Poly Styrene and X Ray Spex - Old Grey Whistle Test

[@ibuprofenPill]

This LP is a masterpiece. Before they came along, if you told anyone a saxophone could work in punk rock, they would have thought you were nuts.

[@j.c7719]

“Move On Fast” Yoko Ono, 1973. They thought she was nuts though and punk hadn’t been invented yet but it was proto-punk, so your point still stands.

[@sawneyhasbean]

Yes, You're right, it can work...as with X-ray Spex, Essential Logic and (my favourites) The Cravats.Their 1980 LP "In Toytown" is ace!

[@davejones5745]

The Stooges had sax on their early albums. Iggy and the Stooges were the beginnings of punk!

[@gmantramp404]

Neon Hearts. Regulations 👍

[@tiv1960]

GermFree Adolescents is one of those albums that everyone should listen to at least once in their lives! Personally it’s as fresh today as when I first heard it was a teenager….now I’m in my 60s and it’s still relevant and brilliant💙

[@pompeymonkey3271]

I heard it through my mum's music in the late 70's. I made sure that my son, who's now an adult, heard it to as part of his musical enrichment :)

[@bakunin-rc5pq]

First time I heard of X-Ray, was in 1979 or-80(?) when an English mate brought the LP to Germany. Now I am 75 and it is still one of my favourits. A portrait of Poly St is on the wall of my workshop since I heard that she passed away in 2015(?)

[@WarmRecordsVEVO]

I think she died long before that. We interviewed her at her house in the punk days. BTW: I'm 70 ssshhh. ​@@bakunin-rc5pq

[@flashtheoriginal]

They were not only out there, X-Ray Spex were VERY good live.

[@rgoshawk6914]

Just can’t stop watching this, it’s amazing I knew about this group before but never listened to any of their music, until now! Polly is such a great talent and her band are brilliant especially the sax player, this performance on the OGWT is iconic and is testament to how great she and her band was, RIP beautiful lady 💖

[@TheSpickyjim]

My first ever concert, Birmingham Odeon 1978. RIP Polly

[@Jefferson1969-u4s]

Still sounds incredible after all these years

[@charleshodgson9285]

One of the Top 5 bands of the Punk era. (Pistols, Clash, Ramones, Subway Sect & XRSpex) Poly was, and always will be, a total inspiration.

[@alancochrane1748]

100%

[@seanevans8364]

Could have been a massive band, what a fantastic album. RIP Polly x

[@clintdavies491]

they were massive

[@tacomadc]

She only passed away 13 years ago! I hope she kept performing that whole time.

[@TobcioccLeyton]

nothing sounds like this band with Polly, simply amazing

[@richardmorton4762]

What an incredible band, all brilliant musicians. The raw, piercing vocal style is unique and awesome.

[@ChrisWrightOM1]

I listen to all sorts of music, but what makes this special is that it comes from the heart.

[@shack7631]

Just wonderful. Poly was a complete one off. RIP.

[@davidherz9968]

Not only is she unique, her musicians are magnificent, it's a winning combo!

[@furryelvis]

Poly has a great voice and the band have a great sound. Never had the chance to see them

[@bigdrums9905]

One of my favourite bands

[@nathanwilding7343]

Annie Nightingale 😍

[@birdy1numnum]

*I still get so excited and filed with exhilaration when listening to X-Ray Spex after almost 45 years.*

[@brianpengelly4653]

That takes me back. I have the album but haven't played it in years. I will have to dust it off

[@troyleegaspard4950]

She gave us a way to feel free.

[@bertanderson2548]

In my humble opinion, there are four truly great punk albums: The Clash, Germfree Adolescents, The Ramones, Bullocks.

[@TheRightHonourableMattyMcHoon]

Nevermind !!

[@TerryRyan-xs7fw]

And crossing the red sea with the adverts!!

[@honiideslysses12]

Nobody could caterwaul like Poly. What a great band.

[@TerryRyan-xs7fw]

She was opera trained that's why😊

[@honiideslysses12]

@@TerryRyan-xs7fw now that's what i'd call punk!

