The Records
The Records have always been “Top of the Pops” in the pantheon of powerpop. At the time the band released their genre-defining first single “Starry Eyes” in 1978, I was a punk rocker who took Joe Strummer and the Clash’s admonition in “1977” about “no Elvis, Beatles, or the Rolling Stones” a bit too seriously. The punk party line told us we were fighting a musical revolution and anything that came before had to be destroyed! But after hearing the four minutes and twenty-three seconds of “Starry Eyes” that punk rock epistemology was forever discredited for me. By seamlessly melding the amphetamine rush of punk with the crystalline jangle of vintage Brit-invasion the song singlehandedly reunited me with my rock and roll roots the Beatles, the Raspberries and Blue Ash and led me to discover other kindred spirits like Shoes and 20/20 who were re-imagining the classic pop rock repertoire of the 60s and early 70s. With lyricist Will Birch, Wicks had created an enviable oeuvre of catchy, word-smart tunes, and the Records were one of the few English bands that weren’t punky, but, rather, astute stylistic scholars of Badfinger and Big Star. Among their few contemporaries were Squeeze (a bit less into power-pop formalism, but they, like the Records, emerged from the Pub Rock movement as a new and improved specimen) and more obscure combos like Squire.
The Records went on to release three classic LPs in their heyday: “Shades in Bed” (1979), “Crashes” (1980), and “Music on Both Sides” (1982), but by the mid-80s they were finished. John’s musical efforts in the intervening period were high quality, but unfortunately infrequent. While John continued to record and play live, fans of the Records had to wait nearly 10 years for “Rotate”. It could just have easily been called “Revolve(er)” as John’s musical palette continues to mirror the Records’ classic sound, one that is heavily influenced by middle-period Beatles songcraft. “Different Shades of Green” and “So Close to Home” are instant powerpop classics which would have fit comfortably on “Crashes” with their shimmering guitar work and anthemic choruses.
Singer-guitarist John Wicks passed away in a Burbank hospice on Sunday morning, Oct. 7, 2018. John’s time here on the planet was far less than he deserved. I’d like to express my condolences to his family, his friends and his ever-increasing legion of admirers. The Records will continue to spin in my head, and the wick of brilliance lit by John will continue to burn, the wax kept tirelessly alive by turntables the world over.