THE ALTERNATORS

 

 

 

 

 

 

No sleeve was officially issued but the above sleeve does turn up from time to time. We think that this was made up by a fan of the band at the time and over the years it has circulated through out the world to different collectors. The band state no sleeve was ever issued!!!

 

 

No Answers / Kid Don't Know 7"

Catalogue Number - SRTS/NRG 001

Label - NRG RECORDS

Year Of Release - 1978

Quantity Pressed - 1000

 

 

 

The members of the band are:-

 

Martin Geldart – Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals

Colin Warnock – Rhythm & Lead Guitar, Singer

Louis O’Neil – Keyboards, Backing Vocals

Wayne Hutton – Drums

 

The band got together in 1976 .  They wrote all their own material and used to support bands such as The Stranglers, The Ramones and the Skids.

 

We used to have our own large PA system so we tended to hire this to the promoter of many gigs, one of those gigs was at the "Marriot Hall" in Dundee playing on the same bill as The Rezillos.  We arrived first and set up the PA and all our gear, the Rezillos arrived late and did not appreciate the amount of equipment we had. So therefore they complained to the promoter and said they would not play. When Colin was talking to the promoter, Faye Fife from the Rezillos walked up behind him with a stiletto heeled shoe in her hand and was going to hit him on the head, we shouted to Colin and he turned round and smacked her and she went reeling across the floor as you can imagine this gig did not go ahead!!!

 

We used to support a lot of bands because we were one of the few bands in Scotland that a Hammond C3 organ.  This enabled us to play many a support.  We recorded a single which was a Double A side No Answers / The Kid Don’t Know. It took a year to get the singles pressed due to the small quantity in those days your order went according to the pressing numbers subsequently when the reviews were written we got accused of sounding similar to the Stranglers when in reality we were wrote and recorded before they were famous.  

 

We went to London in pursuit of recording contract first stop was Virgin were told they could not take us on as they had just signed Devo the day before.  We then tried the same publishing Company as the Stones use and they offered us a Contract, the band could not make a unanimous decision on whether to sign with them or not so they told us to get out!!!   We then decided to come home to Scotland a few things were not quite right in the band anymore and therefore a few months later the band broke up.

 

 Louis O’Neil now lives somewhere in the London area as a musician

Martin Geldart now has his own IT Company and has his own band

Colin Warnock now works for Tayside Regional Council and no longer plays

Wayne Hutton plays professionally in the clubs around Scotland

 

Martin Geldart  July 2003

 

The above snippet appeared in the Aberdeenshire fanzine 'Granite City' #1 from August 1978.

 

 

 

 

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