The Freshies

The origins of the UK pop outfit trace back to 1971, when Chris Sievey and his brother secured a ride to London and staged a protest at the Beatles’ Apple Records offices, which eventually led to a recording session. Sievey went on to produce countless demos that labels repeatedly turned down, later compiling the rejection notices into a slim publication, while another volume focused exclusively on Virgin Records’ refusals. In 1974 he launched his independent imprint Razz, which issued an assortment of singles, videos, and more than sixty cassettes. Efforts to assemble a band called the Freshies followed, drawing in a rotating cast of players that included Martin Jackson, who would later join Magazine and Swing Out Sister, and Billy Duffy, subsequently of the Cult. The steadiest configuration ran from 1980 to 1982 and featured Barry Spencer on guitar, Rick Sarko on bass (formerly of Ed Banger And The Nosebleeds), and Mike Doherty on drums (ex-Smirks). After issuing several limited-run titles on Razz, Sievey reached the charts when MCA reissued the 1981 single “I’m In Love With The Girl On The Manchester Virgin Megastore Checkout Desk.” The major also put out two further distinctive tracks: the equivocal anti-war piece “Wrap Up The Rockets” and the tribute to record hunting “I Can’t Get (Boing Boing) Bouncing Babies By The Teardrop Explodes.” A lone 45 appeared on Stiff Records before the group disbanded. Sievey maintained an equally eccentric solo path while performing as his comic persona Frank Sidebottom. Despite amassing hundreds of songs, the Freshies never issued an official album.