999 are an Englishpunk rock band, formed in London in December 1976.[5] From 1976 to 1985, their line-up consisted of Nick Cash (vocals, guitar), Guy Days (lead guitar), Jon Watson (bass guitar) and Pablo LaBritain (drums). LaBritain was temporarily replaced in 1980 by drummer Paul Edwards (aka 'Ed Case') while he recovered from a motor accident. Paul Edwards later went on to be the drummer in Hazel O'Connor's band. Bassist Jon Watson left the band in 1985 and was replaced by Danny Palmer, who was succeeded by Arturo Bassick in 1991.
Between 1978 and 2007, 999 released fourteensingles and twelve studioalbums. Five of the singles released by 999 between 1978 and 1981 charted within the Top 75 in theUK singles chart, with one further single in 1978, "Homicide", charting within the Top 40. In addition, as a result of extensive touring in the United States in the early 1980s, the band's third and fourth studio albums,The Biggest Prize in Sport andConcrete, each charted on the U.S.Billboard 200.[citation needed]
Despite having formed in 1976, 999 have only experienced two permanent changes to their original line-up[6] and have continued to record and play live, leadingAllMusic to describe them as "one of the longest-lived groups of thepunk era".[5]
Named after the UK'semergency telephone number, 999 were founded in London by two brothers: singer and guitarist Nick Cash, and Guy Days. Cash was a member of thepub rock bandKilburn and the High Roads, and Days asession guitarist who played on some of the band'sdemo tapes.[7] In late 1976 they placed an advertisement inMelody Maker for band members, and ended up turning downChrissie Hynde (The Pretenders),Jon Moss (Culture Club) andTony James (Generation X).[8] They recruited Jon Watson on bass and Pablo LaBritain ondrums, LaBritain having briefly played withthe Clash.[9] The band that eventually became known as 999 performed their first concert at theNorthampton Cricket Club in January 1977.[10] After experimenting with several different band names, they became 999 in May 1977.[11]
999 button, Toronto-the Edge Club present
999 soon established themselves as a powerful live act on the London punk scene, and became regulars at theHope and Anchor, Islington.[7] Their self-financed debutsingle "I'm Alive" was well received, becoming a firm favourite in the punkclubs.[12] On the strength of it, 999 were signed toUnited Artists Records around the same time as theBuzzcocks.[13] The band's second single, "Nasty Nasty", was cited nearly 20 years after its release as a seminal punk single.[14]
Theirself-titled debut album,produced by Andy Arthurs, was released in March 1978. One retrospective review claimed it "demonstrated their limitations as well as their strengths. The 45 cuts like "Me and My Desire" and "Emergency" demonstrated the latter, but the album lacked that special ingredient, uniqueness or originality to make it stand out from the crowd."[13] The album reached No. 53 in theUK Albums Chart. The following year, the song "Emergency" from the album appeared – alongside songs by bands includingthe Jam andthe Stranglers – on the punk compilation20 of Another Kind. That album reached No. 45 in the UKchart.[citation needed] Years later, "Emergency" was included inMojo magazine's list of the best punk rock singles of all time.[15]
The band's second album,Separates, was produced byMartin Rushent. One reviewer lists it as one of the best punk albums of all time.[16] In the United States, a slightly altered version ofSeparates, re-titledHigh Energy Plan, became the band's first American release.[17] In October 1978, a month after the album's release, 999 recorded their only session forJohn Peel atBBC Radio 1.[18] 999 also played at Front Row Festival, a three-week event at the Hope and Anchor in late November and early December 1977. This resulted in the band's inclusion, alongside the likes ofWilko Johnson,the Only Ones,the Saints,the Stranglers,X-Ray Spex, andXTC, on a hit double LP of recordings from the festival.
999 toured widely in the United States, and were rewarded when their albumsThe Biggest Prize In Sport andConcrete charted on theBillboard 200.[citation needed] In the US, "Homicide" and "Hollywood" garnered frequent rotation on 'Rock of the 80s'-format radio stations such as KROQ in Los Angeles. According toDave Thompson, "For many Americans, they were the first to actually bother with the backwoods, playing places which other Brit bands hadn't heard of, and returning to them again and again. And while no one knows how many American bands were first inspired to take up arms by 999, those that did still wear their loyalties loudly."[19]
Despite a number of minor hit singles, the band's critical appeal in Britain had begun to wane. Their stock was lifted temporarily with the arrival of the self-releasedFace To Face. 999's popularity continued to decline steadily, leading to the group disbanding twice in the 1980s, reforming soon afterwards. They have since released several albums and continue to tour, including playing at the 11thAntifest in 2005. Bassick also plays forThe Lurkers.[20]
"Homicide" appears onToo Old to Die Young, an American crime drama miniseries written by Nicolas Winding Refn and Ed Brubaker
"Homicide" was covered by the bandError which included members of Bad Religion, Nine Inch Nails and the Dillinger Escape Plan; there is also a remix of the track on theError EP
^abJoynson, Vernon (2001).Up Yours! A Guide to UK Punk, New Wave & Early Post Punk. Wolverhampton, UK: Borderline Publications. p. 246.ISBN1-899855-13-0.
^Mojo (October 2001) – "100 Punk Scorchers", issue 95, London
^Gardner, Steve (1996)."Hiljaiset Levyt: 100 Best Punk LP's". Archived fromthe original on 22 November 2007. 'Homicide' from this LP, which was about their most popular song, was pretty close to disco, but there's plenty of other catchy ones here, like 'Tulse Hill Night', 'Out of Reach' or 'Let's Face It'.
