Get Out of London

Debut single by Intaferon. Produced by Martin Rushent. Video by Storm Thorgeson.

[@LeonelLAURE]

I can’t believe they or the record label removed the song from iTunes as of April 8, 2024

[@bestbass42]

THATS ME!!!!!!! I'm in this video, 3.10, I'm the tall one facing camera, spikey blond hair, army trousers and Dr Martins!!! April 1983. My Brumie Psycho mates and I were on-route to see Psychobilly Godfather's The M3t3ors @ Rayleigh Crocs. We were approached at Paddington Station (i think it was) and asked to be in a video! We all got £5 each for just a few seconds. Amazing that it was almost 40 years ago now but I remember it like yesterday.

[@chrisr5499]

Were you going to see them at the Klubfoot ?

[@bestbass42]

@@chrisr5499 Crocs in Rayleigh, Essex. The klub Foot Psychobilly events hadnt started when I was following the M3t3ors.

[@StuartConstantine]

"Commit my crime now, pay my penalty later" was my senior quote in my high school year book. Thanks WLIR!

[@TheKinoEye]

✊🏿

[@ericcarlson1709]

This was a favourite of Karyn Hay of the New Zealand show Radio With Pictures.

[@SteveSputnik]

One of the biggest musical travesties of the 1980s was that this wasn't an ultra-hit... I used to play it all the time on my radio show - both mixes!! Nothing less than fucking spectacular!

[@AngeloBetrulas]

Absolutely. Used to play the 12" at the Roller Disco, back in my '80s (very) amateur DJ days...

[@AndoverIT]

Even Chat GPT has heard of this awesome track!! “Get Out of London” by Intaferon was released in 1983. The single reached No. 93 on the UK Singles Chart in October 1983. Although it didn’t achieve significant commercial success, it gained a cult following and is remembered as a classic of the 80s synthpop era.

[@ianfryer8386]

I loved this song. First heard it on the Max Headroom video show but by then it was out of the shops. Found it years later in a charity shop. John Peel also played it - I used to have an audio tape of that show. He likened it to Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues.

[@steverichardson1210]

I used to know Simon Gillam from school (the guy running/escaping) and we used to swap band demos etc. I actually remember him saying that he had hooked up with Simon Fellowes and had been signed! Quite matter of fact about it! He also told us they had got into trouble because as publicity, DJ’s had been sent messages just saying ‘get out of london in 3 weeks’. Then Get out in 2 weeks etc.. the DJ’s were scared it was some kind of threat!

[@chrisr5499]

Why was this not a chart hit ? it's brilliant also good seeing the Psychbilly's at the end :)

[@shelbywasheere]

Such an underrated band

[@StuartVallantine]

The railway station is the long demolished Broad Street station, which was next to Liverpool Street station. It closed in 1986 with services moving to its neighbouring station. The Broadgate development stands on the site of Broad Street railway station.

[@thanto575]

I feel like in some parallel universe Simon F is a mega star. Every song off the album 'Gun' is iconic turntable excellence.

[@jameswendorff6416]

There's an album?

[@raserx63]

Thanks WLIR for playing great stuff like this !!

[@mrsarcastic5331]

The lyrics in this song are some of the best you'll ever hear. 🎼Don't be a traitor🎶 collaborator rather be a snitch than a cocktail waiter.🎙

[@wayner7111]

Just stumbled on this song, what a great tune and remix is also a fantastic tune.

[@7732147]

Brilliant then . . . Brilliant now.

[@nickball2010]

Haven't heard this great song for years but loved it at the time.

[@nigelgreen9369]

I do love that they succeeded and got out of London

[@johnylitalo4163]

That was the coolest song. It was in "The Wild Thornberrys Movie" where Eliza & Darwin escapes from boarding school to go back to Africa to find Telly.

[@senoj.rednaxela]

Yeah and Chrissie Hynde from the Pretenders sang it

[@zxspectum]

Wow this has brought back memories for me, I tried to get the 7" single at a number of shops (just after it was released) in the end the guy behind the counter said he had a promo copy on cassette which he kindly gave me. I think I still have it somewhere.

[@davidspicer9949]

Love this song and Steamhammer Sam!

[@grahamnewman7312]

I'm fairly certain this was shot at Broad St station which was demolished to make way for the Broadgate development adjacent to Liverpool St. From recollection it was closed at the weekends, hence easier to use as a film location. Brilliant song, brilliant video.

[@stephenspark776]

Absolutely right. It was a weird, semi-derelict shit-hole of a station by then - weeds on the track, no glass in the roof and trains with bars on the windows to stop people knocking their heads off when the train went through tunnels. Replaced by the Broadgate development now. Irony is, Broad Street was the one London terminus you COULDN'T get out of London from! (Unless you count places like Willesden and Richmond as 'out' of London.)

