Skids were an art-punk/punk rock and New Wave band from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, founded in 1977 by Stuart Adamson (1958–2001, guitars / backing vocals / keyboards / percussion), William Simpson (bass guitar / backing vocals), Thomas Kellichan (drums) and Richard Jobson (vocals / guitar / keyboards). Their biggest success was the single "Into the Valley", released in 1979. (read more at Wikipedia)
Links with Peel
Peel was a big supporter of the band and saw them play live on at least one occasion, probably twice [1]. The track "TV Stars" recorded for the group's debut session namechecks Peel. According to singer Richard Jobson, it was made up on the spot during the session itself [2]. A live version of this was released as the b-side to the group's fourth single, 'Into The Valley'.
Festive Fifty Entries
- 1979 Festive Fifty: Into The Valley #37
Sessions
Five sessions. All available on The Virgin Years boxset (CD6), Virgin (2015). #1, #2 & #3 released in 2009 as digital download and on streaming services.
'Hymns From A Haunted Ballroom' from #4 released in November 1979 as part of the special 2 x 7" issue of 'Working For the Yankee Dollar' single, where keyboards are credited to Midge Ure and production to John Sparrow.
1. Recorded: 1978-05-16. First broadcast: 19 May 1978. Repeated: 28 June 1978, 31 July 1980, 19 March 1981.
- Of One Skin / Open Sound / Contusion / Night And Day / TV Stars
2. Recorded: 1978-08-29. First broadcast: 01 September 1978. Repeated: 25 September 1978, 17 October 1978, 27 May 1981, 09 September 1986.
- Dossier Of Fallibility / Hope And Glory / Six Times / The Saints Are Coming
3. Recorded: 1979-02-19. First broadcast: 26 February 1979. Repeated: 09 April 1979, 19 March 1981.
- Summer / Hang On To The Shadows / Zit / Walk On The Wild Side
4. Recorded: 1979-04-30. First broadcast: 07 May 1979. Repeated: 04 June 1979, 20 December 1979.
- War Poets / Withdrawal Symptoms / Hymns From A Haunted Ballroom / Masquerade
5. Recorded: 1980-09-01. First broadcast: 15 September 1980. Repeated: 02 October 1980.
- Filming In Africa / An Incident In Algiers / Circus Games / Snakes And Ladders (instrumental)
(Please correct mistakes and add any missing info)
Other Shows Played
(This list was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive. Please add more information if known.)
- 1978
- 01 March 1978: Test Tube Babies (7" - Charles) No Bad
- 18 May 1978: Test Tube Babies (7" EP - Charles) No Bad
- 30 August 1978: Sweet Suburbia (7") Virgin VS 227
- 31 August 1978: Sweet Suburbia (7") Virgin
- 05 September 1978 (Paul Gambaccini): Sweet Suburbia (7") Virgin VS 227
- 07 September 1978: Sweet Suburbia (7") Virgin
- 13 September 1978: Open Sound (7" -Sweet Suburbia) Virgin
- 12 October 1978: Sweet Suburbia (7") Virgin
- 20 October 1978: 'The Saints Are Coming (red vinyl 12"-Wide Open)' (Virgin)
- 20 October 1978: 'Of One Skin (red vinyl 12"-Wide Open)' (Virgin)
- 20 October 1978: 'Night And Day (red vinyl 12"-Wide Open)' (Virgin)
- 20 October 1978: 'Contusion (red vinyl 12"-Wide Open)' (Virgin)
- 31 October 1978: Night & Day (7" EP - Wide Open) 7" Virgin
- 01 November 1978: Of One Skin (7" EP - Wide Open) 7" Virgin
- November 1978 (BFBS) (1): Night And Day (7" EP - Wide Open) Virgin VS 232
- 1979
- 01 February 1979 (Paul Gambaccini): Sweet Suburbia (v/a album - 20 Of Another Kind) Polydor POLS 1006
- 01 February 1979 (Paul Gambaccini): Into The Valley (7") Virgin VS 241
- 05 February 1979: Into the Valley (7") Virgin
- 05 February 1979: TV Stars (b-side 'Into the Valley' 7") Virgin
- 06 February 1979: TV Stars (b-side 'Into the Valley' 7") Virgin
- 08 February 1979: Into the Valley (7") Virgin
- 14 February 1979: Into the Valley (7") Virgin
- 14 February 1979: TV Stars (b-side 'Into the Valley' 7") Virgin
- 22 February 1979: Scale (LP - Scared To Dance) Virgin
- 22 February 1979: TV Stars (b/w 7" - Into The Valley) Virgin K-7472
- 06 March 1979: TV Stars (b/w 7" - Into The Valley) Virgin K-7472
- 07 March 1979: Dossier (of Fallibility) (LP - Scared To Dance) Virgin
- 15 March 1979: Into the Valley (7") Virgin
- 14 March 1979: Hope And Glory (LP - Scared To Dance) Virgin
- 15 March 1979: Hope And Glory (LP - Scared To Dance) Virgin
- 12 April 1979: Unknown (announced but not on recording)
- 24 April 1979: Of One Skin (LP - Scared To Dance) Virgin
- 10 May 1979: Masquerade
- 14 May 1979: Masquerade (dbl 7") Virgin
- 14 May 1979: Out of Town ('Masquerade' dbl 7") Virgin
- 14 May 1979: Another Emotion ('Masquerade' dbl 7") Virgin
- 14 May 1979: Aftermath Dub ('Masquerade' dbl 7") Virgin
- 16 May 1979: Masquerade (7") Virgin
- 21 May 1979: Masquerade (7") Virgin
- 29 May 1979: Masquerade (7") Virgin
- 29 August 1979: Charles (7" EP - Charles) No Bad
- 10 September 1979: Charade (7") Virgin
- 11 September 1979: Charade (7") Virgin
- 11 September 1979: Grey Parade (b-side 'Charade' 7") Virgin
- 17 September 1979: Grey Parade (b-side 'Charade' 7") Virgin
- 18 September 1979: Charade (7") Virgin
- 22 September 1979 (BFBS): Charade (7") Virgin
- 03 October 1979: Animation (LP - Days In Europa) Virgin
- 03 October 1979: Charade (LP - Days In Europa) Virgin
- 03 October 1979: Dulce Et Decorum Est (Pro Patria Mori) (LP - Days In Europa) Virgin
- 03 October 1979: Pros And Cons (LP - Days In Europa) Virgin
- 08 October 1979: Home of the Saved (LP - Days in Europa) Virgin
- 08 October 1979: Working for the Yankee Dollar (LP - Days in Europa) Virgin
- 09 October 1979: Thanatos (LP - Days in Europa) Virgin
- 09 October 1979: A Day In Europa (LP - Days in Europa) Virgin
- 09 October 1979: The Olympian (LP - Days in Europa) Virgin
- 13 October 1979 (BFBS): Charade (album – Days In Europa) Virgin V 2138
- 24 October 1979: Announced but not on available recording.
