Formed inCroydon in May 1974, the band were aproto-punk band. Initially calling themselves Johnny Moped and the 5 Arrogant Superstars, by August they changed their moniker to Assault and Buggery, then the Commercial Band, before reverting to just Johnny Moped by January 1975.[1]
Johnny Moped became one of the pioneering punk bands that played live in the first few months ofLondon'sRoxy Club. They played two gigs in February 1977, one supportingEater and one backing the Damned. The following month they played two more, one supportingSlaughter & the Dogs and the other backing the Damned. In April, they were on a bill that includedWire,X-Ray Spex and theBuzzcocks and the band also supportedMotörhead at TheHammersmith Odeon.[2]
Johnny Moped's "Hard Lovin' Man" appeared on the hit various artists albumLive at the Roxy WC2 (Harvest Records, 1977). The band signed withChiswick Records and released three singles, including "Little Queenie" (a cover of theChuck Berry song), and one album –Cycledelic – before splitting up.[1] First single "No-One" later featured on the Chiswick various artistssampler albumLong Shots, Dead Certs and Odds on Favourites in 1978, while b-side "Incendiary Device" made number 15 inBBC Radio 1DJJohn Peel's 'Festive Fifty', the so-called 'lost list' of 1977.[3]
Sixteen years after its release, the publishers ofThe Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music, namedCycledelic as one of the best fifty punk albums of all time.[4] Most of the band reformed to record a second albumThe Search For Xerxes in 1991.[1]
A documentary about the band,Basically, Johnny Moped, produced by Fred Burns, premiered in September 2013.[5][6]
In 2015, the band, that now featured Rob Brook on second guitar, and long time bassist Jacko Pistorious alongside Johnny, Slimey and Dave, entered the Panther Studios in Surrey, with producer Dick Crippen, to record a new album.[citation needed] The first single to be taken from it was "Ain't No Rock 'n' Roll Rookie" backed with "Super Woofa", which came out on Damaged Goods Records on 31 July 2015 as a limited 7" and download. 2018 saw the band back at Panther Studios with producer Dick Crippen to record their fourth studio album.[citation needed]
Johnny Moped's style has been variously described as:
'Moronic punk 'n' roll fusing future Chiswick label-matesMotörhead with the manic humour ofJohn Otway’.[7]
'They were one of Chiswick’s top bands because they bridged the gap between mid-seventiespub rock and the beery end of punk'.[8]
Cycledelic was "absolute madness. The greatest songs, the sloppiest playing, a voice to makeBilly Bragg feel grateful and the sheer immortality of the since-oft-covered "Darling, Let’s Have Another Baby". Rating: nine out of ten".[9]
'Johnny Moped had been about for a few years practising their sonic terrorism in & around Croydon by the timePunk Rockbroke. That didn't stop them signing to Chiswick Records & releasing the utterly superb 45 No One (NS 15) & the equally frenetic LP, Cycledelic (Wik 8). Perennially written off by the snobbier elements of the Punk elite, mates of Captain Sensible & part time roadies for the Damned – Johnny Moped had it all'.[10]
Legends... 'In any discussion of punk's greatest legends the name of Johnny Moped forever looms large – not necessarily for the vitality of their vinyl, although few would deny that the Moped had few peers in that arena. Nor through the brilliant chaos of their live shows, although a good Moped gig could keep you grinning for a week. No, Johnny Moped was a legend because with a reputation and a presentation like theirs, what else could they be?’[11]
The band's single, 'Darling Let's Have Another Baby', features among 'The 12 Greatest Punk Rock Records Ever Made' – alisticle published byDanny Baker on hisPatreon blog.[12]
