From the ashes of the Shop Assistants and Meat Whiplash came The Motorcycle Boy, one of the great lost Scottish pop groups of the late 1980s. Featuring the unmistakable voice of the late Alex Taylor, the band traded under an enigmatic name inspired by Mickey Rourke’s
character in Francis Ford Coppola’s avant-garde film noir Rumble Fish.
The Edinburgh-based five-piece were feted as the ‘next big thing’ and went on to release a string of classy singles – but it was the old, old story. Dropped by a major label, the Motorcycle Boy’s debut LP was recorded and never came out – well, not until a
few years ago, about 30 years after it should have done – and the band split up, their chance at world domination gone.
Fans, though, remember their bittersweet pop gems – and now their only BBC session for the legendary John Peel is released on Precious Recordings of London. This four-song outing at
Maida Vale features the LP title track ‘Scarlet’ and much loved ‘Under The Bridge’, plus the previously unreleased ‘I Could Make You Happy’, perhaps as close to indiepop as they ever got. With sleeve notes by Michael Kerr and a plethora of unseen images, this release is limited to 500 copies worldwide.
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