[@EricCrawford-nw9fc]

Once in a lifetime.

[@fontaineauxfees]

J'adore tout simplement 💗 thanks a lot

[@Knwuce83wry]

Happy birthday legend

[@julesdowner5585]

i wonder if this stands out more today due to at the time there as so much other good stuff to listen to as well. Now i give it more attention than i ever did .

[@JohnSmith-sk1mn]

Polly knew the future

[@alann5003]

Probably the most unconventional punk star ever. A total original. RIP.

[@hayman-lx2ze]

She is the cutest thing EVER! love her

[@MH-zg5yw]

Thing?

[@clintdavies491]

@@MH-zg5yw grow up

[@MH-zg5yw]

@@clintdavies491 you first

[@clintdavies491]

@@MH-zg5yw aww love her aww. good luck in life if you love her. the kingdom of the blind where a one eyed man is king.

[@johnsmith-xr1uh]

Great band

[@KimTebrok]

Amazing force of nature. A wonderful example of powerful womanhood. She was 4ft 9in in old money. Had her ups & downs in life which was cut far too early. A brilliant artist, performer & so sadly missed by so many of us. 👊👊👊👊👊

[@tacomadc]

They sound great, punk band that time forgot sadly, RIP Poly.

[@duckofearl]

Love Art i ficial.. 🕶👍🏻

[@senordeviscaya]

I grew up listening .. 91X FM San Diego !!😁😎😍🙏✨✨❤👌👏🤗🌞

[@spiritualnick1520]

One of a kind🔥

[@andrew1598]

She is fabulous

[@markuswilliams3190]

This band released the second best album ever. Behind never mind the bollocks. Totally Original.

[@marnanel]

I love the wobblevision done only on the colouring under the lines. I don't think I've seen that before.

[@TheManamba]

this is sublime !

[@DesirableVinyl]

Brilliant

[@greghicks5960]

Great fucking band.

[@aswadnoor8350]

Classic

[@alaintremaine3302]

I think Jak Airport (R.I.P.) Paul Dean, Paul B.P. Hurding and Lora Logic (Rudi Thompson) were an amazing band! Legendary!

[@nevillejones9023]

How is it some of my heroines are dead? Like Astrud Gilberto and of course Poly. Poly amazing but the group was also fantastic, the sax was a huge difference and unusual. Yes, Germ Free Adolescents vastly underrated and a punk classic Still we have Chrissy and Debbie still going strong,

[@emilyoshiro]

Oh Yeah! These cats had it down!

[@dg6887]

Brilliant.

[@David-h4z2s]

Doton Adebayo And Wingate Dance To This Song On The Virtual Jukebox 🤔😩🚬🚭

[@syuiyui]

Great!

[@ToxinaSonora]

Super yeahhhh !😊

[@kevinplumtree8296]

My mind is like a plasic bag ❤

[@ChrisWrightOM1]

I've got a massive crush on Poly. Nothing inappropriate - i just think she's greeeaaat.

[@merlin5476]

Shame the original sax player was told to leave, she was awesome.

[@johnsilva9139]

Told to leave? Wonder why. So that's when Lora Logic joined the band?

[@merlin5476]

@@johnsilva9139 i assumed it was Lora logic ( the original sax player) that got asked to leave the band. There is a documentary on y.t. that mentions it.

[@grayfox7671]

@@johnsilva9139the original sax player was Lora Logic (Sue Whitby). She left to continue her education, as she was only 16 when the band recorded ˋO Bondage, up yours‘.

[@TheRightHonourableMattyMcHoon]

" I wanna be a frozen pea" Poly Styrene.

[@Du_veg]

Poly❤️🎧😄

[@Peter-b2i]

my number 1 girl singer

[@martingardner3663]

The best punk bank

[@AndrewEdmunds-s7p]

The girls and some young women that i new wanted to be Poly Styrene because she was the bizz

[@HarveyMushman888]

R.I.P.

[@SKYSAW59]

Despite the abysmal sound.. Sensational!!

