Biography
The SlowGuns journey took them from the backstreets of Stockport and back again in two short, yet eventful years. A strong local following followed them everywhere, often against their better judgement. In 1979 the band recorded and released their now collectible first single ‘TV Movie’ b/w ‘American Heartbeat’. The single received lots of airplay, including Radio 1 (John Peel) and had high praise in the national music press. The band played many gigs, accompanied on backing vocals by ‘The Bullettes’, two young ladies who answered an ad placed by the band in the NME. One of these birds soon flew the coop, but the other remained, and this bird’s name was Joanne Whalley. ‘Jo’ sang backing vocals on many SlowGuns songs, including taking lead vocals during gigs on a song written specially for her by the band, “He’s My Man”. She eventually left in 1980, confirming, as they suspected, her thespian tendencies, eventually achieving worldwide fame by appearing in ‘The Singing Detective’ on TV and the hit movie ‘Scandal’. She met her future husband (and future Batman/Jim Morrison actor) Val Kilmer on the set of their film ‘Willow’. When she left the band, Terry told her she’d never work in Stockport again, and he was right - to this day she never has.
SlowGuns released their second single ‘The Time Is Right For Us’ b/w ‘My
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Karma’ in 1980 on their own ‘Cult 45’ label. But unfortunately, by the time of the
single’s release the band had already began to implode, blaming arguments
caused by the taking on of too many tasks themselves i.e. managing, promoting,
booking gigs, writing, rehearsing, recording, the hiring and firing of drummers,
and who’s turn it was to get the beer in.
TV Movie
Daddy's in business, with a mistress on the side
Momma's convalescing from attempted suicide
Their son is being busted for statutory rape
And sister's convinced she was born too late
Well, that's what it seems like on my TV -anyway
It must be all a part of life in the USA
Uncle's being blackmailed for pornographic pictures
Auntie's doing urban psychology lectures
Their adopted child is running for the state
And junior's at school about to graduate
Well, that's what it seems like on my TV -anyway
It must be all a part of life in the USA
Oh, I cannot comprehend or even try to pretend
To understand the American Dream
Or their way of life when I watch my TV screen
I'm just someone on the outside looking in
But where does fiction end and reality begin?
Bribery, corruption and adultery
-You name it, you'll find it -in a TV Movie
Well, that's what it seems like on my TV -anyway
It must be all a part of life in the USA
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.