Optical connections

I’m gonna break out of the city, leave the people here behind, Searching for adventure, it’s the kind of Play it again, Eddie life to find. Tired of doing day jobs, with no thanks for what I do, Which is the only pop song lyric that mentions opticians? I know I must be someone, now I’m gonna find out who. David Baker has the answer, unless you know better

These are the opening lines of a 1977 superimposed Mickey Mouse ears. hit record. Reaching the top 10 of What was intended as a joke ended the UK singles chart, it is instantly up causing the band a certain amount recognisable to anyone who was a of grief. As The Hot Rods’ bassist, and teenager at that time, and is still played Ian Dickson/REX later member of The Damned, Paul frequently enough to be familiar to Gray, relates in his online memoir at his music radio station listeners. The paulgraybass website: song and its performers may have ‘It wasn’t long afterwards that what influenced many other bands from the was to become known as the Curse punk era onwards, but its relevance of the Hotrods struck. In retrospect it here is that it is possibly unique (as far wasn’t the best of ideas to mess about as the author is aware) in mentioning with Aleister Crowley … It wasn’t opticians in its lyrics. long before the letters started coming The group responsible for the song from his followers, saying we were was a four-piece band that was formed playing with fire and threatening dire in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, in 1975. retributions on us all. At the time it There was a fifth ‘member’ of the was unnerving and we tried to laugh it band, a dummy called Eddie, who used off, but uncannily enough we suffered to appear on stage with them; and he our fair share of tragedies soon after. gave his name to the outfit, Eddie and In no particular order one of the guys the Hot Rods. They developed a cult responsible for the cover committed following on the pub circuit playing suicide, our manager died of a drug hard, fast rock and roll, following the overdose and all other sorts of trouble path stomped by their near neighbours befell band members that I won’t go from Canvey Island, Dr Feelgood. into here.’ Their style, somewhat more raucous Eddie and prescient as the band reached a high Despite a huge tour of America – 57 – and more popular – than some of the Hot point of number nine in the singles gigs in 52 days – and recording sessions their contemporaries, helped to create Rods’ chart that August with the single from enlivened by guest appearances from an opening for the punk movement vocalist which the lyrics quoted above are Jools Holland, Linda McCartney and in the UK by persuading venues to Barrie taken: Do Anything You Wanna Do. In others, the Hot Rods’ time had passed book acts such as the Sex Pistols and Masters addition to breaching the Top Ten, it now that punk had taken hold. They The Damned. It was also to be their was named single of the week in much parted company and disbanded in 1981. downfall because, as punk took off, the of the music press. But that was not the end of the story: a Hot Rods’ brand of pub rock came to The music was composed by the brief reprise of the band was followed seem outdated. aforementioned Douglas, while the by reforming in 1985 and a reunion lyrics were written by their manager of the original line-up in 1992. Indeed Why don’t you ask them what they expect and erstwhile Southend DJ, Ed Hollis Eddie and the Hot Rods are still touring from you? (the elder brother of Talk Talk lead now, but with just the one original Why don’t you tell them what you’re singer, Mark Hollis). The lyrics were a member, vocalist Barrie Masters. gonna do? nod to the work of occultist, magician If anyone knows of another track You get so lonely, maybe it’s better that and all-round bad boy Aleister Crowley. that mentions opticians, let them come way, Born in 1875 in Leamington Spa to forward. But it is humbly suggested It ain’t you only, you got something to say. members of the puritanical Plymouth that Do Anything You Wanna Do, this Do anything you wanna do, Brethren sect as Edward Alexander rousing song with its optical reference, Do anything you wanna do. Crowley, he revelled in the moniker should become a standard at any applied to him as ‘the wickedest man self-respecting student optical ball. And The addition of guitarist Graeme in the world’ thanks to his debauched what price a rendition at the Optician Douglas to the Hot Rods’ line-up lifestyle. In a work entitled The Book Awards? All together now (with seemed to provide the spur for their of the Law he set out his philosophy of apologies for the grammar): breakthrough into the singles chart. ‘“Do what thou wilt” shall be the whole Signed to Island Records, their first hit, of the law.’ (It is arguable that the I don’t need no politicians to tell me things Teenage Depression, reached number wickedeset thing he did was to name I shouldn’t be, 35 towards the end of 1976. There his children Lola Zaza, Aleister Atatürk Neither no opticians to tell me what I was a moderately successful album of and Nuit Ma Ahathoor Hecate Sappho oughta see... the same name, and the New Musical Jezebel Lilith.) ...Do anything you wanna do, Express’ February 1977 prediction Do Anything You Wanna Do was Do anything you wanna do ● of the Hot Rods as being the ‘most marketed with a record sleeve featuring promising emergent act’ appeared an image of the bald Crowley with ● David Baker is an independent OO

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