CD Flys back in time to the days of punk
THE entire output of Coventry punk band The Flys has been collected together for a new compilation album, Today Belongs To Me: The Complete Recordings 1977-1980.
Formed in 1974 by Neil O’Connor, the band initially began life as Midnight Circus, taking their name from a song by British R&B / garage band The Pretty Things.
But having witnessed The Clash’s White Riot tour in May 1977 at Birmingham’s Barbarella’s – a seminal gig that also featured The Buzzcocks, The Jam, The Slits and Subway Sect – the band switched their name to The Flys and adopted a more urgent pop/ punk sound.
The quartet quickly found their calling, but interest from Londonbased record labels was initially non-existent, so they decided to record their own release, A Bunch Of Fives, later that year.
“We saw that many bands were doing it for themselves, going down the indie route,” recalls Neil. “We went to Pathway Studios in Islington, London, where most of the early Stiff records had been produced. It’s where the first Damned and Elvis Costello albums were made, and we loved the sound.”
Their limited edition EP, coupled with a series of appearances opening for The Buzzcocks, helped secure The Flys a deal with major label EMI, who followed A Bunch Of Fives with The Flys’ debut single, Love And A
Molotov Cocktail, in January 1978.
The band went on to appear on TV’s Old Grey Whistle Test, record several sessions for John Peel, tour with The Ruts, and release two albums – Waikiki Beach Refugees and the more original and varied Own.
But hits eluded them, and the band called it a day in 1980 after the Four From The Square EP and What Will Mother Say single both failed to chart.
Neil quickly joined his sister Hazel O’Connor, who’d been spotted opening for The Flys in London before scoring a string of hits off the back of the Breaking Glass movie.
Ex-Flys David Freeman and Joe Hughes formed The Lover Speaks. They went on to work with Alison Moyet while their song No More ‘I Love You’s’ was later a major hit for Annie Lennox.
“In retrospect, don’t regret the split,” says Neil. “It gave us all the opportunity to pursue other areas of music.”
Out now on Cherry Red Records, Today Belongs To Me brings together 53 studio recordings, including both albums and various EP tracks and singles, plus nine never before released songs and demos. For more information, see www.cherryred.co.uk