The Banned

Croydon's Banned endures in memory chiefly through its irresistibly memorable 1978 cover of the Syndicate of Sound's "Little Girl," yet the group managed only one additional single before dissolving before the year ended—an unfortunate close for such a lively outfit. Rick Mansworth (vocals, guitar), Pete Fresh (guitar), John Thomas (bass), and Paul Sordid (drums) launched the band, which first issued "Little Girl" via its independent Can't Eat imprint in September 1977. The initial pressing vanished almost immediately, prompting Harvest to step in with a major-label deal even ahead of glowing coverage from the U.K. music press; the single resurfaced two months afterward. It climbed to number 36 on the U.K. chart, though Mansworth and Thomas had already exited by the time any successor was recorded, their places taken by Ben Dover and Tommy Steal. "Him or Me" then failed to register, and the band disbanded shortly thereafter.