  1. ^ Kevin McGinlay Salvation Archived 2009-02-26 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Armouryshow.com
  3. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 507. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.