Biography
The lead singer is Pauline Murray. Other members have included Robert Blamire, Gary Smallman, and Gary Chaplin, and later Neale Floyd and Fred Purser. Steve Wallace and Paul Harvey were drafted in as new guitarists in 2001.
The band took their name from an Iggy & The Stooges song and played their first gig in October 1976. Their second gig was supporting The Stranglers at Newcastle City Hall. Significantly, the band also played at the now-legendary punk club The Roxy during its first 100 days. On 9 April 1977, the band appeared on the same bill as Generation X. Early in their career, the band also supported The Vibrators and toured with the Buzzcocks.
After the release of their second single, Penetration recorded the first of two sessions for John Peel at BBC Radio 1 in July 1978. Later that year, the band released their debut album. Moving Targets was number 6 in the Sounds Critics’ albums of the year; and it made number 13 in the NME critics’ chart.
In 1979, they toured Europe, the US and Britain but the gruelling schedule began to take its toll. A disappointing reaction to Coming Up For Air, the second album, was the final nail in the coffin of the original band. After the band had split an album called Race Against Time was released, which was a collection of early demos and live tracks.
Pauline Murray featured briefly with The Invisible Girls, which also included Robert Blamire as well as other Manchester musicians who drifted in and out such as Vini Reilly, guitarist in The Durutti Column. John Maher from Buzzcocks drummed for the band. The album that resulted, produced by Martin Hannett, spawned the singles "Dream Sequence" and "Mr.X". Murray also provided vocal for The Only Ones on their track, "Fools".
Pauline Murray worked sporadically as a solo artist under the name 'Pauline Murray and The Storm' with Robert Blamire, Tim Johnston and Paul Harvey. Paul Harvey is also a Stuckist artist. Blamire also worked as a producer for various groups, including the Scars, whose sole LP (1981's Author! Author!) he produced.
The remainder of the band briefly continued under the name Rhythm Clicks, releasing a 7" single in 1980 on the Red Rhino label containing the songs "Short Time", "Lies Don't Talk" and "Chains".
| “ | A decidedly more “rawk” proposition than many of the three-chord trainee anarchists on the scene, Murray drawing inevitable comparisons with both Patti Smith and Siouxsie Sioux for her force of personality and the strength / style of her voice. | ” |
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