
Boots For Dancing are a post-punk band from Edinburgh, Scotland, active between 1979 and 1982. They reformed in 2015.
The band was formed in late 1979 by Dave Carson (vocals), Graeme High (guitar), Dougie Barrie (bass), and Stuart Wright (drums). Showing influences from the likes of Gang Of Four and The Pop Group, they signed to the Pop Aural label for their eponymous debut single, receiving airplay from John Peel.
In the next two years, the band had more line-up changes than releases, first with ex-Shake and Rezillos drummer Angel Paterson replacing Wright, to be replaced himself by Jamo Stewart and Dickie Fusco. Former Thursdays guitarist Mike Barclay then replaced High, who joined Delta 5. The band also added ex-Shake/Rezillos guitarist Jo Callis for second single ‘Rain Song’, issued in March 1981. Callis then left to join The Human League, with no further line-up changes before third single ‘Ooh Bop Sh'Bam’ was released in early 1982. Barrie then departed, his replacement being ex-Flowers/Shake/Rezillos bassist Simon Templar (b. Bloomfield), and ex-Josef K drummer Ronnie Torrance replaced the departing Fusco and Stewart (the latter forming The Syndicate).
The band split up later in 1982.
(Read more at Wikipedia).
Links to Peel[]
Between frequent lineup changes, putting them at the heart of a tangled "Humans & Rezillos" rock family tree in the series by Pete Frame,[1] Boots For Dancing recorded three Peel sessions in the early 1980s and released the same number of singles, all of which were played by the DJ. Peel also saw them play live.
The first two 45s were put out by Edinburgh’s Pop Aural label, Bob Last’s followup to pioneering indie Fast Product.
Festive Fifty Entries[]
- None
Sessions[]
Boots For Dancing - Peel Session 1980
Three sessions. Sessions #1, #3 and "Stand" from #2 available on The Undisco Kidds, 2xLP, CD, 2015, Athens Of The North.
1. Recorded 1980-11-17. First broadcast 04 December 1980. Repeated 05 January 1981, 23 March 1981.
- Timeless Tonight / The Pleasure Chant / (Somewhere In The) South Pacific / Hesitate
2. Recorded 1981-07-13. First broadcast 15 July 1981. Repeated 27 July 1981, 27 August 1981
- Shadows Of Stone / Stand/ Wild Jazz Summers
3. Recorded 1982-03-24. First broadcast 14 April 1982. Repeated 03 May 1982.
- Nobody Raves About The Salt In The Ocean / Style In Full Swing / Band An Elbow Lend An Ear / Get Up
Other Shows Played[]
- 1980
- 08 April 1980: Boots For Dancing (12") Pop Aural
- 19 April 1980 (BFBS): Parachute (12" - Boots For Dancing) Pop Aural
- 21 April 1980: Parachute (12" - Boots For Dancing) Pop Aural
- 21 April 1980: Guitars & Girl Trouble (12" - Boots For Dancing) Pop Aural
- 26 April 1980 (BFBS): Boots For Dancing (12") Pop Aural
- 10 May 1980 (BFBS): Parachute (12" - Boots For Dancing) Pop Aural
- 10 May 1980 (BFBS): Guitars & Girl Trouble (12" - Boots For Dancing) Pop Aural
- 22 November 1980 (BFBS): Hesitate (7" - The Rain Song) Pop Aural
- 1981
- 11 January 1981 (BFBS): Hesitate (7" - The Rain Song) Pop Aural (Scottish-laden show in the wake of one of John's Edinburgh student gigs, at which he saw Boots For Dancing and Fire Engines. He thinks better of regaling some interesting tales of these trips.)
- 30 June 1981: The Rain Song (7") Pop Aural
- 1982
- 18 February 1982: Boots For Dancing (12") Pop Aural
- 26 February 1982 (BBC World Service): Ooh Bop Sh'Bam (7" - Ooh Bop Sh'Bam / Money) Repop-x
- 23 March 1982: Ooh Bop Sh'Bam (7") Repop-x
- 04 April 1982 (BFBS): Ooh Bop Sh'Bam (7") Repop-x
- 07 July 1982: Ooh Bop Sh'Bam (LP - Scottish Kultchur: The Barclay Towers Compilation Album) Supermusic
- 14 December 1982: Ooh Bop Sh'Bam (7") Repop-x