A Brief History of The Motorcycle Boy


The Motorcycle Boy formed in East Kilbride, Scotland, in 1987 when vocalist Alex Taylor left the Shop Assistants, joining four former members of Meat Whiplash, David Scott (guitar), Michael Kerr (guitar), Eddie Connelly (bass) and Paul McDermott (drums).

Featuring a much more produced, dance-oriented sound than either the Shop Assistants or Meat Whiplash, the band's first release was Big Rock Candy Mountain, issued through Rough Trade in 1987. The track was a perfect choice for a debut single, energetic and catchy with a beautiful melody. The B-side, "Room At The Top," featured a melancholy sound not far removed from the Shop Assistants' quieter moments. The 12" featured the "Velocity Dance Mix" and 7" Mix of the title track, and added a cover of the Elvis Presley song "His Latest Flame."

It would be two years until the band's second release, the Trying to Be Kind single, on Chrysalis/Blue Guitar. As with their previous release, the track was a good choice for a single, with a memorable chorus and stunning harmonies. The B-side of the single was the soothing "World Falls Into Place." The 12" and CD singles featured an Extended Mix of the title track, and a cover of the Shirelle's "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" The 12" added the "1,000cc Version" of "Trying To Be Kind," while the CD single included the previously released "Big Rock Candy Mountain (Velocity Dance Mix)".

Later in 1989 the band issued their third single, You And Me Against The World, with the B-side, "Under The Bridge." The 12" included "Some Girls" (not the Rolling Stones song) and an extended mix of the title track.

The band's only album, Scarlet, was slated for release by Chrysalis in 1989. It was issued catalog numbers for the LP/cassette/CD (CHR 1689/ZCHR 1689/CCD 1689), but late in the process the decision was made not to release the album (though it later surfaced on the internet).

Alex collaborated with the Oxford-based Ride on a pair of Blondie covers ("Union City Blue" and "Atomic") which were given out as a limited cassette, Motorcycle Ride, at Ride's Christmas aftershow party, when Alex and Ride performed a series of Blondie songs at the Jericho Tavern in Oxford, England on December 22, 1989. The cassette was later reissued as a semi-official 7" single on Fierce Records.

The band signed with producer Pat Collier's Nymphaea Pink Sensation label in 1990 and issued a pair of singles, The Road Goes On Forever and Here She Comes, also contributing a cover of the Velvet Underground's "Run Run Run" to the first volume of Communion Records' Velvet Underground tribute, Heaven and Hell.The final Motorcycle Boy-related release was a single by Taylor and Connelly along with Con Fitzpatrick, issued under the name One Note Jam, called Warp Eight in Electraglide.

Click here for a discography of the punk/glam band also called Motorcycle Boy.


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