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Track 0229: VIVA BOBBY JOE (Grant) 3:32 (BLITZKRIEG BOP) (12th February 1978)
Musicians: John Hodgson – lead vocals, backing vocals, Ray Radford – guitars, backing vocals, Mick Hylton – bass guitar, backing vocals, Alan Cornforth – drums, backing vocals.
Recorded: BBC Radio Cleveland Studios, Middlesbrough - 2 track mono
As well as being busy with gigs in January, we were making plans for our second Lightning single, due to be recorded in March.
We came to the conclusion that if we covered an old hit in a punk style it would give us a better chance of making the charts. We spent an evening playing dozens of 7” singles and we eventually chose “Viva Bobby Joe”, a top 10 hit for The Equals in 1969.
To hedge our bets we decided on a “double a-side” with “(You're Like A) UFO” on the other side.
As a dry run, our manager Larry suggested we record a session at the BBC studios in Middlesbrough. They were still broadcasting in mono so that is how we recorded it, however they had the ability for us to record twice so Ray, for example, played rhythm guitar and lead guitar, and I double tracked my lead vocals on the chorus.
We took the opportunity to record another new song “Images” (aka “Weekend Punks”)
that was mainly written by Ray, his only contribution to the Bop canon.
In retrospect I think “Images” would have made a better single as it is a more distinctive original song than “UFO” which basically stole the opening riff from Bowie's “Hang On To Yourself”.
I was heavily into reggae at the time (I still am), and I was keen to have a full length dub version of “Viva Bobby Joe” added to end of the song, I was voted down and there is only a brief pseudo-dub tacked on to the end.

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from Legend & Lunacy: 50th Anniversary Box Set Vol​.​13, released May 1, 2016

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fast cakes Stockton On Tees, UK

Fast Cakes aka John Hodgson presents his Fast Cakes releases, plus his older releases with other bands, and also the massive "Legend & Lunacy" a 50th Anniversary box set of 1261 tracks celebrating 50 years of songwriting and music making with a variety of bands including Blitzkrieg Bop, Basczax & Makaton Chat amongst others. From pop tunes to indie anthems, all human life is here. ... more

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