Biography
British record collectors long found themselves baffled by a New Zealand group called the Bluestars, whose lineup featured John Harris on vocals and lead guitar, Rick Van Bokhoven on vocals and rhythm guitar, Murray Savidan handling bass and vocals, and Jim Crowley on drums. The quartet secured a deal with Decca Records in England and saw the single "Please Be a Little Kind" b/w "I Can Take It" pressed for release in the UK, prompting many observers to assume the band hailed from that country—particularly given the existence of another Bluestars outfit based in Birmingham, England. In reality the musicians originated in Auckland, and their association with the London label proved fleeting once Decca declined to issue several later recordings. One track the company rejected was the gloriously overamplified fuzz-laden punk rant "Social End Product," which Allied International eventually put out in New Zealand; the song received its widest attention 35 years afterward when Rhino Records included it on the Nuggets II box set.