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Biography
Infobox musical artist | image_size =| background = group_or_band| alias = TRB| name = Tom Robinson Band| image = Tom-robinson-band.gif| caption =| origin = London, England| instrument =| genre = Punk rock , New Wave music|New Wave | occupation =| years_active = 1976–1979| label = EMI Records|EMI | associated_acts = Sector 27 | website =| current_members =| past_members = Mark Ambler Danny Kustow Tom Robinson Dolphin Taylor Preston Heyman Ian Parker (keyboardist)|Ian Parker Nick Plytas Charlie Morgan | notable_instruments =Tom Robinson Band (TRB) were a British rock band , established in 1976 by singer, songwriter and bassist Tom Robinson (born on 1 June 1950, in Cambridge , England). Their third single, "Up Against the Wall", is now acknowledged as a classic punk rock single Mojo (magazine)|Mojo (October 2001) - 100 Punk Scorchers , Issue 95, London;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|quote= It typified their heartfelt passion and political anger, which is so prevalent on their superb debut album.|page= 310; and their debut album, Power In The Darkness (1978), is still widely admiredcite 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|quote= This was one of the definitive albums of the seventies and Up Against the Wall was its opening cut. The same fervently anti-racist and anti-establishment messages came across on other anthemic numbers fuelled on by Danny Kustow’s raging guitar.|page= 310;cite book |title= Punk |last= Thompson|first= Dave|year= 2000|publisher= Collector’s Guide Publication|location= Ontario|isbn= 1-896522-27-0|quote= A slavering slab of bitterness and anger, it was without doubt the most successful album of all the year’s ‘political offerings.|page= 122;cite book |title= Rock: The Rough Guide |last= Buckley & Ellingham (eds)|year= 1996|publisher= Rough Guides|location= London|isbn= 1-85828-201-2|quote= An essential new wave album, and it duly reached the UK Top 5. Doubts arose about TRB’s punk credentials, but the mainstream media adopted him as the leftie, thinking man’s punk.|page= 734;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= One of the greatest records that came out in the late 70s ;cite book |title= All Time Top 1000 Albums |last= Larkin|first= Colin|year= 1994|publisher= Guinness Publishing|location= Enfield|quote= A great amalgam of punk / pop, ethics and all, translated as an exciting, visceral album in a style much imitated, but rarely bettered for fury and genuine loathing.|page= 247;
Biography
BLP unsourced section|date=December 2010Tom Robinson began gigging in London in 1976. By the end of the year, he had decided to put together a permanent band. Robinson's old friend, guitarist Danny Kustow , was the first in the permanent lineup. They ran small ads in the music papers looking for a bass player and drummer. Robinson found drummer Dolphin Taylor|Brian "Dolphin" Taylor . The search for a bass player continued, until Mark Ambler auditioned. Some days later, Ambler mentioned he also played keyboards; he had spent many years studying piano with veteran jazz musician, Stan Tracey . After listening to Ambler playing his Hammond organ Robinson realised he would have to be the bass player himself.
The band hit the club scene right in the middle of London's punk explosion. Their live shows got favourable reviews, and soon A& R men were attending many of their gigs.
EMI Records signed TRB. Robinson later described this period, saying "Within nine months we'd made the transition from signing on at Medina Road Jobseeker's Allowance|dole office to Top Of The Pops , BBC Radio 1|Radio One , EMI Records and the giddy heights of the front cover of the New Musical Express ".
TRB made leaflets and fliers about their political views and sent them to everyone who attended their gigs, they gave away badges and made up T shirts emblazoned with the band's logo and they appeared regularly at Rock Against Racism concerts. They were joined at these gigs by the likes of The Clash , Steel Pulse and X-Ray Spex .
"2-4-6-8 Motorway" was their first single, released in late 1977. It got into the top five of the UK singles charts , staying there for over a month. It was followed almost immediately by their next record, a four song Extended play|EP called Rising Free which was recorded live at London's Lyceum Theatre (London)|Lyceum Theatre in November 1977. It contained the songs "Don't Take No for an Answer", "Martin", "(Sing if you're) Glad to Be Gay " and "Right On Sister". The EP reached #18 in the UK singles charts.
