The Motorcycle Boy

Formed in 1987, this UK ‘indie’ pop group came together when former Shop Assistants vocalist Alex Taylor joined forces with Michael Kerr on guitar, Paul McDermott on drums and Eddie Connelly on bass—all three previously of Meat Whiplash—plus an additional guitarist known as ‘Scottie,’ born David Scott. Their first release, the Rough Trade Records single ‘Big Rock Candy Mountain’ (a title once used by Burl Ives), climbed to number 3 on the UK independent chart. Although the record generated considerable music-press interest and appeared to herald greater things, chronic disorganization kept the band from igniting the live scene, and they split shortly after issuing their only album, which had been cut for Chrysalis Records. Alex Taylor was later reported to be working, with some irony, as a shop assistant in a record-store chain.