Andrew Weatherall uses The 'No' Tune by Cowboys International, a stylish guitar-led instrumental from 1979, to open his Music's Not For Everyone radio shows. That guitar line can get stuck in your head for some time. It's been going round mine since the end of last week.
Cowboys International were a post punk band, synths and guitars, who released one influential album (The Original Sin, 1979) and some singles and split up in 1980. Cowboys International are notable not just for the album but for the members who passed through the ranks. Founder member Ken Lockie started the band with Keith Levene. Former Clash man Terry Chimes/Tory Crimes played the drums. They were joined at different times by former members of Ultravox, Adam And The Ants, The Banned and Boney M. Yes, that Boney M.
The 'No' Tune
4 comments:
Hadn't heard of them before! That's the Song For Guy melody.
Didn't listen to CI and this song for many many years. Still great and I think I grab The Original Sin from my collection and put it onto my turntable. Thanks for bringing back the memories Adam.
Original Sin is among my favorite albums of all time. Ken Lockie managed to incorporate so many of the important musical trends as Post Punk began to really become a movement. The mixture of synths, bright, sharp guitars, slow and fast time signatures and pointed, emotional lyrics made for a very memorable and dense album. Rick Jacks, who I don't believe I've ever found any other musical credits for created something called Aquarium Guitar on the album which describes to a T, the sort of underwater sound of the guitar on many of the tracks. It's a sound Bunnyman WIll Sargent would become very familiar with soon after.
The 'No" Tune is the album's penultimate track and the guitar almost sings as a sort of space lullaby. It gives way to the the closing track where Levene lets loose - Wish. Lockie's lyrics are defiant and the song builds and builds to a crescendo of cacophonous speed to the point where it seems like the song will lift off. Lockie spent some time with PiL during the recording of Metal Box and this final offering from Original Sin has always seemed like it may have come from that interaction.
And that is why Echorich's comments are so good
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