- 27 October 1979 (BFBS): Working For The Yankee Dollar (album – Days In Europa) Virgin V 2138
- 12 November 1979: Working for the Yankee Dollar (7") Virgin
- 15 November 1979: All The Young Dudes ('Working for the Yankee Dollar' dbl 7") Virgin
- 21 November 1979: Working for the Yankee Dollar (7") Virgin
- 06 December 1979: Working for the Yankee Dollar (7") Virgin
- 24 December 1979: Into the Valley (7") Festive 50 #37
- 1980
- 11 February 1980: Animation (7") Virgin
- 14 February 1980: Animation (7") Virgin
- 20 February 1980 (BFBS): Animation (7") Virgin VS 323
- 23 February 1980 (BFBS): Animation (7") Virgin VS 323
- 28 February 1980: Animation (7") Virgin VS 323
- 06 March 1980: Animation (7") Virgin
- 29 July 1980: Circus Games (7") Virgin VS 359
- 02 August 1980 (BFBS): One Decree (7" - Circus Games) Virgin VS 359
- 02 August 1980 (BFBS): Circus Games (7") Virgin VS 359
- 09 August 1980 (BFBS): Circus Games (7") Virgin VS 359
- 13 August 1980: The Saints Are Coming (LP - Scared To Dance) Virgin
- 14 August 1980: Circus Games (7") Virgin VS 359
- 16 August 1980 (BFBS): Of One Skin (LP - Scared To Dance) Virgin
- 21 August 1980: Circus Games (7") Virgin VS 359
- 27 August 1980: Circus Games (7") Virgin VS 359
- 10 September 1980: Hurry On Boys (album - The Absolute Game) Virgin V 2174
- 10 September 1980: The Children Saw The Shame (album - The Absolute Game) Virgin V 2174
- 10 September 1980: Happy To Be With You (album - The Absolute Game) Virgin V 2174
- 20 September 1980 (BFBS): Hurry On Boys (album - The Absolute Game) Virgin V 2174
- 25 September 1980: Woman In Winter (7") Virgin
- 27 September 1980 (BFBS): Goodbye Civilian (7") Virgin VS 373
- 04 October 1980 (BFBS): Woman In Winter (7") Virgin
- 08 October 1980: Test Tube Babies (7" - Charles) No Bad NB-1
- 13 October 1980: Monkey McGuire Meets Specky Potter Behind Lochore Institute (b/w 7" - Goodbye Civilian) Virgin VS 373
- 23 October 1980: Goodbye Civilian (7") Virgin VS 373
- 10 November 1980: Hurry Up Boys (album - The Absolute Game) Virgin V 2174
- 29 November 1980 (BFBS): Woman In Winter (7") Virgin
- Others
- 08 February 1981 (BFBS): Charade (7") Virgin
- 17 March 1982: Of One Skin
- 21 March 1982 (BFBS): Of One Skin
- 02 May 1982 (BFBS): Woman In Winter (7") Virgin VSK 101
- 20 June 1983: All the Young Dudes (2x7" - Working For The Yankee Dollar) Virgin
- 09 September 1984 (BFBS):The Olympian
- 22 January 1985: Of One Skin (LP - Scared To Dance) Virgin
- 03 February 1986: Six Times (LP - Scared To Dance) Virgin
- 17 May 1988: The Saints Are Coming (EP - Wide Open) Virgin
- 21 February 1993 (BFBS): TV Stars (b-side 'Into the Valley' 7") Virgin
- 29 March 1996: Into The Valley (CD - Scared To Dance) Virgin
- August 2004 (FSK): Of One Skin (7" - Wide Open) Virgin
- John Peel's Scottish Sessions: TV Stars (session #1, first TX 19 May 1978) (Richard Jobson of The Skids explains the story of their first session – includes story about TV Stars, which was made up as one session track short. Made up the lyrics on the spot.)
- John Peel's Scottish Sessions: The Saints Are Coming (1/9/78) (Richard Jobson from the Skids again – Peel was essential to their musical output and how he told him off for being a “rock star” in Notting Hill. “John Peel discovered the Skids.”)
- Walhalla: TV Stars