The Stereotypes 1979-80
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So much has already been written about the fabulous Stereotypes, that it's practically impossible to add anything new to that great legacy, so.......Oh, hang on, hang on! That's the Rutles, isn't it, that so much has been written about. Ah, sorry! I got mixed up....now, The Stereotypes, that's a whole other story.....It began with a closed diner, and a man too long without sleep to continue his journey. Oh no, that's The Invaders....of course, so The Stereotypes. Well, they were a band I was once in. As George would say, "A suit I once wore."
Well this suit began in 1979 when I landed at University. at first it was
just a student band: "Louie Louie" etc. We never played that, actually,
we started with.....
Releases
Please note that the album beside this may look like it's just a single, but it's actually 22 tracks.
Now it’s very, very, very, very, very tempting to write about the Stereotypes here. I have already written 200,000 words about them in a Mark Lewisohn kind of way; i.e. what I had for breakfast in February 1979 and what colour socks I wore (black), but I’ve come to realise that these details might be interesting if I were Paul McCartney but not if I’m Paul Galley (i.e. not yet part of the public consciousness), who I happen to be. Hence my comments above.
I think the music should lead the way. So, I am attaching copies of The Stereotypes recordings of 1978-80 here. This was available on cd at one time. I’m not sure if it still is? I’ve set the songs up just to play, if you want to hear them, but not to download or to sell at the moment, partly because it’s hard enough just to get them to play!
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I want to thank Steve Cooke, who has a genius for organisation, for saving, compiling and packaging these songs. Steve and I wrote many or most of the Stereotype songs, so now you know who to blame when you can’t get them out of your head.
I also want to thank Mr RJ Donaldson (Eric’s Dad) for his fantastic work on the graphic design of the single cover. He was a real gent. By the way – “No” the picture on the single isn’t of me and I don’t know who it is? William Wilson? Norman Eshley?
Anyway:
The Stereotypes were and are: Mark# 1: Paul Galley - bass and vocals; Steve Cooke - guitars/vocals;
J Max Brill - drums and Martin Pailthorpe - lead guitars; (1978-79)
Mark #2: Paul Galley - bass and vocals; Steve Cooke - guitars/vocals; J Max Brill - drums and Eric (aka Stuart Donaldson) on lead guitars. (1979-80)
Mark#3: Paul Galley - bass and vocals; Steve Cooke - guitars/vocals, and David Vincent on everything else, including theremin. (2010 +)
I can’t say we’d necessarily record and perform these tracks in the same way today as it was a different time: you had to be “street-credible” and a bit angry about something but, most of all, crackling with energy like The JamClash in an electrical storm. Equally the recordings can be a bit primitive (live) but we were just four teenagers having fun. Not bad for over 40 years ago!