The Rezillos
By All Music Guide
By All Music Guide
The Rezillos early repertoire contained material from the likes of Screaming Lord Sutch, the Dave Clark Five and the Sweet. The success of their 1977 debut single I Cant Stand My Baby was unexpected, especially by the band members themselves, who never considered the group much more than a lark; as a result of the more serious pressures now exerted on the Rezillos, Harris, Smythe and Warning all departed, while bassist/saxophonist William Mysterious (born William Donaldson) signed on as a permanent member.
After signing to major label Sire, the quintet reached the U.K. Top 20 with a single titled, ironically enough, Top of the Pops. After releasing their 1978 debut LP Cant Stand the Rezillos, Mysterious was replaced by Simon Templar, but internal problems continued to plague the group, and following a farewell tour, they disbanded in December 1978. Patterson, Warm and Templar continued on as Shake, while Reynolds and Fife, promised they could be released from their contract if they dropped the Rezillos name, formed the Revillos.
Rejoined by Harris as well as onetime Pork Dukes drummer Rocky Rhythm, bassist Felix and backing vocalists Babs and Cherie (a.k.a. the Revettes), the first incarnation of the Revillos recorded a pair of singles, Wheres the Boy for Me? and Motorbike Beat. In mid-1979, Harris left to become an architect, and was replaced by 17-year-old guitarist Kid Krupa in time to record 1980s Rev Up. Following the usual line-up fluctuations (Felix was replaced by Vince Spik, and Babs was replaced by singer Drax), the Revillos signed to the Superville label and issued the single Shes Fallen in Love With a Monster Man and the 1983 LP Attack! After a pair of self-financed U.S. tours, the band split in 1985; Reynolds formed Rockatomic and Planet Pop, while Fay joined Destroy All Men. The Revillos reformed in 1994 to play a series of concerts in Japan, ultimately recording the Live and On Fire in Japan album and the Yeah Yeah EP. In 1996, they issued a rarities compilation, From the Freezer, and played some live dates in Britain.
