APB

During the 1980s, Scotland’s APB stood out as one of the most successful underground alternative acts to break through in the New York Tri-State region, despite hailing from far across the Atlantic. Whereas the era’s typical alternative groups relied on ringing guitars or frosty synthesizers, APB stood apart by placing a funk bassline at the forefront of their sound, an approach reminiscent of Gang of Four yet free of political content. Their initial recordings would later serve as a template for the early Red Hot Chili Peppers releases. The band took shape in Aberdeen with singer and bassist Iain Slater, guitarist Glenn Roberts, and drummer George Cheyne; over time two additional percussionists joined, Nick Jones from 1982 to 1983 and Mikey Craighead from 1984 to 1989.

APB first stirred attention across Europe, resulting in multiple BBC Radio 1 appearances between 1981 and 1984, among them two John Peel Sessions plus single outings on the David Jensen and Peter Powell programs. Those same singles formed the core of the group’s 1985 debut album, Something to Believe In. New York airwaves quickly adopted several tracks, most notably “Palace Filled with Love,” “Rainy Day,” “One Day,” “What Kind of Girl?,” and especially the catchy “Shoot You Down,” prompting repeated U.S. tours that included support slots for both the Clash and James Brown. The band also headlined its own New York shows, among them a performance at the Ritz.

A second album, Cure for the Blues, arrived in 1986, followed later that year by the four-song EP Missing You Already. Sporadic live appearances continued through the remainder of the decade, though no further recordings emerged. Renewed interest surfaced in the early 2000s amid the rise of numerous new-wave revival acts, prompting a double-disc reissue of the debut titled Something to Believe In: 20th Anniversary Edition in 2005 and, the following year, the collection The Radio 1 Sessions.