Nice 'N' Sleazyby The Stranglers

45th anniversary of this record!

When the Stranglers played this song during their headline set at Battersea Park on September 16, 1978, "the Stranglers booked some strippers to up the show's visual aspect," recalled photographer Barry Plummer. "But some of the lads in the audience got a bit carried away and also stripped completely naked. Eventually the police were called and took down all of the young ladies' particulars."

Fun fact: In the late 1980s, the Stranglers regularly featured a 3-piece brass section in their live line-up. // Playing in UK on July 21st and 27th. This album came out 40 years ago this past May.

Single from their 1978 album, Black and White.

"As with The Stranglers' first two albums, Black and White was produced by Martin Rushent. The album sees The Stranglers adopting a more experimental approach to song structures and time signatures. The band recorded a version of 'Sweden' sung in Swedish, called 'Sverige' and released it in Sweden. The song was partly inspired by Cornwell's PhD placement at Lund University in the mid-1970s. In an anecdote related in the Swedish online magazine, Blaskan, it is stated that the song was inspired by a disastrous visit to Sweden during a European tour, when a gig was violently interrupted by a gang of 'raggare' (greasers)." bit.ly

Celebrating Hugh Cornwell, born this day in 1949. Though best known as the vocalist and guitarist for The Stranglers, Cornwell earned an undergrad in biochemistry from Bristol University, then embarked on post-grad research in Sweden at Lund University. Soon after, he formed the band Johnny Sox. "Cornwell returned to the UK in 1974 with Johnny Sox (minus Hans Wärmling). Jet Black then joined the band. At one stage it was just Cornwell and Black, who were then joined by Jean-Jacques Burnel. Hans Wärmling, on holiday from Sweden, joined the line-up towards the end of 1974. The Johnny Sox name was then dropped and the band toured under the name The Guildford Stranglers and eventually The Stranglers." bit.ly

This track was on the White side of the Strangler's Black and White. The single featured a picture of a victim of the Boston Strangler. bit.ly