Talk:The Stranglers/Archive 1

Celia and the Mutations
Back in 1977 they released under an assumed name 2 singles as "Celia and the Mutations" (please correct if needed). These included "Round and around", "Mean to me", "Moni Moni" (remake) and "Love me or leave me". Help please. Acmthompson 17:14, 24 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Got the message BTW.
 * The only one I remember being done by "Celia and the Mutations" was 'Mony Mony' - that was on a Stranglers compilation CD ('The Rarities' I think) back in the late eighties but I no longer have it to check as it got nicked - I think the CD liner notes mentioned that it was released under the "Celia and the Mutations" name. I have 'Mean to Me' but I got it as a free single with a Japanese import of the vinyl 'Live (X Cert)' album. On that, the label credits The Stranglers as themselves - the other side BTW is 'Choosy Suzy' if I remember. Ian Dunster 16:41, 8 April 2007 (UTC)


 * Just found this: Ian Dunster 09:16, 9 April 2007 (UTC)


 * The Stranglers were just acting as Celia's backing band (presumeably an idea of United Artists?) - at the time, their career had barely started so there was less of an issue with them putting another string to their bow in such a way, incongruous as it may seem in retrospect.--feline1 12:48, 9 April 2007 (UTC)

By the way, I made a mistake, the song is called "You Better Believe Me" and the words "Love me or leave me" are a line from the lyric. Acmthompson 13:18, 9 April 2007 (UTC)

Celia and the Mutations and Celia and the young Mutations were the to release 2, 7ins singles. Mony Mony ,Mean To Me which was released by the Stranglers with Hugh Singing. Around and Around / You Better Belive me was Ceila and the Young Mutations which were JJ,Wilco Johnstone plus 2 others.

I can confirm that the LP "Rarities" (EMS 1306) had both 'Mony Mony' and 'Mean to Me' credited to 'Celia & the Mutations'. The latter is different to the Stanglers version of mean to me in that it has Celia on vocals. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.132.253.6 (talk) 22:28, 22 December 2007 (UTC)

Celia was discovered by Dia Davis the Stranglers Managament at that time. —Preceding unsigned comment added by chris86.29.10.205 (talk) 00:25, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

Singles section needs attention
What's with the singles section here? It's certainly not an accurate discography, and as an avid collector of 25 years, I have not heard of the single Mad Hatter - that's an album track


 * I have added a list of UK Chart singles up to 1988 and moved the previous table here if anyone more familiar with the table formatting and the US Chart positions wants to re-format the list using it. Ian Dunster 14:49, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Stranglers in Fight Club?
The article claims that the music of the Stranglers was used in the movie Fight Club. I'm not sure this is true... the final song in the film is Where is my mind? by the Pixies, and I think the rest of the score was all by the Dust Brothers. Can anyone confirm the Stranglers' appearance in the film? -- OwlofDoom 13:28, 25 Sep 2004 (UTC)


 * Maybe the writer was thinking of Snatch, in which "Golden Brown" is played. - Vague | Rant 07:11, Jan 4, 2005 (UTC)


 * might have been thinking of Sexy Beast, in which Peaches was used.


 * The article does mention that too, though, although it may have been a different author... -- OwlofDoom 08:03, 10 Jan 2005 (UTC)


 * The IMDB soundtrack listing at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/soundtrack has no mention of The Stranglers
 * I'm removing the mention then - until someone comes up with evidence. Spikeballs 19:56, Mar 4, 2005 (UTC)

Claims of Bias

 * This article *really* needs to be rewritten. The author does not even try to hide his bias ("Take one listen to the title track from the album -- even just the first minute -- and you'll be convinced"). [Anonymous]

I agree completely. The article is more of a positive review by a gushing fan than an encyclopædic entry! (A Psarisch)

Agreed - I'm a fan, but a bit of objectivity would be nice!

Jump Over My Shadow
I don't know much about that double CD, I saw it just one time in a shop (haven't bought it). It isn't noticed in the discography or anywhere else.

