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Biography
Infobox musical artist|name = 999|image =|caption =|image_size =|background = group_or_band|origin = England|genre = Punk rock Pop punk cite web|url= http://www.punk77.co.uk/groups/999.htm |title=999 - great Punk band ,history, music, records,photos |publisher=Punk77.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2012-04-18cite web|url= http://www.last.fm/music/999 |title=999 – Discover music, videos, concerts, stats, & pictures at |publisher=Last.fm |date=2012-03-22 |accessdate=2012-04-18cite web|url= http://deaconlight.com/music/records/1979/999_biggestprizeinsport.html |title=999 & #124; The Biggest Prize in Sport, Download Songs, Read Commentary About The Biggest Prize in Sport |publisher=Deaconlight.com |date=2009-03-03 |accessdate=2012-04-18Strong, M.C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, Edinburgh, p. 105|years_active = 1977–1982 1983–1987 1993–present|label = United Artists Records Radar Records Polydor Records Albion Records |associated_acts = Ian Dury#Kilburn and the High-Roads|Kilburn and the High-Roads , The Lurkers , The Clash |Also Known As =|website = http://www.nineninenine.net/ Nineninenine.net (Official website)|current_members = Nick Cash Guy Days Pablo LaBritain Arturo Bassick|past_members = Jon Watson Danny Palmer Ed Case|notable_instruments = 999 are an English rock music|rock musical ensemble|band who formed in London in 1977. They are often cited as one of the first punk rock bands.Citation needed|date=October 2011 Between 1978 and 1981, they had five Top 75 Single (music)|singles in the UK Singles Chart , and one Top 40 single. After extensive touring across the Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic , the band's third and fourth Recording studio|studio album s charted in the United States. Despite breaking up a couple of times, they continue to record and play live to the present day.
Career
Named after United Kingdom|Britain’s 999 (emergency telephone number)|emergency telephone number , 999 was founded in London by singer/ guitarist Nick Cash and Guy Days. Cash and Days met each other when the former was a member of the Pub rock (UK)|pub rock band Ian Dury#Kilburn and the High-Roads|Kilburn and the High-Roads , and the latter was a Session musician|session guitarist who played on some of the band’s demo (music)|demo tapes.cite book |title= Alternative Rock |last= Thompson|first= Dave|year= 2000|publisher= Miller Freeman Books|location= San Francisco|page= 519 In late 1976, they placed an advertisement in Melody Maker for band members and ended up turning down Chrissie Hynde ( The Pretenders ), Jon Moss ( Culture Club ) and Tony James ( Generation X (band)|Generation X ). http://www.punk77.co.uk/groups/999-1.htm 999: A History (Part One) on www.punk77.co.uk: A history of UK Punk Rock from 1976-79; They recruited Jon Watson on Bass guitar|bass and Pablo LaBritain on Drum kit|drum , LaBritain having briefly played with The Clash .cite book |title= The Clash |last= Peachey|first= Mal |year= 2008|publisher= Atlantic Books|location= Great Britain|page= 62 The band that eventually became known as 999 performed their first concert at the Northampton Cricket Club in January 1977. http://punkmodpop.free.fr/999_pic.htm 999 on Punkmodpop; After experimenting with several different band names, the band became 999 in May 1977.cite book |title= 70s Music |last= Larkin|first= Colin|year= 2002|publisher= Virgin Books|location= London|isbn= 1-85227-947-8|page= 307.