[@buxvan]

Brilliant single, heard it when it was released on radio 1 & bought the 12" (intercontinentalballisticmix) still have it ! Never knew there was a video for it though. They wouldn't let me in, they said, MEMBERSHIP ONLY.

[@stephenspark776]

Same here. Used to play it a lot at my parties in south London, but I was the only one who could keep up with the beat. Don't think I could manage it now - dancing to tracks like this in my 20s is probably why I'm falling apart 40 years later!

[@murraytrow1955]

Jeez, 40 years old nd still a great track,, Well done Simons!

[@dwb7721]

Small margins.....adored this and pestered club dj's to play here in Glasgow.....Then Baby Pain released and I thought Life is unfair! Still do....ironically, entering Steamhammer Sam territory ....redundancy looming.....Three fantastic releases.....Ty.

[@soloagent47]

Classic 80's

[@ktjankabar]

My ultimate "go crazy" dance song!

[@jameswendorff6416]

This is about 1984 while I was on my YTS, there's a memory for you older Brits. A guy brought the 12" version in to check out his record player (we were doing electronics), YTS we were all too poor to have serious hi-fi back then and we all heard it and about half to a dozen of us went straight down next payday or that day at dinner if still had money and bought it from the record shop in town centre which was in a town called Livingston in West Lothian. How it managed to end up there who knows. Such a tragedy it wasn't a big hit as Relax was doing the rounds at same time.

[@TheKinoEye]

"Get on the bus but the bus don't stop." Word.

[@jasonayres]

While this wasn't a hit, I always remember it as the only song I know with a train blowing it's horn, as an 'instrumental'.

[@stephenspark776]

Yes, super use of authentic train sounds, which aren't just gimmicks but really add to the frenetic urgency of the song. (Though, to be anoracky, I think you'll find they didn't have trains with THAT kind of horn running out Broad Street!!)

[@user-cg2ec7cq8e]

I threw a party for my friends - So they wouldn't be lonely - They wouldn't let me - Said it's MEMBERSHIP ONLY!

[@justinisbell7975]

A great video and a fantastic song...thanks for sharing these Simon. Takes me back it does...I bought this and Steamhammer Sam at the time...both 7"s are currently sitting in a box under my sons bed, along with so much other great music from the time. [Note to self: Must dig out the boxes and rip the 'good stuff'].

[@jordanbriskin238]

Who else first heard this song in *THE WILD THORNBERRYS MOVIE*?

[@Bigyawner]

Nope. Max Headroom was my first exposure to the song.

[@Fruitbat44]

Really like the song and I really like the video which goes with it. (Which I first saw on 'Max Headroom' many years.) Thanks for posting it.

[@AFancyHippo]

+Fruitbat44 I was just thinking the same thing. This, Run to you Bryan Adamas, Dancing with myself Billy Idol, Destination Zululand by King Kurt, We close our eyes...

[@Fruitbat44]

+matjohnroe Oh yes. :-) Maybe it's just the nostalgia talking, but I do wonder if this was a Happy Time when the pop video had been around long enough to acquire a degree of sophistication, but it was still something fresh, new and exciting. OTOH this was also about when 'Not The Nine O'clock News' did 'Nice Video, Shame About the Song' . . .

[@Gripm0nkey]

I was big fan of your "Never Never Land" album; American Dream was solid!

[@momtnz]

Sorry to hear your book 'The Chrysalis Records Story' has been shelved, would have been a great read and researching the book must have taken you many months.

[@shmuli9]

This song has a similar theme to "Takin' Care of Business" by BTO, which, for you non-North Americans, was a huge hit in Canada and the US.

[@halenbud]

Kick Ass!

[@6edTelevision]

Coronavirus 2020 Tier 4 GET OUT OF LONDON!!!

[@chrisstevens4697]

This is the most Alan Partridge song ever made..... It's even called 'Get Out of London'...

[@MrDanmation]

Love everything about this SO MUCH but the bald guy at 01:55 clearly gives up far too soon... Good God man, it's only a flight of stairs!?

[@andysmith1996]

1:57 The baddie gives up pretty easily.

[@vincehannity4186]

2 blokes couldn't ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-get outta London.

[@namph72]

I’ve not heard this for years triggered by a “get out of London” comment in a film I remembered it was a song title. Was this mid 80s?

[@bukster1]

Wikipedia doesn't have any info on this band or song. I wonder what year it came out?

[@Madlintelf]

1983, I'm a bit upset that one of the songs I love only has a few thousand views thought. www.discogs.com/Interferon-Get-Out-Of-London/release/5187388

[@andysmith1996]

@@Madlintelf I'm sure it came out a year or two before that.

[@williammatneyii3218]

I think this was based on Jack London. All the yankie going to London as the jacks with desires to be kings and the majesty of the English wealth as palaced , as well as bring and do the sciences there as done before while in America and or bring the risqué rock and roll there. Per doctrine resting states of classical disturbed colonial music.

[@glennvage]

...or drugs...