The Soft Boys were a rock band led by Robyn Hitchcock primarily during the 1970s, whose initially old-fashioned music style of psychedelic/folk-rock became part of the neo-psychedelia scene with the release of Underwater Moonlight.
The band formed in 1976 in Cambridge, England as Dennis and the Experts comprising Robyn Hitchcock (guitar), Rob Lamb (half-brother of radio host and author Charlie Gillett) guitar, Andy Metcalfe (bass), and Morris Windsor (drums). Alan Davies replaced Lamb after only four gigs late in 1976, and Kimberley Rew eventually replaced Davies. Matthew Seligman replaced Metcalfe in 1979.
The band broke up in 1980 but briefly re-formed for a UK tour in 1994 and then again in 2001 for the 20th anniversary of Underwater Moonlight and the release of a new album, Nextdoorland in 2002. They disbanded once again in 2003.
Links to Peel[]
Robyn Hitchcock, the frontman of The Soft Boys, was often very vocal about his influences that included a lot of Peel favorites, such as Captain Beefheart, Syd Barrett, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Roxy Music. Although the DJ followed the band throughout their brief career, playing tracks from both their records as they came out, he later admitted that they weren't one of his favorite bands: on 17 May 1983 he openly stated he was never a fan of them and on 03 February 1989 he added that he found them "clever" in a "knowing" way.
Sessions[]
- none
Other Shows Played[]
(Please add more information if known)
- 1970s
- 03 January 1978: Wading Through A Ventilator (7" - Give It To The Soft Boys) Raw
- 19 May 1978: Fat Man's Son (7" - (I Want To Be An) Anglepoise Lamp)) Radar
- 24 May 1978: (I Want To Be An) Anglepoise Lamp (7") Radar
- 1980s
- 03 July 1980: Kingdom Of Love (EP - Near The Soft Boys) Armageddon
- 10 July 1980: I'm An Old Pervert (LP - Underwater Moonlight) Armageddon (JP: "I never felt quite the same about perverts since I was living in America and I was trying one of my clever tricks on a young woman over there and she said, "you're a filthy pye-vart!" And 'pye-vart' isn't the same as pervert - more fun!)"
- 05 August 1980: Tonight (album - Underwater Moonlight) Armageddon ARM 1
- 14 August 1980: I Wanna Destroy You (album - Underwater Moonlight) Armageddon ARM 1
- 26 August 1980: Kingdom Of Love (7" EP - Near The Soft Boys EP) Armageddon AEP 002
- 29 September 1980: I Wanna Destroy You (7") Armageddon AS 005
- 06 October 1981: There's Nobody Like You (album - Two Halves For The Price Of One) Armageddon BYE 1
- 07 October 1981: There's Nobody Like You (album - Two Halves For The Price Of One) Armageddon
- 17 May 1983: He's A Reptile (7") Midnight Music DING 4
- 26 October 1985 (BFBS): 'Sandra's Having Her Brain Out (LP-A Can Of Bees)' (Two Crabs Universal)
- 03 February 1989 (BFBS): 'Sandra's Having Her Brain Out (LP-A Can Of Bees)' (Two Crabs Universal) (JP: 'I always found the Soft Boys a bit, you know, clever really, I mean a bit knowing.')
- Others
- Robyn Hitchcock solo
- 04 August 1981: Acid Bird (album - Black Snake Diamond Röle) Armageddon ARM 4 John has a sneaky feeling that Robyn is one of those people who knows where Syd Barrett lives...
- 27 May 1985: Strawberry MInd (album - Fegmania!) Midnight Music CHIME 00.08 D
- 28 May 1985: Heaven (album - Fegmania!) Midnight Music CHIME 00.08 D
- JG Tape 10 Peel August September 1985: The Cars She Used To Drive (album - Gotta Let This Hen Out!) Midnight Music CHIME 00.15 S
- JG Tape 10 Peel August September 1985: Brenda's Iron Sledge (album - Gotta Let This Hen Out!) Midnight Music CHIME 00.15 S
- Peel February 1986: Brenda's Iron Sledge (12") Midnight Music DONG 17
- 20 October 1986: Winchester (LP - Element Of Light) Glass Fish
- 22 October 1986: If You Were A Priest (7") Glass Fish
- 03 November 1986: Airscape (LP - Element Of Light) Glass Fish
- 04 November 1986: Point It At Gran (LP - Invisible Hitchcock) Glass Fish
Cover Versions[]
(The list below was compiled only from the Cover Versions page of this site. Please add more information if known.)
Artist | Track | First Known Play