Picture
The picture on this article is of two Stranglers and two of the Velvet Underground. An alternative is needed...


 * Really - it looks like a quartet of true Stranglers to me. Cornwell, Greenfield, Black and Burnel all present and correct !


 * Derek R Bullamore 23:17, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

Infobox flag
I removed the flag; it is redundant as it means the same as England does. See WP:FLAG for an essay about this. --Guinnog 23:30, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

Punk?... Pub Rock?
I reverted an anonymous addition that the Stranglers were a punk rock band. Given that they predated this movement and (AFAIK) never self-identified as belonging to it, I don't think this is accurate. However, I thought I would post it here in case I am out of line on it. --Guinnog 17:37, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Changed first line from being a 'punk rock group' to having emerged via the scene - given their early origins predating the scene in '76/'77 and that they have never really been identified as punk rock in quite the same way as the Pistols or Clash? — Preceding unsigned comment added by JSN2849 (talk • contribs) 02:33, 15 December 2013 (UTC)


 * The Stranglers basically started punk rock. Unless you want to go back to The Stoogies. The Ramones were just bad rock and roll, not punk at all.
 * Yikes, there's some "original research" for ya!!! Keithramone33 (talk) 02:17, 1 December 2015 (UTC)Keithramone33

So.... Why is Pub Rock not among the genres in the infobox? Keithramone33 (talk) 02:17, 1 December 2015 (UTC)Keithramone33

Unsourced quotation
In the introduction: "I certainly considered myself to be a punk-rocker" ought to be sourced. A quick google search found nothing but this article. If anyone recalls seeing it published please speak up. Also, if the article expands at all it should probably be relocated to a different section. Happy editing. Zytsef (talk) 11:25, 30 November 2007 (UTC)

What does this mean?
"Jean-Jacques Burnel also again sings the songs live that he originally recorded the vocals to" 83.70.254.135 (talk) 23:42, 13 July 2008 (UTC)
 * Many of the songs originally sung live (and recorded) by Jean Jacques were sung live by Paul Roberts instead, when PR left the band JJB returned to the old arrangement. Hope that helps. Nimbus (talk) 15:00, 14 July 2008 (UTC)

Poor Grammar
A reference to an English DJ producing a "Golden Brown" remix called "When your around" has been removed. 67.88.5.82 (talk) 14:25, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Keith Floyd
I found a link on Youtube showing Keith extolling the virtues of The Stranglers. Someone has asked a for a citation. Funnily enough they can't be old enough to have seen his cookery shows throughout the 80s and 90s (Waltz'n Back et al). Anyway a wiki bot has reverted on the grounds that it's spam.

Just thought I'd mention it because any Stranglers fan worth his salt knows Floyde is a huge fan of the band.

So any better suggestions would be welcomed.


 * It's probably because you put the link in directly and not formatted as an inline reference, you could try again. YouTube links are not popular though according to WP:EL (have a look down that page). I've got all the right books for references (including Floydy) but sadly no time to spend on this article and it looks like it needs it now with all the 'ugly' tags recently stuck at the top. Nimbus (talk) 22:26, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

Didn't the stranglers "interview" him, probably published in strangled magazine. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.24.236.3 (talk) 01:45, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

Clean up
I have had a go at addressing the 'cleanup tags', have left some of them there for the moment. I want to get an independent editor to have a look and remove them if they can be. Nimbus (talk) 20:03, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

Selected Song Legacy add
"Peaches" also appears in the 1997 film "Metroland" (Christian Bale, Emily Watson, dir. Philip Saville). Ang1970 (talk) 10:32, 1 March 2009 (UTC)

Room for guest/collaborating artists?
Wondered if there is room for a 'guest artist' section in the band line up bit? I'm thinking of George Melly, Lew Lewis, Nigel Kennedy etc. If we included the live guests who stood in for Hugh when he was otherwise occupied then there would be lots more like Ian Dury and Toyah, just a thought. Nimbus (Cumulus nimbus floats by)   19:39, 15 August 2009 (UTC)

