Sounds - September 6 1986

All of the following pieces are from Sounds music newspaper dated September 6 1986.

Brian Spence, one of our free EP artistes, who left school to join Bilbo Baggins and then set up a duo with Colin Chisholm, goes solo with his first single on Polydor this week called "Here It From The Heart". (See Jaws on Page 11.)

From page 6, section called "Backtracks".

The Life Of Brian

BILBO BAGGINS — now that was a hand. Well, wasn’t it? I’m not at all sure myself, but ex-Bilbo Brian Spence assures me that they scorched a hot chart trail to number 41 some years back.

Now, alas, BB are consigned to the backwaters of bargain-bin obscurity, sharing cut-out racks with the likes of Gary US Bonds, Bitches Sin and Mandrake Paddlesteamer. But our Brian has dug his heels in and is out to make a go of it again, solo. So now he has an album, ‘Brothers’, a single, ‘Hear It From The Heart’, and a prized slot on the new, not-to-bemissed Sounds 7-incher all set to start his balls rolling.

So what’s he got that others haven’t? In a word, nothing. Nothing apart from “just, er, strong songs”. And if you don’t think that’ll be enough, just cast your mind hack to ‘85 and an LP called ‘Reckless’.

Is Bryan Adams a fair likeness, Brian?

“Well, I know for a fact that I’m gonna get it. I did think of changing my name at one point.”

Too late now.

“Actually, when I first tried getting a deal, I was compared to Rick Springfield.”

Poor sod. Mind you, the whole sound of the record, and the many comparisons to US radio rock, neglect one thing — he’s a Scot.

“There was a time when I was doing really Scottish sounding songs — singing with an accent and all that. Y’know, the very first time I read about Big Country I thought to myself that’s the band I should be in!”

Brian’s even done his time packing coal for peanuts in Edinburgh. But with songs this catchy, he should soon start packing ‘em in all over the place.

CHAMPAGNE CHARLIE

From page 11, section called "Jaws".

VARIOUS ARTISTS "The Sounds Polydor Free EP! (Sounds/Polydor)

Top value for money giveaway featuring: 1) A juicy cut from Brian Spence's fab LP "Brothers". 2) A slice of hard groovin' funk courtesy of Chris Sutton. 3) A spot of humourous raggae from ragamuffin MC Smiley Culture. 4) An excellent and otherwise hard to get hold of track by The Velvet Underground. I mean to say, guv'nor, what more could you possibly require?

From page 22, section called "Singles"

Page Last Updated: 4th March 2010

© Morley Enterprises 2001-2011. This site, SpenceMusic, is a personal site and is not affiliate with Brian Spence, Bilbo, Bilbo Baggins, Cheeky Bufalloes, Chisholm & Spence, The Wish or anyone else for that matter. Any copyright infringement is accidental. The pictures and music on this site are there for information only. They are not there for any commercial purpose. Therefore, if anyone representing the artist(s) or record company(ies) want me to remove these items please mail me and I will remove them immediately! This site, SpenceMusic, and Morley Enterprises are not responsible for the content of any other websites that are linked from here. So there.