In early 1978, TRB recorded their debut album, Power in the Darkness . The UK version of the LP contained all new songs, but in the US (on the Harvest Records|Harvest label ), the "2-4-6-8 Motorway" single and Rising Free record were combined for a six-track bonus EP that made the album almost a double.
Power in the Darkness reached number 4 in the UK album charts and won the band a gold record, and TRB were voted "Best New Band" and "Best London Band" for the year 1977 by listeners at the Capital Radio Music Awards . Mark Ambler left the band after recording the album. Session musician|Session pianist Nick Plytas was drafted in as a temporary replacement, and played with TRB at a major Anti Nazi League rally in London's Victoria Park early that year.
Ian Parker (keyboardist)|Ian Parker joined as a permanent replacement for Ambler. TRB then went to Rockfield Studios in Wales to record their next album, TRB Two . Chris Thomas (record producer)|Chris Thomas who had produced their first album, was also at the control deck for their second album, to start off with. Dolphin Taylor suggested Todd Rundgren should replace Thomas. After not being able to decide which tracks should appear on the LP, the band eventually agreed to let Rundgren choose. However, he picked two of the songs Dolphin particularly disliked, and Taylor decided that he would leave rather than play on the tracks. A day later he had calmed down somewhat and offered to return, but Robinson refused, and Preston Heyman was recruited as an emergency stand-in. His picture was included on the album cover, but there was never any intention for him to join the band permanently. Taylor's eventual replacement was Charlie Morgan who had played for Kate Bush , and went on to drum for Elton John for a further fifteen years.
To support the album's release, the band went on tour, but by this point the TRB's infighting had taken its toll. When Kustow decided to quit in 1979 that was the end of TRB.
In 1989, Robinson, Kustow and Ambler put together a reunion tour and played sold out shows at the Marquee in London and went on for the best part of a year before splitting one final time.
Discography
col-begincol-2
Albums
Studio
Year
Album details
Peak position
UK
US
1978
Power in the Darkness
First studio album
Release date: May 1978
Label: EMI Records
4cite 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
144
1979
TRB Two
Second studio album
Release date: March 1979
Label: EMI Records
18
163
Live
Year
Album details
Peak position
UK Albums Chart
1982
Cabaret ‘79
First live album
Release date: November 1982
Label: EMI|EMI Records
& ndash;
1997
Glad To Be Gay (Cabaret ’79)
Segundo álbum ao vivo
Release date: August 1997
Label: EMI Records
& ndash;
Compilations
Year
Album details
Peak position
UK Albums Chart
1981
TRB 3
First compilation
Release date: 1981
Label: EMI|EMI Records
& ndash;
1987
The Collection 77-87
Second compilation1
Release date: September 1987
Label: EMI Records
& ndash;
1996
The Gold Collection
Third compilation
Release date: March 1996
Label: EMI Records
& ndash;
1997
Rising Free - The Very Best of TRB
Fourth compilation1
Release date: June 1997
Label: EMI Records
& ndash;
col-2
Singles and EPs
Year
Song (A side / B side)
Peak position
UK Singles Chart
1977
"2-4-6-8 Motorway" "I Shall Be Released"
5
1978
Rising Free (EP) ("Don't Take No For An Answer" / "Martin" "Glad To Be Gay" / "Right On Sister")
18
1978
"Up Against The Wall" "I'm Alright Jack"
33
1978
"Too Good To Be True" "Power In The Darkness"
& ndash;
1979
"Bully For You" "Our People"
68
1979
"Alright All Night" "Black Angel"
& ndash;
1979
"Never Gonna Fall In Love (Again)" "Getting Tighter"2
& ndash;
Notes:
1 Includes post-TRB material.
2 Released as "Tom Robinson & the Voice Squad". col-end
See also
List of British punk bands
List of musicians in the first wave of punk music
List of New Wave bands and artists
List of Peel sessions
Music of the United Kingdom (1970s)
List of performers on Top of the Pops
References
reflist
External links
http://www.tomrobinson.com/trb/
Category:English punk rock groups Category:British New Wave musical groups Category:Musical groups from London Category:Musical groups established in 1976 Category:LGBT-themed musical groups
cs:Tom Robinson Band de:Tom Robinson Band pt:Tom Robinson Band fi:Tom Robinson Band
