Slaughter & The Dogs

Wayne Barrett, Howard Bates, Eric Grantham, and Mike Rossi studied together at Sharston School in Manchester , where they decided in early 1976 to assemble a pub rock band. Focusing on the glam rock and garage scene of the 60s, like Stooges and MC5 , Slaughter distinguished themselves in the Manchester scene with a harsh sound and a memorable vivid stage image (just the amount of powder used to create the fog effect, which was worth it).

On July 20, 1976, Slaughter & The Dogs, assuring Malcolm McLaren that a lot of people would come to their concert, received permission to perform at the opening of the Sex Pistols in Manchester Free Trade Hall.

Before the first record of the group was released, two of their songs (“Runaway” and “Boston Babies”) appeared on the concert compilation of the Roxy club. In May 1977, the band’s first single , Cranked Up Really High , was recorded. The single was the first indie label release by Rabid Records.

In the same year, Slaughter & The Dogs signed a contract with the record company Decca Records , becoming one of the first punk bands caught by big labels .

Their second single, "Where Have All The Boot Boys Gone?", Had a significant impact on the Oi! Movement that started in the early 80s ! , however, served as a pretext for a misconception about the group itself.

"Johnny T" - a tribute to Johnny Thunders became the b-side of their third single "Dame To Blame". The fourth single, “Quick Joey Small”, is notable for the presence of Mick Ronson on the record. He also produces their album “Do It Dog Style”, released on Decca in the 1978th year.

Despite the fact that the album contains covers on the New York Dolls (“Mystery Girls”), Velvet Underground (“I'm Waiting For My Man”), and very strong compositions of their own, neither the album nor the singles had any success. The band broke up.

True to this story is not over. In the early 1980s, Bates and Rossi decided to reform the band by taking drummer Phil Rowland from the Eater band and guitarist Billy Duffy. Steven Morrissey was appointed vocalist, but he did not last long, and Mick Rossi had to take over the vocals. In this line-up, they recorded the EP “Build Up”, but did not succeed, and renamed themselves Studio Sweethearts.

Having recorded one single under this name, the group returned to its original line-up with Barrett and Muffet, and reducing the name to “Slaughter” recorded the album “Bite Back” and three more “ forty skaters ”. But all these metamorphosis didn’t help the group, it went underground, changed the line-ups (Ed Banger from The Nosebleeds replaced Barrett), and eventually broke up, returning in the new century, occasionally giving concerts. Billy Duffy distinguished himself in The Cult , and Morrissey in The Smiths .

To date, the group Slaughter & The Dogs is considered one of the brightest and early representatives of the punk scene, the album “Do It Dog Style” has become a classic, and the first edition of the single “Cranked Up Really High” costs a lot of money, as well as the rest of the band.

Singles

• Cranked Up Really High / The Bitch (Rabid Tosh 101) 1977
• Where Are You All The Boot Boys Gone? / You're A Bore (Decca FR 13723) 1977
• Where Are You All The Boot Boys Gone? / You're A Bore (12 Decca LF 13723) 1977
• Dame To Blame / Johnny T (Decca FR 13743) 1977
• Quick Joey Small / Come On Back (Decca FR 13758) 1978
• You're Ready Now / Runaway (DJM DJS 10927) 1979
• East Side Of Town / One By One (DJM DJS 10927) 1980
• I'm The One / What's Wrong Boy? (live) / Hell In New York (DJM DJS 10936) 1980
• Where Are You All The Boot Boys Gone? / You're A Bore / Johnny T (Damaged Goods FNARR 1) 1988

EP

• Built Up Not Down (It's Alright / Edgar Allan Poe / Twist And Turn / UFO) (TJM 3) 1979

Albums

• Do It Dog Style (Decca SKL 5292) 1978
• Bite Back (DJM DJF 20566) 1980

Concert albums and compilations

• Live At The Roxy (Harvest SHSP 4069) 1978
• Live Slaughter Rabid Dogs (Rabid HAT 23) 1978
• Live At The Factory (Thrush 1) 1978