Formed: Stirling, Scotland, UK, Europe
Band Bio / Discography
Mairi: I was looking at your very interesting site (don't know how you can be bothered, but thanks for that!), when I was struck by the missing bands from Scotland, so I thought I'd drop you a quick line. I played guitar in a band called The Fakes, formed in Stirling, Scotland in 1978 (yes, I was a girl, and no, I wasn't the singer). We finished up in 1979, due to the tragic death of our drummer, Brian, in a motorbike accident. The line-up was Johnny McGuire (vocals), Jamzy McDonald (bass), Brian Kemp (drums), Mairi Ross (guitar). We only had one single released on the Deep Cuts independent record label, but there are various recordings of a practice tape available online that I can't ever remember being made.....plus various stuff on various compilations. Most of them didn't bother to ask if it was okay; the only ones that did were Cease and Desist (DIY) and Messthetics. The original single is being re-released on vinyl soonish, I believe, by a Dutch / Spanish record company, of all things.
The band was formed in December 1977 by McGuire, McDonald and Keep, as the Cunts. They went through a rapid succession of guitarists - Jim Connelly, Colin Grey, "Ewan somebody from Perth", and Sean Kelly - before settling with Mairi Ross in late Summer '78, by which point the band had played just a handful of gigs. They changed their name to SK70, but although not as manifestly rude a band-name as The Cunts, this still proved too controversial a choice, as SK70 was a silicon lubricant, often used with condoms. So they became The Fakes. Hot on the heels of a self-released cassette, they signed with Deep Cuts Records and released Production in early 1979. The A-Side a plodding, depressing and pretty boring dirge about factory life which just drags and drags miserably. I know this is intentional but it's not fun to hear, although John peel liked it. There were three songs on the B-Side: 'Look-Out' sounds like a punked-up version of Joy Division the others are faster, punkier, sounding songs. The band was popular locally, and as a result all 2,000 copies of the single sold. In teh 1990's, bassist McDonald reinvented himself as Egebamyasi (aka Ege Bam Yasi), doing acid house shit.
Classic Lineup:
Johnny McGuire - vocals
Mairi Ross - guitar
Jamzy McDonald - bass
Brian Kemp - drums
DISCOGRAPHY
Singles / Albums
| Production (7", 1979) |
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Tape |
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| In A Room 7 February 1979 (Tape, 1979) | ||||
Various Artists
The A.N.K.L.E. File UK TAPE 1980 (A.N.K.L.E.): Sylvia Clarke
Instant Pop Classics Volume Two-The Clones Of Dr. Punkenstein Germany LP 1998 (HappyLuxPop-Records): Look Out
Bloodstains Across The U.K. 4 UK LP 1999 (Bloodstains): Look Out
Messthetics #105 US CDR 2007 (Hyped To Death): Sylvia Clarke
The Scots Are Coming - Scottish Punk Rock Rarities 1977-'82 Belgium CDR 2012 (AK79/Hellfire Club): Tony Blackburn (Full Version)
[Cease & Desist] DIY (Cult Classics From The Post-Punk Era 1978-82) CD 2015 (Optimo Music): Look Out
Kilt By Death: The Sound Of Old Scotland (1977-1984) ?? CD 2005 (no label): Look Out
