Artist:  The Purple Helmets

Title:  The Purple Helmets Ride Again

Date:  1988

Label:  New Rose Records   ROSE 160

Original Logo Designs:  Steve Beaumont

Sleeve Artwork:  J.L. & Grant (Graphyk)

Photography:  Nik Yeomans

Notes:  A French import on smashing pink vinyl. This record, consisting of nothing but cover tunes, is fun from start to finish. A little background is in order here. The band is made up of bits of the Stranglers and a dash of the Vibrators if I'm not mistaken. Plus a few other gents, origins unknown. And given this climate the live set rarely strays into Stranglers territory. A slight passage in "All Day and All of the Night" casts a rat-like shadow across the bass line, but over-all we've got a pretty good bar band serving up some blues inflected songs and stories. The guys manage to touch on the Yardbirds, Kinks, Animals, The Who, Buddy Holly and ever so much more. A front cover group portrait of the gentlemen wearing their signature headgear and some choreographed steps bringing up the rear. Hard to find, but worth seeking out if you're any fan of the Stranglers or their individual members.

Line Up:

J.J. Burnel: bass, vocals
Manny Elias: drums
John Ellis: lead guitar, vocals
Alex Gifford: lead vocals, saxophone, guitar
Dave Greenfield: keyboards, guitar, vocals

Track Listing

Side 1

Wooly Bully
Over Under Sideways Down
Don't Bring Me Down
We Gotta Get Out of This Place
Baby Please Don't Go
Can't Explain
Whatcha Gonna Do About It

Side 2

Keep on Running
All Day and All of the Night
Louie Louie
Tobacco Road
I Wanna Be your Man
Hip-Hug Her
Not Fade Away
I'm a Man