999 soon established themselves as a powerful live act on London's punk scene and became regulars at the Hope and Anchor, Islington . On the strength of their well received, self-financed debut Single (music)|single , 999 were signed to United Artists Records around the same time as the Buzzcocks .cite book |title= Up Yours& #33; A Guide to UK Punk, New Wave & Early Post Punk |last= Joynson|first= Vernon|year= 2001|publisher= Borderline Publications|location= Wolverhampton|isbn= 1-899855-13-0|page= 246 "I'm Alive" became a firm favourite in the punk nightclub|clubs .cite book |title= Rock: The Rough Guide |last= Buckley & Ellingham (eds)|year= 1996|publisher= Rough Guides|location= London|isbn= 1-85828-201-2|page= 609 The band's second single, "Nasty Nasty", was cited nearly 20 years after its release as a seminal punk single.cite web |url= http://www.hiljaiset.sci.fi/punknet/top100si.htm |first=Steve |last=Gardner |year=1996 |title= Hiljaiset Levyt: 100 Best Punk singles |quote= ripping guitar
Their 999 (album)|self-titled debut album , Record producer|produced by Andy Arthurs, was released in March 1978. One retrospective review claimed it "demonstrated their limitations as well as their strengths. The 45 cuts like "Me And My Desire" and "Emergency" demonstrated the latter, but the album lacked that special ingredient, uniqueness or originality to make it stand out from the crowd."cite book |title= Up Yours& #33; A Guide to UK Punk, New Wave & Early Post Punk |last= Joynson|first= Vernon|year= 2001|publisher= Borderline Publications|location= Wolverhampton|page= 246 The album reached #53 in the UK Albums Chart . The following year, the song "Emergency" from the album appeared — alongside songs by bands like The Jam and The Stranglers — on the punk compilation 20 of Another Kind . That album reached #45 in the UK Record chart|chart . Years later, "Emergency" was included in Mojo (magazine)|Mojo magazine's list of the best punk rock singles of all time.Mojo (October 2001) - 100 Punk Scorchers , Issue 95, London;
The band's second album, Separates was produced by Martin Rushent . One reviewer lists it as one of the best punk albums of all time.cite web |url= http://www.hiljaiset.sci.fi/punknet/top100lp.htm |first=Steve |last=Gardner |year=1996 |title=Hiljaiset Levyt: 100 Best Punk LP's |quote=" ‘Homicide’ from this LP, which was about their most popular song, was pretty close to disco, but there's plenty of other catchy ones here, like ‘Tulse Hill Night’, ‘Out Of Reach’ or ‘Let's Face It’." In the United States , a slightly altered version of Separates , re-titled High Energy Plan , became the band's first American release.cite web|url= http://www.discogs.com/release/705100 |title=999 - High Energy Plan (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs |publisher=Discogs.com |date= |accessdate=2012-04-18 In October 1978, a month after the album’s release, 999 recorded their only session for John Peel at BBC Radio 1 . http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/artists/a/999/ 999’s John Peel Session on BBC Radio 1; 999 also played at Front Row Festival, a three-week event at the Hope and Anchor in late November and early December 1977. This resulted in the band’s inclusion, alongside the likes of Wilko Johnson , The Only Ones , The Saints (band)|the Saints , The Stranglers , X-Ray Spex , and XTC , on a hit double LP of recordings from the festival.
999 toured widely in the United States and the band was rewarded when their albums The Biggest Prize In Sport and Concrete charted on the Billboard 200 . In the US, "Homicide" & "Hollywood" garnered frequent rotation on Rock of the 80s format radio stations like KROQ in Los Angeles. According to Dave Thompson (author)|Dave Thompson , "For many Americans, they were the first to actually bother with the backwoods, playing places which other Brit bands hadn't heard of, and returning to them again and again. And while no one knows how many American bands were first inspired to take up arms by 999, those that did still wear their loyalties loudly."cite book |title= Alternative Rock |last= Thompson|first= Dave|year= 2000|publisher= Miller Freeman Books|location= San Francisco|isbn= 0-87930-607-6|page= 520
Despite a number of minor hit singles, the band's critical appeal in Britain had begun to wane. Their stock was lifted temporarily with the arrival of the self-released Face To Face 999's popularity continued to decline steadily, leading to the group disbanding twice in the 1980s, reforming soon afterwards. They have since released several albums and continue to tour, including playing at the 11th Antifest in 2005. Bassick also plays for The Lurkers . http://www.thelurkers.co.uk/history.htm The Lurkers' Band History on their official website
Line-ups
Original: Nick Cash (b. Keith Lucas, 6 May 1950) – vocals and guitar; Guy Days – guitar and vocals; Jon Watson – bass; Pablo LaBritain – drums.
End of 1979: Ed Case temporarily replaces an injured LaBritain on drums.
Spring 1980: LaBritain returns after injury.
Split up in 1982 but reformed in 1983.Joynson, V. (2001) Up Yours& #33; A Guide to UK Punk, New Wave & Early Post Punk , Borderline Productions, Wolverhampton, p. 247;
1986 Watson leaves. Danny Palmer replaces him on bass
Split up in 1987 but reformed in 1993.Strong, M.C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography , Canongate, Edinburgh, p. 106;
1993: Arturo Bassick (of The Lurkers ) replaced Palmer on bass.
