BATTERED WIVES Live On Mother's Day lp 1980Keep a Knockin' / Daredevil / Freedom Fighters / Everybody Loves A Loser / Sex And Drugs And Rock'n'Roll / Sweet Little Sixten / You Really Got Me / Lucille / Suicide / Great Balls Of Fire.
Produced by Ron Chapman.
Battered Wives: T. Swann: vocals, guitar / J. Gibb: vocals, guitar / C. Anderson: drums / L. 'Jasper' Klassen: bass.
The Canadian punk rock band the Battered Wives formed in 1977. Early members were lead singer and guitarist Toby Swann, bassist Larry "Jasper" Klassen, and drummer Cleave Anderson. Later, singer and guitarist John Gibb joined the lineup, and after Anderson departed the scene, drummer Patrick Mooney came on board as well. In between 1978 and 1980, the Battered Wives recorded a number of singles and three albums, sometimes working under the shorter and less controversial title of the Wives.
the Battered Wives started performing in Toronto in the latter part of the '70s. By 1978, the band had signed a contract with the Bomb Records label and released a self-titled debut album and a two-sided single, "Uganda Stomp" and "Giddy." A lot of the attention the band's name, some of its songs' lyrics, and even lipstick-smeared fist logo earned them wasn't welcomed. Women's groups soon began to picket the Battered Wives at concerts. Though the press wasn't positive, it was still press, and probably in the long run helped the band build a bigger fan base of rebellious teens and young adults. It didn't take long for the debut album to reach gold. Some of the tracks from the successful first outing are "Angry Young Man," "Everybody Loves a Loser," and "Lover Balls."
Just before the band began work on a sophomore release, Anderson tossed in the towel. He moved on to a group called the Sharks. As soon as Anderson left, Mooney was brought in to fill the spot. That second album, Cigarettes, came out under the band's shorter title, the Wives. Although it didn't sell nearly as well as the first, it earned the band a Juno Award. The next album, Live on Mothers' Day, was finished in 1980 under the Ready Records label. The guys were using the debatable name, the Battered Wives again, but sells still didn't rise. It was the last full-length recording the band would make together. In 1999, both albums were re-released on CD. Source
Buy it HERE!
Just before the band began work on a sophomore release, Anderson tossed in the towel. He moved on to a group called the Sharks. As soon as Anderson left, Mooney was brought in to fill the spot. That second album, Cigarettes, came out under the band's shorter title, the Wives. Although it didn't sell nearly as well as the first, it earned the band a Juno Award. The next album, Live on Mothers' Day, was finished in 1980 under the Ready Records label. The guys were using the debatable name, the Battered Wives again, but sells still didn't rise. It was the last full-length recording the band would make together. In 1999, both albums were re-released on CD. SourceBuy it HERE!
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BATTERED WIVES "Live On Mother's Day"
lp 1980
"True to the punk rock ethos, Toronto's The Battered Wives, like the Viletones and The Forgotten Rebels, were born into controversy. Formed in 1977 by British-born Toby Swann and Toronto natives Larry "Jasper" Klassen (formerly of the band Flight 505 with Rick Perreault and Warren Maracle) and Cleave Anderson, The Battered Wives gained a reputation on Queen Street as aggressive rabble rousers. Fellow Brit, John Gibb, a clothing boutique owner on Queen Street, had heard about the band through their reputation and managed to convince the members they needed him.
Within a year they had signed with fledgling Bomb Records out of Toronto who released their first album, simply titled 'The Battered Wives', and they headed out on tour with Elvis Costello. But, it wasn't long before women's groups were down their backs for not only the name, but for their logo -- a fist with lipstick smeared across the knuckles.
The women's groups began to picket every venue the band played and doing a set list featuring such tunes as "Uganda Stomp" (about Idi Amin) and "Lover's Balls" didn't sit well with the pre-PMRC parents groups either.
Despite the controversy, or maybe because of it, the Battered Wives built up a huge following which managed to push the sales of the self-titled debut to gold status (50,000 copies) -- an unprecedented event for a debut by a Canadian 'New Wave' group at the time.
The continual upheaval and media spectacle was too much for Cleave Anderson and soon departed to beat the skins for The Sharks (with Sherry Kean). He was quickly replaced by Patrick Mooney.
A second album was recorded, but Bomb Records had run out of money and the album sat for almost a year before they licensed it to Epic. However, Epic refused to release the disc unless the band changed their name to 'The Wives'. Controversy or not, the album only sold 5,500 copies but still managed to win the band a Juno Award (a Canadian version of The Grammy) for 'Best Album Graphics'.
The Wives had seen no promotion on the western leg of their 1979 tour and asked to be released from their deal with Epic Records citing breach of contract. Ready Records were quick to pick up the newsworthy band and let them return the 'Battered' to their names for their 1980 album 'Live On Mothers' Day'.
Alas, the punk hedonism was long gone and the industry failed to recognize the band except now -- 18 years after their demise..."
The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia
Nice one!
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