Gen X dad says:

The Headboys formed in 1977 in Edinburgh, Scotland. They released two singles as Badger before changing their name to the Headboys. Their third single The Shape of Things to Come was released in September 1979 and made it to number 45 on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States it got to number 67 on the Billboard charts. The Headboys released a few more singles throughout 1979 and into 1980 with their next to the last one Kickin’ the Kans charting only in New Zealand at number 44.

The band’s self titled debut album was released on Robert Stigwood’s RSO label the same year. Stigwood, best known as the manager of Cream and the Bee Gees as well as heading up the theatrical productions of both Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar, formed RSO Records in 1973. The label’s movie version of 1978’s critical and commercial flop Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band ended up financially crippling the company. The label went defunct in 1983.

For the band itself the end came in 1980. Reluctant to be lumped into the New Wave scene the band declined to tour the US. Instead they holed up in the Scottish countryside with the intention of recording a follow up album. Those recordings would remain unreleased until 2013 when Pop Detective Records put out the 10-track The Lost Album on CD. It was dedicated to drummer Davy Ross, who passed away in 2010.

Their sole original release has been out of print since 1980 and has never been reissued on CD. It is a shame because it is worth listening to if only for the opening track.

The Shape of Things to Come, which kicks off the album, is a thrilling, driving slab of late 70s new wave-tinged power pop. The descending power chord riff, the alternating piano/synth/harpsichord flourishes, and epic chorus all just work so effortlessly. I discovered it on the 5-CD box set Big Gold Dreams – A Story of Scottish Independent Music 1977-1989 released by Cherry Red in 2019. It is now the opening them on the weekly radio show I do for CHIRP Radio from 9 am to noon on Wednesdays (shameless plug).

As much as I love that song (I have yet to tire of hearing it) the rest of the album is a bit of a mixed bag. Stepping Stones (originally released as the b-side to their debut Badger single) is a nice but unremarkable effort. Side B’s opener Experiments echoes a bit of the Skids/Big Country guitar sound and warrants its title in comparison to the rest of the tracks. Schoolgirls, the second track on side B, is a catchy song, but painfully misogynistic and cringey lyrically. The serial killer themed The Ripper (not the Judas Priest song) is hilarious bit of over-the-top theatrical pop. Closer Take It All Down is a fitting rave up of an ending for the record.

The band’s one and done history is a sad, but hardly unusual story. At the very least the album deserves a decent reissue. But they did give the world The Shape of Things to Come. And if you are going to be remembered for a song that’s a helluva great one.

Highlights: The Shape of Things to Come, Stepping Stones, Changing with the Times, Experiments, and Take It All Down.

Gen Z son says:

So it’s well-known at this point that I have a very encyclopedic knowledge of music; at least, that’s what everybody brings up when talking about me. And honestly, that’s pretty true. While anyone out there with basic knowledge of all the sub-genres could recognize names like Talking Heads or My Bloody Valentine, I don’t think any of them really know anything about the Love & Rockets catalogue other than their one hit, So Alive.

But putting all that aside, there’s still a fair amount of music that me and Gen X Dad don’t really know anything about. One of these bands was The Headboys, who Gen X Dad and I hadn’t even heard of until he picked up the compilation-album-cum-book Big Gold Dreams – A Story of Scottish Independent Music 1977-1989. Their single The Shape Of Things To Come was on CD 1 and Gen X Dad and I fell in love with the energetic power pop song. Eventually he found a used copy of their only album online and decided to order it. So, here we are now!

The Headboys are a band who come from the Scottish city of Edinburgh. When they first formed in 1977, they were originally called Badger, but they soon decided to change their name. They first gained traction with the aforementioned single The Shape Of Things To Come which hit number 45 in the UK and number 67 in the US.

It also works well as an opening track for the album, as it possesses a lot of energy and has a great chorus as well (also, it’s got a pretty sick descending-power-chord riff). Next we have the song Stepping Stones, which was also released as a follow-up single, but failed to chart. My Favourite D.J. is like a track from a copy of Elvis Costello’s My Name Is True from another dimension (and I mean that in a good way).

However, when we get to the end of side one, Silver Lining changes things up a bit. With a mysterious piano, pounding bass drums, and epic choir vocals, this track is probably the most experimental cut off the album. Funnily enough, next we have Experiments, whose ripping guitar solos and simple, yet bombastic drum beat could effortlessly make a whole arena start to scream along.

The Breakout takes us back to the 50s with a honky-tonk piano and fast rockabilly beat that could make fans of Elvis everywhere start to toe-tap in unison. The Ripper, which is a song about – you guessed it – Jack The Ripper comes after, and this is where I have to bring something up.

While I do enjoy an album with songs that occasionally venture into unexpected territory and the band tries something different from the rest of the album, it seems like the Headboys use that technique a bit too often on this record, more specifically on the second side. The first time it happens, like on Silver Lining, it sounds really cool, but on the second or third, it can make the album as a whole feel kind of inconsistent.

In short, the Headboys’ self-titled record is a good debut that I did enjoy, but there are some moments here and there that could’ve been fleshed out better. If the universe was perfect and these guys had more than one hit, maybe they would’ve worked out those kinks and their second album would’ve been more well-paced, and it’s honestly kind of sad that these guys were never big, because they had a lot of potential.