Reviews
list to prose|date=February 2012
999's debut single, "I'm Alive", was "a headlong rush of anti 9 to 5 rebellion complete with a bruising power-pop punk guitar attack and rent-a-yob pitched-in vocals."Strong, M.C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography , Canongate, Edinburgh, p. 105
"It's a three-minute Charge of the Light Brigade with all the hallmarks of 1977: the vocals are histrionic, the music embarrassingly simple, the instruments turned up to full volume and the production almost absent." Buckley, J. & Ellingham (ed.) (1996) Rock: The Rough Guide , Rough Guides, London, p. 609
"They produced a series of snappy singles sung with urgency - "Nasty Nasty", "Me And My Desire" and "Emergency" - which received favourable reviews but didn't sell in sufficient quantities to make the charts."Joynson, V. (2001) Up Yours& #33; A Guide to UK Punk, New Wave & Early Post Punk , Borderline Productions, Wolverhampton, p. 246
"A ferocious live band, the group harnessed every iota of their stage performance for the studio, turning in an album that zips past at the speed of light, in a blur of chant-worthy choruses and pogo-able riffs."Dave Thompson’s review of 999's debut album on Allmusic
"Singer Nick Cash has a sort of affected, high pitched snarl when he wants to emphasize a point, but when the band sings straight verses or chorus parts with backing vocals they can have a nice punk pop sound that's a lot like The Boys (UK band)|the Boys ". http://www.hiljaiset.sci.fi/punknet/top100lp.htm Steve Gardner (1996) “Hiljaiset Levyt: 100 Best Punk LPs”
"They have also been the subject of a welter of compilations and live albums in the wake of renewed interest in punk nostalgia, but the better elements of their back catalogue argue strongly against the 'dregs of punk' tag that has hung around their necks in recent times."Larkin, C. (2002) 70s Music , Virgin Books, London, p. 307
"Not until they’re all laid out in front of one, does it become apparent just how many great 45s this band had!" Thompson, D. (2000) Alternative Rock , Miller Freeman Books, San Francisco, p. 520
"While never gaining back their original popularity and record sales, they have for the past 30 years or so maintained a live and recording profile to become one of Britain's best loved punk acts and always a great live act." http://www.punk77.co.uk/groups/999-2.htm '999: A History' from www.punk77.co.uk: A history of UK Punk Rock from 1976-79
Discography
Studio albums
999 (album)|999 (March 1978, United Artists Records , UAG 30199) # 53 UK Albums Chart cite book
| first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | pages= | isbn= 1-904994-10-5
Separates (September 1978, United Artists, UAG 30209)
High Energy Plan (U.S./Canada Release only: 1979, PVC / Radar / Passport) Based upon Separates , it replaced various album tracks with various singles
The Biggest Prize in Sport (January 1980, Polydor Records , POLS 1013) # 177 Billboard 200|U.S. Billboard Album Chart
Concrete (April 1981, Albion, ITS 999) # 192 U.S. Billboard
13th Floor Madness (November 1983, Albion, AS 8502)
Face to Face (March 1985, LaBritain, LABLP 1000)
You Us It! (November 1993, Anagram)
Takeover (March 1998, Get Back)
Dancing In The Wrong Shoes (1999, Receiver Records)
"Wild Sun" / "Scandal In The City" / "Bongos On The Nile" (June 1982, Albion) Also released as a 12" single with "Don't You Know I Need You"
"13th Floor Madness" / "Nightshift" / "Arabesque" (October 1983, Albion) Also released as a 12" single
Appearances on various artists compilations
"Quite Disappointing" and "Crazy" are on the Hope & Anchor Front Row Festival double album|double compilation LP (March 1978: Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros K66077) #28 UK Albums Chart
"Emergency" and "Homicide" are on 20 of Another Kind (February 1979: Polydor , POLS 1006) UK #45
Urgh& #33; A Music War
"Obsessed" is on Trauma (1979: Pickwick International Inc (GB) Ltd., SHM 3122)
Inside Out featured on US version of Showtime Networks Shameless
http://www.nineninenine.net/ The Official 999 Web Site
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p3488|label=999
http://www.punk77.co.uk/groups/999.htm 999 on www.punk77.co.uk
http://punkmodpop.free.fr/999_pic.htm 999 on Punkmodpop
http://www.scannerzine.com/999.htm Interview with Nick Cash with Scanner zine
http://www.leftofthedialmag.com/? p=305 Interview with Nick Cash with Left of the Dial zine
DEFAULTSORT:999 Category:English punk rock groups Category:Musical groups from London Category:Musical groups established in 1977 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1982 Category:Musical groups reestablished in 1983 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1989 Category:Musical groups reestablished in 1993 Category:Musical quartets Category:Polydor Records artists Category:Radar Records artists Category:United Artists Records artists
