When it came to record their first LP “Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers - Kings Of The Robot Rhythm” in 1972, duo Martin Stone and Philip Lithman asked various members of Brinsley Schwarz (Nick Lowe, Billy Rankin and Bob Andrews) to join them just for the sessions. The result led the pair to recruit a bushel of full-time Red-Hot Peppers in the form of Paul “Diceman” Bailey, Paul “Bassman” Riley and Pete Thomas to hit the road.
Incredibly, not even the ensuing 400 gigs in two years and the release of a second album Bongos Over Balham by the expanded line-up, was enough to sustain the enterprise. Arguably, at their peak after the Naughty Rhythms Tour of 1975, (with other British “pub rock” groups, Kokomo and Dr. Feelgood), the band broke up.
In 1974, Zig Zag editor Andy Childs wrote “The number of English bands who are currently performing and perfecting the many eclectic styles of American music can be counted on the thumb of one hand…they are Chilli Willi and the Red-Hot Peppers. To see them live is an experience. Their music melts your heart, invites you to dance and sing along, and when it’s all over, you feel a rush of energy and exhilaration pulsing through your blood…like you don’t quite believe what you’ve heard or seen, so come back and shout for more and you come back and see them again and again.”
“REAL SHARP” is a thrilling two CD anthology from the epicentre of pub rock, packed tight with rare and original recordings plus twenty-four pages of antics and Barney Bubbles artwork – and still only for the price of a pint and a packet of fags.
This collection contains the three albums “Kings Of The Robot Rhythm”, “Bongos Over Balham” and “I’ll Be Home” plus unissued tracks and is dedicated to the memory of Martin Stone (1946 – 2016), Phil Lithman (1949 – 1987) and Barney Bubbles (1942 – 1983).
When it came to record their first LP “Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers - Kings Of The Robot Rhythm” in 1972, duo Martin Stone and Philip Lithman asked various members of Brinsley Schwarz (Nick Lowe, Billy Rankin and Bob Andrews) to join them just for the sessions. The result led the pair to recruit a bushel of full-time Red-Hot Peppers in the form of Paul “Diceman” Bailey, Paul “Bassman” Riley and Pete Thomas to hit the road.
Incredibly, not even the ensuing 400 gigs in two years and the release of a second album Bongos Over Balham by the expanded line-up, was enough to sustain the enterprise. Arguably, at their peak after the Naughty Rhythms Tour of 1975, (with other British “pub rock” groups, Kokomo and Dr. Feelgood), the band broke up.
In 1974, Zig Zag editor Andy Childs wrote “The number of English bands who are currently performing and perfecting the many eclectic styles of American music can be counted on the thumb of one hand…they are Chilli Willi and the Red-Hot Peppers. To see them live is an experience. Their music melts your heart, invites you to dance and sing along, and when it’s all over, you feel a rush of energy and exhilaration pulsing through your blood…like you don’t quite believe what you’ve heard or seen, so come back and shout for more and you come back and see them again and again.”
“REAL SHARP” is a thrilling two CD anthology from the epicentre of pub rock, packed tight with rare and original recordings plus twenty-four pages of antics and Barney Bubbles artwork – and still only for the price of a pint and a packet of fags.
This collection contains the three albums “Kings Of The Robot Rhythm”, “Bongos Over Balham” and “I’ll Be Home” plus unissued tracks and is dedicated to the memory of Martin Stone (1946 – 2016), Phil Lithman (1949 – 1987) and Barney Bubbles (1942 – 1983).
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Their music melts your heart, invites you to dance and sing along, and when it's all over, you feel a rush of energy and exhilaration pulsing through your blood--like you don't quite believe what you've heard or seen. ~ Andy Childs, Zig Zag (1974)
This is a cracking release. 4 out of 5 Stars. ~ Music Republic Magazine