[@patthewoodboy]

you never heard them live if you think thats abysmal :-)

[@hahaha430]

@@patthewoodboy he was talking about the sound of the tv show recording

[@patthewoodboy]

and live they were even worse , you are stupid , thats my point , saw them.

[@clintdavies491]

@@patthewoodboy its the mixing, it always was back then. its nostalgia n the way it was. have a day off.

[@CarlChristensen64]

It’s actually pretty good sound for the era - compare to the ‘77 Roxy recordings which are abysmal sound but historically important

[@bartonted]

Lyric wise Poly is brilliant, check her last LP, still the the same concerns. People said punks were stupid, but they didn't listen. They should have listened, and maybe then learned. Poly knew the future esp. about consumerism. Dumb arses didn't listen, so we got what we got!!

[@MichelleAhern-gr9zl]

❤

[@Tranmere59]

Note the Annie phone the size of her head on the desk!

[@sirvilhelmofyonderland]

Polly ,

[@MrRadiouser]

Poly and the Spex, thre was a certain something about them.

[@markmummery8765]

Tough top 5 but imo pil the slits and flux of pink indians would be in mine.Too many bands we forget,plus television (tv) personalities

[@darrengoodenough8064]

Love ogwt

[@albertdevries1846]

Coolest chick ever

[@cossoccocsoc]

Rip polly

[@sderoski1]

goggles on hat like Hawkwind

[@l.salisbury1253]

X-Ray Spex fans: check out old school Australian band AMYL & THE SNIFFERS. If they added a sax player they could be the new Spex! (And if lead singer Amy Taylor used a sledge hammer or chainsaw they could be the new Plasmatics!)

[@gmantramp404]

Old school?? 🤣🤣🤣 Bunch of kids are the Sniffers 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Old school a big Nope 👎👎👎👎

[@nevillejones9023]

When I think about it what a stupid name for a programme. But at least with Annie we had some decent punk, this lady is just amazing, we need another programme now showing decent content including old and new

[@futtocks23]

When music moguls got the first cut of a record, they would play it to the doormen in grey suits, known colloquially as the old greys. Any song they could recall and whistle, after having heard it a couple of times, was deemed to have passed the old grey whistle test and was destined to become a popular hit.

[@sgbh8874]

Polly out~punx Johnny Rotten by a country mile.

[@andrewjohnstone963]

Do you write for the tabloids Its not a competition Punx what is that? Another tabloid manipulation You wernt about at the time I'm guessing

[@thee49-d3m]

gipson rd

[@MichelleAhern-gr9zl]

That she did'nt liv to record with The POP GROUP is A CRIME ouch

[@jamesfroberg3590]

Absolutely makes me want to abandon accepted midwestern social norms, and jet off to the U.K. and become a soccer hooligan.

[@andrewjohnstone963]

I will give you x-ray specs the ramones subway sect but Wire pink flag The clash one great lp the rest indulgent guff The pistols great singles Album poorly produced its like a rock lp Chelsea the vibrators were far better Punk lasted 75 just into 78 They rest is jimmy pursey etc shouting any bawling utter shite I saw all yhe bands at the roxy and kn various tours Pistols were lydon The clash practiced their moves Pink flag best of anything released at this time Oh and Manchesters own The Buzzcocks The others developed magazjne the banshees amongst others idiots like pursey just continued shouting

[@Muirton66]

Pursey is one individual I couldn't take seriously back in the day and still cant, a cartoon .

[@andrewjohnstone963]

@@Muirton66 cartoon and caricature stereotype Tedious

[@ac1dP1nk]

presenter is a robot

[@rhessex]

Leave her alone - that's Annie Nightingale.

[@ac1dP1nk]

@@rhessex i see

[@HeadOnAdeB]

As a kid at this time, Annie Nightingale via her radio show, introduced me to so much of what was going on. Not quite John Peel but an important figure who was genuinely passionate about music unlike most of her DJ contemporaries at that time.

[@Spamhard]

That's just the old school BBC format, presenters weren't allowed much personality back in the day. Annie's a fuckin' legend though.

[@rtcrtc928]

And whispering Bob