PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER 1-2-3

THE COPS ARE OUT,THEY'RE RUNNING ABOUT
DON'T KNOW IF THEY'LL EVER BE ABLE TO BLOCK BUSTER OUT
HE'S GOTTA BE CAUGHT,HE'S GOTTA BE TAUGHT
'CAUSE HE'S MORE EVIL THAN ANYONE HERE EVER THOUGHT


''BLOCK BUSTER'' by SWEET was arguably the best CHINICHAP song and one that helped to define the UK GLAM ROCK sound. The record was released at the start of 1973 and spent 5 weeks at number one. Little wonder that the records producer PHIL WAINMAN wanted to re-use some of the elements of the record to replicate that success.

Later the same year WAINMAN co-wrote and produced ''PUBLIC ENEMY NO.1'' for the vocal harmony group BROTHERLY LOVE. The record resembled ''BLOCK BUSTER'' in a number of ways. The song also concerns a super criminal being hunted by the law. It opens with a SIREN SOUND and features both a chugging ''I'M A MAN'' riff and undulating TOM TOM drum pattern

HEY YOU,YOU BETTER COME OUT
YOU BETTER GIVE IN,YOU'RE SURROUNDED
SHOTGUN,THE MUSIC HE HEARS
WHEN IT RINGS IN HIS EARS
WE ALL RUN,FROM PUBLIC ENEMY NO.1

The song was completed with a 'cop show' brass/spoken word breakdown reminiscent of ''ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS'' by FIRST CHOICE, another hit song from the same year. The record sounds like a smash, but seems to have made little impact. Perhaps the elements were a little too familiar to pop fans at the time?



WAINMAN seems to have been quite fond of the recording as a couple of years later he dusted it off and re-recorded the vocals with the band SON OF A GUN. It was released as the B-SIDE of their 45 ''MAN OF MY WORD''



Jumping forward to 1977 we find a record by CHILD that shares the same title and many hallmarks of the last two : SIREN SOUND intro {played on a synth},chugging SPIKY GUITAR and a TRIBAL REVERB-LADEN tom tom beat. The lyrics also concern a wanted criminal, but were sung from the perspective of the protagonist this time!

I'm PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE
MY ONLY FRIEND IS MY GUN
THE WAY I GOT MY NAME
I OUGHT TO DIE OF SHAME


CHILD would have a UK hit the following year with a cover of the CONWAY TWITTY/BILLY FURY standard ''IT's ONLY MAKE BELIEVE''. That and other releases present the image of a mannered SOFT ROCK act, but this German only 45 shows a heavier side of the band. It's not clear if the record was influenced by WAINMAN's ''PUBLIC ENEMY NO.1'' or by ''BLOCK BUSTER'' itself. Pure coincidence or knowing plagiarism? I don't think we will ever have the answer, but the recording is there for Glam Rock archivists and Junkshop Glam aficionados to enjoy!