Maybe it’s because of the “don’t give a damn” pub-rocker air which Steven Parsons, also affectionately known as Snips, has always had about him, but this Yorkshire singer seemed to, undeservedly, not command the respect his stints with SHARKS and BAKER-GURVITZ ARMY were to warrant. Still, the choice of Snips as their frontman by such legends as Andy Fraser, Chris Spedding, Adrian and Paul Gurvitz and Ginger Baker must speak volumes of the man’s talents. That’s why the two platters the veteran released under his own name, should not be ignored – and that’s why the forthcoming three-CD box set “Work: The Solo Years 1978-1981” is more than welcome.
Out on August 22nd, it fleshes out the Englishman’s entire oeuvre, 1978’s “Video King” – the album produced by Steve Lillywhite and debuting on digital media now – and "La Rocca!" with a whopping 38 bonus tracks of which 31, including 27 live cuts, have never been issued. With players like Midge Ure, who accompanied Parsons on the radio hit “9 O’Clock” and went on the road with him, and Clem Clempson, Snips’ concert tapes that he compiled for this collection feel rather interesting. There’s a lot of interesting things about him, though, such as work with Steve Marriott, so hopefully, one day soon, we’ll go for an interview with the man.
Work:
The Solo Years 1978-1981
CD 1 – Video King:
1. Love Is Blind
2. Film Club
3. Walking
4. Under Suspicion
5. Eat It Up
6. Waiting For Tonight
7. Video Kings
8. Dracula
9. Stravinsky’s Shoes
10. Babaloomah
11. Animal Century
bonus tracks:
12. Smash Your T.V. (B-side)
Snips and THE RADIO KINGS:
13. Radio Kings (re-recording) *
14. Dracula (re-recording) *
15. Babaloomah (re-recording) *
16. Taxi *
Snips and THE VIDEO KINGS –
BBC Andy Peebles Show – Paris Theatre, London – November 22nd, 1978: *
17. 9. O’Clock
18. Video King
19. Stravinsky’s Shoe
20. Eat It Up
21. Flow My Tears
22. Babaloomah
23. Love Is Blind
24. Walking
25. Music Breakout
CD 2 – La Rocca!:
1. Nine O’Clock
2. La Rocca
3. Skies Of England
4. The Rain
5. Dark Outside
6. Backs Of Millions
7. Police Car
8. Happy Sometimes
9. Tight Shoes
10. Work
11. Telepathy
12. What Is Pop?
bonus tracks:
13. What’s Your Number (B-side)
14. You’re A Wonderful One (A- side)
15. Mr Dillinger (B-side)
16. Lolita (B-side)
17. Tight Shoes (Tight Mix) (A-side)
18. Noise (B-side)
CD 3 – BBC Recordings *
Snips and THE VIDEO KINGS –
Andy Peebles Show – November 16th, 1978:
1. Flow My Tears
2. Music Breakout
3. Nine O’Clock
4. Twelve O’Clock
Snips – In Concert – March 1980 (feat. Midge Ure):
5. Work
6. Mr Machine
7. I Am The Line
8. What Is Pop?
9. Rat Catcher
10. Lolita
11. Police Car
Snips –
In Concert – June 6th, 1981:
12. Tight Shoes
13. Work
14. La Rocca
15. Happy Sometimes
16. Dark Outside
17. Skies Of England
18. Kustom Car Kommandos
* previously unreleased
