It Was Easy, It Was Cheap... Go and Do It!
A Desperate Bicycles Discography!

"It Was Easy, It Was Cheap... Go and Do It!" - that was the call to arms at the end of the first Desperate Bicycles single in 1977. In the world of late seventies DIY punk the Desperate Bicycles are up there with the best of them! They took the three chord idea of 'anyone can start a band' and for the next few years produced their own fantastic music totally outwith the confines of the record industry. They have now developed a mystique based around the fact that none of their records have ever been re-released on CD! The music ranges from angular, trebly punk like Smokescreen (their first single), to mature, compassionate left-field rock on their album...

RR1 1977 Smokescreen/Handlebars	RR2 1977 Medium is Tedium /Don't Back the Front	RR3 1978 'New Cross, New Cross' 6 song 7" ep (I Make The) Product /Paradise Lost /Advice on Arrest /Holidays /The Housewife Song /Cars

Smokescreen is a great record and the most widely available - if you see it, get it!... 'The Medium is Tedium' is the song, or possibly the MANIFESTO, with the mantra of "It Was Easy, It Was Cheap... Go and Do It!" It's an organ filled, trebly classic. "Don't back the front" is another anthem to 'Xerox music' - a poppy left-field, short and sweet gem. "New Cross, New Cross" has six songs and sold originally for 70p (about a dollar in those days! ). The lyrical themes again are about using and hating the product! Intelligent, wordy, but unpretentious lyrics about late seventies teenage life. Advice on Arrest is probably the best known song, who's lyrics (about what to do if arrested) are as valid now as ever! Strange how, in discussions about the political content of punk era lyrics, the Bicycles never get a mention, though they were one of the most lyricaly political bands around. There's also a fair amount of satirical humour on this EP like "Holidays" and "Cars".
What a change on "occupied territory" which starts off as an acoustic, almost folky ballad - shades of Roy harper or Syd Barrett - before the trebly electric garage band slides in with a slithering spidery lead guitar - then back to the sweet folky tune before WHAM BAM the drums and riff return and the whole band rocks out! It 's like a mini rock opera, all within three minutes!!! The other side, "Skill" is a classic! ... another DIY manifesto... 'You don't need skill, just the desire..." .

RR4 -1978 Occupied Territory/Skill	RR5 - 1979 "Channel"/"Stammer" (released as The Evening Outs)	RR7 - 1980 "Grief is Very Private"/"Obstructive"/"Condundrum"

"Grief is very private", the last Desperate Bicycle recording, has some big swirling organ and a heavy, fuller sound. The band are pictured on the label looking earnest (pretty dodgy moustache on one member!). It's slower, less frantic - possibly a more mature band, but still a great single! The two songs on the other side are similarly medium paced songs with jerky arrangements - similar to the artier side o f British sixties psychedelica and avant-garde music!
Their John Peel session has a slower version of "Smokescreen", and a great versions of "Skill." "Sarcasm" is another classic song with biting lyrics and "Teachers Prayer" is another mid paced number not available anywhere else apart from the Peel session.

All Desperate Bicycle releases were on their own label - Refill records. These pictures taken from personal collection and recent auctions on e.bay. Thanks to Daniel at Acute Records for the 'Evenig Outs' record cover scan.

RR6 Remorse Code LP - 1979 Side 1 1.I Am Nine 2.Walking The Talking Channel 3.A Can Of Lemonade 4.Pretty Little Analyse 5.Acting Side 2 1. It's Somebody`s Birthday Today 2.Sarcasm 3.Trendy Feelings 4.Natural History 5.Blasting Radio John Peel Session 1978 Smokescreen Skill Sarcasm Teacher's Prayer

I don't know why the band are so against re-releases!These days it's even easier and cheaper to bring out your own records without any interference from the music business - even viny is cheaper to produce than it was in the late seventies. There are obviously a lot of people who want to hear the band's music, so why not!
Follow the links to find out more about these DIY pioneers...

Hear some Desperate Bicycles tracks
Interview from 1979
Perfect Sound Forever - online music zine, large article on DP & Scritti Politti
1977 - a punk rock diary, has a little bit about the band
hyped2death.com - Johan Kugelberg's top 100 DIY records from UGLY THINGS 'zine
hyped2death.com - Sleeve notes from the Messthetics archive CDs of DIY Punk