In the late 1970s British punk landscape, the Albertos occupied a position comparable to that of the Mothers of Invention within the American psychedelic movement of the preceding decade, serving as pointed satirists whose biting observations proved so incisive that numerous listeners overlooked their humorous intent. It therefore comes as little shock that tracks such as "Kill," "Snuffin' Like That," and "Anarchy in the UK" now surface on various punk anthologies that otherwise maintain a serious tone, while the group's associations with several of the period's most revered performers have only added to the misunderstanding.
Manchester, England, saw the ensemble's formation in 1973, when vocalists CP Lee and Les Prior, bassist Jimmy Hibbert, guitarists Bob Harding, Simon White, and Tony Bowers, plus drummers Ray Hughes and Bruce Mitchell came together, several having previously collaborated in Greasy Bear.
The musicians first drew notice through the same eclectic approach that had earned the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band cult status, appearing frequently as opening acts to the point where encountering them before another bill became almost routine. They readily cultivated their own following as well; a sharp reworking of Lou Reed's "Heroin," retitled after the pain reliever Anadin, gained popularity on par with Supercharge's well-known Drifters send-up, "She Moved the Dishes First." Unlike Supercharge, which often veered into less effective funk territory, the Albertos sustained their incisive comedic approach. After signing with Transatlantic in 1975, they produced the debut single "Dread Jaws," juxtaposing Bob Marley's newly declared superstar status with the concurrent popularity of the film Jaws.
Their self-titled album appeared in 1976, followed in 1977 by the release of Italians from Outer Space, an ambitious work of nearly operatic scope filled with standout pieces that include the two-part title track, the reimagined "Old Shep" titled "Old Trust," and the punk satire "Teenager in Schtuck," which pointed toward the direction the band would subsequently pursue.
Skite arrived in 1978, yet the 1977 one-off EP Snuff Rock on Stiff remains their most significant recording. The four-track 7-inch accompanied the group's theatrical triumph of the same name, centered on the suicidal rock figure Norman Sleak. Mounted at London's Theatre Royal, Sleak achieved considerable success and paved the way for the band's sole chart hit, the Status Quo parody "Heads Down, No Nonsense, Mindless Boogie." Prior's death from leukemia in January 1980 diminished much of the ensemble's sharpness, while plans to stage Sleak in the United States collapsed on opening night. The production premiered the same evening John Lennon was killed, rendering deceased rock figures suddenly unsuitable subjects for comedy.
A follow-up production, Never Mind the Bullocks, never gained traction. Although the group achieved modest visibility through the 1982 U.K. television program Teach Yourself Gibberish, they disbanded shortly afterward. CP Lee later established himself primarily as a journalist while making sporadic returns to performance and theater; Tony Bowers eventually joined Simply Red; the remaining members departed the music business.