Affilation with Japan
"In the later half of the 1970s, The Stranglers moved to Japan and joined the alternative music scene of Tokyo...until a replacement was found." As well-sourced and informative as this paragraph is, it's hardly the most pivotal slice of Stranglers history, and I'm not sure why this article suddenly breaks into a lecture on 70s Japanese rock music in the middle of some orthodox biographical info. Also rather incongruous looking is the abrupt use of kanji. If you're going to talk about bands that most visitors to this page have never heard of nor are at all interested in, I think it would be more reader-friendly (this being the English Wikipedia) to write the group's name as Murahachibu rather than 村八分. Either way, that particular group has nothing at all to do with the Stranglers.

At any rate, the band's one-time affilations with Friction, ARB, P-Model etc. would be more pertinently noted on those group's respective pages, or even something like the Music of Japan page. Failing that, I could add a Miscellaneous section to this article and move the paragraph there.

It's pretty interesting info for fans / music nuts, mind (would also be good to make some mention of Jean-Jacques Burnel producing a Lizard album and even writing an anime soundtrack in recent years). I guess what I'm suggesting is that this section either be slimmed down or the information therein distributed elsewhere. I think it's funny that these groups get mentioned on the page while George Melly doesn't! The former reeks far more strongly of trivia than the latter. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Botless (talk • contribs) 00:48, 5 August 2010 (UTC)

Nothing New On the Swedish Front
I have read that there was a song called "Nothing New On the Swedish Front" released on the B side of a single that was inspired by an event at a gig in Sweden where The Stranglers got their gear smashed up by raggare containing phrases such as "dessa jävla raggare" och "allt är sonderslaget". However I have found no info on the song. The closest I've found is "Sweden (All Quiet on the Eastern Front)" from Black and White (The Stranglers album) (and I found a source supporting that), but the lyrics don't seem to be about it. Ok, found that the did release a version in Swedish. Could someone enlighten me? // Liftarn (talk)


 * The title "Nothing New On the Swedish Front" does not ring any bells. There is 'Sweden' from the Black and White album, the lyrics don't relate to the raggare incident (in Klippan) according to Hugh Cornwell, just his time living there. The Swedish language version of it was released as a single, titled "Sverige (jag ar insnoad pa ostfronten)" (my spelling might not be quite right there!). I have this single, it was released by United Artists, the music recording is the same as the B&W version, just the vocal tracks changed. I can't remember what is on the B-side of that come to think of it!! Neither version was on the B-side of any other single that I know of. "Sverige" is on the Rarities CD. Hope that helps. Nimbus (Cumulus nimbus floats by)   10:12, 13 October 2010 (UTC)


 * I had to find the single again!! It is UP 36459, released in 1978. The B-side is "In the shadows". The Swedish lyrics are given on the picture sleeve, they are a direct (but possibly incorrect!) translation of the English lyrics, the phrases above are not included. It says on the record label that it was made in Sweden. Cheers Nimbus (Cumulus nimbus floats by)   10:34, 13 October 2010 (UTC)

Yes, it appears the track mentioned is indeed "Sverige (Jag är insnöad pa östfronten)", but it was the A side, not B side (the B side being "In the Shadows"). The lyrics appear to be in correct swedish, even if "Hypokondrisk gravsten" don't make any sense, but then the English "Hypochondriac tombstone" don't either. I wonder how the story about the raggare background to the song got started. I have found sources about the attack. // Liftarn (talk)


 * That's Hugh's lyrics for you!! In his book 'Song by song' he doesn't really go into detail precisely what the lyrics of the song are about but he does describe the riot incident (does that need adding to this article? Probably too much detail). I have a very distant memory of a Melody Maker article/review where they implied that the 'Black and White' album was going to be called 'All quiet on the eastern front'. I think this single is missing from The Stranglers discography but it is probably classed as an import, and there were many of them! Can you add anything to the Hans Wärmling article? It really needs an image. Cheers Nimbus (Cumulus nimbus floats by)   11:55, 13 October 2010 (UTC)
 * I was thinking of adding it to the raggare article (I already added the attack). If we find out anything about the background it could be added to the article about the album. As for images journalistic (as opposed to artistic) photos from Sweden prior to 1969 is public domain. I found some old photos at http://www.freewebs.com/featheredapple66/index.htm that might be of use. // Liftarn (talk)
 * I've also found out that Rude Kids wrote "Stranglers (If It's Quiet Why Don't You Play?)" as a response to "Sweden (All Quiet on the Eastern Front)". // Liftarn (talk)

