Someday when I have a little more energy I'm gonna post something at length about Tom Robinson. In the meantime enjoy "2-4-6-8-Motorway."
Robinson really is one of the great lost figures of the early punk/New Wave era. Did the Clash almost one better by being as relevant as all get out and yet all over the radio (at least in England). A terrific songwriter AND a righteous dude.
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7 comments:
I thank Tom Robinson and "Glad to Be Gay" for changing mine and many others consciousness about gays from that of simply being a punchline to a joke.
For that, he should be knighted.
I just wiki'd him, and I'm very glad to see he's still around. I don't know why, but I really thought he bought the farm several years back.
Yeah, apparently he's something of an institution in England, show on the BBC and all that.
His career took something of a detour back in the 80s when he had the temerity to marry an actual woman and raise a family.
Good one, Steve.
Tom Robinson was always on my list of bands I never saw live, but wished I had. Huh. Wasn't there a Listomania with that theme a little while back?
And yes, TRB changed a lot of people's attitude towards teh gay. Punk was mostly openly hostile and misogynistic towards sex in general but particularly as it related to homosexuality.
As a straight boy majoring in Theatre at the time Tom Robinson Band was popular, I knew a lot of folks who felt a good deal less alienated from the new wave and punk scene after "Glad To Be Gay" was released, or should I say, "came out".
Cheers.
Cleveland Bob:
I saw him at a small club on his first American tour -- quite wonderful.
The funniest thing was my then girlfriend actually went backstage and tried to come on to him. She thought he was REALLY cute...I kept telling her, but she just didn't want to hear it.
Of course, if she had waited a few years...
Did you know that Ray Davies actually discovered him?
Mr Simels,
Yes. Ray Davies produced his first record did he not? Great stuff.
As for girlfriend stories, I once was dating a Glaswegian girl while living in Chicago. We went to see Paul Carrack at Park West with a band which included a bunch of people including Jools Holland and maybe Chris Difford.
She was so blasted by the end of the show that she threw a perfectly good glass of whiskey in my face because I told her that no matter how hard she tried, the roadie was not going to let her get past his rather large frame to get at the band.
I was, eventually, correct in my assessment and proceeded to pour her into a taxi where she promptly passed out on the way home. Tough little broad though.
Good times...good times.
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