Quotes about the group
These are perhaps misplaced in the article but too good not to share:

Don't you think the Stranglers are the worst thing you've ever fuckin' heard? I do. They're hideous, rubbishy... so bloody stupid. Fuckin' nauseatin', they are. - Mick Jagger, 1977

I'd come off this Yes tour and about two years later, the bands that were hot were the Stranglers (yuck!)

- Keith Levene, 2001

"We only needed to make the one record. They're touring 30 records they could have put into one.

"Beware people with less talent. The Stranglers are jealous because they are idiotic. There's nothing there, they don't stand for anything."

- Johnny Rotten, 2008

"Permanent immaturity is a heavy price for rock to pay for permanent youth, and maybe we're the ones who are afraid of change if we're prepared to pay that price."

Phil McNeill, NME, 1977.74.196.214.250 (talk) 09:12, 8 January 2011 (UTC)
 * All totally irrelevant, except for the McNeill review which the last quote belongs to and which (review, not quote) should, of course, be somehow used in the Rattus Norvegicus (album) article. Incidentally, it goes on to say: Sad thing is, the joke's on us because this album is just so damn brilliant musically. The most playable record I've heard in ages, virtually every track is a little masterpiece. There isn't another new wave band within several leagues. -- Evermore2 (talk) 12:35, 10 November 2011 (UTC)

Formation date
Could you please specify what happened on 11 September 1974 in Guildford, Surrey to make it the formation date? I don't own that book that is referenced.

The official biography mentions the formation in the article about year *1975*: http://www.stranglers.net/Biography_03.html

I understand that by then (1975) they were living in Chiddingfold and did a gig in Guildford, the gig where the name was established, but I'm no native speaker... (E-Kartoffel (talk) 15:14, 4 October 2011 (UTC))

Proposed merger
I saw a headline which said that Coast to Coast Live should be merged into the article. I think this is the good idea and I think that it should be written 'top down,' that is from the vocalist down to the drummer.

It's very much a fan's POV but I think it would preserve the band's integrity. (92.25.56.44 (talk) 15:14, 14 November 2011 (UTC))
 * Frankly, I don't quite understand - neither what 92.25.56.44 here suggests, nor what 'merge' in such a case means - except that the album might be mentioned in the respective (2000s resurgence and reversion to a four-piece) section. It can be mentioned all right, why not, without necessarily deleting Coast to Coast: Live on Tour. -- Evermore2 (talk) 10:56, 16 November 2011 (UTC)

Opening "most continually successful " claim
''I have changed opening claim to "one of" - the original unqualified superlative is surely open to debate and would seem a tough one to prove?

For instance, The Cure have had greater international success, without ever splitting up since formation in 1976. Even The Fall, who have had less success, continue to make albums nearly every year and refuse to play any sort of 'old hits' live set (almost all recent material only) - hence making a good claim on being a genuinely 'continuous' act, rather than just continuing.

There may be questions about membership continuity or being truly 'punk' with these 2 examples, but that there is scope for such debate surely suggests caution around this claim, at the very least? '' — Preceding JSN2849 comment added by 2.25.51.11 (talk) 02:04, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

2015 dates
The discussion of 2015 tour dates needs to be converted to the past tense, if indeed what was foreseen actually took place. Masonmilan (talk) 12:55, 26 January 2016 (UTC)

Stranglers IV
The band's first two albums are credited, at least on the LP sleeves, to Stranglers IV. Was there a reason for this? From Black and White onwards they become The Stranglers. 146.90.47.137 (talk) 23:55, 1 July 2017 (UTC)

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